How to Choose the Right Bushbox Twig Stove

How-To Tutorials | 26-11-2019 (Updated 28-11-2019)

Twig stoves use materials in the environment as a fuel source so they can be packed light, perfect when travelling light or for longer trips. Bushcraft Esssentials offers Bushbox twig stoves in several models. Watch the video and use the comparison chart below to find the Bushbox model twig stove that's right for you.

	People	Boiling Water	Rehydrating	Cooking Meals	Capacity	Weight
Bushbox XL	2-5	✓	✓	✓	1L - 5L	800g
Bushbox XL Titanium	2-5	✓	✓	✓	1L - 5L	490g
Bushbox LF	1-3	✓	✓	Light	1L - 3L	470g
Bushbox LF Titanium	1-3	✓	✓	Light	1L - 3L	270g
Bushbox Pocket Stove	1-2	✓	✓	Very Light	1L	270g
Bushbox Ultralight Outdoor Pocket Stove	1-2	✓	✓	Very Light	1L	60g
Bushbox Pocket Micro Stove EDCBox	1	✓	✓	X	500ml	77g

Bushcraft Essentials Bushbox Stoves

Stick Stoves are a relatively new addition to camp cooking repertoire, and offer advantages over traditional fuel based stoves. The fuel for stick stoves is whatever is laying at your feet: twigs, small branches, pine cones; the general debris that covers the ground at most camp sites. This makes stick stoves an excellent choice for longer trips, as there is no need to pack fuel. Stick stoves also pack flat and take up little space in your pack. They can also be used in conjunction with a fuel based burner for a "Plan B" when encountering wet, rainy weather, or when a quicker method of getting food or water on is required.

Bushbox stoves are made in Germany, and feature several well-thought-out design elements that add to the overall functionality of the stoves. Lighter than their competitors, and featuring open style hinges (so there's no chance of them getting gummed up with food or liquids that spill over the top of their containers), several models are all-in-one, folding designs that have both an integrated ash pan and fire grate. Bushbox makes a number of different models and the size of the stove should be determined both by the size of your party and the style of cooking you want to be doing. Re-hydration of freeze dried meals solely can be done with smaller stoves, whereas cooking pasta, larger pots of stew, etc, will require a larger stove model. The size of the stove is key, because trying to cook with an underpowered stove is a lesson in frustration: too much time wasted trying to keep temperature up by constant feeding and tending to the stove.

Bushbox XL Stove

The Bushbox XL is the largest Bushbox model. It is good for cooking meals (as opposed to simply boiling water) for groups of 2-5 campers. The fire is easily maintained by feeding through front opening - no need to remove cooking vessel to feed stove. A Trangia burner can be easily integrated with 2nd set of trivets, or tent pegs. The Bushbox XL are available in stainless steel (standard) or lighter-weight titanium models.

Bushbox LF Stove

The Bushbox LF is the newest Bushbox stove. It combines all-in-one design of the XL with form factor of original Bushbox. Slightly bigger than original Bushbox, it is good for 1-2 people when cooking or 1-3 when rehydrating. It still packs small like the original and is available in both stainless steel and lighter weight titanium.

Original Bushbox Pocket Stove

The original Bushbox stove comes in separate pieces, and must be assembled. It is good for one or two people doing rehydration, or boiling water. It is small for cooking meals, but can service 1-2 people for boiling and rehydrating. The original Bushbox packs extremely small and lightweight and is available in both stainless steel or lighter weight titanium.

Bushbox Ultralight Outdoor Pocket Stove

The Bushbox Ultralight is, as name implies, extremely lightweight, and packs down to nearly nothing. It's great for hiking trips where weight matters. Bushbox Ultralight is easy to set up and good for solo use when boiling water and rehydrating meals. It can be used in conjunction with a Trangia burner as well.

Bushbox Pocket Micro Stove EDCBox

The Pocket Micro Stove EDCBox is Bushbox's smallest model. People's reaction tends to be laughter and an "awww, how cute", but make no mistake, the EDCBox can boil a cup of water, and makes for an excellent emergency stove for packing in your vehicle, or boat. InstaFlam is an excellent fuel, but pine cones, bark, small twigs can also easily be used. It can also be used to melt snow using a tealight. The EDCBox disassembles into a tiny, flat package.

So if you're looking for a way to extend your trip length without having to pack in more fuel, stick stoves are the way to go. In Canada, stick stoves will have an almost inexhaustible supply of fuel so you'll never have to worry about running out of fuel. When they're packed, the sizes are negligible, and when flat packed, they'll fit anywhere. By combining one with a fuel burner, you can achieve the "best of both worlds", carrying minimal fuel, but having a backup provided when necessary. Bushbox stoves are quality, German design and manufacturing and are available at COEC.

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About the Author

Tim Foley

Tim grew up spending summers and much of his spare time in the backwoods of Northern Ontario and has been canoeing, camping and hiking ever since. When not running the Canadian Outdoor Equipment Co., you can find him riding his bike, hiking the Bruce Trail, canoeing, or clearing trails, cutting firewood and testing gear out in the bush.