9 Best Wood Burning Camp Stoves For Cooking Delicious Meals On The Go

We conducted 11+ hours of research to conclude that the Solo Stove Lite is the best wood burning camp stove.

Everyone loves that delicious, smoky taste of dinner cooked over an open fire.

But you know what everyone doesn’t love? Finding out there’s a fire ban in place, or realizing it’s not possible to build a traditional campfire.

Enter, wood burning camp stoves. They provide all the benefits of a campfire, except they’re portable too!

We searched through the available models to pick the Solo Stove Lite as our favorite. Achieving the optimal balance between function, size, and price, the Solo Stove Lite is ultra-portable, produces a super hot flame, and requires no setup at all!

We’ve also put together a comprehensive buyer’s guide that show you how to pick the best wood burning camping stove for you.

Product Name	Weight	Cooking Surface Size	Price	Notable Features
Solo Stove Lite	9oz	3.8 x 3.8”	$$	No assembly required, reduced smoke generation
Emberlit Titanium UL	5.4oz	4 x 5.5”	$$	Titanium build, folds down to nearly a credit card’s width
Camping Stove Ohuhu	0.8lb	5.3 x 5.3”	$	Midsize for an affordable price
BioLite Campstove 2	2lbs	5 x 5”	$$	Capable of charging USB powered devices
REDCAMP Wood Burning Camping Stove	5.5lbs	10.6 x 7.8”	$	Easy unfold assembly, includes a grill
Fltom Camp Tent Stove	37.9lbs	15.75 x 9.85”	$$$	Plenty of room to cook while winter glamping
WINNERWELL Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove	4lbs	15 x 9”	$$$$	Lightweight, allows you to heat your tent and cook
BAFADA Wood Burning Camp Stove	2lbs	7.3 x 3.9”	$	Budget friendly, accommodates large pieces of fuel
Spitfire Rocket Stove	11lbs	8 x 8”	$$	Accommodates large cookware while remaining extremely stable

Solo Stove Lite

Overall performance (30%) – 9/10, rave reviews, hot burn, minimal smoke
Weight & portability (25%) – 9/10, 9oz weight
Build quality and durability (20%) – 8/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 8/10
Ease of setup (10%) – 9/10, none required!

Best for: a backpacker looking for a no-fuss stove that strikes the perfect balance between function, size, and weight; $$

There’s no doubt that the Solo Stove Lite is a fan favorite. And with good reason too!

Despite its munchkin size of just under 4” tall and a weight of 9oz, this stove packs a lot of performance into a little package.

It features a unique double wall construction and venting system that produces super hot, concentrated heat. This heat is capable of boiling water in 8-10 minutes.

Not only that, but that unique design has the added benefit of drastically reducing smoke generation. Now you don’t need to deal with smoke in your eyes while preparing your meal!

Additionally, the Solo Stove Lite is incredibly hassle-free. There’s no setup involved at all! Remove it from its included carry bag, remove the cook ring, and add your fuel. That’s it!

Pros:

Small size of 4” and 9oz weight doesn’t compromise on performance
8-10 minute water boil
Doesn’t generate much smoke at all
Included carrying bag
No assembly required!
Rugged stainless steel construction

Cons:

Some campers feel it’s a little too small for their needs

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Emberlit Titanium UL

Overall performance (30%) – 8/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 9/10, 5.4 oz and incredibly thin folded profile
Build quality and durability (20%) – 8/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 7/10
Ease of setup (10%) – 6/10, requires some assembly

Best for: a thru-hiker looking for the ultimate portable, lightweight beast; $$

Calling all ultralight hikers! We’ve got the perfect stove for you!

The Emberlit Titanium UL is a tiny but mighty champion, boasting insane packability and what some campers call bombproof reliability.

Weighing in at a mere 5.4 oz, you don’t need to worry that your “luxury item” stove will add to your pack weight.

And with its crazy thin foldability – down to nearly a credit card’s width – you can take the Emberlit on any adventure.

Just keep in mind that it does require some assembly. In fact connecting the separate panels feels a little like playing with an old Lego set!

Lastly, since this is a stove primarily geared towards backpackers, it’s not the biggest on the market. In other words, don’t plan on stacking your largest 11 inch pans on it.

Pros:

Astonishingly light at 5.4 oz
Folds down to nearly the profile of a credit card
Titanium is strong and durable
Quickly boils water in 10 minutes
Easy cleanup

Cons:

A bit of assembly is required
Small size means it’s not the hottest burning stove ever

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Camping Stove Ohuhu

Overall performance (30%) – 7/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 8/10, 0.8lb and includes a convenient carrying bag
Build quality and durability (20%) – 8/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 6/10, mixed feedback regarding stability
Ease of setup (10%) – 7/10

Best for: a backpacker on a budget seeking a durable, compact way to prepare smaller portions of food; $

If the prices on some of the portable wood burning stoves are upsetting your wallet, consider the Camping Stove Ohuhu. It manages to be affordably priced while still offering plenty of bang for your buck.

First, this stove has received the stamp of approval from backpackers. Weighing only 0.8lb, it’s light enough to toss in a pack and forget.

Plus, the 5.3” dimensions make it just large enough to cook adequate portions while not being bulky.

Campers have praised the Ohuhu’s durability, saying they’ve dropped multiple parts of the stove without damage. This isn’t surprising when considering it’s hardy stainless steel construction.

But users did express a little concern about the stability of the three arms which the pot sits upon. So just keep that in mind and handle it with care.

Pros:

Lightweight at 0.8lb
Includes a grill
Comes with a carrying case for easy portability and storage
Minimal assembly; all parts nestle together

Cons:

Have to remove pots and grill to add fuel
Campers were a bit concerned about the stability of the three arms that hold the pot

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BioLite Campstove 2

Overall performance (30%) – 8/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 8/10, 2lbs is reasonable for most campers
Build quality and durability (20%) – 7/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 7/10
Ease of setup (10%) – 7/10

Best for: a car camper who needs to stay connected to their electronics even when off the grid; $$

For anyone that can’t live without their tech toys, wow, the BioLite Campstove 2 is the perfect gadget for you.

This little guy happens to not only be a competent, fully functional wood burning stove, but it can also charge any USB powered device.

So feel free to cook up your dinner while charging your smartphone, tablet, or even your camp lantern!

The BioLite Campstove 2 accomplishes this feat by converting some of the excess heat generated by the fire into electricity. It then stores that electricity in its onboard battery.

By the way, that battery is detachable, meaning you can charge your devices even without a fire! When you do have a healthy fire burning, users have been able to get a 10% charge in a half hour.

As far as its stove functionality goes, campers report it can boil water in 5 minutes.

In fact, its heat generation is almost too good. Some users warn that if you don’t watch it very carefully, it’s really easy to burn your food.

Pros:

Dual function stove and charging combo; keep your devices powered up in the wild
Charge devices even without heat; detachable battery stores power
Boils water in 5 minutes

Cons:

The heat is so intense that it’s easy to burn food; beware!
Some campers don’t like the small size of the chamber/fuel hole

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REDCAMP Wood Burning Camping Stove

Overall performance (30%) – 8/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 7/10, 5.5lbs is okay for car campers
Build quality and durability (20%) – 7/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 7/10
Ease of setup (10%) – 8/10, easy unfold

Best for: several car campers looking to serve up mid to larger-sized portions at a very budget-friendly cost; $

The REDCAMP Wood Burning Camping Stove might be your next cooking solution if you’re in need of a larger stove for a not-so-large price.

Featuring 10.6 x 7.8” of available cooking surface, you’ve got plenty of room for two smaller pots or one large pan. It comes with a grill as well, so feel free to dump your food right on for some char-flavored perfection!

Another perk we enjoy about the REDCAMP is the front-loading fuel system. Now you won’t need to move all your food off the top when it’s time to add fuel to the fire.

For the setup, you don’t need to worry about fussing with tiny parts and pieces. Simply unfold and attach the grill. That’s it!

And finally, when it’s time to pack it up, the entire piece folds down to 1.5” thick. REDCAMP throws in a bonus carrying case to simplify the moving process even further.

Pros:

Mid-size stove offers 10.6 x 7.8” cooking surface
5.5lbs is reasonable for car campers
Easy unfold assembly
Front-loading fuel system

Cons:

Some users warn they cut themselves handling the metal edges; handle with care

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Fltom Camp Tent Stove

Overall performance (30%) – 8/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 6/10, 37.9lbs and not terribly portable
Build quality and durability (20%) – 7/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 9/10, plenty of room to cook; a little over 15×9”
Ease of setup (10%) – 5/10, plenty of set up is needed

Best for: glampers camping in the cold who want a way to not only cook their meals but heat their tent; $$$

For cold-camping glampers and camp chefs alike, you can’t go wrong with the Fltom Camp Tent Stove.

Users love the extra large cooking surface area of just over 15×9”. Plus, the added 2 shelves provides even more space for you to prep your food before tossing them on the grill.

Unlike a lot of other stoves on our list, the Fltom Camp Tent Stove is robust enough to bring on your coldest camping adventures.

Why? Because the heat output is enough to warm an entire tent! Just be sure your tent is fire retardant and capable of accepting the included chimney flume.

As an added bonus, it features a tempered glass window for easy viewing of the fire. After cooking your amazing dinner, snuggle up on chilly winter evenings and watch the dancing flames!

Just be careful of making the heater too hot. Some campers mentioned creating a fire so hot that the coating started flaking off. So keep an eye out for any potential damage.

Pros:

Extra large cooking area; just over 15×9”
Includes 2 shelves for preparing food
Runs hot and heats a tent, perfect for winter glamping
Features a glass window to watch the fire

Cons:

Feedback here and there warning of heating the stove up too much
37.9lbs is rather heavy

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WINNERWELL Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove

Overall performance (30%) – 8/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 9/10, 4lbs for a stove like this is almost unbelievable
Build quality and durability (20%) – 9/10, sturdy titanium build
Stability/surface area (15%) – 9/10, 15×9” is a lot of room for cooking
Ease of setup (10%) – 8/10, instant setup

Best for: a winter camper searching for a lightweight, premium stove and heat source; $$$$

Allow us to introduce the premier wood burning stove for winter camping: the WINNERWELL Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove.

It may sound like we’re being a little dramatic, but we really aren’t. This stove is worth the fuss.

But first, let’s address the elephant in the room: the WINNERWELL is incredibly expensive. It’s able to command such a price thanks to its premium features.

To start with, the entire stove is built with titanium. This results in a rock-solid piece of kit that will last a lifetime, as well as an astonishing 4lb total weight.

The stove itself is crazy spacious: 15×9” is available for whipping up your tastiest meals.

When it comes to heating your tent, one camper in particular mentioned how their tent went from 47 degrees to 77 degrees in 15 minutes. So no need to worry about the freezing forecast; the WINNERWELL’s got you covered.

Pros:

Dual functioning stove; heat and cooking
15×9” surface area
Entire stove weighs 4lbs and folds down nearly flat
Instant setup; no parts to attach besides the chimney

Cons:

Premier price will instantly eliminate this stove for most campers

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BAFADA Wood Burning Camp Stove

Overall performance (30%) – 7/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 8/10, 2lb and low profile
Build quality and durability (20%) – 7/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 8/10
Ease of setup (10%) – 6/10, some setup required

Best for: the extremely budget-conscious camper or a beginner looking for a cheap way to jump into the world of wood burning camp stoves; $

We get it: camping is expensive!

Thankfully, there are alternatives to plunking down an arm and a leg’s worth of cash. The budget-friendly BAFADA Wood Burning Camp Stove is one of these alternatives.

In spite of it’s crazy affordable price, there’s a lot to love about this camp stove.

For one, you’re getting a lot of stove. With a length of nearly 8” and a width of nearly 4”, it can handle several pots and pans simultaneously.

The BAFADA features plenty of air vents, so it’s easy to start your fire. They also throw in a handy wind shield to protect the baby flames when you’re getting started.

You won’t need to constantly feed this thing either, thanks to the abnormally large side opening that can accommodate some seriously large logs.

When it comes to storage, the BAFADA folds down flat to about the size of an iPad. This low profile, coupled with its weight of just over 2lbs, means it’s easy to bring on most adventures.

Pros:

Wildly budget friendly; most affordable on our list
Large size despite its price; plenty of servings
Can accommodate large logs so you don’t need to constantly fuel the fire
Adjustable height of the fire grates
Low profile and 2lb weight

Cons:

Requires some setup

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Spitfire Rocket Stove

Overall performance (30%) – 8/10
Weight & portability (25%) – 6/10, 11lbs is a little hefty
Build quality and durability (20%) – 7/10
Stability/surface area (15%) – 9/10, campers praised its stability and large area
Ease of setup (10%) – 6/10, some setup needed

Best for: car campers who want to be able to cook up a lot of food in a short amount of time; $$

If you’re tired of seeing small, single-serve stoves, the much larger Spitfire Rocket Stove is sure to please.

Standing at 20” tall and offering an 8” cooking surface diameter, you can easily place larger pots and pans on the Spitfire Rocket.

And not to worry about stability either. Campers have confirmed it’s quite stable, even though admittedly the pictures of the Spitfire look a bit unconvincing!

In fact, one user in particular had no trouble placing a heavy 12” cast iron dutch oven on this stove.

Finally, when it comes to critiques, there’s a bit of assembly required. But campers generally agree that it doesn’t take much more than 5 minutes.

We also would have liked to see a grill included, especially for this price. But unfortunately, you need to buy that separately.

Pros:

8” cooking diameter can accommodate large pots and pans with ease
Reported to be stable, even when loaded with larger pieces of cookware
Efficient fuel consumption
Included carrying bag, packs down relatively small

Cons:

A bit of assembly is required; might be a learning curve for newbies
Would have liked to see a grill included for this price

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How to Choose the Best Wood Burning Camp Stove

Wood burning camp stoves offer all the benefits of a traditional campfire…but in a convenient, portable box!

However, there’s plenty of models to choose from, and the process can feel pretty daunting.

So let’s walk through considerations you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing your wood burning camp stove.

Type of Camping Trip

Camp stoves can vary wildly in size and function, so it’s critical that you solidify basic details about your camping trip before you buy.

For instance, are you planning an epic backpacking trek across the country? If so, you’ll want an astonishingly lightweight stove like the Emberlit Titanium UL.

Or if mobility isn’t an issue, a much heavier stove like the Fltom Camp Tent Stove would be ideal for car campers and glampers.

If after considering your options, you’ve decided a wood burning camp stove doesn’t make sense, don’t panic! We’ve got a list of 13 alternatives to campfires just for you.

Size, Weight, and Portability

Remember how we said that wood burning camp stoves can fluctuate in size and weight? Well, we weren’t exaggerating.

A typical range can begin at the insanely ultralight 5.4 oz and go all the way up to a hefty 38 lbs!

So consider how much weight you’re willing and able to carry.

In addition, keep in mind the available amount of space at your campsite.

A small stove such as the Solo Stove Lite has a diameter of just under 4 inches. In other words, you can set it up in the most compact areas.

On the other hand, a traditional stove like the Fltom Camp Tent Stove is bulky, taking up a larger surface area. Not to mention, this particular stove has a stove jack, which means your tent needs to be equipped with a stove jack hole.

Finally, it should go without saying that some wood burning camp stoves will be more portable than others.

Consider that the Emberlit Titanium UL and the REDCAMP Wood Burning Camping Stove can be folded flat for the ultimate in portability and storage.

In contrast, the aforementioned Fltom stove has a more prominent profile, even when disassembled.

Stability/Support

You definitely don’t want your delicious dinner to get ruined because your pot fell off the stove!

So to prevent this, it’s wise to pay attention to the support offered by the camp stove.

Keep in mind the available diameter of the stove, along with the diameter of your cookware.

Don’t try to put a full size 11 inch pan on a 3 inch stove. Things might not end well!

Instead, purchase a smaller stove if you plan on using it to cook smaller portions of food, or to boil water.

If you need larger capacity, then the 15 inch WINNERWELL Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove might make more sense. Plus, it’s completely flat, meaning there’s no stands for your pots and pans.

Keep in mind the available diameter of the stove, along with the diameter of your cookware.

Materials

A lot of wood burning camp stoves are built with the ever-popular stainless steel. For reference, the Spitfire Rocket Stove is made of stainless steel.

And it’s earned its popularity too. Stainless steel is a go-to for anyone who’s a little rough on their gear. It resists scratches, rust, and is quite cost effective.

A lesser known choice for a camp stove is titanium, seen on the WINNERWELL Fastfold Titanium Tent Stove. While just as strong and durable as stainless steel, titanium is superior in the lightweight market.

In fact, it’s one of the lightest metals available when it comes to cookware and stoves.

Just remember that you’ll pay a price for those lost pounds, as titanium is much more expensive than stainless steel.

Setup

How important is a fast setup to you?

If you’ve been hiking all day and just want a warm fire to cook dinner, look for a no-fuss, cylinder stove.

The Solo Stove Lite is a simple solution that you whip out of your pack and toss some fuel into – no assembly required!

(Oh and if you want to speed up the process even more, brush up on your firemaking skills with us as we walk you through the easiest way to build a campfire.)

Or on the other hand, a stove like the Emberlit Titanium UL folds down and separates into several “plates.” You then have to re-connect them, so it may take a moment or two longer than a cylinder stove.