Regardless of location, leaving the pavement for the woods is a great undertaking. The endeavor comes in many flavors, including backcountry big game hunts, primitive state park camping, and hunting camps. Whatever the case, overnight outdoor excursions come with the need for fire for cooking and, in some cases, warmth. My trips out and about the Texas landscape usually involve Whitetail scouting and hunting on a variety of parcels, and I typically do it solo.
With solo hunting comes the need for heat. Sure, my mini-adventures aren’t too far off the beaten path but they ultimately beg for a good fire source, albeit on a small level. Uses include boiling water for coffee and cooking small meals. I often use a wood-burning stove rather than a propane one. Let’s just say, I like making fires – even small ones. It’s practical, easy, and creates ambiance back at the truck for going through trail cam images, reading, or just flat-out reflecting on life. Fire is a huge part of the outdoor experience, no doubt.
To that end, one piece of go-to gear for me is a backpack stove. Usually thought of for backcountry treks, I’ve found them to be a good fit for my smaller-in-scale whitetail hunts. My favorite is the TOAKS Titanium Backpacking Stove. Let me explain why.
I love the challenge of making a fire in the wild as next as the next guy or gal. However, a simple, no-nonsense fire-starting method is hard to beat. The methodical, yet fast benefits of a well-designed stove are the ticket. Let’s just say it checks a lot of boxes. it’s lightweight, portable, dependable, and inexpensive – and if I follow the simple steps, I’m staring into flames in minutes.
I could dowse a pile of logs with lighter fluid, creating woodland pyrotechnics but it’s unnecessary. I like to methodically make a modest fire for my needs. Especially on smaller hunting properties, I don’t need the additional smell and mess associated with larger blazes. It can be alarming to area deer. Plus, the smaller controlled burn is not only less abrupt, but it’s more gratifying. A smaller, minimalistic heat source is all I usually need. When it comes to effectiveness and practicality, the TOAKS Titanium Backpacking Stove represents a sweet spot.
(Lack of) Size Matters
As mentioned, a good lightweight backpacking stove like TOAKS’ offerings have a lot of utility for my outings. TOAKS’ stoves and other gear are made from Titanium and are almost weightless. They also nest for compactness. My stove, when nested, measures less than 5” in diameter and height. When it’s time to pack, I can nest the three components and slip it into the small bag the stove includes.
Effective Design
Yes, the stove is effective in terms of size and weight. However, more than that, it sports an operative design that makes for optimized heat and air flow. The system creates two combustion points (higher and lower) that are ideal for fire creation, start to finish. Translation; fire in minutes.
Safety and Cleanup
The dry conditions in my home state of Texas means fire safety is paramount. The walls of a backpack stove confine the flames ensuring a safer fire. Peace of mind counts for a lot. After all, my main objective on my excursions is to have a successful hunt. I’d rather spend my time strategizing over a buck I’m chasing or my next hunting spot.
That Smoky Smell
Hunters are all about minimizing scent and I’m no different. There are many sources of hunt-damaging odors, including, gasoline, sweat, and yes, smoke. While arguably a wood fire isn’t ideal for the latter, small contained ones are acceptable as you can avoid getting much, if any smoke on your clothing. It’s a slight trade-off, but I say bring on the heat and flame. It’s a worthy part of the hunting and outdoor experience.
A Fire or Fire Companion
In those cases when you want a bigger fire, the backpack stove makes for a great accompaniment. Hot coals from the larger blaze can be easily transferred into the stove, making it easy to build and maintain a great mini-heat source for cooking. In this case, the backpack stove is truly the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to meals and cherished coffee refills.
The TOAKS stove is very compact, especially when nested.
Items Needed
- TOAKS Titanium Backpacking Stove
- Ignition source (matches, lighter, Ferro rod, or dual arc lighter)
- Small and medium-sized kindling and wood chunks, in Ziploc bag
- Small camp pot or skillet
- Metal coffee cup or kettle
Hint: If you don’t have a supply of kindling in your yard back home, commercial wood chips and chunks are available at places such as Walmart and your local grocery store.
Packing dry kindling ahead of your outing goes a long way toward a successful fire in a backpack stove.
That’s it.
For my solo hunts, I dig out a shallow pit (optional). At a minimum, I clear a small area of debris and form a ring with rocks. When I return to my solo camp after a morning or evening hunt, I’m good to go.
Fire-Starting Steps
First off, it’s a good idea to pack a couple of Ziploc baggies full of kindling and tiny, small, and medium-sized twigs. While it’s easy to collect them on-site, it’s efficient to bring a stash with you. It really comes in handy during damp conditions. These small stashes take up little space and weigh mere ounces.
- If not packed, take time to collect an ample supply of kindling and a few stouter sections of wood. Area brush and deadfall are great sources.
- Detach the 3 stove pieces and stack (see image below).
- Tap in a couple of small tent stakes in the holes at the bottom of the stove, especially if the ground is uneven (optional).
- Assemble a little kindling in the bottom of the stove. Good candidates are pine needles, dry grass, newspaper strips, and tiny twigs.
- Ignite with the source of your choice.
- Give it a minute to catch well.
- Methodically add small twigs into the square opening at top of the stove.
- Graduate to larger pieces.
- After a few minutes, the fire will be established enough to add even larger twigs and wood chunks.
Start with small kindling and graduate larger pieces.
Final Steps
The rest is easy. Pull up a camp chair. Boil some water and enjoy a cup of java. For an easy meal, use your skillet or pot to sear sausage, hot dogs, or even steak and vegetables. These and other meats can be cut into small sections and cooked in short order. Of course, for more “means to an end” meals, I warm up chili or soup. Compact outdoor pots and pans like the TOAKS Titanium 1100ML Pot-Pan Combo are a great choice.
Keep the fire going a little longer and enjoy the glistening coals. As you wind down, you can mentally relive the hunt and strategize for the next one. These are good times all at the hands of a little kindling and a wood burning backpack stove – and as mentioned, these small manageable fires are easy to clean up when done. As they say, “dynamite comes in small packages”. Let this simple piece of gear combo enhance your peace of mind and hunting experience.
