Winnerwell Nomad camp stove

Seasons4 - November 24, 2022

Gear

One of the gaps in my prepping was that I never learned how to start a fire, keep it lit, use its warmth, put it out, and manage the ashes. Someone here mentioned the Winnerwell Nomad camp stove (thank you), so I bought it and recently used it for the first time. I bought the small version, along with a fireproof mat and the “water tank” that nestles against the chimney.

It’s compact and easy to assemble. I liked the three eyelets on the spark arrestor for attaching guy lines to tent stakes to keep the chimney steady in the wind. I used my own cords and tent stakes, not ones from the company.

Its small size meant that the only wood able to fit in it was kindling that I chopped in half or dried stems of a shrub. I need to figure out how to shorten standard size split fireweed. I tried using my Sawzall, but the firewood bounced around, so I quit.

I got interrupted and had to stop the process the first time and start it later. The water in the tank didn’t get super hot during the time I spent with the stove, but it was hot enough to make tea.

I made the mistake of apparently touching the chimney while wearing synthetic fiber gloves and burned holes in the fingertips. I have a melted mess on the back of the chimney. It’s broken in now! I did not burn myself. I learned these are not the gloves to wear while using a wood stove.

I think that I will like the stove. I need more practice lighting fires and keeping them lit. I need to figure out how to reduce the size of standard firewood to fit in the stove. I need to figure out how long it takes to heat water, maybe cook an egg, or heat soup. I need to obtain more wood. I need to figure out how to anchor the guy lines if the ground is frozen. Maybe retaining wall pavers? Then I need to keep three of them where they don’t freeze and get covered by snow. I need to figure out what to do with the ashes.

Once I get more comfortable with this controlled fire, I plan to practice making a campfire in a portable metal fire pit. One step at a time.

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I love that you stepped out of your comfort zone and are practicing a new skill that you see would be valuable for you! 

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this stove, it looks like it will be a great one for you.

 

Congratulations on beginning to master this basic skill, one of the cornerstones of survival.  Progress to the point where you can safely build and manage a fire from scratch.

Knowing when not to build a fire is equally important….

 

Thank you, Hikermor. I lived for years in California and was sensitized to wildfire risk. If I have a choice, I won’t build one. I appreciate your encouragement to keep learning.

 

Thanks, Gideon. I appreciate your encouragement. I still need to get the brush for cleaning soot and creosote from the chimney.

 

Hmmm…I thought mine came with the brush. Packed into one of the stove pipes…

 

JB in AZ, packed in the one of the chimney pipes was the spark arrestor for the top of the chimney. The wire bristle cleaner for the small size stove is out of stock at the moment. I managed to find something that I think will work at my local hardware store in the grilling section.

 

Ohhhhh, yes, okay, that’s right, it was the poker I was thinking

 

How long does it take to set up and take down? It’s a good looking stove and doesn’t look too heavy of cumbersome.

 

Hi, Ostrich Eggs. It’s quick to set up. It took maybe 10 minutes the first time, plus setting up the guy lines. It’s only 14 pounds. I decided to order the leg extensions so it can be farther off the ground. I’m such a beginner with fires that it was awkward to check how things were going given that it’s low to the ground. It comes in small, medium, and large. Most people would probably want medium or large, but I wanted low weight.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hiker-dies-zion-national-park-165422409.html

This tale of a recent hiker fatality, illustrates the need to have the capability to build an emergency fire

 

It’s so sad that happened. One thing I wonder about is how to safely store fire-making supplies. Should the flame source be stored separate from fire starter supplies, for example?

 

In a hiking or bug out bag situation, you have to keep your flame source near the fire starters just because the bag is so close together. In reality, it’s very unlikely though that your lighter or ferro rod is just going to turn on in your bag and start burning everything.

At home, you should be safe too. Just don’t keep large amounts of fire starters like lighter fluid, gasoline, or tons of wood next to your home that if caught on fire could quickly take out your home.

 

Be very careful with volatile fluids like gas or lighter fluid.  I keep matches in a waterproof container, also my Bic lighter.