Going stove-less...anyone doing it???

[Liv2HntBigBullz]

Guys-

Looking for some advice on an upcoming backcountry hunt here in CO. I am really thinking and running the calorie numbers of going stoveless. Have any of you tried this? I am thinking that if done right I can ration enough calories into a ziplock and force myself to eat everything in the bag each day. My main motivation is the fact I don't have to carry a stove, I can't stand those salt licks of preserved meals, and I tend to snack all day instead of eat big anyway.

Looking for any advice. Also need to find a good vitamin/mineral supplement to make sure that I am replacing all that I loose through exertion.

 

[swat8888]

Something about a hot meal and hot coffee in the morning. I think I'd wear Flip flops to hunt before I give up my coffee. Curious to hear how this works out for if you go for it.

 

[n816kc]

tired, cold, damp/wet... a warm drink and/or meal will do wonders for your ability to enjoy the hunt and not just survive it. as an added benefit, sitting on a hillside in the early morning and glassing with a warm cup of coffee or cocoa can be pretty therapeutic.

I carry a lightweight alcohol stove at minimum - a cat can stove, alcohol and aluminum pot will weigh less than 10 ounces and give you a fall back position at the very least. well worth the minimal weight and cost in my opinion. Zelph Stoves is a great place to get an ultralight cook kit.

but, everyone's comfort level is different - if you can, do a cool/cold weather weekend scouting trip without a stove and see how it works out for you.

 

[Slim Jim]

I'm with you swat. I just lightened up my stove going from a jetboil to a soto stove and a titanium cup so I'm happy about that. I think the stove is 2.6oz, the cup is 1.6oz and fuel at 4oz =8.2oz not bad but I'll have to get it on scale to make sure

 

[sk1]

I have a problem forcing myself to eat everything I packed even though I know I need the nutrition of what I packed, good luck with that part I'm not so good at it lol

 

[Darren Best]

A hot meal or drink is always a mood booster when the weather turns sour. Having at least one hot meal a day will keep your spirits up.

You will want calorie dense food like Pemmican to keep your energy levels up.

A really super lightweight option for cooking is the Caldera Cone from Trail Designs. Another is the Vargo Titanium wood stove, it will also run an alcohol burner. Both of these set ups will run you under a half pound with the cup included.

If you can't stand the freeze dried salt lick food packages get a dehydrator and look up Aron's thread on ditching Mountain House.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Going to try it this year but on a very short hunt, well see how it turns out.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I bring my stove only when the water is plentiful otherwise I leave it at home and pack food that doesn't need to be cooked.

 

[Curtis C]

I'm with you swat. I just lightened up my stove going from a jetboil to a soto stove and a titanium cup so I'm happy about that. I think the stove is 2.6oz, the cup is 1.6oz and fuel at 4oz =8.2oz not bad but I'll have to get it on scale to make sure

What cup are you using?

 

[jquarnberg]

Snowpeak gigapower stove and 700 ti cup is 8.5 oz. Worth having for a warm meal IMO. Generally the food that requires cooking is lighter to pack than the food that doesnt I would think? Requires water yes but that typically is available for backcountry hunters/fishers.

 

[Darren Best]

That is a really light cup, I have the Snow Peak Ti 700 and 900 and they come in at 4.55 and 5.6 with their lids.

Vargo Ti stove is 5.1 with it's case. Trangia alcohol burner is 4 empty, it will store up to 3 ounces of fuel.

The Caldera cone varies according to what cup you are using, as per their website the cone can weigh from 1 ounce up to 2.75 ounces, the lighter one for cups and heavier for pots. Their 12-10 stove weighs 1/2 ounce.

So using the cone and SP Ti 700 cup would put you under 8 ounces not including fuel. The Vargo would gain back lost ground because it can burn wood.

Trail designs also sells the Ti Tri Caldera cone which can burn alcohol and wood, but is more expensive and runs roughly the same weight as the regular cone, unless you add in the Inferno, then it's just slightly more.

Ti Tri cone 1 - 2.5 ounces
12-10 stove 1/2 ounce
Inferno cone 1/2 - 1-1/4 ounces
Grate 1/2 - 1-1/4

Total weight with SP Ti 700 cup about 7 ounces and no need to carry fuel unless you want to. Your total weight with 8 ounces of fuel would be under a pound.

Now I should point out you don't need the Inferno cone to use the Ti Tri in wood burn, but it makes it more efficient and hotter and only adds about an ounce or two.

 

[fillthefreezer]

ive heard from a couple of the boys on here they go stoveless, hopefully they'll chime in, not me though, im too hungry back there!

 

[Justin Crossley]

I've done it and it's not that bad at all in September when the weather is pretty nice. I do like coffee though so I bring a stove most of the time. My brother (dirtytough) never brings one anymore.

 

[Liv2HntBigBullz]

Great info this far.

Hoping some of the hardcore stove-less guys will chime in with some tips that I might have overlooked. Will try it scouting and if I can handle it the 5 day hunt will be done in a similar manner.

 

[Brent1321]

I am considering the Vargo Hexagon wood burner this year. I have to have coffee, and hot breakfast and dinner is a must for me. I do tire from carrying fuel cans for my Snow Giga Peak stove, so am really considering a wood burner. Why buy and carry fuel when it is all around us, that is the theory I am hoping to accept. I will buy the wood burner soon and start to experiment with it. I would imagine it is going to take some time to boil water. Waiting for water to boil for dinner wil not matter much to me. Too slow to boil in the morning will be an issue though. We shall see, but I like the idea of cutting pretty substantial weight with a wood burner.

 

[luke moffat]

My cup, stove, and 100 grams fuel canister comes in at less than one pound. For a quick overnighter in the summer I can see leaving it. For anything beyond that, having the option to drink hot fluids and have hot meals is more than worth the wait. I usually have a stove in my pack anyways in case I have to bivy out. Being able to just boil hot water to drink in the middle of the night to help keep you warm during the long cold night makes that 1 pound seems pretty puny at that point.

Just too easy to take along. Might consider it a luxury item, but its one of those things that will always be "worth the weight" for me.

 

[weaver]

Tried going without one this year...never again unless its only for a day or 2

 

[Slim Jim]

What cup are you using?

Snowpeak 600 it's actually 3oz
Stove - 2.6
Cup - 3
4oz fuel - 8.2
Total =13.8oz

 

[littlebuf]

Justin or dirtytough would be good guys to pm. i honestly could pretty easy since i only do one boil a day and that's for dinner, i hate cooking/boiling anything for breakfast. im to impatient to get going most of the time. the other hang up for me is i don't take much food and i rely heavy on MH to make up the bulk of my calorie intake at the end of the day.my cook kit with fuel weighs 17.7oz. i think it would probably be a wash with making up the calories on more cold food. maybe not though, let us know what you come up with

 

[Justin Crossley]

It all comes down to the person on this one. I will say that I prefer to have the warm food and coffee. I would do whichever one would help you to hunt harder and also enjoy your trip the most.

Remember we hunt for fun, so if you take out all the things you enjoy just to lighten the load then it's not worth it. Each trip I just decide how important it is to me to have a hot meal or that morning coffee and oatmeal. Most the time I find that it's worth bringing.

One other good thing about just bringing ready to eat food, is that you can just eat as you go and you never have to take the time to set up your stove and heat your food or water. It does make things simple.