Wood Stove for a Sawtooth, help me decide.

[Davebuech]

Lots of choices in backpackable wood stoves out there these days.
First I was going to go with the Kifaru, but the box stoves are too heavy for backpacking and I think there may be better options out there for a cylinder stove? Correct me if I am wrong all you stove users.
I thought I had it all figured out and was going to go with a SO SXL stove. The thought was being square I could cook some on it too and larger size = more burn time.
After looking harder at the TiGoat and the Lite Outdoors, I am now leaning towards the LO 18" cylinder stove. It's about a full pound lighter than the SO SXL and I would still be able to heat water on it, maybe some light cooking too. It's smaller and packs better than the square stove and at a better price point and size than TiGoat 16 or the SO SXL. The SO SXL may be kinda big for the Sawtooth...or so I say to myself. Everything I've heard about the LO stoves sounds like they are a good product. But those who know, is 18" cylinder stove too big for the Sawtooth? Any better options or any that I might have missed?
For those of you using a Sawtooth, what stove are you running?

 

[camping1601]

I have a 16'' TI Goat for my Redcliffe and it will roast you out in no time.

 

[Davebuech]

Thanks Camping1601. How do you like the Ti Goat? Is it easy to load and sit high enough off the ground? I liked the idea of the screw in legs on the LO.

 

[Hall256]

Man this is the debate I had all last season...still haven't decided, but put the decision on hold till later this year.

When I stopped researching I was leaning towards the Lite Outdoors stove due to the weight, the price, but most importantly the size of their door.

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[Davebuech]

I see I'm not the only one with this dilemma! Thanks Hall256 for your input. Yep, I am liking the big door too and the fact it has a baffle, which in theory should improve efficiency and burn time.

 

[camping1601]

Only complaint I have with my stove is I get a fair amount of smoke puffing out the door sometimes. This my be contributed to having to keep it dampered in order to not be too hot.

And the door will rattle if you don't lay a stick against it.

Considering it's suppose to be a light weight backpacking stove I'm good with it.

 

[Davebuech]

Humm, maybe a 12" stove would do the trick just as well and save space?

 

[mrbillbrown]

Used the LO stove for a while and loved the thought of the giant front door until I started using it more often. Experienced the same backdraft style door rattle as described above. Once I'd get a good fire built I'd shut the door to hold heat and keep embers from popping out of the giant door, then the air sucking door rattling would start. Had to balance door opening with rattle and embers popping back out at me. Too much trouble for me and I was a nervous wreck thinking I was gonna burn holes in my bag and pad.

Swapped to the Smith cylinder stove to save 1# over the LO and have a smaller door to contend with. Great improvement for me. Smaller front door doesn't rattle when fire rolling and shut. Smith cylinder- Lighter weight, fewer moving pieces, and no more door rattle.

 

[oldgoat]

Humm, maybe a 12" stove would do the trick just as well and save space?

I haven't used a 12", but it's way easier to break sticks into an 18" length than 12" length, shorter stick is harder to break and longer sticks burn longer. I own a Kifaru Medium Box stove and an 18" Cylinder stove, unless your sure your going to cook on the stove, a cylinder stove is the way go I think. I really like the looks of the LO stove and when he incorporates a spark arrestor I might buy one. I absolutely won't use a stove in Colorado without a spark arrestor, the wood were burning last archery elk season was popping embers out hard enough to make the stove wall jump. The guy at LO is hoping to have his spark arrestor developed this year.

 

[Davebuech]

Good point on the shorter stove = shorter wood (harder to break) OldGoat. I actually thought about that and thanks for reminding me again. You are also on point with the spark arrestor. LO now offers a baffle, which I would think, should virtually eliminate hot embers escaping up the pipe? Has anyone tried to use a spark arrestor from another company with a LO stove, or are all the pipe diameters from different manufacturers different enough that they can't be interchanged?
I wonder if I could add a couple of Ti Rods to the top of a Kifaru Smith stove to support a pot or pan to heat water/cook?

 

[Whisky]

I haven't used a 12", but it's way easier to break sticks into an 18" length than 12" length, shorter stick is harder to break and longer sticks burn longer. I own a Kifaru Medium Box stove and an 18" Cylinder stove, unless your sure your going to cook on the stove, a cylinder stove is the way go I think. I really like the looks of the LO stove and when he incorporates a spark arrestor I might buy one. I absolutely won't use a stove in Colorado without a spark arrestor, the wood were burning last archery elk season was popping embers out hard enough to make the stove wall jump. The guy at LO is hoping to have his spark arrestor developed this year.

I second this!!! Do not buy a 12" stove.

That said I have a 12" Ed T stove I'd cut you a deal on if you're like me and enjoy learning lessons the hard way.

 

[SJ-AK]

I just picked up a Sawtooth and LO 18" cylinder stove this winter. I like them both and they served me well on a spring goat hunt last month on Kodiak.

 

[oldgoat]

Good point on the shorter stove = shorter wood (harder to break) OldGoat. I actually thought about that and thanks for reminding me again. You are also on point with the spark arrestor. LO now offers a baffle, which I would think, should virtually eliminate hot embers escaping up the pipe? Has anyone tried to use a spark arrestor from another company with a LO stove, or are all the pipe diameters from different manufacturers different enough that they can't be interchanged?
I wonder if I could add a couple of Ti Rods to the top of a Kifaru Smith stove to support a pot or pan to heat water/cook?

I messaged with the guy at LO, he told me folks are using screens from SO I think. He also said a spark arrestor is his next project, message him on Facebook, he's a cool guy!

 

[Backpack Hunter]

It is not a huge deal at all to break sticks for a 12" stove, but you do have to feed it more. You can get that joker red hot with flames shooting out the top of the pipe if you want to though.
Having said that, for me, an 18" cylinder stove is pretty nice in my Sawtooth.

 

[Shawn Hultquist]

I have a smith cylinder 18 from kifaru for my sawtooth and it gets plenty toasty inside


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[oldgoat]

It is not a huge deal at all to break sticks for a 12" stove, but you do have to feed it more. You can get that joker red hot with flames shooting out the top of the pipe if you want to though.
Having said that, for me, an 18" cylinder stove is pretty nice in my Sawtooth.

I can break stuff thicker than my wrist into the longer lengths not always for the shorter lengths

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I can break stuff thicker than my wrist into the longer lengths not always for the shorter lengths

I usually use two trees, with the right leverage you can break a lot of stuff easily.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Speaking to the Sawtooth (size) and correct stove...

I have a TiGoat Wifi in sized medium and it is 100% too much stove for BTU and comfort in my Sawtooth. I'm serious. I am going down to the small Wifi stove this year. I used it in Alaska last year and found myself constantly damping the fire and working to control the output. The tent gets too warm to endure and that's excessive useless heat. I personally wouldn't care if it took 12" or shorter wood, because I don't burn mine a lot anyway. It's not like I need a big pile of wood. I need enough of the right wood for a given stove. Anyway...my advice is don't buy more stove than you need as it will be a headache.

I did a head-to-head on the LO and TiGoat stoves. I went TG because of the simple and fast assembly, extremely sturdy design, and usefulness as a backup cookstove. Having a pan or cup make full contact with the stove top does improve heating temps and time without having to overheat the Sawtooth. I admit to really liking the LO design and it would be my second choice. I'll also add that I think good stove legs are a very important thing on my stoves. I don't like having to get right next to the ground to see inside or load my stove.

 

[406]

Man, I wish HPG could get their design back in production.

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[Tsnider]

i got the SO medium for my sawtooth. wanted the SXL for its size, but the little more weight i stayed away from. there will be certain times i carry both the sawtooth and the stove solo so i wanted the lighter weight one. its plenty for the sawtooth. it would be nice to have a bigger size for bigger wood, but in 20 minutes me and my buddy broke more than enough wood to stay warm in January at around 9000 feet in snow(buddy stayed up basically all night feeding the stove while i slept great). for sure going to be more durable than a cylinder. ill end up getting a tarp and cylinder stove next year for solo hunts.

it takes a bit to boil water on the stove, unless its raging. so my plan is basically put my water and a lid on top of the stove when i go to sleep. in the morning when i wake up and start the fire up before i get up and around it should have heated enough for coffee and food, and made it hot enough inside that i want to get up and open the door. so its motivation to get moving. at night though ill end up using my MSR stove, because im usually wanting to eat right away when i get back to camp.

sounds like your like i am with wanting multipurpose. id buy the medium, and find out if you actually use it to cook on or not. if not, sell it next year and get something else.

its my first UL stove but it really impresses me.