How to Make a Hobo Stove

A no-cost cookstove for your next camping trip.

By Russ Mohney
March/April 1984

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Diagram for the homemade hobo stove. 
ILLUSTRATION: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
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The ancestry of the hobo stove can be traced back to the invention of the No. 10 tin can. The device became prominent during America's Great Depression, an economic tragedy that thrust a great many people into the unfamiliar role of vagabond, making them take advantage of whatever resources appeared. The No. 10 tin was a product of the period of relative affluence that immediately preceded the crash of 1929, and it was seized by the nouveau bum community as a staple of survival. The tin was used as stove, water carrier, serving dish, suitcase, and sole eating container for an enormous migrating society. As such, it became one of America's most cherished resources.

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The stove that was fashioned by these knights of the open road was ingenious, efficient, and practical . . . and it's lost none of those qualities today. For the low-budget backpacker, it offers the added advantages of being lightweight, easy to use, and compact to carry because other cooking utensils can be nested inside.

Because of its double-thickness top, the hobo stove retains heat, distributes it evenly across the upper surface, and prevents rapid burnout of the can, which otherwise could occur. Since the fire is almost entirely contained within the small tin, and the amount of heat generated and transferred to the cooking surface is enormous, it's important to remember to use only pencil-sized bits of wood for the fire. By using the damper, you can control the intensity of the fire and keep it at the proper cooking level.

Building the Hobo Stove 

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