Found a $3 camp stove mod that saved my chilly morning last weekend

Was out near Shenandoah last Saturday and my little propane stove was struggling in the wind, so I made a windscreen from some foil I found in my truck bed and it boiled water almost twice as fast. Anyone else use random junk to make their gear work better?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_adams1mo ago

Did you try wrapping the foil around the stove legs to block side gusts too?

martin.riley1mo ago

Diana, I get the concern about airflow, but I've been using foil windscreens for years and never had a burn issue as long as there is a gap at the bottom for oxygen. Most propane stoves have that little vented ring near the burner that still gets plenty of air unless you wrap it tight like a burrito. Saving a few minutes might not sound huge, but when your fingers are frozen stiff and coffee is the only thing between you and packing up early, that extra time matters more than a textbook combustion chart.

diana_kim661mo ago

Did you ever think maybe the foil is blocking air flow and making the stove work harder than it should? I mean, propane stoves are designed to pull oxygen from all sides, so wrapping them up could actually cause incomplete combustion or even carbon monoxide buildup in a confined spot. idk, seems like saving a few minutes on boil time might not be worth risking a faulty burn.