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Solo Stove Instructions

  1. Gather Dry Twigs & Tinder

    Gather enough twigs and prepare them by breaking them into thumb length sizes. Dry twigs and tinder will always work better than wet biofuel.

  2. Find Level Ground

    Place your Solo Stove™ (pat. pending) on level ground away from wind. If you have a windscreen, set it up to provide additional wind blockage.

  3. Clear Away Ground Debris

    For added safety, clear away any flammable ground debris within 5 feet of the stove (twigs, leaves, grass etc.).

  4. Remove the Cooking Ring

    Remove the nested cooking ring from inside the stove. This will make it easier to stack twigs inside the stove and prepare to light your fire.

  5. Light a Fire Inside the Stove

    Using dry twigs and tinder, light a fire inside the stove.

  6. Replace the Cooking Ring

    Place the cooking ring on top of the stove as soon as you have a sustainable flame.

  7. Cook, Boil, Roast, Percolate, etc.

    Prepare your favorite backpacking meal, brew a hot drink or roast a marshmallow. Enjoy!


1. Always use dry wood when possible. Wet wood will take longer to burn and will produce more smoke.

2. Hardwoods (birch, maple, hickory, oak, etc.) will burn longer than softwoods.

3. As with every wood burning stove, some soot will be on the bottom of your pot after each use. Softwoods will create the most soot while hardwoods like maple will create the least. The best way to minimize soot is to let the fire become well-established and hot before putting on a pot. To make cleaning up even easier, you can soap up the bottoms of your pot before use. Use a bar of soap and a little water to get your hands soapy, and then smear them on the bottom of your pot or pan before cooking. As you cook, the bottom will turn black, but will rinse off easily under water when you’re done.

4. For a more fuel-efficient way to cook on your stove, try burning it with a full load of fuel that is lit on top. To use this method, place large sticks and twigs neatly on top of the nichrome wire grate up until the bottom of the top air vents. Then light a small fire on top using your favorite tinder or fire starter. Feed the fire with small to medium sized sticks and tinder until the fire is self-sustaining. Continue to feed the fire until it has spread across the full width of the stove and the main fuel load begins to burn from the top down. After the air in the wall of the stove heats up, airflow will improve and a secondary combustion will be visible near some or all of the secondary air vents. Start cooking. If your initial burn consumes your main fuel load and you find yourself still needing a flame to continue cooking, add in additional fuel through the opening in the cooking ring. Add finger sized twigs and other biofuel to maintain a flame.

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