Choosing a Camping Stove For Your Classic Camping Impression And Why

This video was inspired by a Round Table discussion between Shawn Dyer and Josh Wilson, an expert on late 19th and early 20th century camp food, that was featured on Shawns Traditional Campcrafter's Guild Social Media site. I don't have much to say about food here, but I do talk about camp stoves for Classic Camping, which you might want to choose, and why.

[@edgarcardiel157]

Im a wwii reenactor who crossed the line into civillian camping of the 30s-50s Most of what me and my friends do is late 40s, and we use an m42 field stove . We’re in our early 20s so we like to represent returned service men who are getting out into the woods after being home. Issued by the military and phased out by newer models by wars end, it makes total sense to find these in a surplus store of the day. I found mine at one! Theyre sturdy, reliable, and consistent with results. I keep it in the front pocket of my mountain rucksack! Thankyou so much for the info, your advice and knowledge is incredibly valuable to me and my friends.

[@sargevining]

Glad to hear it. One good thing about a civilian impression is that its always age appropriate. A fat Captain in his fifties is kind of farby, even if he's got all good gear and clothing, but a 50-year-old guy in the woods with the right gear and clothing is the very picture of an Authentic Campaigner. Middle twenties guys just home from the war and heading to the woods is even more so. I'm happy you're doing the returning veteran thing. I learned most of my camping and outdoor skills in the '50s & '60s by going camping with my friends and their Dads who were almost all WW2 vets. The M42 is indeed a great stove, I have one in my '50s-60s base camp and group hike kit. I'll be doing more '50s-60s stuff here in the future. You might try to find the Squad cook set. They were made in the same configuration up until the late '70s so they're relatively easy to find and not a whole lot of money.

[@jefflanham1080]

….my personal choice is the Optimus 111 originally released in the late 20s-30s but mainly because my trips are usually canoe oriented.

[@woods_wanderer]

Great video once again. I have no particular era as a guide when I get stuff. Iv recently made a yard sale purchased of a trapper Nelson pack made by Jones tent and awning in Vancouver BC. It is in beautiful condition and for $15 I couldn't walk away. Most of my stuff is a form of milsurp. My cover is a Russian plash Palatka, a usgi sleeping bag, an Italian m48 mess kit and my truck sack is a Canadian 84 pattern. The stoves in your videos are not common here in Canada. I have for a while now wanted to start era-izing but lack the community to share it with. Stay after it and stay safe.

[@sargevining]

The community at the moment is kind of spread out. My suggestion is to build your own impression and "If you build it, they will come."

[@toml.8210]

I preferred the Coleman Peak 1 #400 single-burner stove, with its multi fuel capability (gasoline or whitegas/Coleman fuel) in the late 1970s or 1980s, but I have been using my home-made wood gas stoves lately. Mine are made from soup cans, or or a quart-paint-can, depending on the design (there are dozens!.) As Sarge mentioned, you just pick up wood bits as you hike, and put them in a cloth bag, so you don't have to cut branches, which many parks are prohibiting lately, along with the open fires or firepits. The best part is they have no small parts or valves, O-rings, and the fuel is free. You just need to make sure your 400-degree stove is cool before you pack it away (ask me how I know! 😵)

[@sargevining]

There is a bit of satisfaction knowing that you've worked around the cost of fuel. Its easier to do if going into camp a couple hours before sundown, but if you're doing dawn 'til dusk backpacking, the speed and reliability of a stove is a bit better choice, IMO. Thanks for watching!

[@ScottCarlson-cz7wj]

Nice 'fresh meat' tip. Out here on the NW coast we have more bears and cats than you can shake a stick at. I try to keep food odors off my clothes, use alchi wipes to wash my hands, and carry zip lock bags for garbage. (Plus I carry bear spray and a weapon.)

[@sargevining]

Down here, the critters we generally have to be concerned about are mice, coyotes, and raccoons. The coyotes not as much as the other two as they generally don't like to get close to the human smell, but I've had a raccoon try to get into bed with me and the mice will go anywhere. Ziplocks and alky wipes don't fit with the vintage camping thing, so we have to look at solutions from the period: hanging food bags, cooking away from where you're going to sleep, changing clothes at night, that kind of thing. Thanks for watching!

[@jamesellsworth9673]

I'm an 'Old Guy' and a long-time hiker and camper. This video has been a useful review for me...and a reminder of how we did things. Your new 'togs' look great, by the way. I particularly liked the 'Newsboy' cap.

[@sargevining]

Being in Texas, the newsboy isn't my favorite as it doesn't provide much shade. I've worn it before in the video about the Compac tent. It does give an immediate statement of the period. Thanks for watching!

[@honorableoutfitters]

Great discussion brother!

[@sargevining]

Thanks for watching! I see you got your stove running, enjoy!

[@toml.8210]

Meat in any form attracts 4-legged visitors! You'll need extra stuff, like a rope and a bear bag to deal with stuff that 'smells.' You can even get smoked sausage that keeps without much trouble, but it needs to be securely bagged because the animals can smell itand LOVE the smell. We use it in mouse traps!

[@sargevining]

Yes, sausage being my preferred meat for vintage trekking situations, I carry some line to hang my food bag, and I'll hang my pack as well. I've had mice eat into a pack to get into food that isn't there b/c the pack smelled like the food that was in it for a day. Thanks for watching!

[@paradyne1T101]

Way Point Survival brought me here!

[@sargevining]

Thanks for watching! James is doing a good job with his Hobo series, and I'm glad its sparking interest.

[@inregionecaecorum]

What about a kerosene wick stove? Did they exist back in the day? I got myself a cheap Chinese one some time back, and although it has all the quality control issues of cheap Chinese goods it works alright as a stove.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Yes they were around and used. Sad iron stoves are also a good option but they are heavy with cast iron construction. 😅

[@sargevining]

Yes, but they take forever to get water to a boil, which translates into the need to carry more fuel. Not too much effect on a weekend trip, but more than a couple of days would require carrying extra fuel. Thanks for watching!

[@markbrandli]

I see a blue top red bottom box that looks like it might be a primus stove , is it a primus 71 ? Also would it be period correct for 30's camping ? I hope so, I was given one many years ago .... is it a gasoline or alcohol stove? I know you had talked about it and have looked through videos but cannot remember which.

[@sargevining]

Yes, its a 71. The stove itself is acceptable as there was no change in the design for its entire production life, but the windscreen/pot stand is from the '50s. Its a white gas stove and in my opinion the best of the breed. Using the stove without the windscreen is only a matter of using stones or logs on either side of the stove with some kind of grating above the flame spreader---a couple of tent stakes or metal rods would do the trick. Another way would be to find a one quart paint can and modify it so the stove will go in through the top or side and use that as your windscreen/pot stand. Either way is totally authentic as the lowest price option in the catalogs was the stove alone and many a man would have taken that route during the Depression.

[@jefflanham1080]

This is where eBay is glorious….you can find authentic even n.o.s. Stoves going back almost a hundred years by Optimus, Primus, Coleman, etc. ….depending on how much you want to spend.