Part 1 - BCB Crusader MKII Cooker Used as Wood Stove

The BCB Crusader Cook System is well known as a bombproof means of heating water and cooking using fuels such as meths and hexi blocks etc, but now with the availability of the MKII anodised cooker that is a deeper unit is it possible to use the cooker to burn wood fuel to boil water effectively without the need to carry meths or such like but instead utilise fuel found in our local environment?
In this video I attempt to answer this question.
Thank you for your interest in my channel and for watching.
Please leave any comments and questions below.
Happy Wandering.
Paul 😊

[@simonwilson7385]

Nice video Paul. Shows if its all you have you can boil water. Its a shame BCB dont watch some of these videos to see what we want/need a cooker to do.

[@trytheoutdoors]

Thankyou for sharing. Yes, it needs a way to feed sticks in without removing the 'cop -pot'. The tent pegs and grill seem good ideas to raise the 'cup-pot'. Does this make it easier to feed in sticks from the top?

[@PaulOutdoors]

My pleasure Muhammad. Thank you for watching and commenting. I am always trying to get more out of kit and equipment. It is a bit fiddly adding more fuel and smokey as you can see but it does work as a wood stove. I no longer use this system as I have since obtained a wood gas stove and folding titanium wood stove so use one or the other whenever I need to cook over flames where an open fire is not an option :)

[@trytheoutdoors]

Thanks, Paul I have watched so many videos from various channels (yours is very helpful- thankyou) and am still left wondering what the best cooking and pot system for light weight back packing. I love the idea of having options - a cooker that burns sticks ( a gasifier) but also accommodates a triangia alcohol buyer as a back up. But the folders (lixada, Bush box and firebox) also look great. Canteen sets don't seem as 'stick friendly' compared to the folders and gasifier. What is your preferred set up? (Including pots / billies). Can you put me out of my misery????? Imran

[@trytheoutdoors]

Actually ...just watched your video on the lixada which folds into the summit tiffin set. Really helpful. You mentioned you now use a wood gast stove and a titanium folding stove. Would you tell me which brands you have settled on and do you still use the tiffin pot with them? Sorry for all the questions. Rgds Imran

[@PaulOutdoors]

Muhammad Imran Since this series of videos Imran my cook system has evolved considerably and does depending on the nature of what I am doing and planning to eat. If walking and hiking then I use my lightweight titanium pot, gas burner and canister which all stores inside the titanium pot with a spare plastic cup...very lightweight. I carry ready made porridge satchets and energy bars and have more substantial meals en route in towns meaning that I use the porridge mainly for breakfast and the oat based energy bars when on the move and during short stops. Whereas, if I am wild camping and not walking very far apart from to a woodland where I may stay for a day or two then I will often use the wood gas stove and tiffin pot or the titanium Lixada where an open fire is not allowed. If an open fire is possible then I will also take my stainless crusader cup but the titanium pot also works. So, if static I take my heavier stainless steel kit and when covering ground I take the titanium cook pot kit :)

[@trytheoutdoors]

Hi Paul I didn't get a 'ping' telling me you replied. So this a belated thankyou for your very helpful response. Cheers😊

[@jelkel25]

I ditched the Mk2 stand, it didn't work for me, took up too much space in the pack compared to other options, the Mk2 mug is great though, light, strong with a huge capacity, got me through a week where my water purifier broke on day 1. Do like the trying out new ideas before you set out though, should do more of that myself and less of trying them half way up a hillside in the p**s down rain!! Thanks for the vid!

[@PaulOutdoors]

jelkel25 Good morning. Thank you for watching and commenting. Yes, I find myself trying out various combinations like this at home before trying them for 'real' as it were...everything is evolving lol. I haven't purchased the MK II cup because I am uneasy about the use of aluminium for drinking and eating out of. Most of my wood burning is done in the wood gas stove that I have featured here on this channel. The wood gas stove is superb but it is nice to know that wood can be used in the Crusader MKII just in case :)

[@PrepperFox]

Great video Paul thanks for sharing. Had this on the list to try out. Thought with all the holes there would be ample oxygen for a clean burn but think your right if the cup was slightly higher it would be perfect. A few metal tent pegs through the top row of holes i think would do the job. atb Foxy

[@PaulOutdoors]

+Prepper Fox Yes Foxy great idea! I will give that a go on the next test. Thanks for visiting and commenting. Much appreciated. Paul :)

[@peetsnort]

I'm in Herefordshire. I make my own.

[@smokeycanopy]

Love the Ideas paul, how about if you cut out a side channel for stoking fuel in to the stove would that help? as you wouldn't have to keep taking the mug off.

[@PaulOutdoors]

That would definately be worth a try. In part 2 I use a grill that lifts the cup up a tad enables fuel to be added via the top through the grid. Thank you very much for taking the time to watch and comment :)

[@PaulOutdoors]

romanbrough I totally agree and only use stainless steel for cooking in. The new BCB Crusader cooker in this video is anodised aluminium whilst the Crusader cup that I boil water and cook in is made out of stainless steel. This distinction wasn't clearly made in the video but if you watch my other videos featuring my cook kits you will know that I do not use aluminium for the very reason that you mention. Thank you for watching and commenting. Paul :)

[@theronin365]

I wonder if a bunsen burner gauze would go across the top then after it will pack away small too?

[@PaulOutdoors]

+Simon Wilson Thank you Simon. Yes it is interesting regarding the new Crusader cooker because when burning meths the original model is better which has surprised me somewhat. As you can see from part 2 of this video raising the cup higher helps the burn when using the cooker to burn wood which is great but the downside is the smoke and blackening of the cup but I suppose you don't get one without the other. Thank you as always for watching. Paul :)

[@estevan7781]

hi, nice video. you get more oxygen on fire, i think, turn the cup 90^degree on top of the stove if you take wood. it´s more air from upper side for the fire und not smoking.(woodgas) in your version you breathing into the stove, because the fire has not enough oxygen. regats Estevan

[@PaulOutdoors]

Thank you Stephan for watching and commenting. Good idea and yes will try that. In a follow up video I raised the cup which definately helped :)

[@estevan7781]

Hi Paul, now i watched part 2 and its better result. i mean that by my idea you can feed the fire if needed. ok greets Estevan

[@PaulOutdoors]

+Stephan B. (Estevan) Thank you Stephan....yes much easier to feed the stove when using the grill or tent pegs and if changing angle of cup on top of cooker as you suggest. Thank you for watching. Paul :)

[@fivesfish]

You would be better of building a fire and a bush-crafting stick which would hold your cup over the fire! A video building a bush-crafting stick that would hold you cup over the fire would make a better video in my opinion. A stick with a split cut into the end would work I think?

[@PaulOutdoors]

Thank you Sonny for watching and commenting. This video was intended to highlight or otherwise the versatility of this popular cooker. The stainless steel crusader cup works great in or over a fire but I never got around to making that video although plenty of others have. Maybe one for the future 😊👍

[@glynburden1813]

As a life and death situation maybe, other than that no thanks too much hard work and effort.

[@PaulOutdoors]

Thank you Glyn for watching and commenting 👍😊

[@raybrown5185]

Please learn to us a fire steal correctly. watch ray mears please its onyouyube.

[@PaulOutdoors]

Will do Ray. Thanks for the advice 😊👍

[@grahamefreestone5309]

Ray, please learn to spell steel and KZbin correctly. Lol. 👍

[@blitzkopf7267]

nice right hand, dude

[@PaulOutdoors]

Thank you... I'm glad that you like it 😁👍