Siege survival stoves

[Kestrel]

I very seldom (if ever?) post a link to direct to a product, but their 'two-minute survival stove' looks to be a pretty elegant design i.e. using an empty food can as a component; I'm pretty curious about the product.

https://siegestoves.com/

 

[bignc]

The site is a little cheap and tacky but that's sort of common for the genre. Have to say, cool looking product!

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Tacky is a word that describes an opinion of disfavor, and certainly is valid for the person using that word. Cheap? Well the website was probably created a lot cheaper than the slick sites we are used to seeing. Personally, I'd rather not have to pay a higher price for a product sold on a slick website to cover the costs of slickness. The point is valid regarding the genre. Maybe some folks choose to do it themselves, perhaps reflecting who they are and trying to convey a bare bones real-deal philosophy. For a made in America item, the price is decent.

Just ordered the titanium cross members with a sheath and the previous generation small grill. This will work with our alcohol stoves in terms of performing as a wind screen and a much more stable cooking platform. Being able to easily replace a can is very appealing. This will be a good setup for our 10 year old son to learn campsite cooking skills with indigenous fuel. If he spills something or otherwise the can becomes a mess, we can just chuck it. The idea of using different sized (and available) cans is a distinct plus. Hopefully the flip-over grill will get used, whether for meat or toasting or something. Curious that the handles on the old grill are made from modified cheap flatware as described on the informative website.

Curious how Siegestoves.com provides even more information after the sale. The 250 item survival-supply list is interesting. Nuts, bolts, chain and perfume/cologne are on the list. It is prefaced with the proviso that it is not meant to be all inclusive, or that every item is necessarily needed for all individuals.

Not completely clear on the fabrication of the more efficient wood-gas stove option using two cans. Sounds like the slightly larger can needs a hole a little smaller in diameter than the inner can on the bottom. Is the top of the larger outer can completely open?

Hopefully members here can give their experiences of this potentially very useful emergency/camping item.

 

[Kestrel]

Would be /most happy/ if you were to provide user opinions here after getting it, thank you. :thumbsup:
(I'm always a late adopter. )

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Yes sir! (or maam?) I've noticed that about you. Given the fact that our habitat where we live is tinder dry and windy a lot of the time, having an open fire can become an impetuous tragedy. Years ago I was party to an accidentally released fire while welding hinges on a metal gate post. My sole duty at the time of the grass ignition was to watch, and put out any dry material lit by the sparks of the welding. We got it out after it consumed a roughly 10 by 30 foot span of dry grass. And it wasn't all on fire at the same time, more like a line of fire running along the perimeter of the scorched area. The scar was there for years and I'm understandably titchy about such a thing. We also had a house burn down in the neighborhood, caused by an ignorant person and an electric generator (hot exhaust and a piece of plywood I believe).
The house we bought recently has an outdoor fireplace that is raised and built up in such a way that it will offer a reasonably safe way for our son to get some open fire experience with this stove. (Seems like kids just love the campfire experience, right?) That will happen when the relative humidity is much more than the 7% and the wind speed is not as enthusiastic as it is today.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

We got the shipment day before yesterday. It is the real deal. Titanium looks good. The grill is 1st generation closeout and is basic but will serve its purpose. The sheath is good quality and also sent two strips of bike tubing to hold the 4 cross members together. James, the head chief over there said that a sliver of inner tube makes for a good firestarter in an emergency. He also sent one of those military issue small can openers that has to be the finest of its kind that I have ever seen. Inscribed on it is 'US Shelby' and the working, pointy part on it stays closed until one presses it open decisively, then it stays there until firmly closed. It's good kit.

We are looking forward to trying the stove out this weekend. I opened a big #10 can of mango chunks from beprepared.com ordered in 2012. I did not have a unibit to drill the holes. A regular bit seems not ideal, in addition to having done it all by myself (Siege Stoves recommends another person hold the can and use a tapered bit to make nice holes)

James and I have been talking via email. He is interesting. I got permission from him to quote parts of an email where he describes his day job, because I don't quite understand some of the details like some of our engineer/computer-type CPF members might. He reminds me of Randy at Pflexpro; another interesting talented individual. Thank you Kestrel for bringing this versatile stove to the forum!

 

[vadimax]

I guess this system is way more comfortable and effective:

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Here is a 16 minute video demonstrating the Siege Stove. Yes I misspelled Siege in the opening title of the video. It is versatile, much more so than other options I have seen. The previous video shows a small, comparatively tippy stove system. This stove can easily receive more wood in use. You can be assured that no one is wanting you to watch anyone eating in our video. Assembly is at about 1 minute 30 seconds. Ignition begins 5 minutes in. It started quite fast, what with the good ventilation. Son wants to cook more, at least the sweet stuff. It's a keeper.

https://youtu.be/SRWLqoGT8D0

 

[scout24]

Kitrobaskin- I smiled when I read your post. Here's my Shelby P-38 can opener, I've had it since 1989. It's opened who knows how many cans and ration tins, and has served on my keychain since new. You can look forward to many many good years of service from it. 👍😁

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Hey scout,
Well, turns out I got a different P-38 than you. Here's the words of Siege Stove regarding this (with permission granted to quote James):

At some point I learned that Shelby Mallin Corp. went out of business in the 1970s and absolutely no one makes P-38's in the USA. The {redacted name of manufacturing behemoth west of California} stamp "US Shelby" on them because there's no company to go after them for trademark infringement. I have a couple of box-loads of P-38s and when those are gone I may drop them too for the same reason, but since they are just a small giveaway item and not a Siege Stove product, that's less of a concern. All the US makers of fire steels went out of business over 10 years ago because of ​redacted, and vendors in the US tend to obfuscate the origin of the ​redacted ones they sell. I think there is one German and one Swedish manufacturer, so at some point I may source some for resale from them.

A picture of the P-38 I have:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/e29bSRvzthPZTxww8

 

[Kestrel]

Thx for the updates BTW; I have been keeping tabs on this but still need to check out your video, thanks.

Edit: Just watched the video; thanks for the good demonstration. Cooked rice :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[bignc]

Good deal, Kit. Glad it's working out! On another note, I hope no one misunderstood my jab at the quality of the website as a problem with the product or the company. It was just a little jarring to me in this age of super sleek and user friendly sites. It reminded me of the ads in the back of magazines when I was a kid.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Hello bignc,
James kind of agrees with you in a sense. He talks about a website reconfigure, but his day job is time intensive. It's funny because he truly believes in the Siege stove. Similar to his website, James writes in his emails with a similar style. I like his enthusiasm and when he says something like 'but there's more' it just brings a smile to my face.

Yeah Kestrel, it has been a long road trying to get a camp stove to cook a good batch of rice. Granted, there was some beginner's luck coupled with the fact that I was working on other house projects during the cookout, and just let it ride for a few hours. The pot we used was warped on the bottom from getting fried by our propane stove, which is unsuitable for rice because it can't go low enough to simmer. Our alcohol stoves can't hold enough fuel to cook regular rice; parboiled (precooked) rice, yes with a Reflectix cozy to finish the cook. And the alcohol stoves need to cool down before adding more fuel, plus they go into torpor when it gets even mildly cold. I have plans for more Siege Stove experiments. We got a little more rain today, and our front yard project is virtually complete.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Siege Stoves did some revamp work on their site, partly as a result of our feedback.
We have been experimenting some with our Siege Stove. Purchased gallon paint cans and quart paint cans. We got some rain today after a lot of dryness so we can do some tests, including the gasifier option.

As I had said, with permission, here's the occupation of the driving force behind Siege Stoves;
"I do high level 3D patent illustration for a living. I've been doing it for over two decades, and pioneered the use of 3D modeling to produce the illustrations. This is common now, but I believe I still use it more than just about anyone, often creating scenes to show the application of the inventions and using 3D characters in close interaction with the items, where necessary. Doing this all in 3D results in more accuracy and detail, and provides the flexibility to render a scene from any angle (to change the viewpoint in a 2D illustration requires one to recreate the drawing from scratch). I also developed a technique to generate highly detailed, physically accurate stippled shading that is compliant with patent office rules for design patents -- everyone else has to do this by hand and guess what the shading might look like. The rules can be tricky -- I periodically have to fix drawings that other illustrators/inventors/CAD engineers have done, which can be challenging and usually involves a drawn out struggle between the inventor and the patent examiner, costing them a lot more in attorney and patent office fees. Having high quality drawings to begin with can make a big difference in the overall quality, strength and coverage of a patent, as well as how smooth(l)y it gets through the patent office procedures (examiners appreciate good, clear drawings, which make their work easier, — and seem to reward them accordingly). I mostly work with IP attorneys who bring in the work, but also directly with individual inventors and businesses..."

His Kickstarter campaign was successful, and a great website to see his 3D work:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/siegestove/siege-stove-the-ultimate-camping-and-survival-stov

The video with the opening screen colored mostly desert gold is the one with his stove visualizations, and a good glimpse of how the gasifier is put together by him. The background music is excellent (one opinion), kind of a Fripp and Eno vibe, for want of a more current reference.

Turns out there's another take on the common can (hobo) stove. This one lacks a bottom grid but has something of a knife edge for peeling kindling?

https://newatlas.com/outdoors/survival-stove-head-tool/

We will continue trying different hole sizes (the step bit is far superior for drilling, made better by not pulling the bit out fast and leaving a snag) and gasifier vs. conventional can.

 

[Monocrom]

This looks like the traditional Hobo stove taken to the next level.
I wouldn't spend money on something I can easily re-create.
Wouldn't be an exact recreation of course, but would still get the job done.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Pots are more stable, stove is more stable, field expedient hole-making to the can, and the gasifier option. I used the term hobo stove to recognize what you wrote, without the grandstanding. It's ok if you don't want to buy this product. Is it that post #15 reflects a bitter need to sway others to avoid what you have deemed unnecessary? That is not welcome.

You remember we have chatted amiably via PM in the past. This dismissive pronouncement here is not as puerile/judgemental as your post on the Coronavirus thread declaring certain law enforcement officers 'should know better'. Perhaps you should consider less putdowns toward others. You may end up finding less use of the "Ignore Member" option on CPF as well. Thank you for your valuable service on your jobs, and hopefully you will do us a favor and not criticise mistakes made by our civil protectors. There are many fine members risking their lives for our safety.

 

[bignc]

Kit, I finally watched the video and checked out the updated site. SO much cleaner looking and he DOES sound very excited about the product. It's silly, but he sounds like a nice person too. I will probably grab the cross members next good paycheck- even though I have 6 or 7 different stoves already. . Best wishes to your friend!

 

[Monocrom]

Pots are more stable, stove is more stable, field expedient hole-making to the can, and the gasifier option. I used the term hobo stove to recognize what you wrote, without the grandstanding. It's ok if you don't want to buy this product. Is it that post #15 reflects a bitter need to sway others to avoid what you have deemed unnecessary? That is not welcome.

You remember we have chatted amiably via PM in the past. This dismissive pronouncement here is not as puerile/judgemental as your post on the Coronavirus thread declaring certain law enforcement officers 'should know better'. Perhaps you should consider less putdowns toward others. You may end up finding less use of the "Ignore Member" option on CPF as well. Thank you for your valuable service on your jobs, and hopefully you will do us a favor and not criticise mistakes made by our civil protectors. There are many fine members risking their lives for our safety.

I'm certain my blatant honesty will continue to get me into trouble. But I tell it like it is. See no need to sugar-coat things. All I did in my post above was state my opinion on this item. Genuinely don't see how you got the impression that I was grandstanding.

Also, bringing up something that was said in a completely different thread is rather poor form. If something I brought up in a different thread bothers you, which it seems it clearly does, feel free to mention your dissenting opinion either in that topic. Or, you can PM me. As you've pointed out we've had a friendly conversation utilizing the PM system on CPF. I don't go out of my way to insult others. I simple state my honest opinions. That bothers some, and they take it personally. That's unfortunate.

What you see with me is not an online persona. I don't pretend to be reasonable to make myself look good in front of other members. Not saying you do that. But I did recently have to add another member onto that Ignore List because while he appeared to be reasonable in another thread when we disagreed about a point of reference, and I treated him with respect and courtesy. After our respectful back-and-forth was over, I got a very rude and vulgar PM from that same member who showed his true colors. I let him know that I was disappointed in his behavior. And mentioned that while I didn't think I was better than him, clearly I'm more mature. Haven't heard from that member since, and frankly I'm glad.

There are those on CPF who simply care about looking good in public, but it's a different story in private. I don't do that. Also, when such individuals reveal themselves to me, I have no issues using the "Ignore" feature as often as possible. Everyone who is on that list, absolutely earned their way onto it. Again, if a comment I've made in a different thread bothers you; please feel free to bring it up there. Or, PM me and we can discuss it.

But that's all I'll say about it here as both of our posts are mainly off-topic.

Edit:
To clarify, when I used the term "Hobo stove," it was not meant as any sort of derogatory comment. Simply a descriptive one. I've made and used them in the past. They work well. I also used to own Hobo knives in the past. (Again, solely a descriptive term.) I currently don't anymore, simply because a titanium utensil set is thinner and lighter in weight.

 

[Poppy]

Monocrom,
Pots are more stable, stove is more stable, field expedient hole-making to the can, and the gasifier option. I used the term hobo stove to recognize what you wrote, without the grandstanding. It's ok if you don't want to buy this product. Is it that post #15 reflects a bitter need to sway others to avoid what you have deemed unnecessary? That is not welcome.

You remember we have chatted amiably via PM in the past. This dismissive pronouncement here is not as puerile/judgemental as your post on the Coronavirus thread declaring certain law enforcement officers 'should know better'. Perhaps you should consider less putdowns toward others. You may end up finding less use of the "Ignore Member" option on CPF as well. Thank you for your valuable service on your jobs, and hopefully you will do us a favor and not criticise mistakes made by our civil protectors. There are many fine members risking their lives for our safety.

Those kinds of stoves are cool in that they generate a lot of heat, and use relatively small amounts of fuel.

Thanks for bringing this one to our attention.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Brief update:
Really never experimented with using smaller cans except once. Seems like drilling the same diameter holes and spacing as the larger #10 restaurant size can made for not enough O2 flow. Having to use smaller pieces of wood lacks appeal as well. The containment of a can is reassuring though, and affords us the opportunity to have a fire outside, given how careful we need to be, living in an arid climate with an overabundance of down fuelwood.

The Survival Stove Head Tool referenced earlier is now offered on Amazon.

We leave the unit assembled for immediate use and as of yet not taken it traveling. If you have any first person experience with this tool, please let us know.