Gutter Spike Stove

Gutter Spike stove
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Cooking on the Gutter Spike stove.
Click to enlarge.

There are lots of camp stoves of all sorts, some good and some that leave much to be desired but one thing they all have in common is a rather high price tag for what you get. Sterno or canned heat has been around for years, mostly found under chafing dishes in buffet lines any more. During WW-II and Korea, it was a quick way for soldiers to heat up C rations or boil water for instant coffee.

It's ideal for the solo bicycle tourist in that it's cheap, easy to carry and does an adequate job. Each can costs about a dollar and will burn for about three hours. While not as hot as some of the pressure camp stoves, what it lacks in power it makes up for in simplicity.

Basically all you need is a can of fuel, three gutter spikes (big nails about 8" long) and some aluminum foil or even a split pop can as a wind shield. The shield will concentrate the heat under the pan and make it much more efficient. Great for heating canned or dehydrated foods. Find a level spot with nothing on the ground to catch fire, set the can level and stick the three gutter spikes in the ground around it. They hold it in place and form the base for your pan. The best height is about an inch higher than the top of the can. Wrap a piece of aluminum foil about 3/4 of the way around it, leaving the top about half an inch below the tops of the nails for venting.

Some of the cans of heat have a wick to light while others are simply open at the top. Both seem to produce about the same amount of heat but those with a wick are safer in that they can't spill the fluid should they be turned over.

A side benefit to this type of stove is the gutter spikes can be used asspare tent stakes.

Contributed by Jim Foreman

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