I agree with phat. And, it took a little while to come to this conclusion. I am an engineer by profession. I think the bushbuddy is freakin' cool. I think the whole concept of a gassifier is awesome. I had to have one. Of course, I couldn't find the money to buy one, and I love to make stuff, so I decided to make my own. I did and it worked great. But then came the thinking on how to make it lighter. Which led to what is the purpose of the stove. To me, the purpose for choosing this stove over others was that you didn't have to carry fuel. And it is better than a can because it burns the fuel more efficiently. Why is it important to burn wood more efficiently when you don't have to carry it? That led to why not just bring a can? A can does the same thing, just less efficient, but cheaper and lighter. And then, why bring a can when a small fire with rocks will do the same thing but be free and weigh nothing? I have never gone anywhere in Utah that didn't allow fires some of the year. If you are concerned about hurting the ground, then bring a piece of sheet metal. Also a trick I learned from earthling is to use two SS bicycle tire spokes to support your cup. I still like wood burning stoves, and think they have their place. But I have a hard time justifying them on a backpacking trip. But, YMMV.
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