Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Wood Stove Recommendation

I need a new stove for deer camp. I have an older Ashley CBAC circulator unit in there now. I don't need anything expensive but do need something that can pump out BTUs for minimally insulated 1,150 sq ft. dwelling. I've been looking at U.S. Stove models that can be bought at box stores and the reviews are hit and miss. What do you recommend and where do you recommend purchasing?

I know about the expensive ones, mine cost $2500. I am not up to speed on the cheapos but I imagine there are some good cheapos out there. I once made a stove from a 55 gallon drum and it worked pretty well.

With your experience with upper end stoves what one’s do you recommend versus which brands to stay clear of?

Expensive: Blaze King. Extremely long burn times and their claim that you'll use 30% less wood is absolutely true. I've had mine for 10 years and it is simply outstanding.

Inexpensive: Drolet

Stick one of these in there

I have one I used to keep in a 12x30 tractor stall for mechanic work.

They sure have went up.

Got mine for $35 at a yard sale 🤠

Side note, used to toss .357 mag ammo in it for fun. No harm came of it.


Has two cooktop ‘burners’ on it too

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Drolet for the OP.

Blaze King and Jotul for the guys with a big wallet.

I've had a Lopi 1250 (now discontinued) in my cabin for about 5 years and it's worked well. My cabin is 14x20 with a loft, no insulation.

If a wood stove was my primary source of heat I would spend the money for a good stove and I’d recover the initial cost over time. For a cabin I think that US stove looks decent. I’ll be in the market for a couple down the road so I’ll file this away in the memory bank. 😁. Thanks

We have a Lopi Endeavor. Made in the USA. It's steel. Highly recommend it. Has two levels of cooktops. The lower level is good for warming up or simmering soups and stews. The upper is good for keeping things warm.

https://www.lopistoves.com/products/wood/premium-steel-wood-stoves/

The advantage of steel is it heats up quickly. The disadvantage of steel is it cools down quickly.

Englander 30-NC (may now be the 32NC) is US made. About $1100, these days. Certainly not a “Lopi”, but a solid step up from the US Stove.

The forums on Hearth.com are a good source of info.

I’ve had (and have a new one in storage that I bought back when they were $150), one of those that Slum posted. They will throw out the heat, but they are so “leaky” and inefficient, that you’ll be up constantly, stoking the thing. Getting up twice in the middle of the night to refill, gets old fast.

I have a Woodstock Keystone stove. Iron frame and soapstone sides/top. Never used it as a sole source of heat, but it seems more than capable.

https://www.woodstove.com/the-keystone-soapstone-wood-stove

If you could find an old Fisher Papa Bear in good condition or something equal to it would be ideal IMO. I had a Sierra made locally that did a great job in my 100 year old 1600 sq foot house. I upgraded to a Quadrafire when I put an addition on and cut my wood consumption, but it's pickier about dry wood.

I've heard good things about the Englanders.

I've got an old wonderwood circulator. Inside the door it says US stove company, but the whole thing is China made

1,150 sq. ft., one story or two?

As you also probably know, with poor insulation, don’t be tempted to get some little thing rated for 1000-1500 sq ft. Get you something for 2000 plus.

The firebox will be a better size (you won’t have to “miniaturize” your already cut wood, that’ll be too long to easily get in there). Plus, since it’s a “cabin”, you’ll be showing up with everything in there 40-50 degrees. You’ll spend the better part of a day just heating up everything (walls/floors) if you’ve got some “little” thing, not to mention getting up more to stoke it, due to less wood capacity/btu output.

I’ve got an older Englander 30NC in a 1100 sq ft cabin (that is well insulated) and it works well. I had thought about getting one of the smaller 17NC’s, and didn’t. Smart move on my part...

I love my Lopi Stove...



https://www.lopistoves.com/products/wood/

That's a great looking room!

+1 for Drolet, made in Canada. Excellent stove at moderate cost. Drolet's parent company, SBI, has a slightly lower cost line of stoves named Century.

Drolet has a USA based online sales website "myfireplaceproducts.com " that sells stoves already brought into US, priced in US$, and they can arrange shipping. Also many Drolet/ Century dealers around, including some big farm and ranch stores.

US Stove Co. stoves are made in China, as are Vogelzang. England Stoves are USA made.

I know nothing of eastern "deer camps"...probably pretty luxurious...but when it comes to pure btu's and fast, efficient heat...nothing beats a barrel stove kit...they really put out the heat. The more care you put into their assembly making them airtight, the longer they will hold fire unattended. If you are any kind of a welder at all you can customize the barrel for a cooking surface, water heater, warming oven, an extra heat exchanger...whatever you want. Your heavy residential stoves are pretty...but it takes a lot of time and wood to get them hot, you can have a barrel stove glowing red in 15 minutes. The huge firebox of the barrel stove is a big plus. The cast iron kits will outlast several barrels over the years.

Baker's Choice.

https://www.lehmans.com/product/bakers-choice-wood-cookstoves