I’ve used many a camping stove in my lifetime. Currently I own three of them :a monster two-burner Coleman stove that I bought at a garage sale in Seattle for $5; a smooth burning Whisperlite that I bought at REI and use all the time, and a JetBoil, a new, handy-dandy “portable cooking system” that I have become quite attached to.
With all these stoves available to me, it’s unlikely that I’d ever take the time to build a stove fro scratch, but this piece teaches you how to do just that. Called the Penny Stove, this handy apparatus seems like a cinch to put together. All you need is some tools, a couple of Heineken Beer cans, a penny and some fuel. Given the fact that a good stove will set you back almost $150 – 200 ,this might be worth checking out. I mean, the worst case scenario is you finish off a sixer of Heineken.
And BTW: If you’re in the market for a new stove, you first might take a look over at Outside Magazine and their survey of camping stoves available.