I'm 70 in a few months, so those days are in my rear view mirror, but I have ridden about 10 thousand miles on freight trains, and I gotta say, I NEVER had any kind of stove for cooking. Baloney and cheese sandwiches were about as good as it got. Unless I was in a city where I found work. Nevertheless, I do so enjoy watching you do these videos. Keep breathin'.
Thanks for sharing! Also, if you have any hobo hacks or tricks to share, I would love to hear about them and if they are easily reproducible, I would like to show them on the channel.
I was raised pretty privileged on the central coast of California and dad grew up in Montana. He taught me how to make one of these and we did it out in the front driveway on the concrete. Realizing that you could cook without having a gas stove indoors was amazing to me. Very good memory
My grandfather was 15 years old when the Depression hit and was one of the many teenagers that left home and rode the rails looking for work. He went from NY to California and back again during the Depression finding work where he could.
I did these in the late 60s as a little kid with a cast iron skillet. Mom was amazed at the breakfast I could do with an old coffee can. It really works.
True Bushcraft! Crafting creatively using the mundane and laying about into usable tools for comfort, feeding and survival w/out expending scores and hundreds of cash. Love it!
Just after ww2 there was a lot of swaggies in Aus. Hobos in US. They would come and do farm work for food and shelter. Most were what we know now as ptsd or what was then known as shell shock. You would hear them having loud nightmares. A lot had families but couldn't live at home. They used to leave rocks at the front farm gate to let others know if you were supportive of their situation or not. They were always prepared to work for what they got never asked for free stuff. No Govt benefits in those days.
WW1 was the biggie for Aus though - even the unofficial anthem, Waltzing Matilda, has a major WW1 reference, with the German greatcoat being called a Matilda. Waltzing Matilda was about disappearing into the bush with your coat as a night time companion to keep you warm. WW2 saw the rise of the Hells Angels - more men used and dumped by society.
@@dexstewart2450 wow, it is pretty amazing that Waltzing Matilda has a reference to WWI in it. Given that it was written in 1895 and published in 1903.
@@rurikau Yes, so amazing my great aunts and uncles and even some of my teachers referenced waltzing matilda. I didnt realize it was a code for a german. As a child, one of my teachers was in the navy, on leave at the time of strike on Pearl Harbor.Her fiance was killed on the Arizona. But my greatest memories were of my Buddy Poppies from my WW1 veteran friend, who had lost his legs in the war. He worked tirelessly to fund raise for DAV.
Great Video! Ive used this system in the Boy Scouts in 1970's and it worked well with both a wood fire as well as a wax stove. I'll offer one suggestion - when making the double layer at the can bottom, don't put the lid on the outside. Instead, put the lid on the inside and use the church key to punch the holes on the side of the can, locking the top in place. It is both quick and secure.
I remember back in the 80's that Boy's Life would do at least one article a month like this and that the Boy Scout manual had several designs for stoves like this. Sadly that art is at a loss with modern camping equipment. Nice to see people like you keeping simple and effective outdoor skills alive.
I was trying to think where I first learned about these stoves and then I realized it had been in Boy's Life. However, I was reading the article in an early 60s issue. Perhaps they run the article every 5 years. Any 10 year old boy is going want one of these.
In my opinion camping In a tent no cell service no internet cooking food directly over fire like the people who came before us gives me true peace. It’s sad like you were saying we got these stimulus survivalist dragging their propane stoves, RV’S , solar generators, TVs , beds, etc. Are you camping at that point? Or are you looking a fool 😂
I've made many of these as a kid. You did have one design flaw; It's easier to put the cut out lid inside the can then use your church key to punch the triangles in the side instead of the end. It will hold the end plate on tighter, only one punch per position and fewer sharp edges.
Yes, someone else that I know quite well suggested something similar and I will be using that in a future video, possibly the next one if I get all of the other details worked out. Thank you for making the suggestion.
Every time I watch your video's I'm thinking geez the new normal is getting real bad, I better remember these tricks of survival when I have to run for the hills. Thanks your channel is No. 1 my friend.👍
As kids in the 1970's, we made a version of this for camping. We didn't do the double top, and we put the triangular punched holes on the outside wall just below the rim. Thus, the top could be used as a griddle. Melt butter and crack an egg directly on the hot surface! Bacon, hot dogs, or burgers do well, too. We also punched intake holes around the bottom edge of the can. The sharp triangles need to be rolled down and around with a pliers to make it safe to handle. (a bit of duct tape around that edge isn't a bad idea.) A handy fuel source we used was a 14 to 16 oz vegetable can, top off. Roll corrugated cardboard tightly to fit inside, leaving a 1/2" headspace. Then pour beef fat from cooking into the cardboard until it nearly came to the top of the cardboard. Let it cool completely. You can make these and store them in a freezer, for camping or for when the electric's off. To use, place the fuel can on a flat surface (outdoors!) and light it. Place the cooking can upside down over it. And let the cooking begin!
I keep a larger (veggie can) Buddy Burner in the trunk of my car. It lives in an unused paint can with my fire starter kit. Tip: if you leave the very center of the cardboard taller than the rest, you can light that when you make it and char it. It can then be lit easier with any flame (match or lighter) or spark thrower much like char cloth.
well as a man that has slept rough in snow and survived without a blanket or tent but using my head !and turning a few cardboard boxes into a very warm toblerone tube!i love your channel man this is gold dust!
The Hobo and Boy Scout related videos are my favorite James ! My Sons Troop we would do a Hobo Campout once a year. Everyone’s favorite Campout. Keep em coming!
Hobos had to be creative with very little if they were going to survive, your excellent video demonstrates the correct mindset for such innovation. I always learn something from your videos, thank you.
That was fun. Brought back memories of camping as a kid. No fancy stuff for us, everybody's parents had more important uses for what little money they had. Plus it was part of the fun, we thought we were 'living off the land.' Along with a couple of cans for cooking, we'd take a hatchet or a big knife, some matches, fishing line and hooks. Make your own pole, catch crawfish, lizards or hellgrammites for bait. Catch sunfish, rock bass and chub out of the creek for food, sassafras for a refreshing drink, and enjoy the freedom away from school, parents, and adults in general. aah!
As a Boy Scout we made a thing called a "Buddy Burner" that used a tuna can filled with wax and rolled up corrugated cardboard for the fuel source. Over the top of that was placed a large fruit juice can ( Tomato juice can still be found in the cans I'm referring to). We didn't double up on the top of the stove with the cut out lid, which was a great addition, BTW, and we didn't need an access hole for twigs, because we were using the tuna can, cardboard and wax fuel, therefore no air hole either. In that design, it was imperative to cut as many triangular holes as possible around the bottom edge in order to supply air to the Buddy Burner, otherwise it would choke you to death! I'm not surprised that you needed to punch those extra holes. I also seem to remember that, since the diameter of the can we used is smaller than the #10 can you used, we had to punch a few triangled holes through the sides, up at the top, as well, because it was possible to cover all the top holes up with a relatively small pan and that would kill the draft. Really good video, again.
It's not that some folks didn't do it when they were young, the problem is is that so much of it hasn't been passed on that now it's a novel idea again.
My Gramma was one of those people who was welcoming to the hobos. She would feed them a good meal, and they would do some little handyman task for her. They lived down the street from the train track so that probably helped.
Alot of fun. I think I had some scout activity where I built something similar. Way back in the 70's. I made something similar out of a metal popcorn can a few months ago with a bottom. Just to burn some sticks in at the park while kids were running laps. Worked pretty good. And was legal because it was enclosed properly. I made the feed door on the side tint open and closed with a screw. Luckily the picnic table was cement.😁👍
We use to build these in the boy scouts back in the 60's, but like you found out, you need that air flow in the back of the can to. We always "churched" the bottom rim of the can for oxygen to feed the fire. Knowing you, an how innovative you are, I thought you were going to teach an old dog some new trick, some things never change I guess. Thx for the vid
Well, this wasn't a new idea, it's just that we are so far away from the classic hobo time period that many folks have forgotten or never knew these simple survival items. I figured that there would be several folks that would already be familiar with this system. Thank you for watching, I really do appreciate the support!
Same stove we made in the girl scouts. It works like a charm and I still use it these many years later (never mind how many years later this is). 👵 Here are some pointers from an old, I mean experienced, girl scout. 1. Turn the second lid upside down and it will give a better result to avoid burning/scorching. 2. Make a burner unit with an empty tuna can, filled with rolled cardboard (cut to the height of the can) cover with melted bees wax and when cooled you can light it like a can of sterno. 3. Using the burner from #2 you can now cook bacon and eggs in a brown paper lunch bag. Line the bottom of the bag with bacon strips (usually one or 2 strips) crack the eggs 🥚🥚onto the bacon. Roll down the top of the paper bag. Place on the stove and check after a few minutes ( usually 5 or so). Cook until it's to your liking. Then you can tear off the top of the bag and eat it right from the bag. *bonus; the only dish is the fork. Fun project for the kids. 😁
I used one something like this when I was a kid...learned it from my grandad. I used the church key to punch the holes around the side so it left the top as more of a pan..and just made a couple of cuts up from the bottom and folded it up to and wood a for air. Cooked a lot of bacon and eggs on one of these..and some great chicken. Any way love your channel and will be a regular...tks for sharing.
I've spent my entire morning watching your hobo series and you've done great work showing us the lost arts of surviving for a few bucks. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for yet, another bit of historical information. This series on " Hobo life style " is, both entertaining & informative :-) I was surprised to learn that many " Hobos ", were itinerant workmen who traveled from place, to place, during the great depression, looking for work, and not merely men who didn't want to bother working .
Hobos were traveling, working men, bums were the ones who wouldn't work and were usually alcoholics. A hobo did not want to be called a bum. Thanks for watching!
That is why they did not like to be called bums. Hobos wanted to work. If you can catch some of Louis L' Amour's non western short stories , he speaks a little about them and some with not happy endings. Why listen to him? That's how he traveled when he wasn't at sea in the 20's and early 30's. By WWII he was done with that life.
The working mans experience was that of my Grampa's. I never understood all the bad "press" these men got over the years. Never met a more dedicated and hard working man as my Gramps...and he was a Tramp...in the very best sense of the word.
@@tommyboy6267 Small towns were not fond of poor strangers. They hit them with vagrancy laws. From what L 'Amour said the yard bulls liked to rob them and if resisted they beat them and weren't above shooting them. To get away with that behavior the people have to be denigrated. Not all of the Bo's were that nice. Their jungle was not a place you wanted to be, maybe not even if you belonged.
i rode trains from early 2000s til 2013. i mostly panhandled prepared food or shoplifted meat and cooked at park barbecues. i've seen kids w/ little sterno kits and i had a gf who would cook. we had a 'hobo piemaker' which was like sandwich sized metal bits at the end of tongs. great for grilled cheese. lot of canned fish w/ your p-38 [can opener] or p-39 [can opener w/ spoon].
This brought back an awesome memory of when I was in boy scouts. We spent about two months learning how different survival techniques, like how to make different shelters and things of that nature ( it was a one night thing and we had adults with us so it was not like we were doing some man vs wild stuff don't worry). One of the things we built and had to use was a hobo stove. it was so fun to use. Thanks for the memory
Fun project and video. When I was a kid, we used to pretend to be hobos and would carry those sticks with a few items tied up in our bandana. We would sit by a fire outdoors for hours and hours and had a great time doing it.
I love videos like this . A little history and projects you can do with the kids . If food prices don’t slow down we may be needing this tips and tricks 😜. Cool hat by the way.
I done something like that but I used a waterproof sealine bag. I used modern stuff like a foam sleeping pad (wrapped around bindle for comfort ,hammock/tarp, sleeping bag and stuff. But I packed out with a backpack. Thanks for sharing.
I've been cooking out of cans daily since 2010, 5 gal buckets great wood stoves for 12x12 cabin 6 in pipe attach to metal lid send 8 to 10 feet up, w damper, that pipe heats the cabin nicely. 1 gal Paint cans work great picking up 4 new ones next day or so for storing in out in field great seal camo paint them, easier to stash than Plastic buckets, also can be converted later for stove. Also coffee ☕ pot cut a power Ade bottle at the deep groove, cut two short piece weed eater string shape, trim excess cross in bottom, this let's the coffee flow with out a vacuum drop in filter grinds just before boil , pour water thru little at a time first gets the heaviest oils then add more as able fresh as it gets and the pot basically weightless 🤓☕😋
the piece of can that was removed can be flattened and attached to a short stick and used as a makeshift spatula or sharped on a stone to use as a backup cutting utensil.
We as kids used to make these to camp with in the 60s. I can't remember doubling up the top. We church keyed holes all along the bottom, at the top as I recall we cut the holes on the sides of the can at the top leaving a totally intact cooking surface. I can't remember but we somehow used a smaller soup can, inverted on top of the cooker surface and you could bake small items. I remember cooking eggs and even hamburger straight on the top.
I made a small wood gassifier stove out of two different size soup cans, works great. I have used it a lot and it is a part of my camping gear. I love it because it uses a minimal amount of fuel, puts out a lot of heat, and has a very low smoke, or ash signature.
@@vidard9863 Mini is made from like a Campbell's soup can inside of a large er can like Progresso. It does require a little drilling and cutting, but to me it was well worth it. When camping or hiking I cook almost all my meals on it.
I absolutely loved this video. Anything that will make us self sufficient and not have to depend on alternate power when out in the outdoors. It’s awesome!!!
@@WayPointSurvival have you watched the Longhunter series with Mark Baker? Even my wife got interested in those videos. Mom was down one day and even she liked to my surprise.
It is called a #10 can (big one) and a #2 1/2 can (smaller one) Ask any restaurant for these. #2 1/2 maybe harder to find. Thought I would add it to help someone set up this kit. Remember to burn out the inside well to get the plastic liner burned out. And in a well ventilated area.
Italian restaurants are xlt to score big sauce cans for cook stoves. .the italian tomato sauce cans are pretty rugged,pizza joints too trash usually tons in there and lids too they cut for you....nice video....
#10 cans also plentiful at pizza shops -ask at the counter, or check their dumpster. Mushroom cans usually the cleanest; sauce cans next - if they rinse them out before tossing the will be pretty clean.
In the late 1960s my grandfather showed me how to make a simpler version of your hobo stove. Every weekend I carried it all over the state of Texas backpacking from 1973 until about 1980. We made it out of a coffee can and the bottom of the can held the wood. We used the church key on the sides of the bottom to make 4 air vents. On the top of the stove (the opening). Take a nail and make holes in the top side of the can to slide coat hanger or barbed wire rods into so as to make a tray to put your lid onto for the burner. This design makes a rocket stove that will boil water faster than any stove on the market. Funny I should see this. I was cleaning out the basement last weekend and found my old stove!
I did a stove video like this 3 years or so ago. Mine used a small battery pump to add forced air to the mix which burns the wood even more efficiently. However, it does burn well just by itself. I used strapping material, non-galvanized, for the cross pieces to cook with.
Pretty damn clever! That looks like a #10 can. I’ll have to get one and give this a try. Always learn something from your videos. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, but always something. Another good one. Thanks James.
hey I remember these from when I was in girl scouts back in the 60 only we took a tuna can and curled cardboard in the can and poured wax over it for our burner part...this brought back memories thanks :) oh ya we called them buddy burners
I did this 29 years ago while backpacking in the Highlands of Scotland. Fellow travelers were very jealous that I could stand straight up while wearing my backpack and they were humping so much gear they looked like the guy on the cover of the Led Zeppelin IV album. 🤣
My 1958 kindergarten class had hobo day , eveybody had a bendle stick and bandana sack . This is first time I've heard the name bendle stick . 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I'm an old ex modern hobo.. have 20 years of hopping trains under my belt... traveled this entire country... old school ways kick ass.. we used grocery carts to cook all our food and old pots we'd find in the trash, basically grilling out.. sometimes there will be a pot and grocery cart on site at the camp next to the train yard that previous travelersleft behind and sometimes the bulls will destroy them so have to make a new one in a different spot.. always carry a BB gun so you can kill squirrels or rabbits for meat... being on the road your basically on the keto and beer diet the entire time...
I would love to hear about any more of the skills and items that you used during your extensive experience. If I can duplicate them I'd like to show them on the channel. Thank you so much for watching and for your comments!
I made a hobo stove out of a stainless steel pasta pot that had all the holes predrilled all around for air flow,. Cut a hole in the side for feeding wood and used one of those round grates with a handle to set the cook pot on, but you could easily thread shish kabob skewers through instead. It's bigger than a coffee can and a little heavier...but will last many years
Instead of punching the holes in the top, punch them around the top edge and you have a surface you can fry eggs on without loosing them through the holes. Instead of cutting the piece out of the side of the can, just cut across the bottom and up the sides. Fold it up against the can and toast a slice of bread there while the eggs fry. For that matter, just cut up from the bottom. It will still work. These ideas come from my mother who was a girl scout leader in the sixties. These stoves were left behind and made again when needed as there was plenty of them along the tracks and in back alleys. They can be cut with a decent pocket knife.
Thank you for the great ideas! I may actually do a video using this variation. I really do appreciate the input and thank you so much for watching the video!
Hi James! I enjoyed the video and appreciate the effort you put into doing it in an entertaining way. I have no snarky demurs or detractions to throw at your efforts, I hope you don't mind.
Grew up making these for fun to play in the woods. Learned from Mom how to make them and fit them in a trench or surround with rocks to keep them hidden and safe.
I’ve made a similar size 10 can cooker. Only mine was inverted. I punch a hella lot of holes into it for circulation and then put a 1/2” mesh round on the opened top. Loaded with hot coals, I barbecued marinated meat on this “grill” at least 3 times before discarding the can. By then the heat was too much and it was starting to collapse. But the food was phenomenal and so it was pretty worth it for me. Your design is much better with the open side down over the coals and ashes. Less wear and tear on the can itself. Subbed to your channel!
Put some mesh on the bottom to leave a 1/2 inch gap. That keeps the coals off the bottom. You can get 6 or more uses out of it. Make extra mesh inserts because they now become the wear item.
I'm 75 and remember as a small child in Louisiana that hobo's would come and knock on our door offering to work for food. Sometimes my folks had work for them and sometimes not but either way they were never turned away hungry. Often I'd sit on the back porch and talk to them as they ate.
Fascinating and absorbing. I thought I was the only one interested in Hobo culture. Was bitten by the road bug after hearing my Grampa's stories about Tramping it across Canada as a very young man. Was so enamored by those tales I did a history class project on the subject. Was the first time I ever got an A+. Thanks for bring all those memories back. God Bless and Cheers. :) .
Put the can lid on the inside. Punch hole around the top in the sides to curl up metal to hold lid in place. Then you have a pristine surface on which to fry eggs. Place several extra holes at the back to improve ventilation
The holes you punched in on the bottom of the can opposite from the wood opening I did different. I used the church key and punched in 5 at the top of the can but on the side allowing better draft in the bottom hole heat rises to the top and out also creating air flow from the front to the top back of the can. I had very few holes in the top. I see this can for years for cooking bacon and eggs. The object is to make as smallest fire possible it don’t take much to make the can cooking temp. I had this in the trunk of my car with some charcoal 2 or 3 bricks is all that was needed. Lots of fun. Small fire small fire danger.
I have to admit I have been homeless and I had to be resourceful but with great respect to this contraption I have done stuff with candles but never thought of this card board was used to stay warm never thought to be a fuel like that does not taste to good on food 😳 however a great idea and a resourceful way to recycle stuff to use in emergencies or for fun nice very very nice 👌 oh yeah the button considere it pressed you earned it
Thank you for this video o how to make the stove. I will fine-t7ne my next one Our family had a hobo friend "Slimbo," when we where kids. We always has a great time when he came back to Michigan in the late spring He taught us how to cook "fish head" soup. And other outdoors things as well as names and direction of trains I recently made that soup in rememberane of him. I can still see him in my mind's eye always smiling. in remembrance of mu friend Slimbo. He was the only Black hobo I knew.
Nice!!! I never used a stove top like that when I had an open fire so mine always had the closed side down. One thing though, if you put a feeding hole on both sides (rather that the air holes) it'll take care of the air flow problem AND give you some more leeway on the size of fuel that you can use.
I learnt that in cub scouts. But you put the triangles in the side at the top, not in the lid. And if you want a cup, you peel the top off a can most of the way and then twist it so its verticle down the side, and is used as the handle. A bigger tin you take the lid off, and punch two holes in the top edge and put some wire through it, and its your billy.
Made one of those in the 70's as a Kid I read about it somewhere and Made one and in my backyard cooked Hot Dogs on it. The improvements you made to it were the Vent Holes in the Bottom which makes sense all i did on top was punched small holes with a nail Using the Church key is much better. But I was just a Kid Messing around not a HOBO but i was proud that it worked made tome great Hot Dogs on that Maxwell House Can. Great video Brought back those Memories.
A friend showed me a old trick “hobo chicken” a big can, heavy duty aluminum foil, a chicken, a church key, 13 briquettes. Salt and pepper or anything you like on your chicken. It most be a big chicken 3 1/2 pounds, put top in can legs up. 3 hour cook time. 7 holes in the can and the lid in the can at the bottom to help keep the heat in the can. Thanks for sharing.
I remember my sister doing something similar for Girl Guides. Called them buddy burners, use a large can as the cook surface, holes punched along the top side of the can to keep the integrity of the top for a cooking surface and used a candle inside a smaller can placed under for the heat source. That version, as long as you use an indoor safe candles, would be safe to use indoors in an emergency.
I have made something similar to this on a larger scale with a five gallon metal can before and and old grate from a grill. Worked well and quite transportable if done right. Also you could bring more supplies in it depending if it is not to heavy. Worked like a portable grill and or fire pit when needed
If you're putting the open end on the ground, another way to solve the air flow problem is to just dig a narrow trench and straddle the can over it. If you're going to put the cut lid in the bottom of the can, put a few pieces of gravel in first so that you can create an air gap between the lid and the bottom, it will last longer that way. And if you want a griddle for your stove, put church key holes around the rim and thread green sticks thru them. Soak the sticks in water first, and strip the bark off the sides that are going to be facing upwards.
My Grandmother lived next to a railroad Yard. The Hobo's would knock and ask if there was anything they could do for food. She would have them do something for her. No One went away hungry. This was amazing because she was a widow with 9 children to feed. Like was mentioned no social safety net.
I've got a hobo stove around here somewhere. When I made my first one I used a stout bladed knife to cut the rectangular hole (had to resharpen the blade after that). The design I used was quite different.
You can still get metal coffee cans. Generic coffee like Always Save comes in a metal can. I just bought one a few weeks ago and it was under six dollars for a project. The coffee isn't the best but I mixed it with my normal brand and it wasn't bad. When we were teens we made little cooking pots and stoves like that. They work pretty good and I've got one in one of my spare bug out bags I made to give to my friends who might need one someday. For commercial made gear I like the Zebra pots better than the other ones I've tried. They are heavy duty and will last forever.
Ive talked to mother at length about hobos. (Tramps as she called them). She lived next to a railroad growing up in the 30s. They always slept in the barn and worked a few days in exchange for food. I’m sure things varied widely but to her memory most of what they carried was a metal coffee cup, pocket knife, an extra shirt. Their belongings were wrapped in a dish towel / face towel. Generally they did not carry things they could make easily. Who would? Their bandana and knife were in their pockets. And again - she maintained they wrapped their shirt / cup and a few other items (coffee & some food items) inside of a dish cloth not the bandana.
The can "stove" was mostly to shield light and wind..... Hobos were very often not welcome! But they simply did not have a choice but to follow the work where ever it lead them..... The hobo stove helped them to conceal their passing...
To increase airflow in the stove you could also put 2 sticks (or some rocks) under the stove, so that air would under the edge of the can. That way you dont have to break the integrity of the can. Thanks for a great video!
Young fella, I always used the other end of the church key to smush down the triangles. And usually, a pit and vent fire for the can so I didn't need the back vents. Fatigue bending a scrap of barb wire and unraveling it for bails. using another # 16 with fewer vents and a couple of green hickory sticks run through both cans into the coals would allow smoking lunch without having to tend it (squirrel or catfish from the trotlines). No open flame to give the position and with the ten-foot bare ground circle, even a cop usually left a business card. Also did okay with a tuna can biscuit (bisquick didn't cost an arm and a leg then).
An easier way to hold the 2 layer in , is to drop the lid inside the can . Then us the church key top down the triangles hold the lid against the top. All sharp edges are inside too. And your improvement on air flow is spot on, something I neglected to say. A 2d bale makes transportation easier. A smaller tin can nesting in the billy makes a coffee cup. An old piece of boot leather a hot mit. Cheers Greg
Suggestion. Put "air holes" at bottom but flip them all the way down to become small legs . Air can come in underneath and it will act like a chimney to draw air in and up.
![Cook Like a Hobo! [ 1930s Mulligan Stew Recipe! ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mf9MdM4zZOQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm 70 in a few months, so those days are in my rear view mirror, but I have ridden about 10 thousand miles on freight trains, and I gotta say, I NEVER had any kind of stove for cooking. Baloney and cheese sandwiches were about as good as it got. Unless I was in a city where I found work. Nevertheless, I do so enjoy watching you do these videos. Keep breathin'.
Thanks for sharing! Also, if you have any hobo hacks or tricks to share, I would love to hear about them and if they are easily reproducible, I would like to show them on the channel.
So you're 69? Hehe hehe. But seriously, please tell us some stories, old timer.
Uncle Fred used the sling shot on pigeon , rabbit, self protection .
I'd like to sign up for the old timer tricks as well
Baloney and cheese sandwiches with Tabasco sauce are Great.
I was raised pretty privileged on the central coast of California and dad grew up in Montana. He taught me how to make one of these and we did it out in the front driveway on the concrete. Realizing that you could cook without having a gas stove indoors was amazing to me. Very good memory
My grandfather was 15 years old when the Depression hit and was one of the many teenagers that left home and rode the rails looking for work. He went from NY to California and back again during the Depression finding work where he could.
Interesting. Thanks for watching the video and for sharing this bit of family history.
I did these in the late 60s as a little kid with a cast iron skillet. Mom was amazed at the breakfast I could do with an old coffee can. It really works.
True Bushcraft! Crafting creatively using the mundane and laying about into usable tools for comfort, feeding and survival w/out expending scores and hundreds of cash. Love it!
Thanks so much!
Just after ww2 there was a lot of swaggies in Aus. Hobos in US. They would come and do farm work for food and shelter. Most were what we know now as ptsd or what was then known as shell shock. You would hear them having loud nightmares. A lot had families but couldn't live at home. They used to leave rocks at the front farm gate to let others know if you were supportive of their situation or not. They were always prepared to work for what they got never asked for free stuff. No Govt benefits in those days.
Yes, I'm sure many of them had some incredible stories as well as some sad stories to tell. Thanks for watching.
WW1 was the biggie for Aus though - even the unofficial anthem, Waltzing Matilda, has a major WW1 reference, with the German greatcoat being called a Matilda. Waltzing Matilda was about disappearing into the bush with your coat as a night time companion to keep you warm. WW2 saw the rise of the Hells Angels - more men used and dumped by society.
@@dexstewart2450 wow, it is pretty amazing that Waltzing Matilda has a reference to WWI in it. Given that it was written in 1895 and published in 1903.
@@rurikau Yes, so amazing my great aunts and uncles and even some of my teachers referenced waltzing matilda. I didnt realize it was a code for a german. As a child, one of my teachers was in the navy, on leave at the time of strike on Pearl Harbor.Her fiance was killed on the Arizona. But my greatest memories were of my Buddy Poppies from my WW1 veteran friend, who had lost his legs in the war. He worked tirelessly to fund raise for DAV.
@@sophiesmith5922 you might need to go and check some dates before you make this comment in public again
Great Video! Ive used this system in the Boy Scouts in 1970's and it worked well with both a wood fire as well as a wax stove. I'll offer one suggestion - when making the double layer at the can bottom, don't put the lid on the outside. Instead, put the lid on the inside and use the church key to punch the holes on the side of the can, locking the top in place. It is both quick and secure.
Yes, that's another way to do the lid for sure. Thanks for watching!
Dido
I remember back in the 80's that Boy's Life would do at least one article a month like this and that the Boy Scout manual had several designs for stoves like this. Sadly that art is at a loss with modern camping equipment. Nice to see people like you keeping simple and effective outdoor skills alive.
Thank you so much!
I was trying to think where I first learned about these stoves and then I realized it had been in Boy's Life. However, I was reading the article in an early 60s issue. Perhaps they run the article every 5 years. Any 10 year old boy is going want one of these.
In my opinion camping In a tent no cell service no internet cooking food directly over fire like the people who came before us gives me true peace. It’s sad like you were saying we got these stimulus survivalist dragging their propane stoves, RV’S , solar generators, TVs , beds, etc. Are you camping at that point? Or are you looking a fool 😂
@@willyfarr I learned from the same magazine in the 70’s. Things were a lot more hands on then.
Modern camping equipment is mostly garbage. Cheaply made and doesn’t perform well. I have to special order lanterns that aren’t battery powered. Yesh.
I've made many of these as a kid. You did have one design flaw; It's easier to put the cut out lid inside the can then use your church key to punch the triangles in the side instead of the end. It will hold the end plate on tighter, only one punch per position and fewer sharp edges.
Yes, someone else that I know quite well suggested something similar and I will be using that in a future video, possibly the next one if I get all of the other details worked out. Thank you for making the suggestion.
Ooo plus that adds the advantage that someone mentioned else where that you can put a bigger pot on the top and the holes will stay open.
As kids In the 50's, both my wife and I were fascinated with the hobo stick and kercheif over the shoulder. ( Bindle/ Blanket Stick)
Thanks so much for watching!
Every time I watch your video's I'm thinking geez the new normal is getting real bad, I better remember these tricks of survival when I have to run for the hills. Thanks your channel is No. 1 my friend.👍
Thank you so much!
Yeah we will all hobos soon with Covid just don’t steal my rabbit meat when crap does hit the fan
@@lucydavie7688Well I hope when and if we all learn to help each other.. All those except the Controllers.
As kids in the 1970's, we made a version of this for camping. We didn't do the double top, and we put the triangular punched holes on the outside wall just below the rim. Thus, the top could be used as a griddle. Melt butter and crack an egg directly on the hot surface! Bacon, hot dogs, or burgers do well, too.
We also punched intake holes around the bottom edge of the can. The sharp triangles need to be rolled down and around with a pliers to make it safe to handle. (a bit of duct tape around that edge isn't a bad idea.)
A handy fuel source we used was a 14 to 16 oz vegetable can, top off. Roll corrugated cardboard tightly to fit inside, leaving a 1/2" headspace. Then pour beef fat from cooking into the cardboard until it nearly came to the top of the cardboard. Let it cool completely. You can make these and store them in a freezer, for camping or for when the electric's off.
To use, place the fuel can on a flat surface (outdoors!) and light it. Place the cooking can upside down over it. And let the cooking begin!
Great ideas, thanks for sharing them!
Kml
Did the same in cub scouts with tuna can and candle wax. smaller but same idea. good times
Awesome Idea thanks for sharing I will try that when I go camping this winter
I keep a larger (veggie can) Buddy Burner in the trunk of my car. It lives in an unused paint can with my fire starter kit.
Tip: if you leave the very center of the cardboard taller than the rest, you can light that when you make it and char it. It can then be lit easier with any flame (match or lighter) or spark thrower much like char cloth.
Mods on the run! Perfect! That's EXACTLY the way of the survivalist regardless what era we're living!
Indeed. Thanks for watching!
well as a man that has slept rough in snow and survived without a blanket or tent but using my head !and turning a few cardboard boxes into a very warm toblerone tube!i love your channel man this is gold dust!
Thank you so much!
The Hobo and Boy Scout related videos are my favorite James ! My Sons Troop we would do a Hobo Campout once a year. Everyone’s favorite Campout. Keep em coming!
Thank you so much, my friend!
I love the thunder in the background. It lends a lot of authenticity to the hobo lifestyle.
Thank you, it did sound pretty cool.
Hobos had to be creative with very little if they were going to survive, your excellent video demonstrates the correct mindset for such innovation. I always learn something from your videos, thank you.
Thank you for watching!
That was fun. Brought back memories of camping as a kid. No fancy stuff for us, everybody's parents had more important uses for what little money they had. Plus it was part of the fun, we thought we were 'living off the land.' Along with a couple of cans for cooking, we'd take a hatchet or a big knife, some matches, fishing line and hooks. Make your own pole, catch crawfish, lizards or hellgrammites for bait. Catch sunfish, rock bass and chub out of the creek for food, sassafras for a refreshing drink, and enjoy the freedom away from school, parents, and adults in general. aah!
Thank you for watching and glad that it brought back fond memories!
As a Boy Scout we made a thing called a "Buddy Burner" that used a tuna can filled with wax and rolled up corrugated cardboard for the fuel source. Over the top of that was placed a large fruit juice can ( Tomato juice can still be found in the cans I'm referring to). We didn't double up on the top of the stove with the cut out lid, which was a great addition, BTW, and we didn't need an access hole for twigs, because we were using the tuna can, cardboard and wax fuel, therefore no air hole either. In that design, it was imperative to cut as many triangular holes as possible around the bottom edge in order to supply air to the Buddy Burner, otherwise it would choke you to death! I'm not surprised that you needed to punch those extra holes. I also seem to remember that, since the diameter of the can we used is smaller than the #10 can you used, we had to punch a few triangled holes through the sides, up at the top, as well, because it was possible to cover all the top holes up with a relatively small pan and that would kill the draft. Really good video, again.
Thank you so much. Those little buddy burners do indeed work surprisingly well.
it's funny how all they people do this outdoor stuff as adult, i did in cub scout and boy scout as a kid
It's not that some folks didn't do it when they were young, the problem is is that so much of it hasn't been passed on that now it's a novel idea again.
@@johnmeyers7336 yeah.
We just used to camp out in the woods all summer as teens.
More or less Ive had my fill.
My Gramma was one of those people who was welcoming to the hobos. She would feed them a good meal, and they would do some little handyman task for her. They lived down the street from the train track so that probably helped.
Thank you for watching and for sharing the personal history!
I find this more interesting then just going to the store and buying some expensive cooking kit. Plus you can make this stuff almost anywhere!
Alot of fun. I think I had some scout activity where I built something similar. Way back in the 70's. I made something similar out of a metal popcorn can a few months ago with a bottom. Just to burn some sticks in at the park while kids were running laps. Worked pretty good. And was legal because it was enclosed properly. I made the feed door on the side tint open and closed with a screw. Luckily the picnic table was cement.😁👍
Sounds good. Thanks for watching!
We use to build these in the boy scouts back in the 60's, but like you found out, you need that air flow in the back of the can to. We always "churched" the bottom rim of the can for oxygen to feed the fire. Knowing you, an how innovative you are, I thought you were going to teach an old dog some new trick, some things never change I guess. Thx for the vid
Well, this wasn't a new idea, it's just that we are so far away from the classic hobo time period that many folks have forgotten or never knew these simple survival items. I figured that there would be several folks that would already be familiar with this system. Thank you for watching, I really do appreciate the support!
Same stove we made in the girl scouts. It works like a charm and I still use it these many years later (never mind how many years later this is). 👵 Here are some pointers from an old, I mean experienced, girl scout. 1. Turn the second lid upside down and it will give a better result to avoid burning/scorching. 2. Make a burner unit with an empty tuna can, filled with rolled cardboard (cut to the height of the can) cover with melted bees wax and when cooled you can light it like a can of sterno. 3. Using the burner from #2 you can now cook bacon and eggs in a brown paper lunch bag. Line the bottom of the bag with bacon strips (usually one or 2 strips) crack the eggs 🥚🥚onto the bacon. Roll down the top of the paper bag. Place on the stove and check after a few minutes ( usually 5 or so). Cook until it's to your liking. Then you can tear off the top of the bag and eat it right from the bag. *bonus; the only dish is the fork. Fun project for the kids. 😁
Sounds great, thank you for watching!
I used one something like this when I was a kid...learned it from my grandad. I used the church key to punch the holes around the side so it left the top as more of a pan..and just made a couple of cuts up from the bottom and folded it up to and wood a for air. Cooked a lot of bacon and eggs on one of these..and some great chicken. Any way love your channel and will be a regular...tks for sharing.
Great! Thanks for watching!
I've spent my entire morning watching your hobo series and you've done great work showing us the lost arts of surviving for a few bucks. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much!
Thanks for yet, another bit of historical information. This series on " Hobo life style " is, both entertaining & informative :-) I was surprised to learn that many " Hobos ", were itinerant workmen who traveled from place, to place, during the great depression, looking for work, and not merely men who didn't want to bother working .
Hobos were traveling, working men, bums were the ones who wouldn't work and were usually alcoholics. A hobo did not want to be called a bum. Thanks for watching!
Cheers ..
That is why they did not like to be called bums. Hobos wanted to work. If you can catch some of Louis L' Amour's non western short stories , he speaks a little about them and some with not happy endings. Why listen to him? That's how he traveled when he wasn't at sea in the 20's and early 30's. By WWII he was done with that life.
The working mans experience was that of my Grampa's. I never understood all the bad "press" these men got over the years. Never met a more dedicated and hard working man as my Gramps...and he was a Tramp...in the very best sense of the word.
@@tommyboy6267 Small towns were not fond of poor strangers. They hit them with vagrancy laws. From what L 'Amour said the yard bulls liked to rob them and if resisted they beat them and weren't above shooting them. To get away with that behavior the people have to be denigrated. Not all of the Bo's were that nice. Their jungle was not a place you wanted to be, maybe not even if you belonged.
i rode trains from early 2000s til 2013. i mostly panhandled prepared food or shoplifted meat and cooked at park barbecues. i've seen kids w/ little sterno kits and i had a gf who would cook. we had a 'hobo piemaker' which was like sandwich sized metal bits at the end of tongs. great for grilled cheese. lot of canned fish w/ your p-38 [can opener] or p-39 [can opener w/ spoon].
Thank you for watching and for sharing your experiences!
Excellent! Learned a similar technique in middle school during an outdoors and survival class. Loved that class and teacher…lifelong lessons!
Great! Those would be the type of classes that I would enjoy as well. Thanks for watching!
This brought back an awesome memory of when I was in boy scouts. We spent about two months learning how different survival techniques, like how to make different shelters and things of that nature ( it was a one night thing and we had adults with us so it was not like we were doing some man vs wild stuff don't worry). One of the things we built and had to use was a hobo stove. it was so fun to use. Thanks for the memory
Glad you liked it and then it brought back pleasant memories!
Fun project and video. When I was a kid, we used to pretend to be hobos and would carry those sticks with a few items tied up in our bandana. We would sit by a fire outdoors for hours and hours and had a great time doing it.
Thank you for watching, brother. That sounds like a great bunch of memories!
"Hey mom! No matter what happens or doesn't happen, I will always be able to succeed as a hobo!"
I kid, I kid. Cool video. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for watching.
I love videos like this . A little history and projects you can do with the kids . If food prices don’t slow down we may be needing this tips and tricks 😜. Cool hat by the way.
Thank you so much. The hat was a yard sale find.
I done something like that but I used a waterproof sealine bag. I used modern stuff like a foam sleeping pad (wrapped around bindle for comfort ,hammock/tarp, sleeping bag and stuff. But I packed out with a backpack. Thanks for sharing.
Cool ideas. Thanks for watching!
I've been cooking out of cans daily since 2010, 5 gal buckets great wood stoves for 12x12 cabin 6 in pipe attach to metal lid send 8 to 10 feet up, w damper, that pipe heats the cabin nicely. 1 gal Paint cans work great picking up 4 new ones next day or so for storing in out in field great seal camo paint them, easier to stash than Plastic buckets, also can be converted later for stove.
Also coffee ☕ pot cut a power Ade bottle at the deep groove, cut two short piece weed eater string shape, trim excess cross in bottom, this let's the coffee flow with out a vacuum drop in filter grinds just before boil , pour water thru little at a time first gets the heaviest oils then add more as able fresh as it gets and the pot basically weightless 🤓☕😋
Great idea. I'd like to use that. Can you send me a Pic of how it looks?
Make a UA-cam channel! I'd love to see what you are doing!
@@adelitacrosby1257 metal, like driveway sealer, or roof paint comes in, with 6 in pipe heats a 12x 12 pretty good, chopping is easy due to length
Thank you...
the piece of can that was removed can be flattened and attached to a short stick and used as a makeshift spatula or sharped on a stone to use as a backup cutting utensil.
Indeed!
Yeah I was thinkin an old clothes hanger to hang the can. And although I never heard you mention it...you did use it. Good Work brother. -Gerald
Thanks. The hanger was mentioned in a previous video.
We as kids used to make these to camp with in the 60s.
I can't remember doubling up the top.
We church keyed holes all along the bottom, at the top as I recall we cut the holes on the sides of the can at the top leaving a totally intact cooking surface.
I can't remember but we somehow used a smaller soup can, inverted on top of the cooker surface and you could bake small items.
I remember cooking eggs and even hamburger straight on the top.
I made a small wood gassifier stove out of two different size soup cans, works great. I have used it a lot and it is a part of my camping gear.
I love it because it uses a minimal amount of fuel, puts out a lot of heat, and has a very low smoke, or ash signature.
That's a great way to cook for sure. Thanks for watching!
i might have to look into this wood gassifier thing. i thought it required much larger an more complicated systems. thanks for the tip.
@@vidard9863 Mini is made from like a Campbell's soup can inside of a large er can like Progresso. It does require a little drilling and cutting, but to me it was well worth it.
When camping or hiking I cook almost all my meals on it.
I absolutely loved this video. Anything that will make us self sufficient and not have to depend on alternate power when out in the outdoors. It’s awesome!!!
Thanks so much!
Now I wish I had asked more about my Grandads hobo days. Very interesting video as usual and yes I am still a fan of the 1790 series.
Yes. So much has been lost by the passing of our ancestors. Thanks for watching and hopefully Episode 9 will be finished in the next couple of weeks.
@@WayPointSurvival have you watched the Longhunter series with Mark Baker? Even my wife got interested in those videos. Mom was down one day and even she liked to my surprise.
One good thing about cans is that they come in a variety of sizes so that cans can fit one inside another saving space for carrying.
Indeed. Thank you for watching!
Thanks for keeping these skills alive. Love to see more of the 'way back' boy scout tips and tricks.
Thank you so much, glad you're enjoying the videos!
AHH! like your simple style. I have seen a hundred stoves like this ....yours is the most simple by far.
Glad you like it!
This would make a great series ! Hobo living .my dad use to tell us bout the hobos .from when he grew up
That might be something for the future.... Thanks for watching!
I love historical survival videos like this
Thank you!
It is called a #10 can (big one) and a #2 1/2 can (smaller one) Ask any restaurant for these. #2 1/2 maybe harder to find. Thought I would add it to help someone set up this kit.
Remember to burn out the inside well to get the plastic liner burned out. And in a well ventilated area.
Yes, indeed. The previous hobo video showed how to burn the liner out.
@@WayPointSurvival Yes it did sir. And thank you for that tip.
Italian restaurants are xlt to score big sauce cans for cook stoves. .the italian tomato sauce cans are pretty rugged,pizza joints too trash usually tons in there and lids too they cut for you....nice video....
I saw Margaret Holmes brand vegetables in #10 cans at a supermarket two days ago. Worth a look if someone has trouble sourcing one from a restaurant.
#10 cans also plentiful at pizza shops -ask at the counter, or check their dumpster. Mushroom cans usually the cleanest; sauce cans next - if they rinse them out before tossing the will be pretty clean.
Yet again another project… and I really love your enthusiasm
Thank you for watching!
Thank you brought back some fond old memories .....ATB
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I remember doing this in Camp Fired Girls a long time ago. So much fun.
Very cool. Thanks for watching!
You definitely know where to source good info, and that's why I'm watching!
Thank you for watching!
In the late 1960s my grandfather showed me how to make a simpler version of your hobo stove. Every weekend I carried it all over the state of Texas backpacking from 1973 until about 1980. We made it out of a coffee can and the bottom of the can held the wood. We used the church key on the sides of the bottom to make 4 air vents. On the top of the stove (the opening). Take a nail and make holes in the top side of the can to slide coat hanger or barbed wire rods into so as to make a tray to put your lid onto for the burner. This design makes a rocket stove that will boil water faster than any stove on the market. Funny I should see this. I was cleaning out the basement last weekend and found my old stove!
I did a stove video like this 3 years or so ago. Mine used a small battery pump to add forced air to the mix which burns the wood even more efficiently. However, it does burn well just by itself. I used strapping material, non-galvanized, for the cross pieces to cook with.
Pretty damn clever! That looks like a #10 can. I’ll have to get one and give this a try. Always learn something from your videos. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, but always something. Another good one. Thanks James.
Thank you so much!
hey I remember these from when I was in girl scouts back in the 60 only we took a tuna can and curled cardboard in the can and poured wax over it for our burner part...this brought back memories thanks :) oh ya we called them buddy burners
Yes, indeed. Thanks for watching!
I did this 29 years ago while backpacking in the Highlands of Scotland. Fellow travelers were very jealous that I could stand straight up while wearing my backpack and they were humping so much gear they looked like the guy on the cover of the Led Zeppelin IV album. 🤣
Very cool. Yes, it's a very effective method of carrying your gear dating all the way back to Roman times if not before.
My 1958 kindergarten class had hobo day , eveybody had a bendle stick and bandana sack . This is first time I've heard the name bendle stick .
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
The bindle stick was not used by all hobos, but it has become synonymous with their culture. Most hobos today carry modern style backpacks.
I'm an old ex modern hobo.. have 20 years of hopping trains under my belt... traveled this entire country... old school ways kick ass.. we used grocery carts to cook all our food and old pots we'd find in the trash, basically grilling out.. sometimes there will be a pot and grocery cart on site at the camp next to the train yard that previous travelersleft behind and sometimes the bulls will destroy them so have to make a new one in a different spot.. always carry a BB gun so you can kill squirrels or rabbits for meat... being on the road your basically on the keto and beer diet the entire time...
I would love to hear about any more of the skills and items that you used during your extensive experience. If I can duplicate them I'd like to show them on the channel. Thank you so much for watching and for your comments!
I would love to see that here on the channel.
I think I’m already on a keto and beer diet
I made a hobo stove out of a stainless steel pasta pot that had all the holes predrilled all around for air flow,. Cut a hole in the side for feeding wood and used one of those round grates with a handle to set the cook pot on, but you could easily thread shish kabob skewers through instead. It's bigger than a coffee can and a little heavier...but will last many years
Sounds good! Thank you for watching.
Instead of punching the holes in the top, punch them around the top edge and you have a surface you can fry eggs on without loosing them through the holes. Instead of cutting the piece out of the side of the can, just cut across the bottom and up the sides. Fold it up against the can and toast a slice of bread there while the eggs fry. For that matter, just cut up from the bottom. It will still work. These ideas come from my mother who was a girl scout leader in the sixties. These stoves were left behind and made again when needed as there was plenty of them along the tracks and in back alleys. They can be cut with a decent pocket knife.
Thank you for the great ideas! I may actually do a video using this variation. I really do appreciate the input and thank you so much for watching the video!
Pro hobo tip: ANY pizzeria dumpster/recycling bin is usually packed with tenpenny cans like these from all the canned tomato sauce they use.
Great idea, thanks!
Hi James! I enjoyed the video and appreciate the effort you put into doing it in an entertaining way. I have no snarky demurs or detractions to throw at your efforts, I hope you don't mind.
Thanks so much for the kind words, it is always appreciated!
Grew up making these for fun to play in the woods. Learned from Mom how to make them and fit them in a trench or surround with rocks to keep them hidden and safe.
Excellent!
I’ve made a similar size 10 can cooker. Only mine was inverted. I punch a hella lot of holes into it for circulation and then put a 1/2” mesh round on the opened top. Loaded with hot coals, I barbecued marinated meat on this “grill” at least 3 times before discarding the can. By then the heat was too much and it was starting to collapse. But the food was phenomenal and so it was pretty worth it for me. Your design is much better with the open side down over the coals and ashes. Less wear and tear on the can itself. Subbed to your channel!
Thank you for watching and welcome aboard!
Put some mesh on the bottom to leave a 1/2 inch gap. That keeps the coals off the bottom. You can get 6 or more uses out of it. Make extra mesh inserts because they now become the wear item.
Thank you for this. I live in a busy city and have not gone camping in over 40 years. But this was so informative and useful. I appreciate it.
I'm 75 and remember as a small child in Louisiana that hobo's would come and knock on our door offering to work for food. Sometimes my folks had work for them and sometimes not but either way they were never turned away hungry. Often I'd sit on the back porch and talk to them as they ate.
That's some great memories. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Fascinating and absorbing. I thought I was the only one interested in Hobo culture. Was bitten by the road bug after hearing my Grampa's stories about Tramping it across Canada as a very young man. Was so enamored by those tales I did a history class project on the subject. Was the first time I ever got an A+. Thanks for bring all those memories back. God Bless and Cheers. :) .
Great! Glad you enjoyed the video.
@@WayPointSurvival You keep making them and I'll keep watching them. Looks like I get the easy end of the stick or staff I should say. Pun intended.
Put the can lid on the inside. Punch hole around the top in the sides to curl up metal to hold lid in place. Then you have a pristine surface on which to fry eggs. Place several extra holes at the back to improve ventilation
Yes, that's another option if you are going to cook on top and not use a pot or pan. Thanks for watching!
The holes you punched in on the bottom of the can opposite from the wood opening I did different. I used the church key and punched in 5 at the top of the can but on the side allowing better draft in the bottom hole heat rises to the top and out also creating air flow from the front to the top back of the can. I had very few holes in the top. I see this can for years for cooking bacon and eggs. The object is to make as smallest fire possible it don’t take much to make the can cooking temp. I had this in the trunk of my car with some charcoal 2 or 3 bricks is all that was needed. Lots of fun. Small fire small fire danger.
Yes indeed. That is another way to make this stove for sure. Thank you for watching.
I have to admit I have been homeless and I had to be resourceful but with great respect to this contraption I have done stuff with candles but never thought of this card board was used to stay warm never thought to be a fuel like that does not taste to good on food 😳
however a great idea and a resourceful way to recycle stuff to use in emergencies or for fun nice very very nice 👌
oh yeah the button considere it pressed
you earned it
Thank you for watching and welcome aboard!
Thank you for this video o how to make the stove. I will fine-t7ne my next one Our family had a hobo friend "Slimbo," when we where kids. We always has a great time when he came back to Michigan in the late spring He taught us how to cook "fish head" soup. And other outdoors things as well as names and direction of trains I recently made that soup in rememberane of him. I can still see him in my mind's eye always smiling.
in remembrance of mu friend Slimbo. He was the only Black hobo I knew.
Cool story. Thanks for watching!
I also loved all of the tips from thre elders. You make them so proud Youngone😍😍😍👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾
Thank you.
Nice!!! I never used a stove top like that when I had an open fire so mine always had the closed side down. One thing though, if you put a feeding hole on both sides (rather that the air holes) it'll take care of the air flow problem AND give you some more leeway on the size of fuel that you can use.
I lived under a bridge in Jacksonville, Bayport, FLA. I used an old metal gas can, same pricipal and an excellent video!!. Just make it simple
Thank you so much!
I learnt that in cub scouts. But you put the triangles in the side at the top, not in the lid. And if you want a cup, you peel the top off a can most of the way and then twist it so its verticle down the side, and is used as the handle. A bigger tin you take the lid off, and punch two holes in the top edge and put some wire through it, and its your billy.
Good ideas. Thanks for watching!
I'm so ready for my hobo life I'll be the genius of hobos
Made one of those in the 70's as a Kid I read about it somewhere and Made one and in my backyard cooked Hot Dogs on it. The improvements you made to it were the Vent Holes in the Bottom which makes sense all i did on top was punched small holes with a nail Using the Church key is much better. But I was just a Kid Messing around not a HOBO but i was proud that it worked made tome great Hot Dogs on that Maxwell House Can. Great video Brought back those Memories.
Excellent. Always good to relive great memories. Thank you for watching!
Great set up for a good rabbit or squirrel stew! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for watching!
A friend showed me a old trick “hobo chicken” a big can, heavy duty aluminum foil, a chicken, a church key, 13 briquettes. Salt and pepper or anything you like on your chicken. It most be a big chicken 3 1/2 pounds, put top in can legs up. 3 hour cook time. 7 holes in the can and the lid in the can at the bottom to help keep the heat in the can. Thanks for sharing.
Great idea, thank you so much for sharing it and for watching the video!
thank, you for you're video. Random vanners east coast VA. 2%
thank, you.
I remember my sister doing something similar for Girl Guides. Called them buddy burners, use a large can as the cook surface, holes punched along the top side of the can to keep the integrity of the top for a cooking surface and used a candle inside a smaller can placed under for the heat source. That version, as long as you use an indoor safe candles, would be safe to use indoors in an emergency.
Sounds good to me. Thanks for watching.
I have made something similar to this on a larger scale with a five gallon metal can before and and old grate from a grill. Worked well and quite transportable if done right. Also you could bring more supplies in it depending if it is not to heavy. Worked like a portable grill and or fire pit when needed
Excellent!
If you're putting the open end on the ground, another way to solve the air flow problem is to just dig a narrow trench and straddle the can over it. If you're going to put the cut lid in the bottom of the can, put a few pieces of gravel in first so that you can create an air gap between the lid and the bottom, it will last longer that way. And if you want a griddle for your stove, put church key holes around the rim and thread green sticks thru them. Soak the sticks in water first, and strip the bark off the sides that are going to be facing upwards.
Thank you so much for watching and for the idea. If you don't mind, I may use this in a future video. Happy New Year!
My Grandmother lived next to a railroad Yard. The Hobo's would knock and ask if there was anything they could do for food. She would have them do something for her. No One went away hungry. This was amazing because she was a widow with 9 children to feed. Like was mentioned no social safety net.
They were definitely different days back then and different people. Thank you for watching.
My great uncle Clifford was a real hobo ,l remember him having a little stove like that back in the early 70s.
Very cool! Thanks for watching.
Wow, Love your videos, Neat, to the point, great instructions, perfect pace, very enjoyable. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Fascinating bit of History, and still relevant! Thank you.
Thanks for watching and glad you liked it!
I've got a hobo stove around here somewhere. When I made my first one I used a stout bladed knife to cut the rectangular hole (had to resharpen the blade after that). The design I used was quite different.
Very cool. I would love to see pics of it. I am always looking for new designs to showcase on the channel.
You can still get metal coffee cans. Generic coffee like Always Save comes in a metal can. I just bought one a few weeks ago and it was under six dollars for a project. The coffee isn't the best but I mixed it with my normal brand and it wasn't bad. When we were teens we made little cooking pots and stoves like that. They work pretty good and I've got one in one of my spare bug out bags I made to give to my friends who might need one someday. For commercial made gear I like the Zebra pots better than the other ones I've tried. They are heavy duty and will last forever.
Yes, I also like the zebra pots and I have a couple. However for improvised or emergency cookware, you're right, these are great!
Ive talked to mother at length about hobos. (Tramps as she called them). She lived next to a railroad growing up in the 30s.
They always slept in the barn and worked a few days in exchange for food.
I’m sure things varied widely but to her memory most of what they carried was a metal coffee cup, pocket knife, an extra shirt.
Their belongings were wrapped in a dish towel / face towel.
Generally they did not carry things they could make easily. Who would?
Their bandana and knife were in their pockets. And again - she maintained they wrapped their shirt / cup and a few other items (coffee & some food items) inside of a dish cloth not the bandana.
That's very interesting. Thank you so much for the information!
The can "stove" was mostly to shield light and wind..... Hobos were very often not welcome! But they simply did not have a choice but to follow the work where ever it lead them.....
The hobo stove helped them to conceal their passing...
Yes, indeed. Thanks for watching!
To increase airflow in the stove you could also put 2 sticks (or some rocks) under the stove, so that air would under the edge of the can. That way you dont have to break the integrity of the can. Thanks for a great video!
Good idea. Thank you for watching!
Really enjoyed this video. You’re really gifted in explaining and demonstrating how these things are done! Thank you you for posting.
You are so welcome!
Use to make these as a kid.. A tuna can, paraffin and a rolled up cardboard strip make a nice burner if you don't want to use wood for fuel.
Yes. They are actually called a buddy burner.
Young fella, I always used the other end of the church key to smush down the triangles. And usually, a pit and vent fire for the can so I didn't need the back vents. Fatigue bending a scrap of barb wire and unraveling it for bails. using another # 16 with fewer vents and a couple of green hickory sticks run through both cans into the coals would allow smoking lunch without having to tend it (squirrel or catfish from the trotlines). No open flame to give the position and with the ten-foot bare ground circle, even a cop usually left a business card. Also did okay with a tuna can biscuit (bisquick didn't cost an arm and a leg then).
Thank you so much for the information. I always truly appreciate hearing from those who really lived the life!
I always carried an American Express Credit Card in my Bindle .
It comes in handy when Youre looking for a nice place to sleep..
Back in the mid-sixties I use one of those for a long time on the rivers and Missouri called a floodways ditches around the Boot Hill old coffee can
Excellent!
An easier way to hold the 2 layer in , is to drop the lid inside the can . Then us the church key top down the triangles hold the lid against the top. All sharp edges are inside too. And your improvement on air flow is spot on, something I neglected to say. A 2d bale makes transportation easier. A smaller tin can nesting in the billy makes a coffee cup. An old piece of boot leather a hot mit.
Cheers
Greg
Yes, that is indeed another way to make the stove. Thanks for watching and for the tips.
@@WayPointSurvival thanks for remembering My uncle Fred
@@gregsanderson2470 You're welcome!
I really appreciate and enjoy all these DIY style of videos with all the great information. Thank you
Thanks so much!
Suggestion. Put "air holes" at bottom but flip them all the way down to become small legs . Air can come in underneath and it will act like a chimney to draw air in and up.
Yes, I have seen it done that way as well, you just have to deal with the very sharp points at the bottom. Thanks for watching!
A family friend, sister and brother with the brother having CP. He used to ride the rails all over the Midwest in the 30's. He was well known.
Those were interesting times for sure!