A wood fired camping stove changes camping completely. Instead of huddling around a gas burner that heats nothing beyond the pot sitting on it, a portable wood stove creates warmth, atmosphere, cooks your food and uses a fuel source you can often find for free on the ground.
As an aded bonus, you can often use a wood stove for camping in sites that no longer allow open fires. We all know camping just isn't the same without a fire, but a camping stove brings back the sights and smells of an open fire.
Which Portable Wood Stove for Camping?
A camping wood stove needs to do three things well: heat efficiently, pack down small enough to transport, and survive years of repeated use in rough conditions. Beyond that, the details depend on whether you are heating a tent, cooking outdoors, or both.
The key specs to compare are firebox size (determines burn time and heat output), material (stainless steel lasts longer than mild steel), total packed weight, chimney pipe diameter (affects draw and compatibility with tent stove jacks), and whether the stove includes a cooktop, glass window, or oven attachment.
Price matters too, but not in the way most people think. A $150 stove that warps after two seasons costs more than a $500 stove that lasts ten years. With wood stoves for camping, build quality is everything.
Best Camping Wood Stoves in Australia
Winnerwell make the best portable wood-fired stoves for camping, hands down. Here are the top wood burning camping stoves available in Australia right now, at Ramped Up with fast shipping Australia wide.
Winnerwell Nomad Camping Stove
The Winnerwell Nomad is the workhorse of the Winnerwell range and the best priced all-rounder tent stove in Australia. It comes in three sizes — Small, Medium, and Large — so you can match it to your tent size and heating needs.
While the large is the best-selling in the range, the medium size can do just about everything the large can. Check the measurements first if you're thinking about the small version, we've had a few customers return the small after seeing it in person and upgrade to the medium.
The firebox is built from 304 stainless steel with a flat cooktop for boiling water or cooking directly on the surface. The legs fold flat for transport, and the chimney pipes nest inside the firebox. A medium Nomad packs down to roughly the size of a small toolbox.
Best for: Rugged off grid camping, anyone who wants reliable heat and a cooking surface without paying for extras they do not need. This stove is the benchmark in camping stoves, only topped by the next stove on our list which features an extra fre viewing window.
Shop the Winnerwell Nomad Camping Stove at Ramped Up
Winnerwell Nomad View Camping Stove
The Nomad View is identical to the standard Nomad with one addition — a large glass window in the side of the fire box. The window lets you watch the flames and monitor the fire without opening the door and losing heat.
The window in the side takes the, already great Nomad and takes it to another level. Seeing the fire through the glass window makes you feel like you're sitting around an open fire, and this makes the Winnerwell Nomad View our #1 recommended camping stove.
Just like the Winnerwell Nomad, the Nomad View comes in theree sizes, Small, Medium and Large. The Large is the best selling option, however the medium is perfectly big enough for warmth and cooking for 2-4 people. Hte smal size is quite small, and probably only good for tent camping in small tents.
Best for: campers who want the ambience of watching the fire, or anyone who finds themselves constantly opening the door to check the burn. The view window also makes it easier to manage airflow and avoid over-stoking.
Shop the Winnerwell Nomad View Camping Stove at Ramped Up
Winnerwell Woodlander Cook Camping Stove
The Woodlander Cook is designed for campers who prioritise cooking as much as heating. It features a wider, flatter cooktop than the Nomad, with more usable surface area for pots, pans, and kettles.
Sizes and pricing: Small, Medium, Large sizes available, with medium and large being the most popular. The Woodlander Cook is actually the most affordable entry point into the Winnerwell tent stove range.
Best for: camp cooking enthusiasts, family camping where meal prep is a priority, or setups where the stove serves double duty as both heater and kitchen.
Shop the Winnerwell Woodlander Cook Camping Stove at Ramped Up
Winnerwell Woodlander Double View Camping Stove
The Woodlander View combines the wider cook surface of the Woodlander with the 2x side glass windows of the View range. It is the premium option for campers who want the best of both worlds — serious cooking capability and fire-watching ambience. With 3x glass windows, you and your guests can view the fire from almost any angle.
Sizes and pricing: Medium ($579.95), Large ($696.95). This model is not available in Small.
Best for: experienced hot tent campers who want top-of-the-line features and do not mind paying extra for the view window and wider cooktop, or those who want to view their fire from all angles.
Shop the Winnerwell Woodlander Double View Camping Stove at Ramped Up
Winnerwell Iron Stove Classic Edition
The Iron Stove is a different beast entirely. At $529.00, it is a heavy, cast-iron-style stove Designed for those who appreciate the craftsmanship of yore and demand the reliability of modern engineering, this stove is a masterpiece of design and utility.
Despite it's small size and antique appearance, it produces serious heat, and can sear a steak like the best cast iron pan!
Best for: Solo campers, or those who just love having unique equipment
Shop the Winnerwell Iron Stove at Ramped Up
Camping Stove Size Guide — Small vs Medium vs Large
Choosing the right size is the most common question we get. Here is how to match the stove to your tent.
Small stoves suit tents up to around 2-3 metres. They heat a two-person hot tent comfortably, pack down the smallest, and use less firewood per session. If you are solo camping or hiking into a spot and want to keep weight down, go Small.
Medium stoves suit tents from 3 by 3 up to about 4 by 4 metres, which covers most bell tents and tipi tents. The Medium balances heat output, burn time, and portability. If you are unsure, go Medium.
Large stoves suit tents over 4 by 4 metres, and group setups. They hold more wood, burn longer between refuelling, and throw more heat.
Camping Stove Accessories That Make a Difference
The right accessories turn a good tent stove into a complete camp kitchen and heating system.
The Winnerwell Pipe Oven sits on top of the chimney pipe and uses rising heat to bake bread, pizza, pies, and anything else you would put in a conventional oven. It transforms what you can cook at camp and uses no extra fuel.
The Winnerwell Fastfold Oven is a standalone folding oven that sits on top of the stove cooktop. It is larger than the Pipe Oven and better suited to baking for groups.
The Winnerwell Water Tank clips onto the side of the stove and heats water using radiant heat from the firebox. Hot water for washing, coffee, or cooking without using cooktop space.
The Secondary Combustion Burner improves burn efficiency by re-igniting smoke and gases before they exit the chimney. Less smoke, more heat from the same amount of wood, and a cleaner burn. Shop it at Ramped Up → /products/winnerwell-secondary-combustion-burner-3-5
Wood Stove vs Gas Stove for Camping
Gas stoves are convenient — press a button, get a flame. But they only heat the pot. They produce no radiant warmth, require carrying fuel canisters, and cost money every time you use them.
A wood burning camping stove heats your entire tent, cooks on the surface, bakes with an oven attachment, and runs on fuel you find on the ground. The trade-off is effort — you need to gather wood, start a fire, and manage the burn.
For day trips and quick meals, gas wins on convenience. For overnight camping, winter camping, or any trip longer than one night, a wood stove is more versatile, more capable, and costs nothing to run.
Is It Safe to Use a Wood Stove in a Tent
Yes, with the right setup. Thousands of campers in Australia and around the world use tent stoves safely through winter. The key requirements are a tent with a stove jack (a fireproof port where the chimney pipe exits), a spark arrestor on top of the chimney, and adequate ventilation.
Never use a tent stove in a fully sealed tent. Canvas and polycotton tents with a stove jack and ventilation panels are designed for this purpose. Nylon hiking tents are not suitable for wood stove use.
Keep the stove on a fireproof mat, maintain clearance between the chimney and tent fabric, and never leave a stove burning unattended while sleeping. A carbon monoxide detector rated for camping use is a smart addition to any hot tent setup.
Where to Buy a Camping Wood Stove in Australia
Ramped Up stocks the full Winnerwell range of camping wood stoves, accessories, and stove bundles with fast shipping across Australia. Whether you are setting up your first hot tent or upgrading from a budget stove that did not last, the Winnerwell range is built to handle Australian conditions season after season.
