Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
During the 1920s and Great Depression, hoboes kept warm using simple stoves made from scrap metal and found materials. In this video, I build a DIY 1920s Hobo Heater — a simple, scrap-built stove you can still make and use today.
This little heater can warm a small shelter (with proper ventilation), heat your hands on a cold night, and even handle simple cooking chores. It’s cheap to make, requires minimal tools, and uses fuels you can scrounge almost anywhere.
In this build you’ll learn:
How to find or repurpose scrap materials
The easiest way to build a simple hobo-style heater
Safety tips for ventilation and burn control
How hoboes used similar heat sources in the 1920s and 1930s
Ways to cook or warm food on this compact stove
If you enjoy Great Depression survival skills, classic camping, and hobo ingenuity, this stove is a great example of how the old ways still work.
👉 Subscribe to WayPoint Survival for more vintage outdoor wisdom, historical recreations, and DIY survival builds.
#HoboLife #DIYHeater #GreatDepression #SurvivalSkills #ClassicCamping #Bushcraft #ScrapStove #1930sAdventure #WayPointSurvival
Check out the new website and sign up for the free WayPoint Survival and Prepping 101 newsletter here: waypointsurvival.com
Link for purchase of WayPoint Survival Phase 1 Digital Class:
waypointsurvival.com/digital-course
For more information on classes, to check out the required gear list, or buy Merch go to: waypointsurvival.com
To support our work on Patreon: patreon.com/WayPointSurvival
Here's a link to my Teespring Merchandise: teespring.com/shop/WayPoint_Survival?tsmac=recently_viewed&tsmic=recently_viewed&pid=212&cid=5819https://amzn.to/4n0PKVX
During the 1920s and Great Depression, hoboes kept warm using simple stoves made from scrap metal and found materials. In this video, I build a DIY 1920s Hobo Heater — a simple, scrap-built stove you can still make and use today.
This little heater can warm a small shelter (with proper ventilation), heat your hands on a cold night, and even handle simple cooking chores. It’s cheap to make, requires minimal tools, and uses fuels you can scrounge almost anywhere.
In this build you’ll learn:
How to find or repurpose scrap materials
The easiest way to build a simple hobo-style heater
Safety tips for ventilation and burn control
How hoboes used similar heat sources in the 1920s and 1930s
Ways to cook or warm food on this compact stove
If you enjoy Great Depression survival skills, classic camping, and hobo ingenuity, this stove is a great example of how the old ways still work.
👉 Subscribe to WayPoint Survival for more vintage outdoor wisdom, historical recreations, and DIY survival builds.
#HoboLife #DIYHeater #GreatDepression #SurvivalSkills #ClassicCamping #Bushcraft #ScrapStove #1930sAdventure #WayPointSurvival
Check out the new website and sign up for the free WayPoint Survival and Prepping 101 newsletter here: waypointsurvival.com
Link for purchase of WayPoint Survival Phase 1 Digital Class:
waypointsurvival.com/digital-course
For more information on classes, to check out the required gear list, or buy Merch go to: waypointsurvival.com
To support our work on Patreon: patreon.com/WayPointSurvival
Here's a link to my Teespring Merchandise: teespring.com/shop/WayPoint_Survival?tsmac=recently_viewed&tsmic=recently_viewed&pid=212&cid=5819https://amzn.to/4n0PKVX
