biolite camp stove

[mustang_revival]

http://biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/features/

I know there are a lot of campers on here.. this thing is pretty cool.

[YALE]

A rocket stove with a phone charger? Genius!

[SamTex]

Do people actually buy and use these kinds of things? I eat like a king when I'm in the woods and it's never been anything but wood coals and cast iron on a keystone fire pit.

[ceyko]

Do people actually buy and use these kinds of things? I eat like a king when I'm in the woods and it's never been anything but wood coals and cast iron on a keystone fire pit.

Well, if you're doing long range hiking, at high altitudes...etc...etc you're not going to be taking a cast iron anything really.

There is camping/hiking and then what folks do when they need light/efficient...etc.

[SamTex]

Does it count as long range hiking if you're in a 4x4?

[ceyko]

Does it count as long range hiking if you're in a 4x4?

haha, only when you're out yonder, get stuck and have to "hike" back.

[Forever_frost]

I've been looking at these for a while. Interesting concept

[YALE]

I've been looking at these for a while. Interesting concept

It's like a heat pump in reverse.

[Strychnine]

All for naught if you're above the timber line or surrounded by wet wood though.

Not to be a downer, but if you need the charge then you're better off with a gas stove (MSR, Optimus, Jetboil, etc) and a pack mounted solar panel to catch rays while you're on the move.




FWIW, this is from the Backpacker review of the Biolite:

After 37 minutes, one tester’s iPhone netted a 13-percent increase in power.

The BioLite is not compatible with all USB devices (such as iPads and several testers’ Android phones)

User comment:

Did I ever learn my lesson. Not only did I pack 2.05 lbs of a fancy boiling device, the amount of power received from charging was not worth the weight nor the cost. Camping in the high elevations of the Rockies, the soft woods to choose from were not beneficial for a lengthy charge. The stove had to be emptied after approximately 30 minutes of burning and a complete restart of a fire was in order. This was a pain, but after 30 minutes of charging and only a 7% increase in battery power, I had no choice. Lucky for me, I packed two small solar chargers that were pinned to the top of my backpack as an emergency backup. I'm glad I did.

[ceyko]

Yeah and I use a jetboil stove and it's the same footprint in the pack. Basically boils water in a minute or so (cold water)...so you generally don't need a lot of fuel.

[scootro]

i wonder how hot i could get that thing and get a better charge, maybe use some charcoal

[jyro]

I wonder why it sounds like a freight train?

[YALE]

i wonder how hot i could get that thing and get a better charge, maybe use some charcoal

It works on a temperature differential, and getting the heat sink past it's melting point is a bad idea. The 250-300 degrees or so difference it needs is plenty. Past that, there's a point of diminishing returns, and the parts won't last long there, either. They make bigger units for bigger power loads, including whole-house units that will run on almost anything.

[scootro]

It works on a temperature differential, and getting the heat sink past it's melting point is a bad idea. The 250-300 degrees or so difference it needs is plenty. Past that, there's a point of diminishing returns, and the parts won't last long there, either. They make bigger units for bigger power loads, including whole-house units that will run on almost anything.

oh no i wouldn't want to ruin it! i'd be lost without it and my rambo survival knife

[Forever_frost]

So better luck wiht a solar panel. Damn. I had hopes. I'm going to cancel my order