The Ultimate Camp Stove: Wood Burning, USB Powering, Light and durable

This is one cool stove.



When you are out camping a good stove is your best friend. Somehow, I usually seem to end up camping when it is cold out, at least at night. There is pretty much nothing better than hot instant oatmeal in the morning (something I don't ever eat not camping) or a big bowl of mac-and-cheese at night after a long hike.

There are a lot of good stoves out there. For short trips, I am actually a big fan of the super cheap and light solid fuel stoves. I also have a MSR Whisperlight which is pretty much the gold standard of non-pressurized stoves.

But... this new stove? Freaking awesome.

It runs on basically kindling - so you just need to find some nice dry fallen branches. It not only boils your water, but it also powers a USB port at the same time. Want to charge your phone or listen to some music while you set up dinner? No problem.

Weighing in at 2lbs - this is not what I would take for an overnight for 1-2 people, and also not what I would take on the AT. But when you are really heading out into the middle of nowhere, especially canoeing or kayaking - this is exactly what I would want.


SET THE FIRE

Campers pack a small handful of sticks into the bottom of the stove’s dual-walled steel combustion chamber and light the fire. One batch of kindling can boil a liter of water in five minutes.

FEED THE FIRE

A one-inch blower fan pushes fresh air into an angled vent near the bottom of the stove and circulates it counterclockwise through a half-inch gap between the combustion-chamber walls. The inner wall is perforated with 34 holes near the top and 11 more near the bottom. As air heats up, it expands and enters the combustion chamber to feed the fire.

GATHER ENERGY

A custom thermoelectric generator (TEG) converts heat into voltage. On one side of the TEG, a 1.5-inch copper-and-aluminum heat probe extends into the fire. On the other side, the fan cools a set of heat-sink vanes. As electrons move between the hot and cold sides of the TEG, they are directed into a set of wires.

CHARGE DEVICES

Electrons pass through the set of wires and into a printed circuit board, which contains a processor. The processor evens the current and sends power to the blower fan, a battery that holds reserve power for the fan, and a USB-connected device. The CampStove produces a steady two watts of power, enough to provide an iPhone with 60 minutes of talk time on a 20-minute charge.

BIOLITE CAMPSTOVE

Dimensions: 8.25 inches by 5 inches
Weight: 2 pounds, 1 ounce
Price: $129
Product Details:
  • Fast to boil: 4.5 minutes to boil 1 liter of water
  • Fire power output (peak): 3.4 kw (lo) 5.5 kw (hi)
  • USB power output: Max continuous: 2W @5V, Peak: 4W @5V
  • Compatible Devices: Powers most USB-chargeable devices including smartphones
  • Fuel: Burns sticks, pine cones, pellets and other biomass
  • Packed size: Height 8.25 inches, Width 5 inches
  • Weight: 2 lbs 1 oz / 935 grams
  • Pot weight limit: 8 lbs or 1 gallon of liquid
  • Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum, plastic

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