Quote:


I bring along a homemade "blow" tube that I use to get stubborn campfires going. You can use all sorts of DIY things to do the same thing.

Now IF the charging of devices is important then the Biolite is probably the way to go. IF you just want a wood stove for back-up or main stove, then that Firebox stove or similar stoves is the way to go.

I LIKE the fact if folds FLAT. My little NANO stove which is really just for solo use folds down to the size of a deck of cards. Easy to pack. That Biolite is going take space PLUS you have to treat if gently or you know you'll screw something up. 

solotripper wrote on Feb 16^th, 2017 at 4:34pm:


Interesting, thanks  ST. I can only assume the biolite would be easier to use because of the integrated fan, but maybe not.

This isn't a BIOLITE stove but it "might" be much more versatile?
I have the NANO version. I like my classic old Peak 1 Multi-fuel to cook on BUT for just boiling water or quick one pot meals like Cous-Cous, I use the NANO to save fuel.
They fold FLAT, much easier to pack. Lot's of accessories too, check them out.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Thanks for the reply. Biolite has a more basic model without the usb port or the integrated light. I highly doubt I'd ever use those features on a long trip. For anything up to 3 weeks I'd still probably go with my gas stove. For really long trips this stove may have some merit I think.
I agree, I think I need to try one out first before I use it on a trip...
 

SP, my son has one and I've road tested it a small bit.  It has built in fan to speed the burn and you can charge something with it.  Sounds and looks like a mini fire tornado!  It works fine - mostly for boiling stuff.  One downside I see is that you have to keep feeding it a paying attention to the heat output.  I've not used it much, so I don't know the finer points of cooking with it.  For me personally, I like the convenience of canister stoves and their versatility.  I prefer the MSR WindPro II for general cooking and IMHO, nothing beats the MSR Reactor for a fish fry.  For the money, I can think of better things to do with a pile of sticks.  It seems sturdy enough and appears well built.  I always recommend try before you buy and hope this helps.  In the end, whatever fits your style of cooking and camping is the best.

pd

Does anyone have any first hand experience with these stoves? Not having to carry fuel on longer expeditions is highly attractive but not if the stove is a pita to use.

Thanks guys