Bio Light Camp stove Review

Bio Light Stove

Editor: Cory M

Basic Description of Item:

The Benefits of BioLite CampStove
The BioLite CampStove combines the benefits of both an advanced stove and an off-grid power charger. BioLite is more cost-effective and compact than the competition, and offers unique social and environmental benefits as well.

Forget the fuel.
Charge your gadgets.
Support a better world.
BioLite’s patented technology converts heat from the fire into usable electricity via a thermoelectric generator. This powers an internal fan for improved combustion, creating a smokeless portable campfire that you can enjoy in your backyard or out on the trail. Surplus electricity is sent to the USB port for charging devices. Setup is easy, fuel is free, and big beautiful flames are roaring in a matter of minutes.

Just the Facts:

Packed Size Height 8.25 inches
Width 5 inches
Weight 33 oz (935 grams)
Fuel Renewable biomass (twigs, pinecones, wood pellets, etc.)
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.
Charging Time iPhone 4S (2G): 20 minutes of charging provides 60 minutes of talk time. Charging times vary by device and by strength of fire.
Boil Time 4.5 minutes to boil 1 liter of water. Varies based on strength of fire.
Fuel Quantity 1.6oz (46g) of wood to boil 1 L of water
In the box BioLite Stove
Firelighter
Stuff Sack
Instructions
USB Cord (for internal battery charging)

The Story:
Montana! Big sky country as they call it. I absolutely love Montana and use every excuse I have to go there. Late in the month of November my phone rang and I answered happy to hear the voice of my best friend Tom. Tom happens to live in my favorite state to visit. He called to tell me that he had a field full of geese and access to the Mighty Mo otherwise known as the Missouri River. He was granted access to some private land and it was ours to use if I could find time to break out of my day-to-day and get over to beautiful Montana. As luck would have it I had a segment of vacation already scheduled for the second week of December so the plans were made and off I went.
Everybody who spends time in the outdoors knows that the old saying of “Better to have it and not need it. Than need it and not have it.” Is the best way to pack providing you have room for it. I was putting together my gear and came across my BioLite Stove. I had purchased it the summer before but had done little more than just test it in my back yard. It not only provides a method of cooking but uses thermoelectric technology to provide charging ability for small devices. Thinking it may come in handy I threw it into the tote not really sure if or how I would use it for the trip. The rest of the gear was typical of what you would think to bring on a waterfowl hunting trip.
Luck. Luck is something that usually is not on my side. As per the usual the weather took a turn for the better. Which translates to horrible for hunting. Warm air brought strong winds that helped to carry all the birds to their winter home someplace far away from my current location.

It was time to change out plan. The river proved to be the right choice and our success rate went up considerably. But the long hours on the banks of the Mo brought a powerful hunger. Our hide was made with layout blinds in a patch of tall dead grass. Not the ideal area to make an open cooking fire so the first days were full of sandwiches and protein bars. Well, there is only so much PB&J and granola a man can eat before he wants a hot meal. I made the decision to run back to the trailer and grab some food and my BioLite Stove. A short time later I was coaxing the flames to a steady roar and smiling as my hunting partners stared in amazement at my little stove. Smoked bratwurst was on the menu and everybody was eager. I feed the fire with small pieces of drift wood that were lying about and as a surprise I pulled out my phone and charging cord. The green light on the stove indicated it was ready to charge and I wanted to show off how neat this little stove was. My phone was low on battery as it was being used to take lots of pictures during this hunt. As I put the finishing touches on the last sausage and put the lid back onto the sauerkraut I peaked at my phone to see that it had gained about 10% battery during out little riverbank cook out. Reaching out I grabbed the stove only to hear my friend gasp I’m sure because he thought I was going to burn myself. The BioLite has negative space between the fire compartment and the metal mesh on the outside allowing a person to move it without risk of being burnt. I let the fire burn down and turned off the stove just in time for the flight to start again. The stove burns so efficiently that all that was left was a small pile of white ash that faded almost instantly into the dirt and was undetectable. No fire pit, no waste, no trace. With a full lanyard and full belly we packed up and left back to camp. This same step would be repeated for the remaining 5 days of the trip. My little BioLite Stove pulled its weight for sure.

What could be done better?
This stove is great all the way around. The technology I believe hinders its ability to cut weight but for my uses it is more than acceptable. I would like to see a protective metal cover or some other protection to the top of the fan/generator. Small sticks or ash that fall onto the top will melt it and that seems like something that could be improved. It preforms as advertised and is a great little product. It would not be ideal for super back country where weight is a factor unless you consider the tradeoff of not having to pack any type of fuel. Good job BioLite you really have made a quality product.