Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 10.55 x 5.43 x 5.31 inches |
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Package Weight | 1.02 Kilograms |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 5 x 5 x 8.27 inches |
Item Weight | 0.94 Kilograms |
Brand Name | BioLite |
Country of Origin | China |
Model Name | FBA_BL1 |
Color | silver |
Manufacturer | BioLite |
Part Number | CSA1001 |
Model Year | 2016 |
BioLite CampStove 1 Wood Burning and USB Charging Camping Stove (Original Model)
Brand | BioLite |
Fuel Type | Wood |
Item Weight | 0.94 Kilograms |
About this item
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
Product Description
The BioLite Wood Burning CampStove combines the benefits of a lightweight backpacking stove and an off-grid power charger so you can cook a meal while charging your gadgets. The Campstove is the perfect solution for both the backcountry campsite and also Emergency Preparedness Kits.
Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
ASIN | B019WDE9HU |
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Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
Date First Available | March 9, 2013 |
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, efficiency, appearance and versatility of the camping stove. For example, they mention it works great as a cookstove, it uses minimal fuel and it's the most efficient stove they've tried. That said, opinions are mixed on charging, portability and size.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the product. They say it's a fantastic product, well made, and works great as a cookstove. Some mention that the kettle works awesome and is a wonderful invention. Overall, most are satisfied with the quality and functionality of the item.
"...The entire stove breaks down and fits inside the Thermos, which is pretty nifty and saves space when packing a backpack or storing it on a shelf...." Read more
"...Wet fire cubes also work great. All in all an excellent stove and i definitely recommend it. I have had, and still carry my jet boil with me...." Read more
"...Oh, yeah speaking of collapsing, the three fold out legs are considerably more stable than any other stove I've used so you don't need to worry..." Read more
"The design has proven solid after a few camping trips and has earned its place in my pack...." Read more
Customers like the efficiency of the stove. They mention that it burns clean and hot, uses minimal fuel, and does a great job at burning wood. Some say that the stove is the most efficient of the nine different ones they have tried. It also produces enough energy to run the fan.
"...Wow - seriously. This thing is nuts. It gets so hot that the coals constantly glow red hot inside...." Read more
"...You won't have to do this much. Also, because fuel is basically limitless as you can collect it easily from your campsite..." Read more
"...in all, the wide availability of combustible materials, the efficiency of the flame and the easy to use design make this an excellent choice for..." Read more
"...It lights up to a REALLY hot fire in a matter of minutes, if started properly with tiny twigs and slowly adding in finger-sized twigs until the pot..." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the camping stove. They mention that it is very nice, has an excellent design, and is nifty. Some say that it saves space when packing. Overall, most are happy with the product's appearance.
"...The entire stove breaks down and fits inside the Thermos, which is pretty nifty and saves space when packing a backpack or storing it on a shelf...." Read more
"Very nice item. Overall i am very pleased. I do a good bit of weekend hiking...." Read more
"...Cleanup is a breeze and it a. Collapses and stores neat and tidy...." Read more
"This is a very small stove, The design is quite ingenious, but I don't know if it would hold up in the woods...." Read more
Customers like the versatility of the product. They say it's the best invention for camping, a great tent camping item, and a perfect camp stove for backwoods camping. The easy-to-use design makes it an excellent choice for backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. Customers also mention that it'll light up extremely fast.
"...electrical current generated by the inline generator is a good option for emergency use but should not be your plan A for charging your devices..." Read more
"...The appeal of the biolite stove personally was it's versatility and and natural fuel...." Read more
"...I can't say enough good about this setup. The versatility and simplicity of it make it amazing." Read more
"...Recommended for car camping, would consider packing it when I am liberal with my pack weight. (above 30 pounds, which I don't care to do often)...." Read more
Customers find the product easy to use. They mention it works great, is compact, and easy to learn how to operate. Customers also say the flame is easy to start the first time every time, and the design is easy-to-use. They also say it's a fun toy to play with and easy setup. Customers say it is satisfying and a great working gift.
"...figure out the right combination of tinder or kindling it's easy to start the first time every time...." Read more
"...of combustible materials, the efficiency of the flame and the easy to use design make this an excellent choice for backpackers and outdoor..." Read more
"...As far as use goes it's a simple enough set up. As with all outdoor gear I'd recommend testing it out before taking it into the field...." Read more
"...Great company, excellent packaging, and ease of use." Read more
Customers are mixed about the charging of the product. Some mention that it can charge cell phones, headlamps, and batteries at camp. However, others say that it charges slowly and the USB charger doesn't work very well.
"...not taken this into deep backcountry, but I did enjoy being able to charge my phone (slowly) at camp instead of having to charge in the car...." Read more
"...The charge generated is a trickle, but is enough to make the difference between an emergency situation and a situation that is merely..." Read more
"...Burns charcoal like crazy but does leave more ash. It charges usb devices but for me that was a side benefit...." Read more
"...the fan down to low setting and it ran smoothly, but the charge on the phone was no better...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the portability of the product. Some mention it's small and light for backpacking, yet just as good as a propane stove took cook. They say it'll fit in any campers bag and is quite compact. However, others say it is quite heavy for backpackers, bulky for minimalist packs, and a little big to bring backpacking.
"...and fits inside the Thermos, which is pretty nifty and saves space when packing a backpack or storing it on a shelf...." Read more
"...Cleanup is a breeze and it a. Collapses and stores neat and tidy...." Read more
"...It is quite heavy for backpacking...." Read more
"...That went MUCH better. It was easier to light and had a steady burn, and lasted for more than 25 minutes...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the size of the camping stove. Some mention that it's small, compact, and easy to use. They say it'll be great for camping and fits perfectly inside an asparagus steamer. However, other customers say that it was much smaller than expected, the receptacle is so small that you have to keep refilling it, and the chamber is small.
"...The entire stove breaks down and fits inside the Thermos, which is pretty nifty and saves space when packing a backpack or storing it on a shelf...." Read more
"...It takes up a decent amount of pack space...." Read more
"...It burns clean and hot if you start it properly. Small and light for backpacking yet just as good as a propane stove took cook with...." Read more
"...This can't take large pieces of fuel, so it will end up eating up your tinder/kindling supply quickly unless you have a way to process larger..." Read more
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Wow - seriously. This thing is nuts. It gets so hot that the coals constantly glow red hot inside. On high speed (the fan settings on the outside) I had 4 eggs and bacon strips cooked up and ready to eat in about 8 minutes. Boiling water took a bit longer, but still faster than I feel I could have done it on my stovetop.
After that trip it kind of just sat on a shelf in the event that I ever got around to camping again. I did purchase another unit for my brother that he literally keeps it in his trunk whenever he heads out on a lengthy road trip. My brother has freely advertised his unit to all his friends and has probably helped BioLite sell another 30 units all on his own.
Fast forward a few months to Hurricane Matthew that tore along the east US coast. I was in one of the cities affected by the storm and was without power for about 2 weeks. This was especially difficult due to having 2 adult and two children family members visiting during that time from Europe (not the greatest of impressions for their first experience in America) and cold showers are never enjoyable.
So, I break this stove out after about the 3rd day to start cooking meat that would otherwise go bad due to lack of refrigeration. Every breakfast, lunch and dinner for about 10 days this stove kept 8 people fed, EASILY. I did get the Thermos add-on for the stove which ended up being invaluable for making coffee in the mornings. The entire stove breaks down and fits inside the Thermos, which is pretty nifty and saves space when packing a backpack or storing it on a shelf. As a parting gift I ordered another stove and gifted it to my European in-laws on their way out of town. It was WELL received and appreciated.
Alright, so you know the life story of my BioLite stove, so let me point out a few things for those potential buyers so you know what to expect:
1) This stove is voracious - utterly insatiable. You have to keep feeding it to maintain the heat necessary for cooking things. I will caveat this though. Fire consumes, right? So, it is to be expected that if you introduce a source of fuel to fire, that source will be reduced as it is consumed. The harder the fuel source, the longer it takes to be consumed. That should be common sense, but I didn't come around to the obvious without some trial and error. On my camping trip, I was using pine-cones and dry fuels of that nature (Wet fuel is a no-no and will irreparably break your stove - I'll explain in the next point). But... Lump Hardwood Charcoal (which is healthier to cook with than briquettes anyway) is a very hard fuel source. I have learned that the fastest way to get up and running is to fill the stove cavity with hardwood charcoal, dribble a very small amount of lighter fluid over it, wait a second or two for it to soak in, then light it. Breakfast in half an hour or less - I guarantee it.
2) I do not recommend getting the grill add-on for this stove... It is made of really cheap metal and I've found that putting a skillet directly on top the stove works just fine, and long as you can balance your cooking apparatus. A round pot without a long horizontal handle works even better.
3) When the stove heats up, it trips a sensor in the attached thermal-charging battery/fan that you attach to the side during set-up. At the base of the inside of the stove canister, there is a small port that sits right in front of the little fan in the piggyback unit. Note: The fan blades are PLASTIC. This is why you cannot use wet fuel with this unit and also why after you're done using it and try to turn off the fan it will not turn off. Your stove is not broken, it simply has to spin the fan while there is still a heat source near the fan blades to avoid melting them and making the stove worthless. The fan has two speeds: Keep it Hot Speed, and Burn Your Eggs Speed. I use Burn Your Eggs Speed to boil water - works very well.
4) Once you get the heat going and the fan is on, etc, you can't just plug in a USB and go to town. You must wait for the little green light to come on, indicating that there is enough of a charge being created. Only then will the stove charge an attached electronic device. (We kept two smart-phones charged enough to conduct our daily lives just by charging them during meals. Note: smart phones charge faster if you turn them off before plugging them in.)
The charge generated is a trickle, but is enough to make the difference between an emergency situation and a situation that is merely uncomfortable.
Thanks BioLite for an amazing product - I've freely advertised for you guys ever since Hurricane Matthew!
I paid full price for this stove and have purchased 3 other stoves as gifts for friends and family also at full-price. One emergency and it's worth the money, you'll see.
Top reviews from other countries
Trying to keep a normal fire going with what I had would have been messy, time consuming and very smoky but with the fan in the bottom of this it becomes as simple as chucking a few twigs in every now and then. It will only start to smoke if you don't keep a big flame on it too which makes it far more pleasant to sit near.
Realistically you need to fuel it almost constantly to keep the light on but in the event that you do let it die down to embers restarting it as simple as throwing some small twigs in and turning the fan up high for a couple minutes. The light is an excellent addition to this too because due to it's design the fire doesn't throw out much light of it's own unless you have it packed with fuel and the fan up high - which will practically create a jet of flame above it. I've not tried cooking on it yet but I imagine it would far out perform something like a hexi stove with adequate fuel.
The small bundle of twigs I had collected (plus some cardboard from the box) kept the fire going for hours easily and when I was done I was amazed that it cooled down to the point where I could put it in my bag in less than ten minutes. In fact the design is so efficient that the outer metal is cool to the touch even with a big flame. I had dug a small pit under the stove to dump the ash in so the area wasn't as messy as it would have been had I had a campfire and my clothes didn't smell remotely smokey after. The legs on this make it easy to straddle a small hole and after using it I would recommend doing that as any twigs overhanging the container will fall into the pit harmlessly.
The one downside I would say this has is emptying the ash. After hours of burning it gets quite compacted down at the base so you pretty much have to dig it out with a stick to empty it. It can be full almost to the top with ash without heavily compromising the heat and size of the flame but I'd say it could have benefited from a hole at the bottom that you can slide open and shut to empty the ash as you go.
It takes about ten minutes before it starts generating enough power for the light to come on and the power output doesn't seem to be all that high as if I ran the light on full power and the fan on high it would go out every now and then and require a few minutes before it would come back on. To put 100% in my phone I suspect would require several hours of constant burning but in an emergency situation (or just for music around the campfire) it seems quite useful.
The phone charging is ok, it works well when it's running at full blast so handy if you are stuck but I would have a small solar unit as back up. Love the little light that came with it but buy yourself a thermal glove ( IKEA) for very hot handles!
I used cheap Lidl wax covered shavings to start with small branches then used a combo of wood pellets while you gather more wood. Gets cooking very quickly. Top marks. You would need to bring some dry kindling with in case you have a couple of days downpour but the wood pellets are light and last well so just a small bag full.