Solid fuel stove

[Bcoonce117]

Considering a solid fuel stove (solo stove lite or something comparable) probably wouldn’t be something I would take solo, but when I go with my brother I could bring it to save use from both bringing fuel. Just kicking the idea around. Anybody have any experience with these. Hate or love?

 

[Redneck09]

I use the esbit one with the little wings for a pot support. It weighs about a half ounce.

Use a disposable aluminum tray (for cooking) that fits the stove and my pot inside. I cut them in half and use them as a wind screen/ground protection.

The system is Lite AF and very quiet.

The cons:

esbit makes all your stuff smell like rotten fish and does leave a little residue on your pot.

They do not boil water in cold or windy temps easily. You may need to stack cubes.

If your fuel demands are high then it doesn’t make sense to use them.

 

[chinook907]

I've got a bushbuddy stove, it's identical or nearly so to the Solo lite, but was developed 10+years before the Solo.

Really like it. It doesn't boil water as quick as liquid fuel or canister stoves, but it still does so surprisingly fast.

The biggest con is that all your fuel (twigs, dry alder cones, etc) needs to be right there for all your cooking time. It burns through a load so fast that if you step away for almost any amount of time, the stove runs out of fuel & the fire goes out. Granted, a load is very little material. You need to be right there actively feeding the fire.

Also, in so much as they are light, they're a little bulky as they don't collapse down.

They're fun to have when the little ones are around, as you can cook hot dogs, marshmallows, etc over the flames. The bottom does not heat up, so at home you can set it directly on a table or deck and cook.

 

[rayporter]

i carry this about everywhere. runs on esbit or trioxane or a pepsi can alcohol burner.
great for 2 or 3 days and can go longer.
even if not camping i have coffee or soup every day in the field.
ramen, mac an cheese, oatmeal is 8 minutes away.

 

[Mudpuddle]

I've got a Solo Stove, now rebranded as a Solo Stove Lite. I agree with much of what was said above about the stove being hungry for fuel. You have to keep feeding it consistently so it doesn't go out. The solution is to grab more fuel than you think you'll need and process it into small pieces, ready to go into the stove before you start the fire.

If I think I'm going to be dog tired by the time I'm using a stove then I bring along my pocket rocket and leave the solo behind. If you enjoy the process of collecting firewood and keeping the fire going then you'll enjoy the solo stove. I really prefer it, but it's not for every situation.

I really like the pot that is sized to couple with the stove. It feels like quality and fits nicely around the stove.

 

[Bcoonce117]

It sounds like something I might consider adding to my arsenal. It’s not exactly foolproof but should meet my needs 80% of the time. Even in wet weather you can find small dry stick

 

[rayporter]

in wet weather an esbit tab will start a fire easily -even if you dont intend to cook with it.

three small rocks and a small cup with an esbit tab will heat water in any weather. a windscreen helps a lot to conserve heat.

 

[Mudpuddle]

in wet weather an esbit tab will start a fire easily -even if you dont intend to cook with it.

three small rocks and a small cup with an esbit tab will heat water in any weather. a windscreen helps a lot to conserve heat.

I've neglected my esbit and alcohol stoves and I should probably fix that. Who makes that stove in your picture?

 

[rayporter]

uncle sam. i ground the handles off of one cup so they nested. cook in one and drink from the other.

boil water in one for coffee and add the hot water to the other to make mac and cheese. if you line the cup with a freezer bag you wont have any clean up. add some dried burger for a great meal.

but it is easy to make the stove from a beef stew can or a spam can or even dog food can. just punch some holes for air and set any metal cup on top.

 

[rayporter]

a bud has one of these and it seems ok. i would prefer not to have the holes in the top of the stove but it works.
i think it fits the wally world cup and pot that nest.

Stainless Steel Pot & Pan Stove Stand | Self Reliance Outfitters

Provides versatility to the camp chef. This stove can be used as a stable above coal pot stand, stand-alone bio stove, or stand-alone grill top.

www.selfrelianceoutfitters.com

 

[Redneck09]

If I was serious about not using canister fuels again I would get a trail designs Ti Tri system. Being in bad fire territory and with park rules, freezing temperatures and all I am stuck owning many systems haha

 

[Redneck09]

I will also say that if you and your brother cook more than 10 total meals esbit is no longer a weight saving option. Isobutane, by itself gets many more boils per ounce than esbit. After 10-12 meals a light isobutane stove will be the lighter option.

The issue is that isobutane stoves (efficient ones) are relatively heavy and the canisters are also heavy. Over a long enough time this is cancelled out on fuel savings. Actually if you go long enough White gas will beat isobutane as well. There were some hardcore backpacking geeks that did these tests. They concluded that esbit only makes sense for short trips.

 

[rayporter]

agree with your assessment.
more than 3 days and esbit is a pain. alcohol is good for a few more days but not many.

when cold the longer burn times make a difference even though i use esbit in cold temps every year.
as with any stove and in particular the ultra light models, a windscreen and a lid are very important.
i have used the same triple folded piece of aluminum foil for a wind screen for many years.

on the backpacker forum hiking jim used to have some great info on esbit and alcohol for ultra light camping. lots of tests and tricks to conserve fuel.

 

[LA Hunter]

Do any of you guys with this 'solo stove' design ever cook inside a vented tent? I've gotten pretty good at getting the right wood that doesn't spark or smoke in a regular fire.

I wonder if I were to use this skill and merge it with the 'solo stove' feature that renders fires nearly smokeless and burn inside a vented tent.

 

[Mudpuddle]

I've never tried it inside a tent. Be careful, they put off a lot of heat and usually create smoke for the first few minutes. You might want to contact solo stove to see what they say.