Solo Stove

[DIY]

Thinking about ditching the propane and going to a stove that just burns sticks. Anyone do this and have good results? Would u ever go back to a propane setup? Im looking at the solo stove. Opinions?

 

[Lawnboi]

I haven't used the solo stove in particular but I have tried a small wood burner (vargo titanium) instead of my isobutane and white gas stoves.

The wood burner was light, and it would heat water. But it took some work, and time. And even more work and time if it was wet, windy and shitty. For a hunting trip, or any trip where I'm really going I'll take the gas. It's quick, simple and I'm eating quickly.

With the wood stove I'd have to find dry wood, and possibly split some if everything is wet, it can't be too windy, and you can't do it in a shelter like I can with my gas stoves.

For that reason the little wood burner will never come on a hunting trip with me again. Now a weekend trip or one where I'm just out to enjoy being out, and I have the time and patience to gather wood, prep and burn it I would take the wood stove possibly. But honestly I prefer my white gas stove for just about any trip.

The only time I will leave the gas stove for wood, is if I have the tipi with and a big wood stove, then it'd consider leaving the gas stove at home.

Just my 2 cents. I know some guys like those little wood burners, but IMO there not worth the time on anything other than a liesure trip into the woods for a few days.

 

[beachbunny]

i use a bushbuddy and the solo is heavier.

 

[n2horns]

I just ordered a Evernew titanium alcohol stove set, first time this year to use it. I have several buddies and my cousin all have variations and like them. It is a lighter weight option. I have used ISO with a Kovea Spider stove, nice feature it flips the can upside down and is a hotter burner.

http://www.evernewamerica.com/overview-1-1/

 

[wyelkhunter]

We got dumped on with 14" of snow overnight after 14 hours of rain this year. The forecast before we packed in. Light rain, possibly a dusting of snow. I would not have wanted to try and find wood to burn to cook my meals. Last year it rained atleast 6 hours a day for 5 of the 6 days we hunted plus most every night (wasn't supposed to be like that either according to forecast). I used to think I wanted a wood burner untill I went through the last 2 seasons. This was here in Wyoming where it isn't known for being wet lol.

 

[FreeRange]

I use the Vargo TI when allowed, I really like it. I've gotten away from heating up water in the morning though, I just pack up camp and start hiking to warm up. If I was heating up water in the morning or mid day it would probably bother me the extra time it takes to gather sticks and yes, they're much slower than a jet boil to heat water.

If you want a quick shot of hot water in the morning a catfood can stove with a small amount of alcohol is a good supplement to a wood stove, the stove itself ways maybe .5 oz.

The thing I like the most about the wood stove is being able to sit around at night keeping a pot of water warm for hot drinks and not worrying about running out of fuel before the end of the trip, its all I need when I'm by myself vs building a campfire.

If you want to see if a wood stove is for you make a hobo stove out of a large soup can and take it on a few trips, the downside is they don't pack that small but you'll quickly figure out if its for you or not. Some people just can't stand the soot on their pots or waiting an extra 10 minutes for dinner.

 

[gobbler1662]

I have the Solo stove as well as the back country boiler. The Solo is well built, but a bit on the heavy side. I wish they would come out with a lighter titanium version. For me the Solo drafts and burns cleaner than the back country boiler, you still get some black soot on the bottom of your pot but not to bad. I used it on a week long back country spring bear hunt, it worked fine for me, the only time I had an issue was when it rained one night it took a little longer to get going because of the damp conditions. For me the biggest issue being an archery hunter is during August and September here in Oregon its usually so dry it would scare the heck out of me to be using a wood burning stove in the wilderness as well as being illegal during high fire danger.

 

[Vance in AK]

What Lawnboi said.
When I am hunting I eating is something I want to be done with, not a labor of love, & I don't really want a campfire. When I'm just out hiking or on a multi day canoe trip just enjoying the woods, I love my Tach 180 stove.

 

[Mosby]

I use my Solo stove for camping or scouting trips. I have a alcohol stove I keep with it that fits perfectly inside it and the stove makes a great wind screen for the alcohol stove if the wood is wet or I am in a hurry to get something hot. For some of the same reasons listed above; when hunting, I take my propane stove.

 

[Beendare]

i've played with a couple of the wood burning designs- actually building another right now.
Google the "Zen stoves" or "TLUD stoves" webpages with studies on efficiency and links to a bunch of them.

They are Ok to play around with when you have the extra time on Backpack trips and such...but tough on a hunt. Plus, they blacken everything.

 

[Ramshead]

FYI the Solo is now on Massdrop: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/solo-s...nnouncement 2015-02-04 unpers&mode=guest_open

 

[JWP58]

Couldn't you make one of those out of a soup can, wire mesh, and flashing material? Probably way less than 90 bucks too.

 

[poisonarrow]

I am selling a stove-grill that I think smokes the competition. It only weighs 3.8 oz. with the grill. If you have a pot with a bail you can use it without the grill. In that mode it only weighs 1.2 Oz. Check it out at http://www.poisonarrowgear.com/ .

One reason I do not like the other wood fired cook stoves is you have to feed it itty bitty pieces of wood. With this you can build a fire and cook like a man.

 

[reaper]

I like this man

 

[Floorguy]

I used the solostove last year on my bike hunt. please excuse the mess under the tarp lol Its slower than my jetboil of course but not terrible.




I have the regular solostove, the titan and the campfire. I think that I will keep the campfire for multi day multi person canoe trips and get rid of the titan. I also bought a tato gear Element folding ti stove that I will be testing later in the spring.

Couldn't you make one of those out of a soup can, wire mesh, and flashing material? Probably way less than 90 bucks too.

yes you can I did with 2 cans, some metal lathe and a step bit. It wasn't nearly as efficient but it was lighter and less expensive unless you count labor lol

 

[Floorguy]

Wound up doing a test burn/boil with the Solo Stove Campfire last night. Moved everything outside filled the pot with 32 oz of cold tap water. They claim 32oz in 2-4 minutes. It was 27° out I probably got the stove 75% loaded with wood started the fire, put the pot on and started the timer

At 2 minutes I had tiny bubble formed on the bottom of the pot.

At 4 minutes I had larger bubbles that had formed and we're rising to the surface. The stoves secondary burn was also jetting out the ports.

I checked it again at the 6 minute mark and there was a rolling boil. Steam made that pic unusable. At the 12 minute mark the stove was still burning and kicking out heat. After the initial load I didn't add any wood.

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

I have been toying with a wood burning stove and my biggest dislike at this point is the sticky soot/tar build up on the pot. Others experiencing the same? Any solution for this?

 

[cobrad]

I first tried an alcohol stove made from a pop can over 10 years ago. Been using nothing else since... except to replace the stove a few times. No noise, no smoke, no wet wood (I have a small wood stove too). The one I currently use is still only about 1 oz.

 

[Akshphntr]

I have the solostove and its nice to have flames and a little warmth and light when cooking a meal. But i always have my jetboil too cause its superfast and convenient!

 

[Desk Jockey]

My most minimal cooking set up is a GI canteen cup and stove - basically a stand. I use a couple of ESBIT tablets to boil up some water for a cup of coffee or mountain house meal. One tab can be supplemented with twigs to get a boil on with minimal fuel and weight and the stove can be used with just twigs if desired. I ditched the GI canteen years ago in favor of the Nalgene version. I started to cut a similar stove for a nalgene bottle but i found I actually enjoy drinking from the small canteen mouth than a nalgene bottle.

I have been toying with a wood burning stove and my biggest dislike at this point is the sticky soot/tar build up on the pot. Others experiencing the same? Any solution for this?

I scrub my pots inside and out with river sand and/or little bit of light gravel. takes care of food and soot. I leave whatever blackness remains on the outside.