UKC

http://biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-overview/features/

I've seen it all now. I am sure it is of legitimate use to someone but that would raise a laught if someone came out for the weekend with this bad boy.

In reply to TMM:
It looks like the sort of thing that would be very useful for long term living in forested country, for someone who wants to have an electronic luxury or two (ie. phone or camera). Not so useful for mountaineering however--just how many twigs are you likely to find on the average Scottish mountain?!

In reply to TMM: It looks like it was made from part of an Olympic Torch.

In reply to TMM:

can you get twigs with a piezo-electric starter, or do you need to add fire lighters, matches, a few old newspapers and burn-eze?

Mind you, if it will power a hair drier, they'll be onto a winner! ;O)

In reply to nniff:
Actually just looked at their 'home stove' version, and it looks like a brilliant idea for developing countries where people cook on open wood fires and have no mains electricity.

In reply to Only a hill:
I reckon the tough bits of heather would do the job.

Looked into this before but its too heavy in my opinion. Probably good for kayakers on big trips.

In reply to Only a hill:

http://biolitestove.com/homestove/overview/

Looks great! Very interesting concept and the comparison with the Toyota Prius is very illuminating.

In reply to TMM:

Was surprised this won gadget of the year or something off the outdoor writers's guild last month, it looks crap. At nearly 1 kilo you'd just take something else to charge your iPod.

In reply to TMM: Saw a news pic of a bunch of these on a table on a street in New Jersey recharging people's phones who have been without power for the last five days from the storm. Looked pretty useful in that situation!

Didn't know what they were then, but I'm certain it was this thing.

In reply to TMM:
Nice bit of marketing here, as the biolite stoves make coffee and charge phones at the same time.
http://biolitestove.com/campstove/camp-stories/camp-stories-all/biolite-tea...
But as has been said, not so good for a Scottish mountain. Might be handy on a Scottish beach, though. There is likely to be enough driftwood.

In reply to TMM:

That's extremely cool.

Traditionally thermocouples have been paired with radioisotopes to provide long term electrical sources, though it's understandably hard and expensive to procure one.