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REVIEW: Solo Stove Lite - a Wood Burner For Backpackers

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 UKC/UKH Gear 09 Sep 2016
Solo Stove montage, 4 kbA camping stove that burns wood seems a niche product for the treeless British hills. But despite its limitations, Alex Roddie finds himself won over by the quirky Solo Stove.

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 jezb1 09 Sep 2016
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Well written review, the stove seems pretty pointless though.

I can't think of anywhere I camp where I could actually use it even if I could be bothered to constantly feed it.

Personally I'd save fires for somewhere you can have a proper fire and cook on that.
1
 d_b 09 Sep 2016
In reply to jezb1:

I have the "wild woodgas" stove, which is v similar.

I see it as a fun toy rather than a serious backpacking stove. I quite like using it and will chuck it in the back of the car when I'm going somewhere but there are issues that prevent me from relying on it.

The fundamental problem is that you need to be able to find dry fuel, and liquid fuel or gas is light enough that you need to be out for quite a while before the saving outweighs the faff.

The other issue is that you will get resin all over your pans. Not an issue if you usually use camp fires and like your pots black but it is a bit of a pain if you use small pans that you put inside your bag.

Finally, guaranteed supplies of dry fuel in the UK is a bit of an ask. Dead heather is the best bet I have found but you get tons of resin coming off that.

Having said all that I do have a couple of long trips in mind where I'm seriously considering it. Maybe with a lightweight gas stove and small canister as backup though.
 Garbhanach 09 Sep 2016
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:Nice review looks a bit bulky though probably a better wood burner the than the Evernew titanium multifuel I have which is small and fiddly with wood though it,s nice to have a wood buner if the meths run out, I usually use a coke can meth burner with it plus a wind break.
https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/stoves-c12/meths-stove...

 Dell 09 Sep 2016
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

It's a great idea, but not particularly suited to climbers and hillwalkers. Smaller, lighter models are available which fold flat or clip together from panels, which I can see being useful for long distance hikes to save carrying lots of fuel.

Don't forget you can burn dried cow pats!
 d_b 09 Sep 2016
In reply to Dell:
> Don't forget you can burn dried cow pats!

If anything a cow is even heavier than a petrol stove.
Post edited at 10:40
 Only a hill 09 Sep 2016
In reply to Dell:

> It's a great idea, but not particularly suited to climbers and hillwalkers. Smaller, lighter models are available which fold flat or clip together from panels, which I can see being useful for long distance hikes to save carrying lots of fuel.

The main difference is that most of the lighter, fold-up models aren't gasifier stoves. It makes a surprisingly big difference in terms of efficiency and boiling time. If I were to carry a wood-burning stove, I'd rather it be a slightly heavier gasifier model.
 Only a hill 09 Sep 2016
In reply to davidbeynon:

My theory is that an ultralight alcohol burner makes the ideal backup to a wood stove:

1. Unbeatable weight and pack size for the actual hardware
2. Many wood-burning stoves can be used as a windshield and pan support for an alcohol burner
3. Meths fuel can be used to get damp wood to light
 d_b 09 Sep 2016
In reply to Only a hill:
Yes. I forgot about that.

A trangia burner sits in mine quite nicely. The problem then is that there is the temptation to sack off the wood and just burn the meths
Post edited at 12:25
 pavelk 09 Sep 2016
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:
they sell something somewhat similar here in Czech for years, but it£ s much more useful because it burns wet fuel easily - for half price. I have it for ten years already and it£ s great in desert areas where the sortage of other fuel is
http://www.mevatrade.cz/mevatrade/eshop/3-1-VARICE/0/5/235-Varic-WOOD-Drivk...
Post edited at 21:14
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

Can anyone explain what 'cooking smoke' is and how that would be achieved multiple times?
 marsbar 10 Sep 2016
In reply to davidbeynon:
If you put neat washing up liquid on the outside of your pans before cooking the black from the fire will stick to that and wipe straight off.

Just don't touch it or it will get all over your fingers.
Post edited at 05:47
 Only a hill 10 Sep 2016
In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

I think it's an awkward way of describing the secondary combustion that gasifiers typically achieve. As I understand it, vapourised fuel is sucked upwards and blasted with hot air in the upper part of the firebox, which causes it to ignite at high temperature. Basically, all the unburned matter you'd find in smoke from a normal fire is actually burned. It's very efficient and you can see the jets at work when the stove is lit.
 Only a hill 10 Sep 2016
In reply to marsbar:

This definitely works, but I think it's only practical in a stationary camping scenario (i.e. not while backpacking).
 TobyA 10 Sep 2016
In reply to Only a hill:

Good review Alex, it's tricky reviewing gear that works well in specific circumstances but badly in others, isn't it? Obviously for hill walking in Wales that stove is a bit rubbish. But if you wanted to walk the length of Finland you could probably use it every day for months and never have to buy a gas canister or bottle of meths again!

I remember reviewing a half Goretex Arcteryx jacket a few years ago and facing the same sort of issues - for valley ice climbing it was great, but how many people have a jacket for just such a specific use?

In Finland we used to cook on open fires a lot so my MSR pan set were quite blackened a lot of the time - it all seemed quite soulful in a way, but as you say makes everything else horribly mucky!
In reply to Only a hill:

Ah I see, so the carbon/soot that would normally bellow out is trapped and used as a secondary fuel.
 toad 10 Sep 2016
In reply to UKC/UKH Gear:

I've got one! It's surprisingly quick for boiling kettles, but it isn't my day to day choice. But there is an indefinable something you get from firing it up just using kindling and a striker/ steel. Bloody hard work , though. I've got a tentipi with a woodburner, which is frankly a proper luxury when it gets colder, but does mean I've usually got a bootful of dry wood for whittling into bits of the right size for the stove. Having said that, it's easier to stick a kettle on the woodburner!

Think it will have a ready market with the bushcraft/ song of the paddle guys.

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