Neat Campstove

[StackerKen]

http://biolitestove.com/CampStove.html

watch the demos

[mightymanx]

I can't I don't have an apple and I am not going to download a ton of software to view it.

the only question I have is the plactic piece does that house a blower?

[StackerKen]

yeah I think it is a blower. and i think it creates its own electricity for the blower

[Dogman]

I can't I don't have an apple and I am not going to download a ton of software to view it.

the only question I have is the plactic piece does that house a blower?



Yes but not plastic.. It uses a thermocouple to power a fan. Very neat ideal. ;D

[Glass]

I thought I would poke this thread. An oldie but this stove looks like it might be available to purchase soon. It seems to have taken a while to get there.

[Korbin Dallas]

I would love to see a live demo, the concept is great, as long as it delivers what they say it will. The fuel supply is the best part, free and readily available.

[chad]

i got an xmas ornament from them that said they will be shipping soon. i think it said march.

[Awoke]

What's the price after shipping?

[chad]

$129

[Awoke]

Gee, that's not bad. It's not cheap, but people have paid more for less.

Will you post a report after a functional test?

[Awoke]

I just checked out the promo vid. I will buy one of these. Maybe two.

My only issue with the pre-order is, do you have to give a credit card number or anything? I'm just concerned that they suddenly fold or fail to deliver, or scam people.

If anyone reserved one of these, tell me, did you have to give your CC info in order to have one laid away?

EDIT to add they have changed the design from the last time we were talking about these. Very nice, very compact.

[mightymanx]

I just checked out the promo vid. I will buy one of these. Maybe two.

My only issue with the pre-order is, do you have to give a credit card number or anything? I'm just concerned that they suddenly fold or fail to deliver, or scam people.

If anyone reserved one of these, tell me, did you have to give your CC info in order to have one laid away?

EDIT to add they have changed the design from the last time we were talking about these. Very nice, very compact.


Nope name address and e-mail (at least when I did it 3 months ago)

[chad]

no problem! i'll even kill my phone and see how long it takes to bring it back to life for an emergency call.

[Awoke]

I've decided I am going to buy at least one of these anyways, but definitely, we should all do our own reviews. If this little stove is as good as I expect it to be, I won't be suggesting anything else other than this.

[Awoke]

I can't I don't have an apple and I am not going to download a ton of software to view it.

the only question I have is the plactic piece does that house a blower?

Here's a picture for you, so you have an idea. Nice deisgn. Really nice. Improved since the last time I saw it.

http://biolitestove.com/CampStove_files/SM111122-06-V2.jpg

The orange unit houses a fan, which is electric. They use a thermocouple, which generates voltage when the temperature changes, and they amplify it enough that it will spin a blower fan, as well as provide a low voltage output to a USB charging port, all wihtout the use of batteries!

Ingenious. They really should be charging more for it (I don't say that very often) but don't tell them that.

To give it scale, this is the stove sitting beside a standard sized nalgene bottle:

http://biolitestove.com/CampStove_files/SM111122-04.jpg

and in use beside some dude:

http://biolitestove.com/CampStove_Photos_files/IMG_0279.jpg

[JohnQPublic]

The orange unit houses a fan, which is electric. They use a thermocouple, which generates voltage when the temperature changes, and they amplify it enough that it will spin a blower fan, as well as provide a low voltage output to a USB charging port, all wihtout the use of batteries!

[/IMG]

According to this page (http://biolitestove.com/Technology.html) they use a "thermoelectric device". A thermocouple produces millivolts with little amperage. The next stage would be a thermopile ( a series of thermocuples). But I suspect they may be using something like this: http://www.marlow.com/resources/future-concepts/power-generators.html

There is plenty of temperature difference available, so the intrinsically low efficiency is not a big deal. Here is a commercial example: http://www.perpetuapower.com/technology.htm

The more efficient types are not thermocouple/thermopile types, but use semiconductor materials (I do not know what this stove uses).

Analysis of a thermoelectric device (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/591615/thermoelectric-power-generator)

Practically, the thermoelectric property of a device is adequately described using only one thermoelectric parameter, the Seebeck coefficient α. As was shown by Thomson, the Peltier coefficient at a junction is equal to the Seebeck coefficient multiplied by the operating junction temperature. The Thomson effect is comparatively small, and so it is generally neglected.


While there is a Seebeck effect in junctions between different metals, the effect is small. A much larger Seebeck effect is achieved by use of p-n junctions (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/437322/p-n-junction) between p-type (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/437351/p-type-semiconductor) and n-type (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/401191/n-type-semiconductor) semiconductor (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/533942/semiconductor) materials, typically silicon (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/544301/silicon-Si) or germanium (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/231124/germanium-Ge). The figure shows p-type and n-type semiconductor legs between a heat source and a heat sink with an electrical power load of resistance RL connected across the low-temperature ends. A practical thermoelectric device can be made up of many p-type and n-type semiconductor legs connected electrically in series and thermally in parallel between a common heat source and a heat sink. Its behaviour can be discussed considering only one couple.


http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/33/333-003-F81D8C5C.gif (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/1409/Single-couple-of-a-thermoelectric-generator)"


This type of device is similar to thermoelectric coolers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling).

[chad]

got an email today that the biolite is shipping starting may 15.

[solid]

got an email today that the biolite is shipping starting may 15.

That is awesome, Chad. Keep us posted, and definitely post a review!

[Awoke]

My email said June.

[sirgonzo420]

My email said June.

They must not like Canucks.

;D

[chad]

re-read it, you're right awoke. pay by may 15, delivery by june. whoops, my bad.

[Awoke]

I didn't like what I read about the unit having an internal battery that requires charging, so I questioned them on that.

Here' is the reply:



"Like a car, your BioLite CampStove contains a battery to aid in easy startup. Before first use, we recommended that you charge the battery with an external power source. Just use the double-ended USB cable included in your package to connect to a standard USB port on your laptop or a USB wall charger. If you use your stove at least every six months this step will never need to be repeated. "


I wasn't going to buy it if you needed to charge a battery before every trip, but after reading that I think I still will.

[Glass]

I wonder why they didn't go a piezo starter? I dislike built in re-chargables although the batteries are probably standard types in custom casing most times. If you're someone who has a solar charger, travel size or bigger, that would probably do the charging job ok.

[big country]

I wonder why they didn't go a piezo starter? I dislike built in re-chargables although the batteries are probably standard types in custom casing most times. If you're someone who has a solar charger, travel size or bigger, that would probably do the charging job ok.

The battery runs the fans it isn't there to make a spark. Not sure how a piezo starter would help?

[ximmy]

seems like a lot of effort for a simple wood burning stove combined with a solar usb charger and a cool name...

[mightymanx]

seems like a lot of effort for a simple wood burning stove combined with a solar usb charger and a cool name...

The thermocouple powers the fan for more heat and auxillary charging.

[Awoke]

Don't worry about the internal battery. I got another email and this one said that:

1) It's recommended that you charge the battery for the first use, but if you use it once a year you won't need to charge it again.
2) Even if you didn't charge it, the thermocouple/amplifier circuit will charge it once the fire gets going anyways.

It's a non-issue. The battery is really only used to turn the blower fan at the start of the heating process. Once it's up and running, it generates it's own electricity that turns the blower, charges the battery and outputs 5VDC for a USB charge port.

Amazing product.

[chad]

it really is a great product. solar is nice, but what if you need power at 3 am, in the rain, cloudless days, etc.?

[chad]

mine just showed up, will report back...

[chad]

i haven't used it yet, but i did unbox it. first impressions:

- comes with a carrying bag, which is nice.

- they included a usb cord, which is also nice.

- stand legs are made out of cheap pot aluminum with what i consider SMALL rivets holding them on. the legs look to me as if they are going to be broken off with heavy use unless you're really careful. also, one of my legs was bent (cheap pot aluminum), and i had to bend it back with a pliers to get the stove to stand level. the rest of the stove is very nice stainless steel, so i don't know why they would cheap out on the legs.

- power cell looks much sturdier than i imagined.

so far, the only complaint i have is the cheap aluminum legs. my battery was charged out of the box. going to fire it up tomorrow.

[Awoke]

solar is nice, but what if you need power at 3 am, in the rain, cloudless days, etc.?

You need power at night, start a fire in it. LOL.

Looking forward to the rest of the report. I had the option to get one, but I'm too effing broke right now.

[chad]

i am not overly impressed by this. it burns okay and all, but the main draw is supposed to be the charging ability. i guess it generates enough power to charge your phone for an emergency call, but i think you'd have to burn it for hours to fully charge anything. i ran it for 45 minutes, and it moved my iphone battery maybe 1/4 if that.

edit: i saw this on their website:

Charging times vary by device, as well as by the strength of the fire and other variables like outside temperature. For an Apple iPhone 4S (2G), 20 minutes of charging with a strong fire can provide you with 60 minutes of talk time.
so, maybe my fire sucked. other reviews on youtube everyone loves it. i don't know, i am a stove snob i guess.

[Awoke]

I really appreciate the fact that you came back with a review. Was it worth the money? That is the big question. I wanted to buy one of these, and I signed up for the pre-order, but when it was time to commit I just didn't have the spare fiat.

I am still considering it, but the thing it, it would strictly be for my BOB, and if the SHTF I wouldn't be taking my "Smart" (Read: NWO Tracking device) phone with me so the charger would be negligible. Not sure how much of a priority this stove is... I really do want one though.

My camping has morphed from roughing it in a tent with little stoves into sleeping in a trailer and cooking on a propane stovetop.

[muffin]

http://tomahawksadventuretravel.blogspot.ca/2009/11/laplander-stove-la-tomahawk.html

Laplander Stove

To make one choose a log about 4 hands high and 2 hands wide at the top, cut a cross into it going down about 2 hands. I used my cross cut saw for this(pun intended.

Next fill the slots loosely with birch bark, twigs, pitch wood etc. to help light the “Stove”, these can be difficult to light but once you get them to burn you will have over 3 hours of good burn time with a “Stove” of this size. The flat top is excellent for setting your cooking pots or billy cans on for a brew or for cookin’ up some grub.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xpE1FpQmWuk/SwSKATblMsI/AAAAAAAABG8/rRu79YBRFkU/s320/finland+stove+028.jpg

[chad]

I really appreciate the fact that you came back with a review. Was it worth the money? That is the big question. I wanted to buy one of these, and I signed up for the pre-order, but when it was time to commit I just didn't have the spare fiat.

I am still considering it, but the thing it, it would strictly be for my BOB, and if the SHTF I wouldn't be taking my "Smart" (Read: NWO Tracking device) phone with me so the charger would be negligible. Not sure how much of a priority this stove is... I really do want one though.

My camping has morphed from roughing it in a tent with little stoves into sleeping in a trailer and cooking on a propane stovetop.


if it's for a bob, no way. buy/make a little woodgas stove and be done with it. same principle, only you don't use a fan because it's stacked and uses natural airflow/wind. this stove is for leaf watching hikers who need to post to facebook every 10 minutes all weekend.

[Awoke]

Do you have any plans or links for building a woodgas stove?
Are they small?

Are you just talking one of those ones that you can make out of a catfood tin?

[chad]

here's a good tutorial on making them (look on the side, there's dozens of variations)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfrBdp11pyE

ebay has them pretty cheap as well:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SURVIVAL-CAMPING-WOODGAS-STOVE-BACKPACKING-W-POUCH-/190413891341?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c558d670d#ht_1771wt_1396

they use the same principle as the biolite, only it's natural airflow/wind instead of a fan. i have one like i linked to in the ebay link, it will burn anything you can find laying on the ground.

[Awoke]

Thanks Chad!