BioLite Camping Stove

[Sledgecrowbar]

The first video would seem to show that it's not a wood gas-powered impeller, but an electric fan with a battery that pulls heat out of the thermoelectric unit's 'cold' side to raise electricity production efficiency and send the hot exhaust air to feed the fire. This makes sense because as the fire matures, the fan runs faster, showing that it's a self-feeding system. Pretty cool, if it's as simple as it looks. I noticed a little discoloration on the top of the 'power unit', but maybe that was just ash from prior use. I was truly surprised when he picked the thing up while it was burning, I bet the production model with it's lighter, cheaper screened heat shield might not be as insulating.

[Sckitzo]

Too bad they aren't making them.

Try searching 'biolite' in the forums.

Weird, because someone on another forum I visit got one

Ok, I was wrong on the guy getting one, I must have confused two different people, but it was more of "This would be awesome if it wasn't vaporware"

My bad, I shall continue to eat my shoe.

Don't worry since NamelessStain was wrong too. They are making them, they just have not been officially released yet, they are coming out this spring or summer.

So keep an eye out, they should be here soon.

That is some good news, but I'll waiting with baited breath that's for sure, at least until I see the product.

[NamelessStain]

Don't worry since NamelessStain was wrong too. They are making them, they just have not been officially released yet, they are coming out this spring or summer.

So keep an eye out, they should be here soon.

I'll wait to see a review by an end user and not some corporate propaganda. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the concept. But for all we know it might be plagued with issues that they would never put in an advertisement. For all we know it might be the next "Opti-Grab". Patience and time will tell. IMO it's still vaporware until it gets in a customer's hand.

[TardArm]

http://www.biolitestove.com/BioLite.html

I saw this and my jaw dropped. This will absolutely be in my bug out bag as soon as it's released. It actually spurred me into posting here again because I thought of you guys!

[universal_exports]

[ninja-elbow]

Czech was showing this to us at the last meeting. I'm intrugued but would like someone else to use it first before I blow that loot.

[TardArm]

Czech was showing this to us at the last meeting. I'm intrugued but would like someone else to use it first before I blow that loot.

I hear ya, but I've wanted this exact thing since I bought an Ipod and my mind wandered to how I would sustain it come the apocalypse, so I'm pretty sure I'll be in the initial wave of buyers regardless.

[ninja-elbow]

I am in the same boat. Seems solar tech is not up to par as of yet, atleast for a common-man's wallet. I am only assuming this is the same.

[zombiepreparation]

Yup. This one is a dream of mine. If I had the discretionary funds I would absolutely buy it, even though I realize the $129 + (tax?) + (shipping?) cost will be lower-in-the-extreme later when the other businesses start making their own versions. If I had discretionary funds for it I'd gladly buy a BioLite because the above-production-costs of the BioLite are funding the world program that is attempting to do something to improve the current condition of the planet by reducing the damage to the planet by large groups of the impoverished peoples of the planet who have little choice with cooking fuels. And reducing the enormous enormous health hazards they live with from cooking that way because it is basically a version of the wood-gas stove. Like the one out now that uses batteries that is so popular. No batteries needed with this one, ever.

I've been following this stove since seeing "the guy" on TED Talks.

And in an Event (or camping of course) it will power an LED lite and charge the cell phone. The larger household cooker that is being produced for the program from the campstove sales will do the same.

Backpackers may consider it very heavy, campers probably will not. In Bug In and Event situations it will be invaluable. If one is avoiding Zombies there is a noise factor to consider from this little jewel. It is not necessarily quiet. But geeze, I want one.

[Woods Walker]

I merged another thread here however the title isn't descriptive so may reconsider doing this in the future or edit the title to the first thread on this subject in 2010.


BioLite Camping Stove

[zombiepreparation]

I merged another thread here however the title isn't descriptive so may reconsider doing this in the future or edit the title to the first thread on this subject in 2010.


BioLite Camping Stove

Ohhhhh. That's why I couldn't find it again. Confuse-me-much?

[zombiepreparation]

i wonder if there would be danger to use it inside a camp, cave or any closed environment

This is a question I've been trying to find the answer to myself. Their "cook stoves" (much larger version) that are being funded by the sales of these campstoves has at least one pic of being used indoors.... granted it looked like a very very very large room, but indoors nonetheless, which got me wondering. Like in a bug in where the air outside was still good, could I cook in my apartment for a reasonable period, then open window or door on balcony to replenish the oxygen? Request that if you find an answer to this question you post it here. Thx.

[TardArm]

I merged another thread here however the title isn't descriptive so may reconsider doing this in the future or edit the title to the first thread on this subject in 2010.


BioLite Camping Stove

Either I don't remember how to do it, or I can't do it. But I would definitely like to have a more updated version of the thread. Unfortunately not many people look at old posts with unprovocative titles, and I'm afraid the decent conversation will dwindle at present. I think this is pretty game changing, and am excited that it is due for release rather soon. I think others will feel the same if it is allowed to reach a wider audience.

[Exhale]

But yeah, I'm kinda bummed about the merge. Can I have it back, pretty please? ^_^

[TardArm]

i wonder if there would be danger to use it inside a camp, cave or any closed environment

This is a question I've been trying to find the answer to myself. Their "cook stoves" (much larger version) that are being funded by the sales of these campstoves has at least one pic of being used indoors.... granted it looked like a very very very large room, but indoors nonetheless, which got me wondering. Like in a bug in where the air outside was still good, could I cook in my apartment for a reasonable period, then open window or door on balcony to replenish the oxygen? Request that if you find an answer to this question you post it here. Thx.

I looked it up on the googlemachine, and it seems as long as you can ventilate somewhat adequately there are no real negative effects(From Carbon Monoxide) in the long term.
Check it out:

http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/krsmith/pub ... hang_2.pdf

Last paragraph at the bottom of the left column page 372, for those among us that are impatient.

[ineffableone]

I merged another thread here however the title isn't descriptive so may reconsider doing this in the future or edit the title to the first thread on this subject in 2010.


BioLite Camping Stove

Either I don't remember how to do it, or I can't do it. But I would definitely like to have a more updated version of the thread. Unfortunately not many people look at old posts with unprovocative titles, and I'm afraid the decent conversation will dwindle at present. I think this is pretty game changing, and am excited that it is due for release rather soon. I think others will feel the same if it is allowed to reach a wider audience.

[Exhale]

But yeah, I'm kinda bummed about the merge. Can I have it back, pretty please? ^_^

If you look this was thread merged recently with a couple other threads on this subject, at my request. I had found there were 4 threads on the subject. Your thread came in after that merger, and was then merged with this one.

I do think it might be a good idea to change the Title if possible to something more descriptive of the product. So it is easier to find by people who are looking for a thread about this product. I have the feeling this will be getting plenty of discussion soon as the date for it to be released is near.

[zombiepreparation]

From the "Technology" page.

Open wood fires are inefficient, wasting potential energy and creating toxic smoke due to incomplete combustion.

Maybe they're talking about third-world kitchens, where smoke inhalation could be bad

Yup. That's what they're talking about. The day in day out cooking for everything, month after month, year after year, birth to death and often times indoors because of housing availability that is one small room housing a family, which is sometimes connected to a hundred other small rooms housing other families with their own cook stoves doing the same thing day after day, and/or because the weather moves the cooking indoors, which is causing enormous enormous health problems for the primary cook wherever the fire is, and for the children and others in the home when being used indoors.

The 'wasted energy' part is referring to the sheer amount of wood being inefficiently used day after day, month after month, year after year which is causing the cooks and/or children to hunt for fuel, often leaving the home for days, searching farther and farther to find enough because fuel supplies are getting scarcer and scarcer, and often putting their lives at peril, plus the enormous health effects on the bodies of these people and/or children with the weight of hauling sufficient amounts to cook day in and day out, month after month, year after year, birth to death in addition to the deforestation and increasing CO2 emissions where there are no viable alternative choices for cooking in these areas yet.

Not at all talking about us and:

The romance and sensory experience of campfires are about 50% of my enjoyment when going out into the woods.

...which absolutely mirrors my enjoyment and experience of campfires. As many to most outdoor people will agree too. Thankfully, we are not the ones being referred to in your quoted note.



Here is 'The Guy' explaining the campstove funding the third world cookstove project:

[zombiepreparation]

i wonder if there would be danger to use it inside a camp, cave or any closed environment

This is a question I've been trying to find the answer to myself. Their "cook stoves" (much larger version) that are being funded by the sales of these campstoves has at least one pic of being used indoors.... granted it looked like a very very very large room, but indoors nonetheless, which got me wondering. Like in a bug in where the air outside was still good, could I cook in my apartment for a reasonable period, then open window or door on balcony to replenish the oxygen? Request that if you find an answer to this question you post it here. Thx.

I looked it up on the googlemachine, and it seems as long as you can ventilate somewhat adequately there are no real negative effects(From Carbon Monoxide) in the long term.
Check it out:

http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/krsmith/pub ... hang_2.pdf

Last paragraph at the bottom of the left column page 372, for those among us that are impatient.

Well allllllllll RIGHT! And thanks!

[ineffableone]

I think a lot of these stoves are marketed for 3rd world improvement, probably to get grant moeny in developement, so you get a lot of pictures like this of them used in 3rd world villages where people normally cook daily on open fires.


Stovetec gets marketed the same way

[ineffableone]

Thanks Woods Walker for changing the merged threads name into Biolite Camping Stove much more descriptive name for the thread.

[mark9atq]

I did reserve one on the BioLite web site and getting impatient now that its Spring 2012.

So wondering how much wood such a forced air stove will consume while in operation
I ate a can of chili, cut a 1 inch sq hole in its lower wall to allow air to be blown in.
Bent the lid to act as a fire grate and placed it in the bottom.

Then modified one of those little personal fans that look like an ipod to run on only 1AA battery
rather than 3AA's ( it still blows almost too much air )( -current drain was about 70mA from a 1.2V NimH rechargeable AA battery)

Cut some wood and did a 'burn test'.

I was feeding a stick into this mock up stove about once a minute to keep the flames going
which were flaring a lot higher than the pictures of the BioLite Camp Stove and so consuming wood faster.

Still it was instructive. Starting it with the fan blowing produced virtually smokeless flames and heat within seconds
while without the fan it smoldered and smoked until I turned the fan on. Stealth concerns for the real item?

I understand that the BioLite fan needs to be heated for a minute or so until it starts up
-that solid state thermoelectric generator-

[zombiepreparation]

Nice to have you join us here in ZS. We will be waiting for your review of the BioLite. "I" will be waiting impatiently. Good little stove you came up with in your pic! As to the Stealth concerning the BioLite I'm laying a bet the noise of the BioLite fan will not pass the avoiding Zombie attention test. It has the two-speed switch but I can't think that even the low speed would would work for Stealth needs. But I am curious. Bookmark this thread and let us know.

[Sledgecrowbar]

The fan seems to increase your stove efficiency exponentially. One could probably boil a gallon of water in a few minutes from a tin can stove that way, good for sterilization. Now we have to figure out how they turn some of the heat that is otherwise wasted through the metal into electricity and we'll have our own turbocharged wood stove on the cheap. My best guess is still a peltier, but I'm thinking we should try steam power if it wouldn't get too complex. The rusty gears are turning.

[mark9atq]

zombiepreparation , Sledgecrowbar - thanks.

I was amazed at how well little sticks (size of a finger? +more) caught fire with the tiny breeze from that fan. Boiling / sterialization seems a piece of cake for this type of stove with forced air.

BioLite electricity to keep communication up could make the difference
in more than just moral during the zombie apocalypse.

Being able to repair the BioLite stove after months/years of use would be
just another skill to have. Hope they make access to the electronics easy.
Opening rivets are a bitch.

I am thinking I may modify the BioLite stove when I get it to power its fan with batteries from a headlamp for the short time - (30-60seconds?) of initial start up to aid combustion. We'll see.

[Streetglide]

Here is another new style thermoelectric stove
http://www.everythingusb.com/the-powerpot-21528.html