Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I got an XL for emergencies, but I pull it out occasionally in summer because it's fun to use. As promised, fuel can be twigs, dried bark, pine cones and just about anything else you can get to burn in a campfire. I've burned dried corn cobs and sawdust without problems. Once it's burning well, there's plenty of heat, making it almost as hot as a propane stove. But it doesn't tolerate wet wood very well, and if you manage to choke out the fire you'll get impressive amounts of smoke instead of heat. Keep substances that burn with low heat (wax, plastic) out of it.
When you set the output to high (the fan has two speeds), you generally need to feed in more twigs as you cook, but the overall efficiency is little short of amazing. A few handfuls of twigs of thumb-thickness will cook a simple meal. All that's left at the end is fine ash, and not a lot of that.
Why not 5 stars? First, it's a little fussier than a propane stove - you need to keep an eye on it and occasionally move the food to feed in a few more twigs, and the heat output tends to vary based on how much wood is left and what stage of burning it's at. Second, it needs batteries to run. You can buy a little solar charger from the company that sells it, to keep the batteries going, but it's a small and low quality charger, and even going all day in bright sun, I question whether it would really keep the batteries full, if the stove was used 3 times a day, every day. Third, getting it fired up takes practice - or a teaspoon sized splash of lamp (paraffin) oil on top of the twigs, which works without fail, but brings you back to dealing with bottled flammables (since I use this outside my house, that's not a problem for me, but might irritate a backpacker). Finally, while I've yet to tip it over, I wish it had a wider base.
But it's much less fussy than cooking over a campfire, far more efficient, cleaner, and there's no fuel cost other than the occasional battery. No propane canisters to store or dispose of. It stows well and is simple and sturdy.
Addendum: Eventually I developed a problem with the solar power supply (the jack had a loose wire inside). I ended up replacing the cheap thing with a rechargeable 6v battery I had left over from another project, and a dozen or so 100ohm resistors in parallel. This solution has worked wonderfully, and I've cooked dozens of meals on it. I love the fact that my property produces more free fuel (in the form of sticks and downed branches, and sunlight to recharge the battery) than I ever use. This is a great stove to own for outside cooking, and for emergency backup when the power fails.
As an added bonus, when the cooking is done and I put a pot of water on to clean with, most of the trash - napkins, most food packaging, even eggshells - can go into straight the stove, where they rapidly turn to ash. It makes for a neat and clean cooking solution.
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The Wood Gas Campstove LEProduct Description: The WoodGas Campstove LE is the smallest and lightest product utilizing WoodGas technology. Measuring just 5" in diameter and 6.5" tall, it provides a hot fire from twigs and chips in the smallest possible package. The stove, pot holder and carry bag (included) weigh 23 oz. One load twigs burns for about 10 minutes, providing 10,000 btu/hr of cooking heat. An excellent solution for individuals to boil water or cook a small meal.
Woodgas Campstove LE Operating Characteristics:
Heat Output 10,000 BTU/hour 5,000 BTU/hour
Fuel Consumption 1.2lbs/hour 0.7lbs/hour
Power Usage 150mA at 3V 140mA at 3V
Battery Life 10 hours 11 hours
Dimensions:
Total Height 6.25" (15.7cm)
Total Diameter 5.1" (13cm)
Fire Pot Height 4" (10.1cm)
Fire Pot Diameter 4" (10.1cm)
Total Weight 1 lb, 7oz (0.65kg)
Batteries 2 - AA
How it Works = Dual Stage Combustion:
WoodGas burning systems effectively burn the fuel twice.
In the first stage, combustion air is driven into the fuel to create some smoke (or wood-gas).
In the second stage, more combustion air is driven into the chamber to burn the gas from the first stage. The electric fan provides the combustion air in just the right amounts to produce the gas and burn it completely.
Benefits:
High Efficiency - very little wood produces lots of heat.
Low Smoke - " Campfire Smell " almost completely eliminated.
Hot flame - high temperature heat.
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