Product Review: BioLite Camp Stove & Portable Grill (7 Years)

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I got this cool gadget at REI on October 2013 in Hillsboro, Oregon. It promised a smoke-free flame using any wood or twigs that you could find anywhere. Hey cool, it charges your devices while you cook!

The promise of self-sufficient cooking during a grid down scenario made me buy it. Here's how it went for us.

I. Technical Skinny: 

It weights about 2.5 pounds, measures 7.5 inches tall and 5 inches wide packed. It has an internal battery that charges when the probe is sufficiently heated by fire.

This powers the fans that help circulate air for a more efficient and smoke free combustion.

When it reaches sufficient heat, the battery can also charge mobile phones.

The mesh surrounding it allows you to pick it up without burning yourself. Its got three foldable legs below for stability.

The whole device is clever!



II. Expectations VS Reality

I was hoping to add this to our bug out bag.

We soon found out that it was too bulky to put in a practical bug out bag or even a full on camping pack. It is possible but there are just too many better options.

The BioLite stove did score major points for its choice of fuel. It didn't need much fuel to boil water. We could make two cups of hot coffee in two minutes with two handfuls of sticks.

We also charged our phones but it took about 20 minutes on a full flame to get from zero charge to 15%. That isn't bad at all if this were Mad Max, but 2 hours of cooking to get to 50% isn't good enough.

The best way to charge devices was to plug a battery or power pack into the BioLite instead of the actual device. You could get a lot more juice into them faster this way.


III. Cooking

Its fun to use and the meat didn't taste like smoke, that makes it better than a traditional campfire. It wasn't as fast as a Jetboil but I never worried about fuel.

We cooked hot dogs, ham, bacon, marinated chicken, pork chops, various Mountain House and Wise Company entrees, coffee, boiled pasta, hot chocolate, etc. Good memories.

You just need to prep a few handfuls of wood if you plan to cook for your family. In the Philippines we have a lot of firewood as long as you're not living downtown.

Its easy to clean and pack away after a day's work. You won't leave a mess at your campsite either.


IV. Accessories

I'm really glad we got the Portable Grill. Among all the other doodads they were selling, this one was the most useful.

As of today, BioLite has a ton of other things that go with the stove like a lamp, solar panels, batteries, kettle pot, and even a full sized home stove and fire pit. I never felt the urge to get those.

The latter two just tell me that a BioLite is better suited to a more static role.


V. Longevity

Its 7 years old and still works.

There was a period of three years where the stove was just tucked away. By this time the battery had already gone dead and won't charge the fans even after putting a fire on the thermoelectric generator probe for thirty minutes.

I had plug the device to a wall socket for around an hour to revive the battery. That made me happy. Some users ditched the stove without doing this.

I've accidentally dropped the device a few times, left it out in the sun, gotten moist too from light rain. The parts are constructed from sturdy components and I never worried about having to replace anything. Except perhaps the battery.


VI. Verdict

• Its just too big. For a serious BOB, you're better off with a pocket folding stove or alcohol burner. 

• If you wanted to charge devices, get a solar panel. 

• My trusty axe and five minutes of chopping makes for two meals of cooking

• Longevity: works reliably and all parts are well-built

• This as a great backup means of cooking if the grid goes down. No propane or butane? no problem!

There is an updated BioLite CampStove 2 that is better at charging devices and even has power level LED indicators. Its superior to the orignal but not enough for me to ditch mine just yet even after 2550 days.

If they made something with half the dimensions with the same output I'd grab it in a heartbeat!



Final Score: 3.7 of 5

Stay vigilant!

Survival Strategy #14: Proper Nutrition for the Zombie Apocalypse

I. Introduction

Surviving the zombie apocalypse relies on being properly equipped to adapt to changing situations. Hunger will be one of the greatest enemies in an undead world. What we take for granted in modern society will now become the number one agenda of daily life.

A hungry survivalist cannot function properly, all actions on a grumbling stomach are already impaired.

As stated by Max Brooks: "an army needs to be bred, fed, and led". At the heart of this is a well-fed family unit, this will become the first step and foundation of winning the zombie war.

II. Nutrition

A balanced diet will help you achieve your goals. A this means you need to get the right types and quantity of food to provide energy & nutrition for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs.  A good diet will also support proper growth and development. 

Children need to grow up strong and healthy to continue the fight. Eating right prevents sickness and heals wounds faster. A good meal is the best weapon you can give your loved ones.

III. Got Skills?

Long-term survival depends on planning ahead. Farming, fishing, hunting, and food storage are important skills that technology has removed from us. The zombie apocalypse will in turn remove these luxuries, and we shall be forced to re-learn these things as a matter of survival.

Important questions:

• Can I catch fish?
• Do I know what is edible in my neighborhood?
• Can my garden feed my family?
• What do I need to hunt for if I can't grow it?
• What is the 3 day dietary requirement for two scouts who will will be carrying 30lbs. of gear to search for survivors at Monroeville Mall?

IV. Conclusion

The hardest part is getting started. Most of us are stuck in the weekly grind of work, errands, and other to-dos. All of this will be swept aside like a hurricane when the dead walk the earth. It may or may not happen, but are you going to take that chance? Will your family appreciate your lack of foresight?

It can be a paralyzing thought to lose everything we know to brain-eating zombies. I can cure this, let us defeat fear with concrete action.

Stay vigilant!