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by mpapi 4642 days ago
I brought a BioLite stove with me on a recent camping trip and loved it. That had other advantages: easy to get a fire going during a very rainy week, no fuel to carry (in the White Mountain National Forest, anyway) and it was pretty easy to cook with.

USB charging didn't seem all that useful at first, but with a USB-rechargeable LED lantern it ended up being great. If that's all you really needed, you could get it from the FlameStower without the battery + fan machinery of the BioLite, I guess.
1 comments
hellopat 4642 days ago
I've been having an internal struggle regarding the purchase of a BioLite stove. The primary reason I haven't is because of it's weight. As a backpacker, the stove is just way too heavy to carry on a trip (weekend trips, fine - but anything longer it would have to stay behind).

The FlameStower seems much more practical for longer trips because of it's weight / bulk.

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jeffreyg 4642 days ago
Agreed. I saw the BioLite setup at Maker Faire this weekend. They have some cool products but at 33oz the stove is too heavy for my pack. This one is only 7oz.
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Edvik 4642 days ago
Same - been on the fence about the biolite because it's only paying for the weight if you're 100% wood based on your trip.

This kind of makes that decision easy I think. The design seems nice, and the fact that it folds is doubly so. In backpacking your limits are in both weight and volume.

I'd like to see some reviews of ruggedness - the main thing I'm concerned about is what happens to the part of my USB cord that's plugged into the unit - it may be designed for high heat, but an average apple plug probably isn't.

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killerpopiller 4642 days ago
https://www.globetrotter.de/outdoor-kueche/sturmkocher-spiri...

well the Biolite seems to be a top notch stove plus it charges your devices. The link above are comments of buyers, nearly all positive. For a stove you prefer gas?

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showerst 4642 days ago
The biolite weights 33oz. My MSR pocket rocket weighs 3oz, + 2-8 oz for the fuel. (I generally take 4oz for short trips). Even with an external battery pack I could still be almost 1lb lighter than the biolite.

Biolite is totally cool, but 2lbs is a LOT for backpacking, you can get tents lighter than that.

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lefrancaiz 4642 days ago
I recently bought a Biolite. It's a really great product and I love it, but you are right, it isn't the lightest things. I think it's perfect for those shorter trips where weight doesn't matter as much. However, it won't fully replace a good gas/gasoline stove.
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mpapi 4642 days ago
Yeah, I won't argue that it's heavy.

I haven't done any backpacking with it yet -- though if I did, I probably wouldn't be taking anything I could charge via USB anyway. (The aforementioned USB lantern isn't exactly light either.)

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