When I saw the first saw the Solo Stove I just had to have it along with the backup Solo alcohol burner.  I have seen all sorts of these bio stoves on Youtube and various websites and they all look very cool!  And, a friend of mine has a stove system by Trail Designs that is very nice and every time we go camping I can’t help but to watch it in action.  But until I saw this stove system by Solo I was never totally lured into the whole bio-green stove thing because it generally adds steps; extra weight and complications.  I’ve watched numerous video reviews on the Solo Stove and from what I’ve seen it’s the real deal and very simple to operate. I was somewhat hesitant to purchase one of these bio stoves for a few reasons.  For one thing, it’s almost a no-brainer that it will weigh more than my little gas stove once I add the backup alcohol burner and alcohol bottle into the equation.  And you have to be able to find at least some dry burnable material to run this unit in bio mode, which in most cases is not too difficult in the middle of the woods, but still takes extra time.  I’ll definitely take the Solo alcohol burner insert just in case I can’t find any burnable, somewhat dry material.  And lastly, the fact that it will take longer to  boil water than one of my gas stoves.  But this thing has some cool features that make it’s burn time much less than other stoves of the same type and the thought of using this thing is just plain awesome! Now for me, this will probably be more of a luxury item that I would limit to 3 or 4 day trips because it’s a little heavier and takes up a little more room in my pack.  And, when I’m doing a longer hike like the Wonderland Trail for instance, I’m going more for simple and fast rather than luxury and cool.  But who knows what will happen once I try this thing out for the first time. The Solo Stove nests perfectly into my Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium cook set like it was a match made in heaven!

I can’t wait to test this thing out on an upcoming January 2,3 & 4 backpack trip at Panthertown Valley and I’ll definitely be back to throw in my opinion of its functionality and durability.

UPDATE: FIRST CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPLETE 12-28-14 I couldn’t wait until my trip on 1/2/15 so I fired up the Solo Stove for its maiden burn.  I boiled 2 cups of water for a ramen noodle w/HARMONY HOUSE SOUP MIX & Pack It Gourmet Freeze Dried Chicken using only small sticks, bark and pieces of scrap wood.  It boiled those two cups of water in about 6-7 minutes and I was not being diligent with feeding the fire and it had actually died down a few times. When I removed this thing from the packaging I was immediately impressed by the craftsmanship.  And it’s solid – I gave it a squeeze on the sides and it barely gave in with some good pressure.  This works for me because I don’t want something I paid good money for to get beat up and dented.  The thickness of the material may add weight but I can live with it. After I boiled my water I let the stove sit in a safe place out because I wanted to see how long it would cool down.  So, while I was eating I checked on it periodically and I’d say it took about 10 minutes before most of this baby was cool to the touch.  The upper part of the main stove body was warm but the rest of it was definitely cool. Another interesting thing which I noticed is the wood all but completely burned to ash in this time.  There was nearly zero remnants of wood left and I think I know why.  I’m thinking the high heat nichrome wire gets super hot and acts similar to or the same as hot coals from a good campfire that has burned for quite a while. It was awesome to watch this thing fire up because once there was a little flame it kept building on itself until finally it was quite the roaring little inferno.  The amount of flame this thing puts out is almost unnatural for this little device so I’m very pleased with my purchase at this point.  Now I have to try to keep it under control until the next trip.

UPDATE:  SOLO STOVE IN GRAYSON HIGHLANDS THOMAS KNOB SHELTER 1/2/15 THROUGH 1/5/15 First official backpacking trip with the Solo Stove went fantastic. I filled a small nylon stake bag full of wood chips ahead of time and brought it with me because we knew going in that our weather was going to be wet, wet and more wet. Both nights the air was extremely damp but the Solo Stove took only a few minutes to get a flame going for me.  This was a no-fire shelter so it provided a small controlled campfire that was legal. Solo Stove does it again!

UPDATE AFTER MAX PATCH – HOT SPRINGS VIA Appalachian Trail 2/1/15: Well at this point I’ve taken my Solo Stove on two backpack trips and I have to say that I love just about everything about this stove.  I’ve been bringing the alcohol insert for a backup in case I don’t feel like fiddling with the biofuel or I just can’t find enough to give a good burn.  I went ahead and brought a stuff sack full of wood just in case I couldn’t find anything in the woods – yeah right in the woods, haha.  Well, considering it’s winter and all, a lot of the places where I’ve been hiking have been very wet with either rain or snow so I’m glad I thought ahead. So I’ve had the chance to use the stove with the alcohol insert and the wood and it works great both ways.  The only nitpick I have with the stove is the pot supports because they are very small and my pots are a little tippy.  But, I’m working on coming up with a fixture that will either bolt or slide onto the existing pot supports to give more surface area and thus make the pots less tippy.  It’s not a game changer but this is where I see a chance to improve the Solo Stove.

My next goal with my Solo Stove is to construct a ring pot support to make my Trek 900 pots a little more stable on it.  I’m thinking the easiest way is to either use some nichrome wire and make a ring or cut a piece of aluminum into a disk and attach it somehow.  More to come…..     Solo Stove with Backup Solo Alcohol Burner – Light Weight Wood Burning Backpacking & Camp Stove

Below is some information straight from the Solo Stove website

Product Description

How it Works Designed with a double wall, the Solo Stove is a natural convection inverted down gas gasifer stove. The air intake holes on the bottom of the stove channel air to the bottom of the fire while at the same time, channels warm air up between the walls of the stove. This burst of preheated oxygen feeding back into the firebox through the smaller holes at the top of the stove causes a secondary combustion. This allows the fire to burn more complete which is why there is very little smoke during full burn. A more efficient burn also means you’ll use much less wood compared to an open camp fire. The Solo Stove doesn’t just burn wood. It actually cooks the smoke out of the wood and then burns the smoke not once, but twice! The Solo Stove also features a heat shield between the ash pan and the bottom of the stove. This heat shield protects the ground under the stove from scorching. The cooking ring’s angled lip also increases efficiency by directing heat towards your pot minimizing heat loss. It also acts as a windshield while still allowing oxygen to flow inward. The Solo Stove is indeed one of the most efficient wood burning stoves you’ll ever own. For a visual diagram of the airflow inside the Solo Stove, click here. Built to Last Your Solo Stove is made by using a one piece construction process. This manufacturing process allows us to use state-of-the-art precision presses to form and shape solid pieces of high grade stainless steel. The outer shell of your Solo Stove is actually one entire piece of stainless steel with no seams or welds. The inner firebox and floating ashpan is also made using one piece construction. This eliminates the need for excessive welding and increases the overall strength and lifespan of your stove. Nichrome wire, which has a high melting point of 2552 degrees Fahrenheit, is used for the grate.