I ordered a BioLite CampStove 2 bundle during their Labor Day sale (still ongoing at the time of this post) to get myself better prepared for some tentatively-planned camping trips this fall. Shipment was surprisingly fast, and long before the estimated 2-week delivery, there was a large box on my doorstep when I returned home from work yesterday.
Since it was Dungeons and Dragons Game Night that evening, testing had to be put off until today.
I don't have an accurate time for boiling the water. I forgot to keep the fuel topped off. It still took less than 10 minutes to boil one liter, though.
I used some of the water to make ramen noodle soup in the included bowl, but neglected to take a picture. Oh, well.
I used the remainder of the water to rinse out the bowl afterwards. Then I let the fire go out so I could move to a larger area to test the grill. Shutting off the power system switches to cooldown mode. The fan still runs automatically to control the fire and keep the system from overheating. Nice.
Since it has gotten dry and the fire danger is high, I sprayed the new cooking area with water just as a precaution. Setup was simple. Two legs fold out of the grill, and the tube lines up with the CampStove fire chamber.
There is room for many more Oscar Meyer weiners, as you can see. Closing the lid over the fuel chamber redirects the flames out through the grill. Fan speed and fuel type adjust the temperature. I am no expert here yet, but it works pretty well, and topping off fuel is easy with the hinged cap.
The FlexLight is a nice extra if cooking in the dark. I didn't need it now, but it's a decent bonus that might come in handy for cooking late at night in the woods.
All told, it's a good camping cooking system as far as I can tell after a cursory overview and quick test. Everything except the grill nests together and packs inside the CookPot. It also has a carry sack to help contain everything. The option to recharge electronics is a nice bonus. My weather radio can be recharged by cooking my dinner, for example! I am impressed so far. Too bad the cat is not.
And on that disappointing note, I'll sign off for this post. What is your preferred camping cookstove? Do you use Sterno cans, recycled aluminum-can alcohol stoves, a traditional campfire, Coleman propane stoves, or some other solution? Comment below!
