I will admit, from the moment I had heard of rocket-stoves, I thought they were fascinating. However, the first one I had ever seen for actual sale was pushing 100-200+ Dollars and was not ideal, in the slightest, for backpacking.
I heard about the Solo Stove from some blog/website about ideal Bug out Bag equipment. When I heard that it used the same basic set up as a rocket stove, I was pretty stoked. The idea behind a rocket stove (and the Solo Stove, of course) that makes it unique is secondary combustion. Without getting too technical (and I'll probably be wrong, so feel free to look up the terms and correct me on the specifics), secondary combustion and gasification is the process of burning a fuel (wood / twigs / pinecones) to release a gas. This gas/smoke is then channeled back into the burning chamber to burn/combust a second time. This results in a clean(er) burn, as though you are actually 'cooking' the smoke into an efficient heat.
In fact, when I took this stove into my backyard and collected nothing more than a handful of fallen twigs off the ground, I was able to get a very, very serious and efficient flame. I was able to boil a little under four cups of water with VERY little fuel. And, I might be crazy, but both my friend and I swore we could smell an almost gas-like scent from the burning wood. The flame was very strong and it was actually a lot of fun to keep it fed with nothing but a few twigs every thirty seconds to a minute. It's really something to see. The holes drilled into the inner wall seem to channel air (Or the gas) back into the burning chamber directly below the pot and it almost looks like they are gas-burners. Like each hole channels flame back into the cooking chamber.
As I said, it burned clean, it burned hot, and it burned VERY efficiently. The fact that the stove nests into the very adequately sized pot is just the icing on the cake. It's lightweight but I feel sturdy enough to last for a long time. It's a bit thin, which helps portability, I just hope that it will not rust with use.
To summarize pros /cons:
Pros:
-Very easy, very fun, very foolproof wood-gas stove
-Burns clean (less smoke), burns efficiently
- Very compact and lightweight package. The way that everything fits and packs together is brilliant and so convenient.
-Pot is sturdy with nice handles (that can get hot, watch out) and a nice lid.
Cons:
-Let's be honest, the price. I didn't like paying nearly 100 dollars for a stove, but I'd pack this over disposable non-reusable propane stoves any day of the week. If it lasts as long as I think it will, it's worth it definitely. There really is nothing like this stove for personal, backpacking use.
-I did say it burned clean and it does. It doesn't produce as much smoke as any wood-burning stove I've ever used. BUT it will char your pot's bottom and get dirty in the burning chamber. The little pot holder that sits atop the stove itself gets real dirty and I wouldn't really dare to try and clean it roughly. It's very thin and has more than a couple protrusions.
- The pot is built very sturdy, but there are definitely thin sheets of metal in the stove element. As I said above, the pot holder unit is VERY thin and lightweight. I feel like it could bend. And the stove element would be a pain to clean if you're into keeping everything carbon/char free. I, personally, am not one of these people.
So is it worth the price? It depends what you're looking for. For me, to have a portable rocket stove, heck yes. Worth it and more. Time will tell of it's durability. I'll update in the future, one way or another.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 12.17 x 9.41 x 5.67 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.8 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 6.2 x 6 x 5.1 inches |
| Item Weight | 1.4 Pounds |
| Brand Name | Solo Stove |
| Warranty Description | Limited |
| Model Name | Solo Stove & Pot 900 |
| Color | Stainless Steel |
| Material | Stainless Steel |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Solo Stove |
| Part Number | SS1-P1 |
| Included Components | item |
| Size | One Size |
