For those complaining about the lack of radiant heat and smoke (for bugs) just pop the top ring off. It’ll throw pretty wide instead of directing an intense draft up. We’ve sat around this thing countless winter nights, temps down to single digits and most of the time people are stripping off layers. Just wear warm boots. Great review by the way!!
For radiant heat from this set up I would place a disc of metal about 2 to 4 feet above the top. As the heat rises into the disc it will deflect outwards.
I've had one for a while and used it many times in temps below 40 and even below 30 a few times. It generates plenty of heat for me and the people with me. The upside is you don't spend all night avoiding smoke. I also don't see that it eats wood much more quickly than a "regular" fire. Now if you keep packing it full, it'll roar, get really hot and eat wood like mad, but you can feed it like a normal fire and it works well.
Good overall review! My wife and I were at our friend's house last night who have the larger Yukon model. It generated plenty of radiant heat. I had to move my chair back from it. We were impressed with the Solo Stove!
A couple of years ago I took advantage of a 2 for 1 sale by Solo Stove and purchased two of their Solo Stove Titan stoves. I've stashed one in my truck for emergencies and used the other one occasionally on camping trips. I have to say that the Titan makes very efficient use of wood, and I've been able to boil two quarts and more on just a few handfuls of small wood pieces. But I can see that the Bonfire model would have its negatives as you pointed out. The Titan model is designed to cook on, while the Bonfire model seems to be marketed as a "campfire replacement" which exposes the problems you mentioned. Great review! One positive about Solo Stoves that I can confirm: they are very, very well made and very durable products.
I've had the same stove for over 3 years and I agree with you on a few things. Certainly there's less radiant heat off the sides there's no doubt about that. May be remedied by throwing some Stones around it. Ones that are large enough that they don't impede the air holes. I would have to disagree though about weather it burns wood faster. In my experience my fires last much longer with this stove or fire pit. The secondary burn of the smoke really goes a long way in extending the range of the fire. I have how to fire going of modest size and to my surprise came out 3 hours later and it was still going. Where most fires smolder this one continues to feed it oxygen which requires very little stirring or mid fire maintenance. With regards to cooling the stove off simply emptying out the coals well lead to a rather fast cooling of the stove because it is such a thin Steel. This is done safely by simply taking a couple sticks putting them in the holes and flipping it over. Obviously this will leave a bit of a Trace but in my opinion there's nothing wrong with a few ashes on the ground. Having left my stove outside in rain or shine for 3 years I can say that it's held up well with some minor surface rust but still performs like it did on the first date. The design is perfect, the only thing it needs is some accessories so that you can use it as a grill
I have a giant iron grate and put this on sidewalk pavers on my wood deck, next to the house. Waited for it to snow. I was worried about damage to my deck, but the iron grate I stood it on never even got hot. I concur that it burns everything down to ash, and doesn't smoke. It doesn't even put out many sparks, although I put a giant clamshell screen (fits the grate) over it, just in case. I don't think that piling rocks around it would do all that much. I could see hanging some TEGs off it to generate some electricity, though. High temperature differential between the body and the ambient air, but not hot enough to melt anything.
I just ordered my first camping stove 🔥🏹🏕🏹🔥. I’m beyond excited, especially after reading 📖your comment and seeing his video📹about this stove🔥⛺️🔥. I can’t wait to bring my son out and try this out!
@@BobPapadopoulos It means that what would normally smolder and create smoke is actually burned instead of wasted. If a fire is smoking thats wasted energy
Bought this for the back deck, and we've been happy with the heat output for sitting out and having a drink with friends, socially distanced. I hope it will get us thru the winter of our Covid discontent
I have owned and used the bonfire for about 2 years now and love it. Best piece of kit I have bought. It puts out plenty of heat for a winter camp and has almost no smoke. The flames look like they are dancing on the top from the secondary burn. Coals glow red hot after a couple of hrs. There is almost no ash left in the morning as the heat burns the logs completely. The stainless steel does discolour a bit leaving a nice patina on the metal which adds to the character. I highly recommend it. It is good for about 4-5 people to sit around. If you have more then you probably need to go for the bigger Yukon model.
I own the Bonfire (as well as the Lite and the Campfire). Every time I use it, I have zero regrets about buying it. It is a fantastic accessory to the home or RV campsite. As far as heat from the sides, get the heat deflector. It is well worth the cost and distributes the heat out instead of up. I don't use the deflector with the legs, instead I place it on the grill and griddle stand. That provides a much more stable surface and allows room to insert more wood underneath it. One thing I learned about the griddle though, you gotta wait until the fire burns down because that sucker gets HOT. (I've never seen bacon char so fast in my life! 😳) All in all, my Solos have been wonderful investments.
I purchased a stainless front loading washer tub for $15 for a local appliance repair guy. It works great, keeps the campsite clean, has smoke (which I like) and puts off radiant heat. Best thing is that it keeps the sparks contained which is always a plus with kiddos, pets and flammable brush. I also use it for ice fishing and spring 3D archery events to keep my group warm.
I have the same stove, and I have the same complaint. It is not very good for keeping warm. It does make a nice looking fire. Is also good for cooking over when camping.
I found if I dig mine down about 4" or so the radiant heat is fine. To test this just try standing on a couple bricks. Or if you are a sitter place your chair on a few and see if your legs stay warm. It fixed the issue for me.
This. Think Solo missed on marketing. What this is great for is cooking over with a grate that you can adjust height of. Smokeless is huge plus if your standing over the fire for lots of BBQ tending.
Great review! Okay, so it puts out less heat laterally where you can feel it, uses more wood and is close to smokeless. It is the perfect suburban toy!
great review thank you. I love the fact of smokeless (to a point) for out in the garden & not smoking out us or the neighbours! But the fact it doesnt radiate heat on the sides, it feels like it doesnt give me what I need & youve saved me an expensive purchase that would have disappointed.
Thank you for the honest review. The ad showed up in my Instagram feed and I really wanted to buy one. I’m glad I watched this and will now think about whether to buy it or not weighing in on the pros and cons. Thanks again. 🔥🤙🏽
I’m not gonna read all the comments being this is three years ago, but doing a review check of the solo stove the new heat deflection cover works fabulous!
This is truly a product that has performed beyond my expectations. It puts out a lot of heat and the smoke is almost completely eliminated and I'm not careful about what I burn in it either. Junk wood. Wood that's too wet. Old wood. New wood. This thing is a beast. I liked it so well that I tore the guts out of my gas fire pit and stuck the middle sized solo stove in there. It puts out far more heat than the gas fire pit.
An excellent review! Especially appreciated your comments about rate of burn, ambient heat and time to shut down. Sounds like it’s good for ambiance and “leave no trace” but not much more.
Thanks a lot for this fair review. I was very curious about the radiation heat because I would use it mostly for warmth. And was thinking about the speed of burning which was likely faster. Thanks to your video I have the answer's to my questions. For now I'll still choose for the standard campfire and cleaning the place up afterwards to leave no trace. Greetings!
I've been using one of these for a couple of years. I feel that it actually does radiate a good amount of heat when it's cold. I sit by it down to the upper 30's anyway.
I got a smaller ranger size. I am doing backyard early evening burns. It is easy to start. It has good air flow, minimal smoke once started. There is a soft flame that will burn anything you put into it. Beautiful coals that burn down to almost nothing. I dump it out in the morning and store in a dry place. Not cheap but worth the money IMO.
For the size of that you could save money by using an old washing machine drum. Lots of people use them at the campground we go to. Some have them on legs, some on legs with wheels, and even mounted on old lawnmower decks.
Save money upfront maybe. These are made out of stainless steel. the thin wall steel washing machine tubs break down quickly in the heat. I do a lot of burning and they just don't last.
We have been investigating the possibility of the Solo Stove. Aside from other "features",.... no handles .Thanks for your review, we have made a decision. PS. We are in So Oregon.
Hey Jason, an interesting review for sure. My wife and I purchased the smaller Solostove, The Ranger and we couldn't be more happy with it. True, it doesn't radiate heat from the outer metal like a burn barrel does. This is because of the design of the stove and how it's double wall draws air up through it to facilitate a proper secondary burn at the top. but touch it and it will burn you promptly. Having said that, because of it's design and how it burns it does produce a very heavy radiant heat signature from the top of the fire pit and it has kept us and our camp guests toasty warm throughout the nights activities with temps of around 57 degrees. Also, due to it's design and how it burns it produces almost no smoke and has, even in heavier winds a well protected fire allowing you to sit as close as you can stand. And when this stove is being fed good, dry wood, preferably a harder wood the burn reminds me of an afterburner on a strike fighter, quite impressive. Overall we are very pleased with this stove, it leaves a no trace camp but still allows a good campfire, gives us the heat and ambience of a campfire with no smoke.
I purchased the Ranger and the Yukon after sitting with a Bonfire at my last camping trip. I'm very impressed with the design and tbh I was skeptical about the marketing ever since I heard about it at least a year ago. I'm an eagle scout, I love the out doors. What I dont enjoy about bonfires is the smoke in the eyes, and smelling like smoke when it's time to turn in. Solostove is the best firepit IMO. They just came out with a screen, and I literally just purchased it for the Ranger because I live in a heavily wooded area. I dont want to be that guy that burned down the neighborhood. lol.
@@tyson9419 It’s called a contraction. It’s the result of combining two words into a single word, like [it and is] and [it and has] (it’s) or should and have (should’ve) or can and not (can’t). The word its, with no apostrophe, should be used at times when saying “it is” or “it has” wouldn’t (would not) be appropriate. Example: It’s raining outside. (It is) It’s been raining outside. (It has) The cat lost its toy. (its = ownership)
I have had one for years and use it often. I even load it up for camping. I'll always have one, just might by the largest one also. My backyard fire pit has not been used in years. Im removing it and setting it up for my bonfire this year. Make a nice raised brick pad over in old pit.
There aren’t legs on it for a reason. Set it on the ground. The size of holes restrict burn speed and allow a slower airflow once the stove is hot. Hence: longer burn time, slower draft, more heat staying inside the unit = even less smoke.
Thanks for your review Jason. I own the backpack version and have had my eye on this firepit version since you first showed it. Been waiting for this follow up review :-)
If you get a good base of hot coals and a good balance of wood, the flames will be rolling out of the holes and it does radiate heat. Don't get your wood above the holes though. We love ours. You still have the rolling flames, but no smoke.
They need a domed top piece for it to disperse heat. I can also see this thing come in sections. Fire pit, griddle/grill, smoker and with the wide domed top to catch an disperse heat.
You might want to try the biolite fire pit. Also almost smokless and leave no trace but you get lots of heat off the sides and you can control the intensity of the flame with the built in fan module. There is a removable grill on top for cooking and you can cool it down in 45 min. You also will use 25% - 50% of the wood of a normal fire pit. I have had one for a year and had over 60 fires in it and it is one of the best things that I have purchased. You can also purchase separately, a solar cover to recharge the battery pack for the fan. He fan also acts as a 10,0000mah power bank in an emergency. I love your videos, so relaxing and awesome photography. Keep up the great work.
I have the original smaller biolite and love it! I can use almost anything that burns as fuel. I use the USB output to charge a light that I use at night in my tent or hammock. Every time I cook a meal or boil water for coffee or tea it’s charging itself (battery) and charging either my light or phone or gps unit etc. I also burn wood pellets in it. I can buy a 40lb bag for about $6. I keep it in a can with lid in my garage and simply scoop some into a paper bag and take that with me in case everything is wet when I get to camp. Also the pellets are great for when I camp in the snow. Cheers mate and happy trails
@@prepperjonpnw6482 I also have the Camp Stove 2 with the grill attachment from Biolite and love it as well. I use that if I am going out on my own. I have used that for a group of 4 but it takes a while to cook for 4 people on that stove. For what it is designed for, it is awesome as well. 👍
Thanks I have considered fire pits but so far have not been able to pull the trigger. I admire your environmental point of view. We are of one mind. Keep up the good work. Regards =Cosmo
I don't comment a lot but I got mine and it's AWESOME. Fire burned a good long time before I had to add wood and the radiant heat was perfect for my linking. Cleaning was super easy. I got the kit which had the spark arrestor and lid on top which was great. I found starting the wood you could see a little smoke but after initial start it was barely detectable. Love the portability and being able to have a great fire in my backyard which has limited space.
I have a super expensive stove that burns wood super quickly, takes days to cool down, you can't see the flame unless you standing above it and has little to no radiant heat! I'm sold!
I had thought about the tiny version of this type of burn barrel, but the loss of radiant heat wasn't to my liking and as you so rightly expressed, the air holes accelerate the wood burn. Nice to see an objective, reasoned review which addresses issues that potential buyers may not have been aware of. That is the mark of a genuine review!
I use the lid from my Weber kettle to cover mine with to prevent it from getting water damage, I also leave the vent open and allow it to completely burn, you can snuff it out if you close the damper on the lid of the Weber kettle top
I own one of these, my experience is exactly the same as yours. Biggest downside is the design that gives you that controlled, smokeless burn also concentrates the heat straight up. You end up sitting a lot closer to it than you would a regular fire pit on a crisp fall night. It does throw out heat laterally, just less than you'd expect for a fire that size. But I love how you never have to move because the wind shifts and the fire starts blowing the smoke right at you. I also love how attractive the fire looks when it is running - it just routinely produces a very pretty fire once it gets going. The flame jets once the secondary burn starts are just really cool looking. This thing kind of runs more like a wood stove than a fire pit, which is basically what it is. It is big, heavy, bulky, and expensive. But for car camping or backyard fires at home, particularly if it isn't freezing cold out, yeah it has its place. I also think that it is a good way to reduce the risk of forest fires - it isn't something you can use in a no burn area, but the fire is extremely well contained and controlled if you keep the wood below the rim.
Maybe the thing needs buried about in your yard with enough area around it to suck air in that would give you more radiant heat like make a brick Circle in the ground 8 in deep 6 inch larger on each side with brick to give you more radiant heat .
@@beverlylawrence1157 Yes. Turn it over and shake it, you get most of the ashes out that way and it doesn't have to be perfect. Dump the ashes in your garden or lawn but spread them around, because they are kind of like fertilizer as they decompose and too much in one spot can be bad. But it is good for your plants in low doses.
@@trustbuster23this appears to be true for earlier Solo Stoves made around the early 2020s where the grating doesn't seem to be removable to clean out the ash below. The Yukon is heavy and takes effort to move around. I have to roll it around and then I use a blower to get it as clean as possible. Its a mess, but I dont know of another way, unless I cut out and create a hinged dump hatch in bottom bit id rather lift off the entire grating.
Saw several reviews and this is one of the most accurate ones- really helpful! I am opting not to get one as much as I wanted to want it.. the reason is bc this review was very accurate with both the pros as well as the cons
Thanks, great review! I just ordered a Bonfire from three friend recommendations. Looking forward to "smokeless" fires with the family. Hey, I like your jacket in the video!
Thanks for thoughtful review. Will buy a Yukon for socially distanced events here in N. Virginia woody neighborhood. More radiant heat would be nice. Someone suggested leaning rocks; but need those that don't explode (remember the Boy Scouts' instructions). Some kind of radiating fins that hook on, like big shelf standards? And not be a burn hazard? Or maybe a metal sombrero on a tripod? I will report later on the larger model's effects. And look for your ideas.
I remember leaving a comment in one of your videos couple years back when I got mine. I agree with your pros and cons for sure. I love mine and have tried it in winter and your right, you have to be very close to it to get any kind of significant heat. Great review
FYI I was camping in the Great Smoky Mountains and a fellow camper had a solo stove. He was not permitted to use it in the park. Fires were only allowed in the fire pits.
I agree 100%! A lot of us drive pickups and could identify with the ford. Most of us bushcraft/outdoors types aren’t driving around in a miniature SUV. That’s more of something my mum might drive or a city slicker lol. So, yeah I miss the old ford and the campfires Those nice slow motion shots of the fire, the dogs snoozing, the Pendleton being poured were a huge part of what made his videos enjoyable to watch. Cheers mate and happy trails
Great review, very perceptive. We just bought a Solo Stove Yukon (their biggest one) for back yard use and find it great for that purpose, though it is perhaps rather too large. The main thing for me in that application is to have very little smoke so we can sit around the fire without having to move around to get out of the smoke. I think the smaller units like the Bonfire reviewed here may be more effective at secondary combustion. It also looks very nice in the yard -- the stainless steel acquires a sort of bronze sheen on the first use, which looks even better. Combustion is excellent, and I'm honestly not sure it uses any more wood than an open fire of the same size. The convex dome shape of the inner grating takes some getting used to -- wood will tend to roll off to the edges when you want it in the center. But with a little care this can be managed.
I have the Ranger version of this one. I do have to chop the wood down to fit entirely into the pit. I think it puts out plenty of heat once you get a good base of coals going, and i love watching the little jets of flame that shoot out from the ring of holes on the inside, completely mesmerizing :)
Two things I want to point out and maybe try with the one I just purchased. I ended up getting mine on sale for $269 with the base included. A bit pricy still, but easier and probably lighter to pack than a dryer drum - at least mine. 1. I think it may be a good opportunity to fabricate a metal reflector to redirect the heat towards you. Another option if it doesn't radiate as much might be put it into an already dug firepit that would allow the radiant heat to go up towards you if it's halfway down in a firepit. With a deflector, it would make even more use of the radiant heat. And with it being halfway dug, you can use a tripod for cooking if you wanted. 2. Couldn't you dump all the wood and ash and douse it then let the bonfire stove sit for maybe 20 minutes like a chimney for your BBQ. It would be cool in maybe 30 minutes rather than the 2 hours you're guestimating.
I just saw a video that shows they now make A heat defuser that goes on the top. Would love to see a follow up video in winter with heat defuser. Thanks for the great video and happy camping
@@ivinskiwi384 buy heavy mesh metal screening at lowes and a metal drain pan of the same diameter. Bend the screening to the same diameter of the solo stove so that it sits on top of the stove. Use metal ties to keep the screening together then place the drain pan on top of the screening. You now have a heater that allows the heat to move outward instead of upward
I don’t own Bonfire but use 3 of the smaller solo’s for camping and back packing. Their perfect. However, for heat inside tent and outside I like My G-Stove when truck camping.
Thank you for the great review. After watching this I decided it’s not for me mainly because I like a fire pit that will warm you in cold weather. I looks like some nice for warm weather… Great video ~ review!
Unfortunately, I've seen two Solo firepits that were rusting. The first owner admitted he sometimes poured water on the fire to put it our. The second said he never did. Both Solo's were over a year old and had many uses. The killer for us was it took up too much space when stored for travel, burned wood too quickly for just the two of us, and you can't easily pick the Solo up to move to a better place. We purchased the BioLite Firepit two years ago and have easily had 250 fires, and it's traveled 23,000 miles down the road without making a mess or falling apart.
You answered my question about the radiant heat off the sides. That is most important to me as we often use a fire pit to keep warm (living in Michigan). Think I’m going to forgo the solo stove. Thank you for your honest review!
I'm in Ontario and honestly just got mine and used it Yesterday, I was impressed by the heat it put out, sure less side heat but hardly any smoke and I could get close enough to warm up without feeling like I was being smoked out. I am really happy with my purchase.
Good review. The points that stood out to me: Are your goals to cook and get full use of wood with little smoke? Gasifier is good at that. Is your goal to heat the people around the fire? It appears that it's not so good at that.
Thanks Jason been waiting for this review. You covered everything I was wondering about. Yes no trace is good in our woods wish everyone would try there best it would make the woods cleaner. I like having a fire every morning just to get the bones moving and the ambiance while fixing breakfast and packing up.
I don't have a problem with having the moring fire the day of. Especially for just the packing and breakfast fires, the sidewall does not get that hot. You can even touch them near the bottom. You can see from his in the coloration caused by heat. That being said I just dig small hole dump the remaining coals and douse them with water. The bonfire pit is ready to pack in 30mins. Of course, I put it in the back of the truck and not the caring bag they come with.
To take advantage of the massive amount of heat coming from the top of the unit you can use a heat shield reflector. Just like the one on a Propane Patio Heater. You can DIY one for your unit.
Any suggestions on how to do this? I would be interested in trying. The only thing I could think of is to get a sheet of metal to sit on top of the grill hub attachment?
Thank you. Excellent Review. By the way...I'm using this on a "small" outdoor slab with seating for 4 and a grill off my lanai in FL. Mostly for ambience, light and marshmallows :-). So the fact that it does not radiate heat to keep surrounds warm is actually an advantage for us and a reason to have this stove vs. others. Keeping warm is not an issue here vs. keeping "cool".
Great review. I was concerned about how much radiant heat this thing gave off. It looks like it's not much and because of that I think I'll have to pass.
Great, honest review. I have to tell you that I bought a 10" diameter colander from Ikea,[ although any large stainless steel colander will work. I have use many.] and not only use it for a fire pit, but a grill. They throw a lot of heat. 3 of us used it for heat on several cold rainy weekends in Wa. The other two laughed at me when I pulled it out, now they both use them. Give it a try. They cool fast when done, small but big enough to throw serious heat, and are around $12.00. I keep one in my jeep.
@@ivinskiwi384 both. I put wood in it just like starting a fire in a fire pit. I use that for warmth, we just add wood to it as it burns down. When we get coals we put a round grill on it and cook. Basically it is a contained fire that burns hot and there is almost no ash because it burns very well. It breathes very well because of all of the holes around it and it throws a LOT of heat.
Great video as always. I think you just verified my original thoughts i had about this with it being designed to be more of a big stove like its smaller counterparts than something to use as an actual side radiating source of heat.
Just curious if you ever do any milky way shots while out in those really dark areas? Bet you are in some perfect places for it? Thanks for the videos I really enjoy them! You inspire me to go camping more!
I read almost every post.. and man has it devolved over the year....Thanks bruh... I always find your videos straight to the point..in gorgeous locales .......in reading the comments and after watching your very useful review.. I went with the ss grill. It is heavier but probably puts out as much if not more radiant heat compared to this fireplace and is a superior cooking tool.. I will let you guys know how it turns out. Btw.. if your thing is to be a chemical-free forest ninja.. I can value that... there are worse aspirations. Keep up the good work.
Hey, Jason. Great review, thank you! I've been on the fence for months about buying the Solo Stove Bonfire. Your review has convinced me to buy it. Cheers, and stay safe.
Thanks for the review, was curious about this one. We've used a Snowpeak Large firepit for about 6-7yrs constantly, it's the perfect package for us as it packs up flat, cook on it, warms you, etc. We also have an Ozpig for when in the areas/season here in Oz that they're the only thing you're allowed a fire in. We use both at home constantly too. Enjoying the Ozpig in our winter right now, like having a pot belly stove out camping or in your backyard😀. For pared down camping we have the Firebox Stove, love it too.
For those complaining about the lack of radiant heat and smoke (for bugs) just pop the top ring off. It’ll throw pretty wide instead of directing an intense draft up. We’ve sat around this thing countless winter nights, temps down to single digits and most of the time people are stripping off layers. Just wear warm boots. Great review by the way!!
Your winter comment...is that with the top ring on or off? Thanks...
Just use an old washing machine drum that has holes in the sides lol😂👍🏾
@@hepzlawrence7710 I want a fire. I don't want to wash my clothes when I'm camping.
Could probably block the holes around the bottom too or instead
@@steveking8548 can do both if you want, wash your underwear then dry it over the fire in the same washing drum😄👍🏾😂
No radiant heat = no deal. Thanks for the info & review!
For radiant heat from this set up I would place a disc of metal about 2 to 4 feet above the top. As the heat rises into the disc it will deflect outwards.
John Nash - what exactly is a “disk of metal”?
@@jammin6816 a garbage can lid or satellite dish
I've had one for a while and used it many times in temps below 40 and even below 30 a few times. It generates plenty of heat for me and the people with me. The upside is you don't spend all night avoiding smoke. I also don't see that it eats wood much more quickly than a "regular" fire. Now if you keep packing it full, it'll roar, get really hot and eat wood like mad, but you can feed it like a normal fire and it works well.
@@echo6echo419 thanks for the info
Good overall review! My wife and I were at our friend's house last night who have the larger Yukon model. It generated plenty of radiant heat. I had to move my chair back from it. We were impressed with the Solo Stove!
A couple of years ago I took advantage of a 2 for 1 sale by Solo Stove and purchased two of their Solo Stove Titan stoves. I've stashed one in my truck for emergencies and used the other one occasionally on camping trips. I have to say that the Titan makes very efficient use of wood, and I've been able to boil two quarts and more on just a few handfuls of small wood pieces. But I can see that the Bonfire model would have its negatives as you pointed out. The Titan model is designed to cook on, while the Bonfire model seems to be marketed as a "campfire replacement" which exposes the problems you mentioned. Great review! One positive about Solo Stoves that I can confirm: they are very, very well made and very durable products.
Nothing beats a plain ol washtub from your old washing machine. I’ve had mine for 20 years and it’s still going strong. Radiates heat incredibly
Ole ways are best.
I have a stove oven that's scrap, and planning to take off what need be, and try that!
Totally different concept here.
I've had the same stove for over 3 years and I agree with you on a few things. Certainly there's less radiant heat off the sides there's no doubt about that. May be remedied by throwing some Stones around it. Ones that are large enough that they don't impede the air holes. I would have to disagree though about weather it burns wood faster. In my experience my fires last much longer with this stove or fire pit. The secondary burn of the smoke really goes a long way in extending the range of the fire. I have how to fire going of modest size and to my surprise came out 3 hours later and it was still going. Where most fires smolder this one continues to feed it oxygen which requires very little stirring or mid fire maintenance. With regards to cooling the stove off simply emptying out the coals well lead to a rather fast cooling of the stove because it is such a thin Steel. This is done safely by simply taking a couple sticks putting them in the holes and flipping it over. Obviously this will leave a bit of a Trace but in my opinion there's nothing wrong with a few ashes on the ground. Having left my stove outside in rain or shine for 3 years I can say that it's held up well with some minor surface rust but still performs like it did on the first date. The design is perfect, the only thing it needs is some accessories so that you can use it as a grill
I have a giant iron grate and put this on sidewalk pavers on my wood deck, next to the house. Waited for it to snow. I was worried about damage to my deck, but the iron grate I stood it on never even got hot. I concur that it burns everything down to ash, and doesn't smoke. It doesn't even put out many sparks, although I put a giant clamshell screen (fits the grate) over it, just in case.
I don't think that piling rocks around it would do all that much. I could see hanging some TEGs off it to generate some electricity, though. High temperature differential between the body and the ambient air, but not hot enough to melt anything.
Harry Mills can u post a list of products of TEG’s or how to. Sounds like a good option for electricity for camping. thxs.
I just ordered my first camping stove 🔥🏹🏕🏹🔥. I’m beyond excited, especially after reading 📖your comment and seeing his video📹about this stove🔥⛺️🔥. I can’t wait to bring my son out and try this out!
If it has a "secondary burn" of the smoke, would that not mean it's burning faster? A more efficient fire is a faster burning fire.
@@BobPapadopoulos It means that what would normally smolder and create smoke is actually burned instead of wasted. If a fire is smoking thats wasted energy
Thank you on doing such a wonderful, genuine review of this product. I feel much better informed than before.
I bought one for Ian!
I know I’m getting old when my knees start hurting because of your kneeling position.
..hehe..me too...
😂
What about when that ship sailed 20 years ago..
Honesty, good and bad of product, “Priceless” in today’s world! Appreciated much!
You are not alone
Bought this for the back deck, and we've been happy with the heat output for sitting out and having a drink with friends, socially distanced. I hope it will get us thru the winter of our Covid discontent
Please talk about your thoughts after the winter use
I have owned and used the bonfire for about 2 years now and love it. Best piece of kit I have bought. It puts out plenty of heat for a winter camp and has almost no smoke. The flames look like they are dancing on the top from the secondary burn. Coals glow red hot after a couple of hrs. There is almost no ash left in the morning as the heat burns the logs completely. The stainless steel does discolour a bit leaving a nice patina on the metal which adds to the character. I highly recommend it. It is good for about 4-5 people to sit around. If you have more then you probably need to go for the bigger Yukon model.
This comment makes me feel better about my purchase of the "Bonfire". I'm eagerly awaiting it's arrival!
We have the Yukon and love it!
I have the Bonfire model, and love it also.
@@MyClutteredGaragehow did you find it?
@@canada5691does it give out plenty of heat?
I own the Bonfire (as well as the Lite and the Campfire). Every time I use it, I have zero regrets about buying it. It is a fantastic accessory to the home or RV campsite.
As far as heat from the sides, get the heat deflector. It is well worth the cost and distributes the heat out instead of up. I don't use the deflector with the legs, instead I place it on the grill and griddle stand. That provides a much more stable surface and allows room to insert more wood underneath it.
One thing I learned about the griddle though, you gotta wait until the fire burns down because that sucker gets HOT. (I've never seen bacon char so fast in my life! 😳)
All in all, my Solos have been wonderful investments.
I love the heat! I have a grate that is on a post that I can raise and lower or even swing out of the way!
Its nice to hear that someone cares after camping. Thank you Sir.
You covered every point I was concerned about. Thank You
I purchased a stainless front loading washer tub for $15 for a local appliance repair guy. It works great, keeps the campsite clean, has smoke (which I like) and puts off radiant heat. Best thing is that it keeps the sparks contained which is always a plus with kiddos, pets and flammable brush. I also use it for ice fishing and spring 3D archery events to keep my group warm.
I have the same stove, and I have the same complaint. It is not very good for keeping warm. It does make a nice looking fire. Is also good for cooking over when camping.
I found if I dig mine down about 4" or so the radiant heat is fine. To test this just try standing on a couple bricks. Or if you are a sitter place your chair on a few and see if your legs stay warm. It fixed the issue for me.
This. Think Solo missed on marketing. What this is great for is cooking over with a grate that you can adjust height of. Smokeless is huge plus if your standing over the fire for lots of BBQ tending.
One of the most honest review's I have seen. I have it and like it, but we are cold sitting around it. Wish I would have known that
Great review! Okay, so it puts out less heat laterally where you can feel it, uses more wood and is close to smokeless. It is the perfect suburban toy!
Damn, that view is amazing behind you.
great review thank you. I love the fact of smokeless (to a point) for out in the garden & not smoking out us or the neighbours! But the fact it doesnt radiate heat on the sides, it feels like it doesnt give me what I need & youve saved me an expensive purchase that would have disappointed.
Excellent and thorough review. Thank you!
Thank you for the honest review. The ad showed up in my Instagram feed and I really wanted to buy one. I’m glad I watched this and will now think about whether to buy it or not weighing in on the pros and cons. Thanks again. 🔥🤙🏽
Its a wood gasifier. Also, sometimes you want some smoke to help keep the bugs away.
I’m not gonna read all the comments being this is three years ago, but doing a review check of the solo stove the new heat deflection cover works fabulous!
This is truly a product that has performed beyond my expectations. It puts out a lot of heat and the smoke is almost completely eliminated and I'm not careful about what I burn in it either. Junk wood. Wood that's too wet. Old wood. New wood. This thing is a beast. I liked it so well that I tore the guts out of my gas fire pit and stuck the middle sized solo stove in there. It puts out far more heat than the gas fire pit.
He said is doesn’t put out enough heat and it just rises
@@2121Jroc we own the Yukon model and it puts out plenty of heat!
@@cherylhall4605 what about the smell of burning wood?
@@2121Jroche's chatting sh*t
I just want to know where you are filming this, because it is picture perfect!
My thinking too! The framing is beautiful with the winding River going off into the distance. Well done 👍
You can have something on top to reflect the heat your way.
An excellent review! Especially appreciated your comments about rate of burn, ambient heat and time to shut down. Sounds like it’s good for ambiance and “leave no trace” but not much more.
Thanks a lot for this fair review. I was very curious about the radiation heat because I would use it mostly for warmth. And was thinking about the speed of burning which was likely faster. Thanks to your video I have the answer's to my questions.
For now I'll still choose for the standard campfire and cleaning the place up afterwards to leave no trace. Greetings!
Awesome review! I bet some kind of hat / lid / roof thingy that could redirect the heat would also add more radiative heating for humans.
I've been using one of these for a couple of years. I feel that it actually does radiate a good amount of heat when it's cold. I sit by it down to the upper 30's anyway.
I bought a Flame Genie for 1/2 the price. We use it on the patio and it works good.I burn pellets.
I got a smaller ranger size. I am doing backyard early evening burns. It is easy to start. It has good air flow, minimal smoke once started. There is a soft flame that will burn anything you put into it. Beautiful coals that burn down to almost nothing. I dump it out in the morning and store in a dry place. Not cheap but worth the money IMO.
For the size of that you could save money by using an old washing machine drum. Lots of people use them at the campground we go to. Some have them on legs, some on legs with wheels, and even mounted on old lawnmower decks.
Save money upfront maybe. These are made out of stainless steel. the thin wall steel washing machine tubs break down quickly in the heat. I do a lot of burning and they just don't last.
We have been investigating the possibility of the Solo Stove. Aside from other "features",.... no handles .Thanks for your review, we have made a decision.
PS. We are in So Oregon.
Good point on not having handles.
Hey Jason, an interesting review for sure. My wife and I purchased the smaller Solostove, The Ranger and we couldn't be more happy with it. True, it doesn't radiate heat from the outer metal like a burn barrel does. This is because of the design of the stove and how it's double wall draws air up through it to facilitate a proper secondary burn at the top. but touch it and it will burn you promptly. Having said that, because of it's design and how it burns it does produce a very heavy radiant heat signature from the top of the fire pit and it has kept us and our camp guests toasty warm throughout the nights activities with temps of around 57 degrees. Also, due to it's design and how it burns it produces almost no smoke and has, even in heavier winds a well protected fire allowing you to sit as close as you can stand. And when this stove is being fed good, dry wood, preferably a harder wood the burn reminds me of an afterburner on a strike fighter, quite impressive. Overall we are very pleased with this stove, it leaves a no trace camp but still allows a good campfire, gives us the heat and ambience of a campfire with no smoke.
I purchased the Ranger and the Yukon after sitting with a Bonfire at my last camping trip. I'm very impressed with the design and tbh I was skeptical about the marketing ever since I heard about it at least a year ago. I'm an eagle scout, I love the out doors. What I dont enjoy about bonfires is the smoke in the eyes, and smelling like smoke when it's time to turn in. Solostove is the best firepit IMO. They just came out with a screen, and I literally just purchased it for the Ranger because I live in a heavily wooded area. I dont want to be that guy that burned down the neighborhood. lol.
extremeskydiver1
Try using the word “its” with no apostrophe for all those times when you DON’T mean to say “it is” or “it has”.
@@allemander whuh?
@@tyson9419
It’s called a contraction.
It’s the result of combining two words into a single word, like [it and is] and [it and has] (it’s) or should and have (should’ve) or can and not (can’t).
The word its, with no apostrophe, should be used at times when saying “it is” or “it has” wouldn’t (would not) be appropriate.
Example:
It’s raining outside. (It is)
It’s been raining outside. (It has)
The cat lost its toy. (its = ownership)
I have had one for years and use it often. I even load it up for camping. I'll always have one, just might by the largest one also. My backyard fire pit has not been used in years. Im removing it and setting it up for my bonfire this year. Make a nice raised brick pad over in old pit.
There aren’t legs on it for a reason. Set it on the ground. The size of holes restrict burn speed and allow a slower airflow once the stove is hot. Hence: longer burn time, slower draft, more heat staying inside the unit = even less smoke.
Thanks for your review Jason. I own the backpack version and have had my eye on this firepit version since you first showed it. Been waiting for this follow up review :-)
Just what I was looking for, no radiant heat was a big concern of mine.
If you get a good base of hot coals and a good balance of wood, the flames will be rolling out of the holes and it does radiate heat. Don't get your wood above the holes though. We love ours. You still have the rolling flames, but no smoke.
People are so lucky to live near places like this. It seems impossible to move somewhere cool without a good job waiting for you.
And a 22 inch kettle grill cooking grate fits over the top perfectly for grilling.
I have been eyeing one of these for the last two months. Very timely and excellent review Sir!
They need a domed top piece for it to disperse heat. I can also see this thing come in sections. Fire pit, griddle/grill, smoker and with the wide domed top to catch an disperse heat.
This product could also be used to heat a tent or structure that has a roof vent.
You might want to try the biolite fire pit. Also almost smokless and leave no trace but you get lots of heat off the sides and you can control the intensity of the flame with the built in fan module. There is a removable grill on top for cooking and you can cool it down in 45 min. You also will use 25% - 50% of the wood of a normal fire pit. I have had one for a year and had over 60 fires in it and it is one of the best things that I have purchased. You can also purchase separately, a solar cover to recharge the battery pack for the fan. He fan also acts as a 10,0000mah power bank in an emergency. I love your videos, so relaxing and awesome photography. Keep up the great work.
I have the original smaller biolite and love it! I can use almost anything that burns as fuel. I use the USB output to charge a light that I use at night in my tent or hammock. Every time I cook a meal or boil water for coffee or tea it’s charging itself (battery) and charging either my light or phone or gps unit etc. I also burn wood pellets in it. I can buy a 40lb bag for about $6. I keep it in a can with lid in my garage and simply scoop some into a paper bag and take that with me in case everything is wet when I get to camp. Also the pellets are great for when I camp in the snow.
Cheers mate and happy trails
@@prepperjonpnw6482 I also have the Camp Stove 2 with the grill attachment from Biolite and love it as well. I use that if I am going out on my own. I have used that for a group of 4 but it takes a while to cook for 4 people on that stove. For what it is designed for, it is awesome as well. 👍
Thanks I have considered fire pits but so far have not been able to pull the trigger. I admire your environmental point of view. We are of one mind. Keep up the good work. Regards =Cosmo
I don't comment a lot but I got mine and it's AWESOME. Fire burned a good long time before I had to add wood and the radiant heat was perfect for my linking. Cleaning was super easy. I got the kit which had the spark arrestor and lid on top which was great. I found starting the wood you could see a little smoke but after initial start it was barely detectable. Love the portability and being able to have a great fire in my backyard which has limited space.
How is it working in the colder weather? One of the things I enjoy about a campfire is the heat!
watch the video
I have a super expensive stove that burns wood super quickly, takes days to cool down, you can't see the flame unless you standing above it and has little to no radiant heat! I'm sold!
You’re knocking these reviews out of the park, thank you for the info and the awesome videos!
It's crazy...just two years ago I couldn't find a portable fire pit to save my life and now there are all sorts of options.
I’ve thought the same thing!
I had thought about the tiny version of this type of burn barrel, but the loss of radiant heat wasn't to my liking and as you so rightly expressed, the air holes accelerate the wood burn.
Nice to see an objective, reasoned review which addresses issues that potential buyers may not have been aware of. That is the mark of a genuine review!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Very helpful!
I use the lid from my Weber kettle to cover mine with to prevent it from getting water damage, I also leave the vent open and allow it to completely burn, you can snuff it out if you close the damper on the lid of the Weber kettle top
Thanks for the review. It isn’t something I would use, but interesting to learn more about this option.
Thanks for the review. I like that you gave the pros and cons. Great job and thank you for sharing.
Great explanation of the pros and cons of the Solo Stove Bonfire. Thanks!
This is a great review! I’d just like to add that Solo Stove has created a Heat Deflector - a perfect curative for cold toes
I own one of these, my experience is exactly the same as yours. Biggest downside is the design that gives you that controlled, smokeless burn also concentrates the heat straight up. You end up sitting a lot closer to it than you would a regular fire pit on a crisp fall night. It does throw out heat laterally, just less than you'd expect for a fire that size. But I love how you never have to move because the wind shifts and the fire starts blowing the smoke right at you. I also love how attractive the fire looks when it is running - it just routinely produces a very pretty fire once it gets going. The flame jets once the secondary burn starts are just really cool looking. This thing kind of runs more like a wood stove than a fire pit, which is basically what it is. It is big, heavy, bulky, and expensive. But for car camping or backyard fires at home, particularly if it isn't freezing cold out, yeah it has its place. I also think that it is a good way to reduce the risk of forest fires - it isn't something you can use in a no burn area, but the fire is extremely well contained and controlled if you keep the wood below the rim.
Maybe the thing needs buried about in your yard with enough area around it to suck air in that would give you more radiant heat like make a brick Circle in the ground 8 in deep 6 inch larger on each side with brick to give you more radiant heat .
@@rs2143 You need air going to the bottom of it, too, for it to burn correctly.
how to get rid of the ashes. it doesn’t come apart. do you have to dump it over?
@@beverlylawrence1157 Yes. Turn it over and shake it, you get most of the ashes out that way and it doesn't have to be perfect. Dump the ashes in your garden or lawn but spread them around, because they are kind of like fertilizer as they decompose and too much in one spot can be bad. But it is good for your plants in low doses.
@@trustbuster23this appears to be true for earlier Solo Stoves made around the early 2020s where the grating doesn't seem to be removable to clean out the ash below. The Yukon is heavy and takes effort to move around. I have to roll it around and then I use a blower to get it as clean as possible. Its a mess, but I dont know of another way, unless I cut out and create a hinged dump hatch in bottom bit id rather lift off the entire grating.
Saw several reviews and this is one of the most accurate ones- really helpful! I am opting not to get one as much as I wanted to want it.. the reason is bc this review was very accurate with both the pros as well as the cons
Thanks, great review! I just ordered a Bonfire from three friend recommendations. Looking forward to "smokeless" fires with the family. Hey, I like your jacket in the video!
Thanks for thoughtful review. Will buy a Yukon for socially distanced events here in N. Virginia woody neighborhood. More radiant heat would be nice. Someone suggested leaning rocks; but need those that don't explode (remember the Boy Scouts' instructions). Some kind of radiating fins that hook on, like big shelf standards? And not be a burn hazard? Or maybe a metal sombrero on a tripod? I will report later on the larger model's effects. And look for your ideas.
I remember leaving a comment in one of your videos couple years back when I got mine. I agree with your pros and cons for sure. I love mine and have tried it in winter and your right, you have to be very close to it to get any kind of significant heat. Great review
That Hiking Guy
Your right
Your left
Your middle
Your top
Your bottom
Your dictionary
Great info. I can see how that would benefit me when out camping plus concentrating your flame to boil for a shower.
FYI I was camping in the Great Smoky Mountains and a fellow camper had a solo stove. He was not permitted to use it in the park. Fires were only allowed in the fire pits.
Things I liked about your channel, the Ford and your fires.
I agree 100%! A lot of us drive pickups and could identify with the ford. Most of us bushcraft/outdoors types aren’t driving around in a miniature SUV. That’s more of something my mum might drive or a city slicker lol. So, yeah I miss the old ford and the campfires
Those nice slow motion shots of the fire, the dogs snoozing, the Pendleton being poured were a huge part of what made his videos enjoyable to watch.
Cheers mate and happy trails
@@prepperjonpnw6482 my sentiments exactly!
Great review, very perceptive. We just bought a Solo Stove Yukon (their biggest one) for back yard use and find it great for that purpose, though it is perhaps rather too large. The main thing for me in that application is to have very little smoke so we can sit around the fire without having to move around to get out of the smoke. I think the smaller units like the Bonfire reviewed here may be more effective at secondary combustion. It also looks very nice in the yard -- the stainless steel acquires a sort of bronze sheen on the first use, which looks even better. Combustion is excellent, and I'm honestly not sure it uses any more wood than an open fire of the same size. The convex dome shape of the inner grating takes some getting used to -- wood will tend to roll off to the edges when you want it in the center. But with a little care this can be managed.
How do you remove the ashes under the grating? I dont think my Yukon grating is removable? Bought in 2020...
I have the Ranger version of this one. I do have to chop the wood down to fit entirely into the pit. I think it puts out plenty of heat once you get a good base of coals going, and i love watching the little jets of flame that shoot out from the ring of holes on the inside, completely mesmerizing :)
I agree. The trick is getting a good base of coals and balancing your wood as you load it.
Thanks for the review finally someone who answered all the concerns i had
Thanks for the objective review, on the fence about getting one…
Thanks Jason. It's definatly something to consider. It's like a big rocket stove. A grill on top would be great for Q'ing.
Two things I want to point out and maybe try with the one I just purchased. I ended up getting mine on sale for $269 with the base included. A bit pricy still, but easier and probably lighter to pack than a dryer drum - at least mine.
1. I think it may be a good opportunity to fabricate a metal reflector to redirect the heat towards you. Another option if it doesn't radiate as much might be put it into an already dug firepit that would allow the radiant heat to go up towards you if it's halfway down in a firepit. With a deflector, it would make even more use of the radiant heat. And with it being halfway dug, you can use a tripod for cooking if you wanted.
2. Couldn't you dump all the wood and ash and douse it then let the bonfire stove sit for maybe 20 minutes like a chimney for your BBQ. It would be cool in maybe 30 minutes rather than the 2 hours you're guestimating.
On sale for $269 😂
I just saw a video that shows they now make A heat defuser that goes on the top. Would love to see a follow up video in winter with heat defuser. Thanks for the great video and happy camping
Seems great for home use, Ill have to pass on using it for camping, since it cant be put dead out with water right away. Thanks for all the info.
Great review. Thanks for the pros and cons. You hit on everything I was thinking about. I wish it had more radiant heat.
No or little radiant heat is a deal breaker for me.
Buy or make a heat shield so the heat radiates out and not up in the air. It works
@@paslayer how? Not all of have those skills so can you elaborate please?
@@ivinskiwi384 buy heavy mesh metal screening at lowes and a metal drain pan of the same diameter. Bend the screening to the same diameter of the solo stove so that it sits on top of the stove. Use metal ties to keep the screening together then place the drain pan on top of the screening. You now have a heater that allows the heat to move outward instead of upward
@@paslayer thanks so much for your time and great lesson 👍
Nice backyard! I love that setting! Can’t wait to get my van back in a few days. Itching to get out. Thanks for the great videos
I don’t own Bonfire but use 3 of the smaller solo’s for camping and back packing. Their perfect. However, for heat inside tent and outside I like My G-Stove when truck camping.
Thank you for the great review. After watching this I decided it’s not for me mainly because I like a fire pit that will warm you in cold weather. I looks like some nice for warm weather…
Great video ~ review!
Seems like the high walls would take away some of the enjoyment sitting around the fire
Unfortunately, I've seen two Solo firepits that were rusting. The first owner admitted he sometimes poured water on the fire to put it our. The second said he never did. Both Solo's were over a year old and had many uses.
The killer for us was it took up too much space when stored for travel, burned wood too quickly for just the two of us, and you can't easily pick the Solo up to move to a better place.
We purchased the BioLite Firepit two years ago and have easily had 250 fires, and it's traveled 23,000 miles down the road without making a mess or falling apart.
K k MMI MJ akNL
Great vid, easy to watch, straight to the point, very informative!
You answered my question about the radiant heat off the sides. That is most important to me as we often use a fire pit to keep warm (living in Michigan). Think I’m going to forgo the solo stove. Thank you for your honest review!
I'm in Ontario and honestly just got mine and used it Yesterday, I was impressed by the heat it put out, sure less side heat but hardly any smoke and I could get close enough to warm up without feeling like I was being smoked out. I am really happy with my purchase.
Great review, I love mine! Wouldn't leave home without it.
Good to know
Since we got our Ranger, we bring it everywhere we camp as well as use it at home.
Great review from someone not associated with the company.
Good review. The points that stood out to me: Are your goals to cook and get full use of wood with little smoke? Gasifier is good at that. Is your goal to heat the people around the fire? It appears that it's not so good at that.
Smokeless is cool for my house, because I don't get many bugs. But for places a camp I like the smoke for the most part.
Thanks Jason been waiting for this review. You covered everything I was wondering about. Yes no trace is good in our woods wish everyone would try there best it would make the woods cleaner. I like having a fire every morning just to get the bones moving and the ambiance while fixing breakfast and packing up.
I don't have a problem with having the moring fire the day of. Especially for just the packing and breakfast fires, the sidewall does not get that hot. You can even touch them near the bottom. You can see from his in the coloration caused by heat. That being said I just dig small hole dump the remaining coals and douse them with water. The bonfire pit is ready to pack in 30mins. Of course, I put it in the back of the truck and not the caring bag they come with.
Jay Swan
That’s sweet, a bag that cares.
Caring bags are so thoughtful.
I prefer to use my carrying bag, though.
To take advantage of the massive amount of heat coming from the top of the unit you can use a heat shield reflector. Just like the one on a Propane Patio Heater. You can DIY one for your unit.
Any suggestions on how to do this? I would be interested in trying. The only thing I could think of is to get a sheet of metal to sit on top of the grill hub attachment?
I could see the cast iron griddle attachment doing this nicely...now to be able to afford it! haha!
As much as these things cost, I shouldn't have to fabricate anything.
An inverted cone reflector should give you the radiated heat you are looking for.
I had an idea that this would not radiate heat. Thanks for being honest. It is a deal breaker for me. I can’t see the point of it. Great video.
Thank you. Excellent Review. By the way...I'm using this on a "small" outdoor slab with seating for 4 and a grill off my lanai in FL. Mostly for ambience, light and marshmallows :-). So the fact that it does not radiate heat to keep surrounds warm is actually an advantage for us and a reason to have this stove vs. others. Keeping warm is not an issue here vs. keeping "cool".
Great review. I was concerned about how much radiant heat this thing gave off. It looks like it's not much and because of that I think I'll have to pass.
We have the largest one and this one and that large sucker dumps heat!!!! Way better then a normal fire place! We’d buy it again !!!
Great, honest review. I have to tell you that I bought a 10" diameter colander from Ikea,[ although any large stainless steel colander will work. I have use many.] and not only use it for a fire pit, but a grill. They throw a lot of heat. 3 of us used it for heat on several cold rainy weekends in Wa. The other two laughed at me when I pulled it out, now they both use them. Give it a try. They cool fast when done, small but big enough to throw serious heat, and are around $12.00. I keep one in my jeep.
Sounds interesting but can you elaborate how you use the colander and why? Is it for cooking or to get more heat to people???
@@ivinskiwi384 both. I put wood in it just like starting a fire in a fire pit. I use that for warmth, we just add wood to it as it burns down. When we get coals we put a round grill on it and cook.
Basically it is a contained fire that burns hot and there is almost no ash because it burns very well. It breathes very well because of all of the holes around it and it throws a LOT of heat.
@@vinnyoutside8936 thanks so much for explaining, appreciate it 👍
Great video as always. I think you just verified my original thoughts i had about this with it being designed to be more of a big stove like its smaller counterparts than something to use as an actual side radiating source of heat.
Just curious if you ever do any milky way shots while out in those really dark areas? Bet you are in some perfect places for it? Thanks for the videos I really enjoy them! You inspire me to go camping more!
I read almost every post.. and man has it devolved over the year....Thanks bruh... I always find your videos straight to the point..in gorgeous locales .......in reading the comments and after watching your very useful review.. I went with the ss grill. It is heavier but probably puts out as much if not more radiant heat compared to this fireplace and is a superior cooking tool..
I will let you guys know how it turns out.
Btw.. if your thing is to be a chemical-free forest ninja.. I can value that... there are worse aspirations.
Keep up the good work.
Hey, Jason. Great review, thank you! I've been on the fence for months about buying the Solo Stove Bonfire. Your review has convinced me to buy it. Cheers, and stay safe.
Great review. Much appreciated. I'd also appreciate the GPS coordinates of that campsite because it's awesome!!
Thanks for the review, was curious about this one. We've used a Snowpeak Large firepit for about 6-7yrs constantly, it's the perfect package for us as it packs up flat, cook on it, warms you, etc. We also have an Ozpig for when in the areas/season here in Oz that they're the only thing you're allowed a fire in. We use both at home constantly too. Enjoying the Ozpig in our winter right now, like having a pot belly stove out camping or in your backyard😀. For pared down camping we have the Firebox Stove, love it too.
Great review. You answered all my question about it. Greetings from Germany!
Thanks so much for the review. I was looking at this for the whole purpose of providing heat. Knowledge is power