This is the best review of this Biolite so far. Lot of "scientific" details such as the elevation and type of wood used. Thumbs up for your great work!
Good information. I purchased the Biolite 2 with the grill. I mostly bought this as a back up in situations where there is no canisters available for my MSR Windburner and in an emergency “bugout” scenario requiring off grid escapism. When the grid is down and social disorder is running rampant. This little gem will provide renewable energy and no need for outside fueling other than nature. It will also provide electricity to recharge my devices ( phone even though the cell system is no longer up still can provide other resources useful for daily survival, Garmin GPS unit as long as satellites are still operational, etc.). Biolite definitely is going to exceed and provide various needs during an emergency situation, over all the other stove systems. In my opinion this is the real beauty of the system. All the other points are really irrelevant. This is a key survival system! Every prepper should have this in their bugout gear. The day is coming!
A good clean and concise review. I have both the 1 and 2 stoves and I love them! and have been using them for a couple of years...not so much in a camping environment, but on my driveway at home in winter! here in Australia, we have very strict burning controls most of the year ( camping ) but in winter time, this stove is a hoot! The charging is an inconsequentiality.., the fan forced burning is terrific and free fuel from the bush! It's just so much fun! Again, a great review and good luck with your channel :)
Hi Rick,sounds like the stoves work well for you.i just bought this stove with the grill attachment at a pawn store for 75.00 USD. Tried it out once so far.i read where some have said it took a long time to charge up.Cheer's
That's pretty amazing. It almost seems using a fuel canister is obsolete. As long as there's wood you can charge your devices (not sure how many) but I think overall it's a better option
It's not carbon neutral. Just because there's no smoke, doesn't mean there's no co2. Try using it in an enclosed space with a co2 detector and you'll see.
Personally I see this as a power source, like solar sheets. I need more grillspace to campcook. Is there much ash accumulation or does fan burn it all up?
No Soot. Before using the pot and while it’s clean and dry, rub a dry cake of soap all over the outside bottom and sides. Afterwards when you scrub the pot the soot will clean off very easy. Note: It’s a bit like sun cream, any spots you miss won’t get protected.
10 minutes to boil 1L, three refuels? Woah... That's kind of ridiculous XD My tomshoo burns for around 1h without having to even touch it. At peak efficiency i gave boiled a liter in 8min flat. At the start, right after it stops smoking and starts a proper pyrolysis it boils it for 12 min but my pot might not be as wide as yours (reduces efficiency)
Interestings stove for sub-alpine camping. I camp near the tree line so probably will stick with the butane/propane stove I now use. Not a lot of downed wood around. I like the survival/camp knife you are using to cut kindling and shavings. Do you review that anywhere? What is the brand and model please.
It's the TOPS Tahoma Field Knife designed by myself back in 2014/15. I have some available on my online store inner-bark.com you can also find the video of the knife on my channel
Seems nice however I see lotta moving parts & more moving parts more chance something goes wrong... I have the solo stove lite & titan... to date I like solo best...best luck
1) Would this thing work as a nice portable fire wood heater for one sitting on the deck on a cold night? You had mentioned it smokes a lot at first but once the fire gets going, the smoke dies down 2) does it come with a package of pre-cut firewood? Can any firewood or twigs go in it? Can you buy packages of firewood or twigs for it?
@@don0giorgio dividd watts by charging voltage. Typically USB carries 5V, summa summarum 0.6A. It cannot charge a phone AND charge itself, in other words.
I tested the first iteration of this stove extensively. I found that charging required long-duration Burns but continued fueling from the top had a tendency to pack the Burn chamber which clogged all airflow requiring a complete reset by dumping the stove out and starting over several times in order to achieve significant phone charging. Perhaps my technique was flawed, did you find a technique to avoid this problem?
The air feed is no longer at the very bottom there is about a half inch spacing which in my experience has not clogged when loading it up. But I also have not been using thin twigs which could clog things up since the coals would be what you experienced. The efficiency of charging is increased 50%. I had read about the first generation being slow to charge which is why I never took a plunge on the earlier model, but this one seems to be the ticket.
@@salciano @Salciano it's more stable than gas stove without stabilizers under the fuel can. Both the toaks and the tomshoo stoves are unstable-ish but you can easily solve that by stick tent pegs into them, fixing them to the ground.
InnerBark Outdoors doing well so far. Have a few options to choose from when going outdoors and depends on what & where I am going as to which I’ll end up using
I feel like this and my micro canister stove would serve me well for everywhere but high elevations or extreme cold, which is where the msr whisperlite international would step in.
Hi, Thanks for the review. Did you strip the bark from the branches? I just bought one of these but not used it yet. Went out onto a local trail to pick up some fallen branches to test it out. The bark has a type of green algae or something on it. It's on all the trees and branches around here. Could that be a health hazard especially if you use the grill? Is it best to strip the bark? Never camped or built a campfire before so I have no idea, thanks all.
@@innerbarkoutdoors Thank you for your reply. The videos I have found are promising, but I have not seen any that report on how these work after a bit more wear and tear. Too many times I've bought pricey gadgets that are great until the 3rd or 4th time you use them!
Hi, can you use this stove on it's own without the electrical part attached, to save a battery life for longer? Can you remove a broken battery, and change it to a new one?
I don't think so. The air is forced through the system to feed the fire. The system will run when the battery is completely depleted and will use surplus energy to charge the battery.
Do you, or anyone else, know if the National Forest Service, WA DNR, and WA Parks consider this a campfire or a stove when it comes to burn bans? I’d assume that they’d consider it a campfire, but I thought that sometimes they make excepts for things that are elevated and contained, like a charcoal grill.
I used to be a park ranger. If barbecue grills are allowed, this would be allowed in those same areas. In a Backcountry setting, I would not use this during a burn ban.
I was just looking at this from MEC here in Canada. My only question is what is the charging speed with a bull battery charge and how much does the fire really generate.
It has a lithium battery built in that gets recharged from the stove itself, or by plugging into a wall. You can run the stove when the battery is empty, as the hear from the stove will power the fan, and then recharge the internal battery.
No issues so far even with the larger pans and skillets. The lip of the stove vents the flames away from the electronics so it stays cooler. Their kettle design instructs you to orient it so the flames go to either side of the pack.
Do the battery pack recharge itself or do you have to keep on plugging it to the wall to keep it charged, because everyone talks about everything about the biolite. Yes i understand that it can charge phone and other devices but can it recharge itself that's the main point
The fan noise level isn't bad. A jetboil is louder, but the fan is higher pitched. Luckily it Cooks rather quickly so you don't have to endure that much of it.
I think you might be doing it wrong. Is the plastic burning? I only burnt plastic when I accidentally put the vents the wrong way when using their pot.
Meh.... Commercial deep fryers have a metal cord in it, and the end of the cord is a metal tube. The metal tube part sits above the pilot light of the deep fryer. When the pilot light accidentally goes out, the metal tube automatically hits a kill switch to shut off your gas until you relight the pilot light.... You can rip this cord out, connect a female usb, and charge your electronics by sticking the metal tube on your campfire. Way more lite weight and cheap option than this bulky little stove. I forgot the name of this cord I'm talking about, but you can just order them online for cheap if you dont find a fryer to junk out.
Let's do the Cons first... Technology not proven over the long term, compared to other stoves, or cooking methods. Bulk, Weight, Slow boil time, and you admit you had to reload wood in the cylinder three times before getting to a boil, and multiple times while cooking. Annoying and tedious! Parts that can break when exposed to hard, or continued use. Pros... Will charge your phone, albeit slowly. Allows one to use an unlimited fuel source, (wood debris), commonly found in the majority of environments. Comparison to using my Soto Amicus IsoButane Canister Stove... Pros... Proven technology! Extremely fast boil time, (3 to 4 minutes) even when using moderate heat. Canister Stoves, are tiny compared to the Biolite Stove. They can be stored in a Aluminum or Titanium Cook Set, along with a, IsoButane Gas canister, which will provide enough fuel to prepare numerous meals, or to boil water used for rehydrating lightweight freeze dried meals. The entire Cook Set, Canister Stove, and the IsoButane Canister is about half the size and weight of the Biolite Stove. Cons... The IsoButane Gas canister will eventually need to be replaced. Function may be affected, as the gas may not flow well in extremely cold temperatures. Will not charge a phone, or other device, but of course a slim profile battery bank can be carried. Result...Different features and benefits, different pros and cons, selection depends upon the intended use, and mission. If someone is looking for a debris burning stove, there are many, lightweight, foldable, collapsible versions on the market, that although they won't charge a phone, or other electronic device, they will provide a method for boiling water, or cooking food.
The biomass stoves have better options to refuel than when traveling abroad, where fuel is not obtainable or not properly filtered which can clog jets (think deep rural Mexico). The foldable biomass stoves work OK, but they are slow...amazingly slow, and much dirtier. Between this and my Optimus Crux stove, it will keep me going most places in the states.
@@innerbarkoutdoors I have always thought that the best Biomass stoves were the ones made by 180 Tack. www.180tack.com/shop/180-flame www.180tack.com/shop/180-stove www.amazon.com/dp/B00OSQ7AR8/?coliid=I3SPHPX968KNR&colid=3DJO3XYEU2LFZ&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it Very pot stable, and so easy to make a pile of debris, which one can then then light, and place the stove on top of the burning pile of debris. Very easy to keep feeding debris under the stove and pot.
Tnx for showing the wood consumption and soot. Other reviews aren't that honest. Great review
Thanks!
This is the best review of this Biolite so far. Lot of "scientific" details such as the elevation and type of wood used. Thumbs up for your great work!
Thanks, Alexandre!
Good information. I purchased the Biolite 2 with the grill. I mostly bought this as a back up in situations where there is no canisters available for my MSR Windburner and in an emergency “bugout” scenario requiring off grid escapism. When the grid is down and social disorder is running rampant. This little gem will provide renewable energy and no need for outside fueling other than nature. It will also provide electricity to recharge my devices ( phone even though the cell system is no longer up still can provide other resources useful for daily survival, Garmin GPS unit as long as satellites are still operational, etc.). Biolite definitely is going to exceed and provide various needs during an emergency situation, over all the other stove systems. In my opinion this is the real beauty of the system. All the other points are really irrelevant. This is a key survival system! Every prepper should have this in their bugout gear. The day is coming!
A good clean and concise review. I have both the 1 and 2 stoves and I love them! and have been using them for a couple of years...not so much in a camping environment, but on my driveway at home in winter! here in Australia, we have very strict burning controls most of the year ( camping ) but in winter time, this stove is a hoot! The charging is an inconsequentiality.., the fan forced burning is terrific and free fuel from the bush! It's just so much fun! Again, a great review and good luck with your channel :)
Thanks for the comment, glad you liked the video! It's a fun little stove!
Hi Rick,sounds like the stoves work well for you.i just bought this stove with the grill attachment at a pawn store for 75.00 USD. Tried it out once so far.i read where some have said it took a long time to charge up.Cheer's
How long does it take to charge up and then charge a phone etc
Excellent review, I have the 1st Gen but you talked me into the 2nd
You could always buy the grill attachment. Then adding more fuel is easy. Nothing to lift.
I got one. Making burgers for days!
Loved how in depth the review with real examples
Thanks! Just an excuse to make a steak 🥩
Pretty damn impressive - thanks for covering the cell phone charge time! Just unpackaged mine :D
You betcha
This thing is insane! As a city, I can't really see myself needing it or using it often, but damn do I want it!
It’s sweet, the technology is crazy
Good review and footage, I bought one about a week ago and can't wait to give the thing a try in the Smokies.
Hope you enjoy it!
That's pretty amazing. It almost seems using a fuel canister is obsolete. As long as there's wood you can charge your devices (not sure how many) but I think overall it's a better option
*thumbs up*
It's not carbon neutral. Just because there's no smoke, doesn't mean there's no co2. Try using it in an enclosed space with a co2 detector and you'll see.
*thumbs up*
Great video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for the review
No problem 👍
Looks like the top of that orange plastic is going to melt once you used a large surface pan for cooking.
Personally I see this as a power source, like solar sheets. I need more grillspace to campcook.
Is there much ash accumulation or does fan burn it all up?
My first thought was the same about the grill space, but it's honestly not too bad! The ash burns up, there is barley anything left.
No Soot. Before using the pot and while it’s clean and dry, rub a dry cake of soap all over the outside bottom and sides. Afterwards when you scrub the pot the soot will clean off very easy. Note: It’s a bit like sun cream, any spots you miss won’t get protected.
Yep I've heard of that's working for standard cookware, but soap never touch my cast iron :-)
I use a spray bottle with diluted dish soap. Works for both prepping the bottom and washing my pots. I use a stainless steel billy can.
I saw this on a hiking stove review and was literally like WHAT THE F**K THAT EXISTS!!! - screw the price I want 3 of them!
this thing maybe cool for roasting a hot dog or brat and enjoying a cold one after a long work day or something
We love it at the cabin
10 minutes to boil 1L, three refuels? Woah... That's kind of ridiculous XD
My tomshoo burns for around 1h without having to even touch it. At peak efficiency i gave boiled a liter in 8min flat.
At the start, right after it stops smoking and starts a proper pyrolysis it boils it for 12 min but my pot might not be as wide as yours (reduces efficiency)
What would happen if you used rubbing alcohol instead of wood
Interestings stove for sub-alpine camping. I camp near the tree line so probably will stick with the butane/propane stove I now use. Not a lot of downed wood around. I like the survival/camp knife you are using to cut kindling and shavings. Do you review that anywhere? What is the brand and model please.
It's the TOPS Tahoma Field Knife designed by myself back in 2014/15. I have some available on my online store inner-bark.com you can also find the video of the knife on my channel
Seems nice however I see lotta moving parts & more moving parts more chance something goes wrong... I have the solo stove lite & titan... to date I like solo best...best luck
Valid concern. People with the original biolite have had very few failures, but it's always a higher probability with more parts
1) Would this thing work as a nice portable fire wood heater for one sitting on the deck on a cold night? You had mentioned it smokes a lot at first but once the fire gets going, the smoke dies down
2) does it come with a package of pre-cut firewood? Can any firewood or twigs go in it? Can you buy packages of firewood or twigs for it?
Great review. How much time would it take to fully charge your phone? And how much time it takes to charge that built-in 2600 mah battery?
@@olivierschraepen5451 hey man, that number in watts makes no sense to me)) what about ampers? Most charging devices are 2 amps
don0giorgio about 0.90 to 1 Amps
It has taken me about 40ish min to charge my android
@@don0giorgio dividd watts by charging voltage. Typically USB carries 5V, summa summarum 0.6A. It cannot charge a phone AND charge itself, in other words.
Good stove but really didn’t like the fact you have to keep removing the cook ware to add wood! I am pretty sure they make front loading fire pits?
I tested the first iteration of this stove extensively. I found that charging required long-duration Burns but continued fueling from the top had a tendency to pack the Burn chamber which clogged all airflow requiring a complete reset by dumping the stove out and starting over several times in order to achieve significant phone charging. Perhaps my technique was flawed, did you find a technique to avoid this problem?
The air feed is no longer at the very bottom there is about a half inch spacing which in my experience has not clogged when loading it up. But I also have not been using thin twigs which could clog things up since the coals would be what you experienced. The efficiency of charging is increased 50%. I had read about the first generation being slow to charge which is why I never took a plunge on the earlier model, but this one seems to be the ticket.
It looks like it's hard to balance the stove. It kinda looks like it might fall down...
@@salciano @Salciano it's more stable than gas stove without stabilizers under the fuel can. Both the toaks and the tomshoo stoves are unstable-ish but you can easily solve that by stick tent pegs into them, fixing them to the ground.
as always great videos with a constructive reviews. still have my 1st gen Biolite stove and love it. And my TFK too!!! Keep up the good work! ATB
Thank you, Larry! How's your first gen holding up?
InnerBark Outdoors doing well so far. Have a few options to choose from when going outdoors and depends on what & where I am going as to which I’ll end up using
I feel like this and my micro canister stove would serve me well for everywhere but high elevations or extreme cold, which is where the msr whisperlite international would step in.
I have a couple of different wood burning stoves, Trangia, JetBoil system. MSR stoves. Some are newer some are tried & true!!
Hi, Thanks for the review.
Did you strip the bark from the branches?
I just bought one of these but not used it yet. Went out onto a local trail to pick up some fallen branches to test it out. The bark has a type of green algae or something on it. It's on all the trees and branches around here. Could that be a health hazard especially if you use the grill? Is it best to strip the bark?
Never camped or built a campfire before so I have no idea, thanks all.
I just came across your video today. I was wondering how both the stove and battery are holding up?
So far everything is holding up well. I've been using it on and off even during the off season.
@@innerbarkoutdoors Thank you for your reply. The videos I have found are promising, but I have not seen any that report on how these work after a bit more wear and tear. Too many times I've bought pricey gadgets that are great until the 3rd or 4th time you use them!
Hi, can you use this stove on it's own without the electrical part attached, to save a battery life for longer? Can you remove a broken battery, and change it to a new one?
I don't think so. The air is forced through the system to feed the fire. The system will run when the battery is completely depleted and will use surplus energy to charge the battery.
I've looked and can't find replacement parts anywhere I think they have not supplied them as they want you to buy a new stove
Do you, or anyone else, know if the National Forest Service, WA DNR, and WA Parks consider this a campfire or a stove when it comes to burn bans? I’d assume that they’d consider it a campfire, but I thought that sometimes they make excepts for things that are elevated and contained, like a charcoal grill.
I used to be a park ranger. If barbecue grills are allowed, this would be allowed in those same areas. In a Backcountry setting, I would not use this during a burn ban.
Agreed , It’s considered the same as a campfire.....DOI
So using along a trail to heat up water for a meal in a park during no burn ban would be okay? Sorry, both replies seem to contradict
@@anthonynistico4496 don't use it during a burn ban or where Backcountry campfires are prohibited
How much does this weigh compared to MSR and fuel canister??
Which stove? They got a few different models
ill take 2
Haha same
How do they keep from the electronics melting?
Multiple layers of steel and airflow
Can you use pellets as well to start a fire? thanks!
Yes use them I do all the time
@@davidlaw233 cool
I was just looking at this from MEC here in Canada. My only question is what is the charging speed with a bull battery charge and how much does the fire really generate.
Depends on fire intensity and ambient temp but I can get a 2-3 bars of charge cooking a meal.
It is very important
*thumbs up*
So this thing charge has its own blower and everything when you start it up and cook with it
Like you don't need to recharge it or replace the batteries?
It has a lithium battery built in that gets recharged from the stove itself, or by plugging into a wall. You can run the stove when the battery is empty, as the hear from the stove will power the fan, and then recharge the internal battery.
Does the reflected heat from the bottom of the pan damage the top of the battery pack?
No issues so far even with the larger pans and skillets. The lip of the stove vents the flames away from the electronics so it stays cooler. Their kettle design instructs you to orient it so the flames go to either side of the pack.
InnerBark Outdoors great! Thank you 👍🏻
Do the battery pack recharge itself or do you have to keep on plugging it to the wall to keep it charged, because everyone talks about everything about the biolite. Yes i understand that it can charge phone and other devices but can it recharge itself that's the main point
Yes it charges itself so you can use the power later.
Fully charges itself in about 1hr & 24 minutes .
Delivery not available here in philippines
:(
How is the fan noise? The only thing holding me back is not wanting to hear a fan whine when I'm out in the woods.
The fan noise level isn't bad. A jetboil is louder, but the fan is higher pitched. Luckily it Cooks rather quickly so you don't have to endure that much of it.
@@innerbarkoutdoors Okay great thanks for the quick reply. I'm used to a Trangia setup for years with no noise, but your right its just to cook food.
Bunny farts are louder than alcohol stoves so it would be a bigger shift for you than with other stoves.
Can you burn coal or charcoal in this?
The manufacturer says no. I reckon it's because those fuels get too hot for the system to handle.
My biolate camp stove 2 gives off a burning plastic smell that gets into the food
I think you might be doing it wrong. Is the plastic burning? I only burnt plastic when I accidentally put the vents the wrong way when using their pot.
Refilling is so painful, small space can’t put in much wood.
Yeah... not the most efficient in terms of how much you can load. BUT for lightweight camping it's a great option.
The plastic case is not good it should be changed
amazing how no one actually cares about the orange plastic being burned when the pan is on top the flame. just look at it. common sense
Agreed a better choice of cover should have been used for that reason
No such thing as carbon-neutral
No such thing as carbon neutral
Yeah... burning wood is not carbon neutral dude. lol
Meh....
Commercial deep fryers have a metal cord in it, and the end of the cord is a metal tube. The metal tube part sits above the pilot light of the deep fryer. When the pilot light accidentally goes out, the metal tube automatically hits a kill switch to shut off your gas until you relight the pilot light....
You can rip this cord out, connect a female usb, and charge your electronics by sticking the metal tube on your campfire. Way more lite weight and cheap option than this bulky little stove. I forgot the name of this cord I'm talking about, but you can just order them online for cheap if you dont find a fryer to junk out.
For charging, sure, but it doesn't improve efficiency of the cooking system or help you control the temp
@@innerbarkoutdoors good to know
@@innerbarkoutdoors I've never tried the pilot lite wire for my smart phone, so it might be too slow of a charge
Let's do the Cons first...
Technology not proven over the long term, compared to other stoves, or cooking methods.
Bulk, Weight, Slow boil time, and you admit you had to reload wood in the cylinder three times before getting to a boil, and multiple times while cooking.
Annoying and tedious!
Parts that can break when exposed to hard, or continued use.
Pros...
Will charge your phone, albeit slowly.
Allows one to use an unlimited fuel source, (wood debris), commonly found in the majority of environments.
Comparison to using my Soto Amicus IsoButane Canister Stove...
Pros...
Proven technology!
Extremely fast boil time, (3 to 4 minutes) even when using moderate heat.
Canister Stoves, are tiny compared to the Biolite Stove. They can be stored in a Aluminum or Titanium Cook Set, along with a, IsoButane Gas canister, which will provide enough fuel to prepare numerous meals, or to boil water used for rehydrating lightweight freeze dried meals.
The entire Cook Set, Canister Stove, and the IsoButane Canister is about half the size and weight of the Biolite Stove.
Cons...
The IsoButane Gas canister will eventually need to be replaced.
Function may be affected, as the gas may not flow well in extremely cold temperatures.
Will not charge a phone, or other device, but of course a slim profile battery bank can be carried.
Result...Different features and benefits, different pros and cons, selection depends upon the intended use, and mission.
If someone is looking for a debris burning stove, there are many, lightweight, foldable, collapsible versions on the market, that although they won't charge a phone, or other electronic device, they will provide a method for boiling water, or cooking food.
The biomass stoves have better options to refuel than when traveling abroad, where fuel is not obtainable or not properly filtered which can clog jets (think deep rural Mexico). The foldable biomass stoves work OK, but they are slow...amazingly slow, and much dirtier. Between this and my Optimus Crux stove, it will keep me going most places in the states.
@@innerbarkoutdoors I have always thought that the best Biomass stoves were the ones made by 180 Tack.
www.180tack.com/shop/180-flame
www.180tack.com/shop/180-stove
www.amazon.com/dp/B00OSQ7AR8/?coliid=I3SPHPX968KNR&colid=3DJO3XYEU2LFZ&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Very pot stable, and so easy to make a pile of debris, which one can then then light, and place the stove on top of the burning pile of debris.
Very easy to keep feeding debris under the stove and pot.
Lost me at "cARbOn nEUtRaL".
I suspect you roll coal and eat Prius for breakfast?
@@innerbarkoutdoors No, I just don't get all preachy.
@@judesheckelberg5135 Neither do I. It was a talking point. The important part is that this stove makes food not raw, and water hot.
@@innerbarkoutdoors Stick to that then.
@@judesheckelberg5135 Umm, I'll stick to all the talking points I feel are relative and important to the review/video. K.