Anyone heard of this yet? "Bio Stove"

New to me. At more than a kilo though I'd want way more performance than a prancing inefficient yellow flame and a re-charge USB of unspecified potential.
 
Very interesting idea - using the heat to power a fan, and provide USB charging. I did wonder what the iPhone in the image was for.

It's a bit on the heavy side, but a great idea for an emergency set up. I wonder how it compares to solar chargers.
 
I do believe it has potential, and know of a few PX dealers/purchasors who cannot wait to swarm upon it at the Shot show, the potential and development in the field of todays techno age??? I know that the Various armed forces have approached the dealers who have the capability to deliver, so I believe that it will be a hit - Lithium Ion only lasts so long, I believe there is potential here.
I cannot wait for reviews on this product.
 
The central thing for me has to be the undisclosed amount of power it can output and how well it can sustain it. As a stove I think it's crap. My 442 weighs about three quarters of that, burns much more efficiently, and doesn't tie me to scavenging for twigs / cones / dung. And I already think that 442 thing is a lump and only use it in really cold conditions or with transport. To get my head round this offering here I would have to regard it principally as a power supply I could run computer based comms off for a protracted time, and a plethora of other USB gadgets. Those abound so if it could sustain that I might consider having one on wages even for the tredder panniers. The fact I could stick a kettle on top 'cos it got hot would be bunce. If it can only charge weedy gadgets that I can already do with a AA phone back up power supply, or run from a vehicle cigarette lighter like I can my little video camera, I fail to see the point. Being a parsimonious sort I'm wondering why the power supply figures aren't yelled out in bold if it could do anything special.
 
if it was a little cheaper say around 100 per unit i'd buy two for car camping.


for hiking and backpacking i think i would stick with my bush buddy which only ways 5oz
 
I would think that, for those married to their battery powered devices, one could carry a lot of spare batteries with less bulk and weight. WHen car camping, the power outlet in the car is mighty handy and the chargers are cheap. Neat idea but, IMHO, the technology isn't quite there yet.
 
Looks interesting but I'll wait for others to use it before I'd seriously consider one.

Aside from the size and weight, I am very skeptical of the USB charger's reliability. Seems like there will be many accidents involving burned and wet iPhones if trying to work the two at the same time.

It may make more sense as a disaster stove where stick-burning and a power source would be desperately needed. I wouldn't buy or carry a stove just to recharge my electrical gadgets when in the outdoors anyway (I like looking at and listening to nature).
 
Wow I can't believe all the nay saying.
This thing may not be for everyone or every situation but it is ingenious. Not only can it charge a phone, GPS etc. it powers itself.
I used to own a Sierra Zip stove. It was excellent except it needed batteries and the battery pack and connection were weakly built. That said when it worked it was awesome.
You only needed only a little fuel, basically what is laying around at your feet. A few sticks and pine cones etc and you had a real hot stove, a baby furnace.
This design looks well built and considering an MSR stove will cost you $80 without the fuel bottle $129 is reasonable.
Phone charger cords are long enough to be far enough away from both fire and boil-overs.
I thought I would see more love. I want one just for earthquake readiness here in NorCal.
 
billym said:
Wow I can't believe all the nay saying.
This thing may not be for everyone or every situation but it is ingenious. Not only can it charge a phone, GPS etc. it powers itself.
I used to own a Sierra Zip stove. It was excellent except it needed batteries and the battery pack and connection were weakly built. That said when it worked it was awesome.
You only needed only a little fuel, basically what is laying around at your feet. A few sticks and pine cones etc and you had a real hot stove, a baby furnace.
This design looks well built and considering an MSR stove will cost you $80 without the fuel bottle $129 is reasonable.
Phone charger cords are long enough to be far enough away from both fire and boil-overs.
I thought I would see more love. I want one just for earthquake readiness here in NorCal.
Click to expand...

So you want a group hug or something?

I've camped in snow, desert, in dirt and in mud. Also in places way above the timber line. None of those situations have I been able to find (dry) sticks that easily. In addition, having an open USB plug as part of something that gets dirty with soot and mud isn't going to contribute to the longevity of the device.

BTW, has anyone actually tried to recharge their iPhone or other Apple device as is shown in that marketing photo? Apple products are designed not to accept charges from any non-Apple charger. Kinda sucks to buy one of those stoves and then find that the charger won't work on your gadgets...
 
As for the stove itself, IMHO, a well designed twig stove doesn't need an electric fan. My Emberlit weighs less than half a pound and cooks like a champ, about fifteen minutes on one load of wood. For me, that is plenty of time to boil water, cook a meal and make tea or coffee. I have had my cell go dead on a weekend trip, but it was my fault for not fully charging it beforehand. For a longer trip I'd like to have a small solar charger. They don't weigh much or take up much room. But if one cost more than a spare battery for my phone, it would not be very attractive to me.
 
I think this group is losing sight of the fact that this Bio Stove was developed primarily for use in Sub-Saharan Africa or other destitute areas of the world where "A" fuel such as propane/gasoline,etc are not readily available, and "B" where technology is not embraced due to lack of electricity to charge devices. That being said, for the poor and impovished nations for which this stove was developed, it is an ideal tool to bring water to a boil for sanitation/drinking and allow those same persons to access their devices in remote areas. We [the technology glutted American populice] are overly critical of development for anything that might require a little work to get it working or might not be in fashion amongst your peers. Sorry to be the harbinger of doom but if you have a 'bug out bag' for emergencies or other scenarios where your little {battery} packs will expire with no way to renew them, I'd like to have the Bio Stove as my primary source of cooking and re-booting of my cell phone or 'non solar/crank' radio or other device. Lets not forget that patents are hard to come by, and we should be supporting the little guy.
 
And, I still haven't seen one of these gadgets. Probably take its place next to the folding hatchet.
 
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