Biolite CampStove 2+ Review

Written By C B

A product with the potential to revolutionise hiking, camping and survival.

Rating

  • Effectiveness

    • 8

  • Quality

    • 10

  • Value For Money

    • 10

Combined Score — 28/30

Overview

What if you could combine the utility of a powerbank and gas stove? Well it’s official, the day of the wood fired iPhone charger is upon us.

The CampStove 2+, is a new product from Biolite that answers that call. So long as you can find a few sticks or similar biomass fuel, you can cook, power electronics and heat a small area such as a tent or shelter.

The CampStove 2+ is comprised of two main parts - a control unit and a fire pit, and it works by generating heat from solid fuels such as wood, through a heat conducting element. The resulting power is then used for two purposes - firstly to spin a turbine, providing air to the fire in the pit and secondly charging the powerbank.

The powerbank on the 2+ model holds a 3200mah of battery, roughly enough to fully charge an iPhone and can also be charged through a micro USB to be used as a regular powerbank. We would highly recommend keeping it charged up so that it can easily power the turbine as the heat conductor gets up to temperature.

Kettles and pots can also be easily balanced on top of the pit, which ensures a concentrated heat source for efficient cooking.

Now, the CampStove isn’t perfect, its biggest shortcoming being the small size of the metal fire pit, which, if you’re using a fast burning fuel such as wood, will need refilling several  times in order to do something like boiling a large pot of water and this can be slightly finicky owing to the container’s Pringles can shape and size. However, the small size of the CampStove is an unfortunate necessity for a portable stove. If it were significantly larger, it would soon become impractical as an alternative to traditional gas stoves that can be easily carried in a backpack.

Product testing

In our hands-on test, we found that the Campstove will bring water to a rolling boil in around 10-15 minutes, and was capable of generating enough power to sustain its turbine whilst also producing an excess to fill the power bank.

We were also very impressed with the build quality, which gave the impression that no corner was cut and that you could chuck it in a backpack and not worry.

Conclusion

The CampStove 2+ is a product we highly recommend for any camper, hiker or prepper. Whilst not an essential item in the strictest sense, the ability to power electronics such as phones could literally be a lifesaver in a survival situation. Whether you need an ability to cook efficiently with only wood, a phone charged during a power cut or a radio powered during a disaster event, this product answers the call.

C B