Tested: BioLite 2 Campstove

I have had my BioLite 2 CampStove for a few years now, I actually bought it the second I spotted one online, and have brought it with me on basically every camping trip since. If you haven’t seen the BioLite 2 before, it is a mini gasless cooker with a twist.

To use the stove, I simply pop in a fire lighter and some kindling, then work up to slightly larger pieces of wood or even a pine cone as my fuel. It’s amazingly simple to light and operate, and pumps out more than enough heat to cook a meal or boil some water. You can even get an optional grill for cooking burgers and so on, that is definitely on my wish list.

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This is possible because the clever unit actually has a built-in battery pack powering a small fan which is adjustable for output levels. This not only makes starting a fire easy as pie, it results in a smokeless burn and a much more efficient fire.

This is where things get even more interesting, as you can use that battery pack to charge your phone or plug in a small LED light (which is included) to light up your table while cooking a meal. This all sounds pretty sweet, right? Well, it gets even better.

So not only can you charge your gear via the inbuilt USB point, when the fire is lit, this unit somehow converts heat from your fire in to electricity. Meaning your fire is now not only cooking your meal, it’s powering the fan and charging your phone at the same time. Now tell me that’s not an awesome idea, especially in such a little package.

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The whole unit packs down to a small carry pouch, and is so small you can fit it basically anywhere. But is it any good, I hear you ask? Well, yes and no. If I’m in a rush, it’s so much simpler to pop out a portable gas cooker, and you’re away in seconds. Because you do have to actually light a fire, this can take a bit longer, and if you are in a rush to get the day started it can be a bit of an inconvenience.

If that’s not an issue for you, there are certainly many benefits to the BioLite 2 CampStove. Like, you don't have to carry or pay for gas, you can charge your phone for free essentially, and everyone at camp will want to ask you about your cool gadget. And it is a cool gadget, I’ll be hanging on to this for a few more years to come, I reckon.

AVAILABLE FROM: www.bioliteenergy.com
RRP: $279