review – As summer kicks off unofficially, it’s time to dust off camping, hiking and backpacking gear to prepare for adventure. For me, one of the most important considerations when going outdoors is knowing when I can eat. Not just when I eat, I need to know what, how much, and how. In car camping, it’s super easy because I can carry as much food and cooking equipment as my trusty FJ Cruiser can fit. Hiking and backpacking is a challenge though, as I can only carry so much in my backpack.
i still use Wolf and Grizzly Fire Safety I reviewed it in March 2020, but I’ve been wanting to upgrade. Now is the perfect time to review the Solo Stove Campfire. This stove may look nothing more than a big pot with some holes, but trust me, it does provide heat. Campfires are a bit pricey at a little over $100, but if quick and easy outdoor cooking is as important to you as it is to me, it might be worth it.
what is it?
The Solo Stove Campfire is a cylindrical portable camping stove made of stainless steel. Campfire is designed to cook for four or more people. Solo Stove also has smaller camping stove models; the Titan is for two and retails for $84.99, and the Lite is $64.99 for one.
The Campfire comes in a box not much bigger than the device itself, and it’s covered with photos and specs of the stove.
What’s in the box?
- single bonfire
- tote bag
- User Manual
Hardware Specifications
- Material: 304 grade stainless steel
- Weight: 2.2 lbs.
- Diameter: 7 inches
- Height (with cooking ring): 9.25 inches
- Fuel: sticks, twigs, pine cones and other biomass
- Capacity: Can cook for four or more people
Design and Features
Solo Stove’s Campfire’s design is similar to almost every other fire pit and camp stove the company makes. It is a cylindrical stainless steel barrel with small holes on the lower exterior and upper interior.
The Campfire comes with a carrying pouch to help prevent any remaining ash from getting on anything else the Solo Stove Campfire may contain. However, the bag is a little too snug and can be a pain to use, especially in low light.
The campfire consists of two parts; the main body and the detachable cooking ring.
Made from the same 304 stainless steel as the body, the cooking ring is designed to sit on top of the body for use and fit inside the body.
The cooking ring has three tabs folded at 90° and protrudes a little upwards from the body. When cooking, the pot or pan is placed on top of the tab, allowing ample airflow and heat to circulate underneath.
A portion of the cooking ring is cut out, allowing you to feed the fire with fuel while cooking.
Inside the body of the Solo Stove Campfire is an integrated steel mesh. The mesh allows ash to fall to the bottom of the body, preventing it from obstructing airflow into the fire.
I wish the mesh was removable as it would make cleanup easier, but I also like that it means there are fewer parts to track.
The main body of the campfire is double-walled, allowing cooler air to be drawn in through the lower vents and then released directly into the flame from the upper vents, providing what Solo Stove calls “afterburning.”
The double wall construction prevents the heat from scorching the ground area under the campfire, but be aware that the exterior walls do get very hot during use.
The overall construction of the Solo Stove Campfire portable camping stove and its build quality are impressive. From the brushed-steel exterior to the rounded edge on the bottom, the stove itself feels smartly designed and virtually indestructible.
At just over 2 pounds, about 7 inches, and over 9 inches tall (with a cooking ring attached), the Campfire is larger than most camping stoves.When I have more compact options (eg Wolf and Grizzly Fire Safety. But when space is not an issue, a campfire is a great option.
set up
Setting up a campfire is quick and easy as long as you find a flat surface that is free of any flammable materials. Since campfires burn biomass, the only other step is to collect fuel.
Finding fuel for the Solo Stove Campfire is easy if you’re in a wooded area. Dry branches, pine cones, and leaves will burn well in a campfire, but for the best firepower, Solo Stove recommends using dry hardwoods such as birch, maple, hickory, and oak. It is also recommended to divide sticks and branches into thumb-sized lengths.
Once the fuel is collected, simply load the campfire and light it. Alternatively, you can place the cooking ring on top of the body before firing.
Performance
As simple as the design of the Solo Stove Campfire portable camping stove is, I was blown away by how well it performed. Starting with two or three handfuls of twigs, a few pine cones, and some dry lint, we had a super hot, almost smokeless fire in about a minute.
In fact, the only smoke we encountered was during the initial burn, as the Pacific Northwest has always had moisture leaching into our wood. However, once the moisture burns out, there is hardly any smoke and a lot of heat.
You can actually see in the photo how the vents direct oxygen directly into the flame. The heavier colored flames all come directly from the vents.
With the cooking ring on top of the body, its vents seem to focus the flame more.
To take advantage of the heat, we quickly put a pot of water on the cooking ring. Solo Stove Campfire’s water boils quickly. I was a little skeptical about how the label on the cooking ring would support a large pot, but that wasn’t a problem, the pot stood firm.
The heat also quickly consumes a small amount of fuel, so the campfire needs to be fed frequently. The cutout on the cooking ring comes in handy here, especially with pot cooking on it.
Also because of the unbelievably high temperature, slight patina quickly appeared on the hearth and the inside of the body.
After feeding all the pine cones, branches and leaves to the campfire, we found that we finally let the fire go out on its own.
It didn’t take long for the flames to go out, but it took a while for the heat of the coals at the base of the campfire to cool down. If we want to cook later, it’s easy enough to just put some fresh fuel over the coals and rekindle the fire. Another testament to Campfire’s excellent design and practicality in the field.
Since the metal of a campfire can get very hot, Solo Stove recommends never putting out fires with water, as this can be dangerous. After about 35 minutes, our campfire finally cooled. Everything turned to ashes except for the cores of a few pine cones.
The patina on the cooking ring is still there after cooling, but I don’t mind that much since I plan to use a campfire a lot.
The cleanup isn’t bad at all, just flip the Solo Stove Campfire portable camping stove over, make sure the ash is completely cool and give it a quick wipe. While I’m annoyed by a tiny charred branch, I just can’t get past the grid. Another reason a movable grid might come in handy.
Overall, the Campfire performed exceptionally well. Campfire is a great option for those who don’t like camping stoves with complicated assembly and disassembly instructions and volatile fuel tanks or cans. Using only the branches and pine cones we found around our campsite, we were able to light a blazing, almost smokeless campfire in no time. What’s more, we can get hot food into hungry mouths in no time. The campers around were happy because of the campfire.
what do I like
- Starts fast and burns hot
- very low smoke
- easy to clean
Areas for improvement
- Form factor may be too large for backpacking
- expensive
- Depending on the fuel used, it may burn dirty
final thoughts
The Solo Stove Campfire Portable Camping Stove has become a permanent addition to my camping gear. Due to the weight and bulk, I’m not sure if I’d take it on a long hike or backpacking trip, but for a short overnight stay or car camping, it’s absolutely perfect. The campfire quickly ignited, burned, and was quickly cleaned up. Even better is not having to remember to bring fuel; as long as there are sticks and twigs, I can have a hot meal. The higher price of $104.99 might be a hindrance for some as there are plenty of cheaper camping stoves on the market, but the construction, innovative design and ease of use make sense to me.
price: $104.99
where to buy (this: Amazon and only stove
resource: This product sample is provided by only stove.
