Do you enjoy sitting around a campfire with smoke blowing in your face? Do you enjoy burning through the wood quickly? Would you like to stay warmer at the campfire? Solo Stove has created a unique device that addresses those three issues.
Stella and I had never really been into campfires… until now! Upon seeing a few friends that had purchased the Solo Stove and were happy with it, we recently took the plunge and bought one for ourselves. We now enjoy sitting around a campfire at Base Camp @ Grand Lake, where Stella plays her guitar and we gaze up at the stars. We were pleasantly surprised when the Solo Stove Bonfire had arrived only a few days after placing the order. Once it had arrived, we were very excited to try it out and see if it lived up to the company’s claims.
Racing up to Base Camp @ Grand Lake that Friday after our purchase, we had quickly unloaded the Solo Stove and decided to have our first try with it. Literally, from opening the box, unpacking it, to starting a fire, took about five minutes. That first night, we had used a few pieces of fatwood to start the fire, combined with a bunch of willow branches; we then tossed in a few larger pieces of firewood. We have now used the Solo Stove Bonfire three or four times since our purchase.
SMOKE: there is some smoke when initially getting the fire going. Once the pieces of fatwood and/or small branches burn down, and large pieces of wood are placed into the Solo Stove, the amount of smoke produced is very minimal – wind or no wind.
EFFICIENCY: because of the design of the Solo Stove, it burns the wood more efficiently so that you get more out of the wood that is placed inside of it, and a well-contained campfire.
HEAT PRODUCTION: once the fire gets going, the amount of heat it produces is significant. The warmth radiates about four feet out from the Solo Stove, and the heat is consistent around the circumference of the device.
SIZE: the Solo Stove comes in different sizes for portable camping, in addition to three campfire pit sizes. The smallest size is the “Ranger,” mid-size is the “Bonfire,” largest size is the “Yukon.” We purchased the “Bonfire,” which is a perfect size for up to about six people.
We are very impressed with the Solo Stove, and now understand why so many people rave about it. When we used it last weekend with a fellow camping friend, I had the fire roaring within minutes, again with little to no smoke. That time, however, I had used only one piece of fatwood to start the fire, as using three pieces the times prior was a bit of overkill.
SIDE NOTE: I highly recommend spending the extra money to purchase the Solo Stove Bonfire Shield along with the Solo Stove for safety purposes. Just as with any campfire, embers pop from the wood and fly in all directions at random. The Bonfire Shield will contain those sparks to prevent them from landing on someone or something (ex. trees, bushes, etc.), which could result in an unintentional wildfire.
Pros
- Little to no smoke once the fire gets underway. This is the biggest advantage!
- Fast, easy setup. From box to campfire in about five minutes.
- Burns clean. Solo Stove maximizes airflow allowing for proper combustion of the firewood.
- Portability. Even the larger sizes come with a convenient carry case so that they may be easily transported and/or safely stored. To my knowledge, you cannot transport a traditional campfire ring easily…
- Free Shipping.
Cons
- Price. They do come with a high price tag, but in turn, you get a product that will allow people to enjoy sitting around a campfire for years to come. And, short of running it over with a vehicle, the Solo Stove will last a lifetime. We wish that we would have purchased one of these years ago.
Overall: Excellent Purchase
Price Paid: $269.99 plus tax & free shipping. (Regular Price – $349.99)
Place Purchased: Solo Stove Website
Link to Solo Stove Website: Solo Stove
Note: By clicking the links to Solo Stove in this review, we receive a small commission from Solo Stove if a purchase is made. If I/we did not pay full retail price for a product being reviewed, I/we will explicitly state that in the review. Unless explicitly stated, I/we have no affiliation or relationship with the product being reviewed.
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