"Bonfire" by Solo Stove? PharmGeek?

[pcskier]

Any reviews? They are $50 off right now. Heard they work great, but a few Amazon reviews referenced rust/corrosion very quickly.

PharmGeek, unless I missed it, you owe us a review from a month or two ago!

https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-bonfire

[OTRA15]

Was curious to see this stove, so here is his last post on that thread:

[click on arrow in quote to go there]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

. . . I'll post my review . . . this weekend.
. . .

Pretty pricey but an elegant solution it would seem.

Thanks,

Peter

[PharmGeek]

I'm sorry - I'll try and post tonight!!! Shame on me!!

Mine hasn't rushed out at all yet - actually I've had it sat out in the rain a couple days and setting on back porch for 3 weeks - no signs of rust - I'm not sure why a few people thought it would rust out in "a week"? Probably surface rust

I'll post my review soon but we love love it

[OTRA15]

Do you put the Bonfire stove in some kind of round metal pan, to minimize the risk of embers coming out of those bottom vent holes (assuming that's what they are anyway)? Not sure the Bonfire by itself complies with certain requirements for an "enclosed self-contained" fire pit, which some of our local beaches have.

Or maybe those holes on the bottom are simply to keep the (double-walled?) jacket cooler, and they do not lead directly to the fire chamber? Is there some ventilation which brings fresh air into the bottom of the fire chamber?

Thanks for any photos you have of the stove in action. Looks great!

Peter

PS -- Edit -- I just watched the video but don't have time to re-write the above. The lower vent holes do provide ventilation/combustion air to the bottom of the Bonfire fire, as I understand it, so embers could conceivably come out of the lower holes. Right?

PS2 -- Do they sell a grate you could put on top for cooking meat, or holding a large fry pan or dutch oven? No height adjustment, but another possible use for the thing? [Edit -- no grill accessories from the company for the Bonfire model.]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

I'm sorry - I'll try and post tonight!!! Shame on me!!

Mine hasn't rushed out at all yet - actually I've had it sat out in the rain a couple days and setting on back porch for 3 weeks - no signs of rust - I'm not sure why a few people thought it would rust out in "a week"? Probably surface rust

I'll post my review soon but we love love it

[Zil]

We have made these from 1 quart paint cans with Progresso soup cans for the 'inner liner'. We experimented with various drilled hole arraignments. They are called wood gas stoves on google. Of course ours are small, not 20 inch diameter.

[PharmGeek]

I don't think the embers will come out - I'll snap some photos when I get back in town in a week to show but embers have not yet ever came out of this

I believe it is because only very fine ash falls down there? The bottom itself is actually quite cool - the side walls when in use will be very hot but not the bottom

As far as compliance with rules/regs - will be hard to find specifics but based on what I know using mine - this is a closed fire pit albeit with these vent holes that help create that wood gas effect

[PharmGeek]

You requested photos - here ya go - when I get back in a week from today I just need to sit down - take some more detailed photos and write up my review

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the update and photos. Looks real nice! Will appreciate any further thoughts when you get back esp. regarding rules/regs vs. possible embers out the bottom.

Peter

[PharmGeek]

I would be willing to say that this does NOT meet most of those regs about self contained - this is an open fire pit - embers will come out from the top - i said earlier it is "closed" but of course not on top

I think if I understand your question is it about a fire ban?

I would NOt use this in fire ban - and I am quite sure it is a no go for a fire ban - I've discussed this with backpackers with respect to the tiny version of these stoves and while it is not 100% clear, I think this is a "fire" - as it has no "off" function and such

[OTRA15]

Thanks, our specific interest is for having a fire at local municipal beach, and their regs are focused mainly on not leaving any hot embers, coals, or hot sand, in the sand when you leave. A galvanized steel wash tub, or a mason's mortar tub, might do the trick. The Bonfire is nice because it is relatively small, and has a great fire inside when you pick good smaller logs to burn.

Thanks again,

Peter

[PharmGeek]

I'll do you one better

I believe I can place it on a big piece of cardboard on use and not damage it

Whether that will suit the regs in not sure - but in spirit I believe it absolutely would - details to come

[thiel]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

I'll do you one better

I believe I can place it on a big piece of cardboard on use and not damage it

Whether that will suit the regs in not sure - but in spirit I believe it absolutely would - details to come

Everybody place your wagers!

[switz]

Meanwhile back at the Coliseum, the score is Lions 15 - Christians nothing. Place the bets.

We are in Stage 1 fire restrictions in northern Arizona (until last night when we had a frog drowner). No open fires, no charcoal cookers, no cigarets or other smoking outside, no shooting. Since the top of this new "burner" lacks fire screens, I would allow it would not be allowed back in the hinterlands when it is tinder dry.

[wulfraat]

This looks pretty cool! How do you all transport it with the trailer in tow?

[OTRA15]

It's only 14" high with a 20" diameter, and looks pretty durable in terms of the gauge (thickness) of the stainless steel, so fairly easy to stow and transport IMO. Also would guess that it cools off pretty quickly after the fire is out, however, lacking handles, it would appear that picking it up when hot might be difficult . . .

Total weight of 20 pounds, and I just noticed in the cross-section that the bottom vent holes do not open directly into the fire chamber, so it is unlikely that embers or hot coals would escape from the bottom holes.

Thanks again PharmGeek and pcskier for the heads up -- no need for the cardboard burn test, but you are probably right that the bottom edge stays pretty cool.

Peter

PS -- This 15-gallon steel tub might be big enough to hold the Bonfire, but they don't give the interior diameter dimension at the bottom. [Need 19.5" for the base of the Bonfire.]

https://www.amazon.com/Behrens-3GS-G...alvanized&th=1

There are larger tubs available, and they all have side handles for lifting when hot if needed.

[PharmGeek]

I carry mine won the bag they provided - works great

[InterBlog]

I'm concerned about the "clean-ability" of this product. I recently bought a Kelly Kettle, which is an analogous device (for boiling water rather than for having a campfire). It works wonderfully and I intend to keep using it -- but sooner or later, the tars and combustion residues must be cleaned off the stainless steel parts that come into contact with the flame and combusted material. That might not be as big of a concern if one were leaving it outdoors on a back deck, but hauling it around in a trailer or motorhome? The Kelly Kettle will stink to high heaven if not routinely cleaned, which is a very labor-intensive job involving repeated soaks in water, repeated applications of a sodium hydroxide-based product, and a lot of elbow grease.

I don't know how true this is of the Solo Stove lineage, but one of the Amazon reviews eludes to these difficulties as follows:

"You cannot clean the inside bottom out. There is a non removable metal grate blocking the very bottom. Some logs are a bit sappy and the ash sticks down there and there's no way to get it out. Heaven forbid if a marshmallow falls in. Concerned this will hamper the convection air from underneath over time..."

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

I carry mine won the bag they provided - works great

Have you had any cleaning troubles like InterBlog just mentioned, and are you still happy with your Bonfire stove?

InterBlog, I think the Bonfire gets much hotter inside the bottom, because the roaring fire is contained, than does the Kelly Kettle which lets the fire's heat rise up inside the chimney of that unit, and escape out the top.

Is it possible that the review you quoted is for one of the smaller stoves, and not about the larger Bonfire under discussion here?

Click on Stoves for drop down menu to see all models, from Lite to Bonfire:

https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-bonfire

Thanks for reviving this great thread started by pcskier. We would like to see one in operation.

Cheers,

Peter

PS -- AWCHIEF reports on cleaning the Kelly Kettle with Flume Free Easy Off in the last post here:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f484...le-163422.html

Seems OK IMO.

[Lara Me]

JFYI the Bonfire was on Black Friday special this weekend for $225 shipped. Decided to pull the trigger.

[OTRA15]

They are having a similar Cyber Monday sale, with the Bonfire priced at $224.99, plus free shipping and returns.

https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-bonfire

Good deal!

Peter