Solo Stove - cut wood in half?

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Tomfeury

We are very happy with the biolite. Never any smoke, and the solar recharge for the battery works well. And it is nice to have that battery to recharge our devices while by the fire.
It is also small, but the wood lays horizontally, so if the pieces are longer than 18", they can lay at an angle, and it still seems to work well.

Thanks, that's a new one to these eyes:



https://www.amazon.com/BioLite-FireP...206901&sr=8-10

Do you use the carrying case with built-in solar charger [looks small IMO], or some other charging panel?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079MJPZ1B...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Thanks,

Peter


more coming

[gregwall]

We have used a Solo Stove for over a year, and I love it. Sitting around the fire is such a big part of camping, but I am a smoke magnet. I have to keep moving around to get out of the smoke. The Solo Stove greatly diminishes this problem. It burns efficiently and really keeps us warmer. I don't cut the firewood, so the wood sticks out of the stove. I haven't found it to be a problem. I do need to watch for overhanging limbs, and make sure the fire has a clear opening above it. After the initial logs burn down, adding wood isn't an issue as you are just adding one log at a time, so it fits well within the stove's top.

We cook over it regularly, and find it much easier than an open fire.

[stevenson748]

I purchased a light weight Black and Decker electric chain saw and cut the logs in half that you can purchase at campgrounds. This works out really well. The smoke is significantly less with ranger solo stove fire pit

[pcskier]

I have the Bonfire and the Ranger. I got the Ranger thinking it would be smaller to carry and need less wood to really get things cranking...which happens when it's chock full of wood with a good bed of hot coals. To get there with the bonfire, it takes more wood. Being smaller, the Ranger takes less wood...but yes, to truly get the reduced smoke of the Solo Stove, the wood needs to be under the rim...standard logs stick out. This makes it smokier especially early in the burn before things get super hot. But as the stove heats up and gets full of coals...there's enough heat that the smoke is still reduced a lot. Overall I like the bonfire better, and more wood is not a big deal is I buy it at a wood yard near my storage unit and can get a pretty good load for 20 bucks rather than $6 or more for 5 sticks at the campground. And those sticks are normally so skinny they burn up in no time.


The washing machine tub is nothing like a solo stove in design, function, or performance. Not saying you can't burn logs in a washing machine tub, but they are not double-walled construction the generates the super heated hair the moves through the 'skin' of the Solo Stove, resulting in so much less smoke. A washing machine tub is simply a barrel with a bunch of holes in it. Totally different. But to each his own, whether it's logs in a fire pit, a Solo Stove, or a wash tub.

[pcskier]

I have the Bonfire and the Ranger. I got the Ranger thinking it would be smaller to carry and need less wood to really get things cranking...which happens when it's chock full of wood with a good bed of hot coals. To get there with the bonfire, it takes more wood. Being smaller, the Ranger takes less wood...but yes, to truly get the reduced smoke of the Solo Stove, the wood needs to be under the rim...standard logs stick out. This makes it smokier especially early in the burn before things get super hot. But as the stove heats up and gets full of coals...there's enough heat that the smoke is still reduced a lot. Overall I like the bonfire better, and more wood is not a big deal is I buy it at a wood yard near my storage unit and can get a pretty good load for 20 bucks rather than $6 or more for 5 sticks at the campground. And those sticks are normally so skinny they burn up in no time.


The washing machine tub is nothing like a solo stove in design, function, or performance. Not saying you can't burn logs in a washing machine tub, but they are not double-walled construction the generates the super heated hair the moves through the 'skin' of the Solo Stove, resulting in so much less smoke. A washing machine tub is simply a barrel with a bunch of holes in it. Totally different. But to each his own, whether it's logs in a fire pit, a Solo Stove, or a wash tub.

[heymana]

I have been cutting 16” pieces in half.
I just discovered that Lowes sells firewood that is 12” long instead of 16”. No need to cut it.

[JamuJoe]

Originally Posted by stevejones

For those of you who have the Solo Stove (we have a Ranger), how many of you cut your firewood in half? Firewood bought at the store or campsite typically comes in a length that sticks out the top of the stove, leading to more smoke. The stove FAQ says "To minimize smoke and optimize your flame, don't fill the wood above the holes at the top of the fire pit." I bought a reciprocating saw to cut firewood pieces in half, but it is a lot of trouble to do this.

So just wondering how many of you cut your wood so the pieces are not too long? Or do you just burn it as is and don't worry about it?

Thanks,

Steve

We have the Ranger, and I’ve found that it does quite well if you load it heavily with standard length firewood. Shorter pieces might be better, but not worth the effort of additional tools etc.

[Prettygood]

Agree, no real need to cut the wood. It is still smoky at the start, but once fully heated the Ranger is still pretty smokeless even with some wood sticking above the rim. I have the Bonfire and Ranger, and prefer the Ranger for camping.

[jmickow]

My kids bought us a Ranger model just after they came out, early enough that I had no idea what it was when I opened the package much to their amusement, and so have a lot of miles on our stove.

I almost always cut standard logs in half, but always with a Corona RazorTooth folding hand saw coupled with a small axe for splitting.

Seems like it only takes 20-30 minutes to cut up an evenings worth of wood with much less commotion than other gas or battery-powered devices.

[Silvr_Bullet]

Originally Posted by jmickow

My kids bought us a Ranger model just after they came out, early enough that I had no idea what it was when I opened the package much to their amusement, and so have a lot of miles on our stove.



I almost always cut standard logs in half, but always with a Corona RazorTooth folding hand saw coupled with a small axe for splitting.



Seems like it only takes 20-30 minutes to cut up an evenings worth of wood with much less commotion than other gas or battery-powered devices.

I recently used a hand saw comparable to the Corona RazorTooth, left to me by my father-in-law, I was amazed at the cutting efficiency, I like your idea.