Coming from a primitive guy looking at modern options....holy crap! Nice! I'm sold ;) I've been looking forward to this review for a few weeks and you didn't let me down. Absolutely great review/demo Ben. This stove is now on my shorter then short list. Thank you Sir!
thanks for the review, it helped in making the decision to purchase this stove. Another up side is Silver Fire is located in Oregon which is where I live, so helping out a local company is a no-brainer.
+Aj Kaml thanks Mr. Camel. We were all wondering if there are any made in China merchandise in your home. If you write with a pen or wipe your butt you are supporting a Chinese factory. Go back to watching your Avatar Water-Bender cartoons, and think about how hypocritical your comment is.
I agree with you about the biostoves... they are hard to beat. There isnt much need to carry any fuel and their construction is simple, so theres nothing to break or wear out. Last year I made a small gasifier fire pit for the back yard out of a couple stainless steel stock pots. I am so impressed with its performance Im considering getting a packable one like this too. On a side note, I like your style of videos. They are not over done and you present both pros and cons.
I am waiting delivery of my SF Scout from Amazon. It should be here by Monday, I have both of the Solo Stoves, but not wanting to get them dirty, I just use them with the alcohol burners when I have picnics at parks. I'll be using my scout for some camping, so being a bit of a firebug, I'm looking forward to lighting it up. There's nothing like crispy bacon and a warm bowl of chilli in the great outdoors!
Good job on demonstrating how to 'correctly' load & light a wood GAS stove; hence we get the acronym these wood gas stoves are known by, TLUD -- 'TOP LIT up draft' stoves. Your correct demonstration of the 'batch load/ then TOP-light' technique is very rarely seen on TH-cam. I keep trying to explain that it's basically an 'upside-down' campfire in a can. So again, good job and thank you for making this video. One observation, if you keep the fuel load stack height (processed wood) below the gasification 'secondary air-ports' located at the top rim of the inner burn chamber, you will achieve QUICKER gasification (within a minute or so), LONGER burns times on one (properly loaded) fuel load of wood (~20+ min. of burn time -- no need to constantly feed wood), and literally NO smoke. Imagine if you were to use wood pellets, it would serve no beneficial purpose to fill the burn chamber ABOVE the secondary air-ports in this scenario; so the same guideline would apply to processed wood, or any other type of biomass used. Additionally, if you keep 'added' wood BELOW the 'flame-stream path' you will not only minimize/negate smoke release (stealth concerns), but also help minimize unburnt gas/carbon deposits from releasing onto your cookware (soot buildup). As an example, let's say the Silver Fire Scout burn chamber vertical height, in inches, measured FROM the bottom edge of the gasification secondary air-port thru-holes TO the bottom floor of the burn chamber is 4 inches in vertical height. I would recommend processing (cutting/breaking) the LARGE wood pieces into ~3in lengths (about index finger length & thickness); then placing these pieces FIRST into the burn chamber vertically, i.e. parallel with the axis of the burn chamber cylinder (like plastic straws in a restaurant cylindrical container). NEXT, I would add SMALLER wood/kindling -- about half the length (or a little smaller) of the large vertical pieces of wood; array horizontally in a disorganized layer (about ~1/2 - 3/4in thick layer). LASTLY, add your favorite tinder/accelerant at the top; array in a disorganized layer completely covering the top surface (about ~1/2in thick layer). Light it from the TOP & watch the self-sustained fire burn for at least ~20 minutes or more. Of course, moisture content of the wood, temperature, altitude, wind and wet weather are big factors, so burn times will vary when these factors are considered. I gained this "knowledge" after personally enduring approx. over one-hundred hours of test burns during the months/process of designing my own wood gas stoves (over 5 different designs) earlier this year. My burn tests included field conditions of temperature ranges from ~30 - >110deg F, winds from 0 - >30mph, rain, and altitudes from ~1000 - ~9200ft above sea level. From this, I now understand why all commercial 'natural draft' wood gas stoves on the market simply 'blow-out' (use large air holes on) the bottom floor of the burn chamber of their designs -- it is a design of worst case scenario, high altitude+cold weather; high altitude+cold weather has a significant affect on wood gas stove burn performance. Hence, the need for large holes and an open burn chamber floor to pull in (breath) critical oxygen as necessary, for a consistent burn and gasification. At lower altitudes+warmer temperatures, these 'open-floor-type-burn-chamber' stoves simply burn too well, i.e. burns wood (fuel) too fast -- just another observation. Okay, thanks to you now I'm craving a BLT... off to stuff my face. o_O Keep up the great work & enjoy your weekend!
Great video, nice thoughtful details! Admittedly simmering is hardly its forte, but I love this backpacker stove; also the Silverfire Survivor rocket stove for base camp. Outstanding products from a great mind and cool company!
This seems like it would be great at boiling water because it gets such a hot, torch like flame. But, for the same reasons I am iif it's challenging to cook at moderate temps with it. What are your thoughts?
I love this stove. Bought one last summer. However it weighs nearly a pound just on its own without the MSR pot. Also doesn't really help if your surrounded by wet mass...lol. But i do still use it in my camping kit from time to time....
Nice stove, Good Review, You are really keeping my attention with the cooking...........try this with your bacon next time, poor water over the bacon enough to cover it, let the water boil or cook away, you will have crisp bacon, no grease and fairly easy pot clean up..........
Ben, I am in the market for a stove--like you I prefer a bio fuel system. Are you still using your Silver Fox Scout? I have narrowed it down between the Solo vs Silver Fire. I have noticed that you have to remove your pot in order to refuel the Silver Fire....Solo you do not, which I like. This seems to be a nuisance and a design flaw regarding Silver Fire setup. Is the Silver Fire more efficient? Let me know your thoughts....Thanks, Shane
I am trying to understand , what is the advantages of this stove compared to like the Ikea hobostove ? I agree that there is less smoke after it gets warmed up but it still smokes the pans up just as much. I guess I'm asking , what is my advantage for spending $50 more?
Another tasty looking review. I like the fact that it's a gasification stove. The only downside that I can see is the fact that it's a top load stove. Do you happen to have a core 4 stove that you could do a comparison between the two. Thanks for the hard work. God bless and stay safe.
I'm wondering if it's possible to reduce the initial smoke signature by only filling it half way? Or will it or any gasification stove always have an initial "dirty burn" period?
Thanks Ben, always a great thorough review. Since you reviewed both Solo and Silver Fire Bio stoves, which one would you recommend? My wallets on a diet these days. Thanks, Aaron.
Harbard I have both a Wild Woodgas (from UK) and the Silverfire Scout, and the Scout is far better - in engineering, ruggedness, and function. Also, the larger Silverfire Survivor is the best rocket stove on the market!
Stewart Hudnall Similar yes, each have a learning curve for dialing in the heat you want. Both great systems especially when you next them with their proper pot.
John James I have both a Wild Woodgas (from UK) and the Silverfire Scout, and the Scout is far better - in engineering, ruggedness, and function. Also, the larger Silverfire Survivor is the best rocket stove on the market!
Coming from a primitive guy looking at modern options....holy crap! Nice! I'm sold ;) I've been looking forward to this review for a few weeks and you didn't let me down. Absolutely great review/demo Ben. This stove is now on my shorter then short list. Thank you Sir!
Feral Woodcraft you will love playing around with it for sure.
its nice to see someone actually lighting it the right way. so many people light it from bottom! ! great video cheers
+Bob Shields I do it both ways, just depends on my mood LOL/ thanks :)
thanks for the review, it helped in making the decision to purchase this stove. Another up side is Silver Fire is located in Oregon which is where I live, so helping out a local company is a no-brainer.
+Steve Bunker nice ;)
+Aj Kaml thanks Mr. Camel. We were all wondering if there are any made in China merchandise in your home. If you write with a pen or wipe your butt you are supporting a Chinese factory. Go back to watching your Avatar Water-Bender cartoons, and think about how hypocritical your comment is.
I agree with you about the biostoves... they are hard to beat. There isnt much need to carry any fuel and their construction is simple, so theres nothing to break or wear out.
Last year I made a small gasifier fire pit for the back yard out of a couple stainless steel stock pots. I am so impressed with its performance Im considering getting a packable one like this too.
On a side note, I like your style of videos. They are not over done and you present both pros and cons.
David Mm I try to keep them short as I can and still present my findings and actual use instead of a tabletop review. Thanks for the comment.
You do nice demonstrations on all your cooking situations that I have seen.
+Doug Ramsey thanks Doug.
I really like everything about that Silverfire stove. Especialy The minimal smoke and No need to carry special fuel !
Thanks again !
PREPFORIT i prefer biostoves most of the time.
I am waiting delivery of my SF Scout from Amazon. It should be here by Monday, I have both of the Solo Stoves, but not wanting to get them dirty, I just use them with the alcohol burners when I have picnics at parks. I'll be using my scout for some camping, so being a bit of a firebug, I'm looking forward to lighting it up. There's nothing like crispy bacon and a warm bowl of chilli in the great outdoors!
Helen Nelson Enjoy! It has a learning curve to keep the fire where you want it but once you do it works very well.
Very Cool! The gasification stoves are probably my favorite survival type cooking stoves.
metaltrooper62 yep, agreed.
Good job on demonstrating how to 'correctly' load & light a wood GAS stove; hence we get the acronym these wood gas stoves are known by, TLUD -- 'TOP LIT up draft' stoves.
Your correct demonstration of the 'batch load/ then TOP-light' technique is very rarely seen on TH-cam. I keep trying to explain that it's basically an 'upside-down' campfire in a can. So again, good job and thank you for making this video.
One observation, if you keep the fuel load stack height (processed wood) below the gasification 'secondary air-ports' located at the top rim of the inner burn chamber, you will achieve QUICKER gasification (within a minute or so), LONGER burns times on one (properly loaded) fuel load of wood (~20+ min. of burn time -- no need to constantly feed wood), and literally NO smoke. Imagine if you were to use wood pellets, it would serve no beneficial purpose to fill the burn chamber ABOVE the secondary air-ports in this scenario; so the same guideline would apply to processed wood, or any other type of biomass used.
Additionally, if you keep 'added' wood BELOW the 'flame-stream path' you will not only minimize/negate smoke release (stealth concerns), but also help minimize unburnt gas/carbon deposits from releasing onto your cookware (soot buildup).
As an example, let's say the Silver Fire Scout burn chamber vertical height, in inches, measured FROM the bottom edge of the gasification secondary air-port thru-holes TO the bottom floor of the burn chamber is 4 inches in vertical height. I would recommend processing (cutting/breaking) the LARGE wood pieces into ~3in lengths (about index finger length & thickness); then placing these pieces FIRST into the burn chamber vertically, i.e. parallel with the axis of the burn chamber cylinder (like plastic straws in a restaurant cylindrical container).
NEXT, I would add SMALLER wood/kindling -- about half the length (or a little smaller) of the large vertical pieces of wood; array horizontally in a disorganized layer (about ~1/2 - 3/4in thick layer).
LASTLY, add your favorite tinder/accelerant at the top; array in a disorganized layer completely covering the top surface (about ~1/2in thick layer). Light it from the TOP & watch the self-sustained fire burn for at least ~20 minutes or more. Of course, moisture content of the wood, temperature, altitude, wind and wet weather are big factors, so burn times will vary when these factors are considered.
I gained this "knowledge" after personally enduring approx. over one-hundred hours of test burns during the months/process of designing my own wood gas stoves (over 5 different designs) earlier this year. My burn tests included field conditions of temperature ranges from ~30 - >110deg F, winds from 0 - >30mph, rain, and altitudes from ~1000 - ~9200ft above sea level.
From this, I now understand why all commercial 'natural draft' wood gas stoves on the market simply 'blow-out' (use large air holes on) the bottom floor of the burn chamber of their designs -- it is a design of worst case scenario, high altitude+cold weather; high altitude+cold weather has a significant affect on wood gas stove burn performance. Hence, the need for large holes and an open burn chamber floor to pull in (breath) critical oxygen as necessary, for a consistent burn and gasification. At lower altitudes+warmer temperatures, these 'open-floor-type-burn-chamber' stoves simply burn too well, i.e. burns wood (fuel) too fast -- just another observation.
Okay, thanks to you now I'm craving a BLT... off to stuff my face. o_O
Keep up the great work & enjoy your weekend!
aztiger1 very good information. thank you so much for posting this. you have a great weekend as well.
Because of this video I bought one of these stoves. Good job.
+Vicky Kawaguchi word.
Fantastic Review!!! You already know I LOVE this stove and use it a lot!! Again great review you are one of the best at showing and telling!
P701 Preparedness & Outdoors thanks brother.
Great video, nice thoughtful details!
Admittedly simmering is hardly its forte, but I love this backpacker stove; also the Silverfire Survivor rocket stove for base camp.
Outstanding products from a great mind and cool company!
This seems like it would be great at boiling water because it gets such a hot, torch like flame. But, for the same reasons I am iif it's challenging to cook at moderate temps with it. What are your thoughts?
Very nice man. I like it.
The Daily Shooter thanks man.
I love this stove. Bought one last summer. However it weighs nearly a pound just on its own without the MSR pot. Also doesn't really help if your surrounded by wet mass...lol. But i do still use it in my camping kit from time to time....
Product_Six nice, thanks for the comment.
Nice stove, Good Review, You are really keeping my attention with the cooking...........try this with your bacon next time, poor water over the bacon enough to cover it, let the water boil or cook away, you will have crisp bacon, no grease and fairly easy pot clean up..........
ben terwellen sounds like it would work.
This stove is very compact, and fits well into any backpack. Perfect!
Bushcraft Cooking great camp stove for sure.
Great stove. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
jlilly1961 thanks for watching and the comment. I really do appreciate it.
This looks great, I'm going to get in contact with the fellas here in Australia and see if I can get a hold on one.
Rhi McKeon Great stove.
Very nice stove! I like the gasification effect that it has. Same thing happens with my hobo stove I made a couple time.
Jason McDaniel nice :)
Ben, I am in the market for a stove--like you I prefer a bio fuel system. Are you still using your Silver Fox Scout? I have narrowed it down between the Solo vs Silver Fire. I have noticed that you have to remove your pot in order to refuel the Silver Fire....Solo you do not, which I like. This seems to be a nuisance and a design flaw regarding Silver Fire setup. Is the Silver Fire more efficient? Let me know your thoughts....Thanks, Shane
Way cool little stove Ben...think I'm going to pick one of them up --Amazon here I come !
alex o'neal thanks man.
Definitely going to add this to mu hiking daypack, great stove, and no fuels to carry with you...
Nice stove . All of SilverFires stuff is cool .
Very nice stove. What size is the MSR pot? Thanks. atb Opal
Opal Preston Shirley 795ml i believe.
I wonder if it's safe for indoor use to kill a bill or two in utilities
+ravenmagic5 nope...i've used my jetboil indoors when we had no power but wouldn't burn wood anywhere indoors except in a fireplace.
+Living Survival thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.
I am trying to understand , what is the advantages of this stove compared to like the Ikea hobostove ? I agree that there is less smoke after it gets warmed up but it still smokes the pans up just as much. I guess I'm asking , what is my advantage for spending $50 more?
George Bortnick more efficient.
+George Bortnick, Less pay ($16.89)? Search following keywords in Ebay: Outdoor Portable Wood Stove
Backpacking Survival Wood Burning Camping Stove New
What was the name of the pot that you used for soup? Not the MSR.
Thanks nice vid. I ordered my silver fire today.
miller3339 toaks 750ml w/ bail.
I think there are guys that cook on that MSR pot lid using a stick as a handle.
Another tasty looking review. I like the fact that it's a gasification stove. The only downside that I can see is the fact that it's a top load stove. Do you happen to have a core 4 stove that you could do a comparison between the two. Thanks for the hard work. God bless and stay safe.
Rich Schwartz never heard of the core 4 but when I looked at it, it seems it is similar to the emberlit.
I have this stove and it's a jewel.
My biostove collection: Silver Fire Scout, Kelly Kettle, and the Firebox Nano!
Same here , and biolite wood stove too
Hey Ben, long time follower of yours, what cup are you using to boil water in this video?
Thanks
Toaks 750ml with bail
Where is it made?
That is a REALLY nice stove!
Armed Rogue :)
I'm wondering if it's possible to reduce the initial smoke signature by only filling it half way? Or will it or any gasification stove always have an initial "dirty burn" period?
Johnny Brewer its gotta get going for the gasification to take place so hot and fast is usually how I do it.
Awesome stove! A must have, especially since it's from my home state.
+Bob Wampler I really like this one.
Those are super cool stoves.
MI Timberwookie yes they are.
Thanks Ben, always a great thorough review. Since you reviewed both Solo and Silver Fire Bio stoves, which one would you recommend? My wallets on a diet these days. Thanks, Aaron.
+snakemonkey555 silver fire scout
+Living Survival Thanks, Ben. My only concern is that the Silver Fire is made overseas. How's the stove holding up?
Damn it I just bought an esbit/trangia knockoff lol I like all stainless but I also like a light pack, what's it weigh?
crazy4offroad 12oz
Nice. Hm this vs Wild woodgas? It looks like they are identical
Harbard I have both a Wild Woodgas (from UK) and the Silverfire Scout, and the Scout is far better - in engineering, ruggedness, and function. Also, the larger Silverfire Survivor is the best rocket stove on the market!
nanomaine thx
nanomaine
Thanks. Just too bad I can't find the Silverfire products here in Europe :/
Great video. How does this stove compare to the Solo Stove? The bacon and sausage made me hungry !!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work !!!
Tim Waddell Very similar.
Do a video about cleaning between each use. Thanks.
Dana Keith VerVer Use ash and water to clean them.
Dana Keith VerVer ,
Awesome video man. Was wondering your thoughts/opinions on the Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove, a review would be fantastic :)
thatguuy21similar to a emberlit I believe.
That is quite an amazing stove. thanks for sharing
Lt Survival for sure, thanks.
what size MSR pot is that where the stove is nested in?
Looks like a Zebra or and MSR - About 14cm in diameter.
BTW...what size is the Stowaway pot? 775ml?
StandsWithABeer I believe so.
How does this stove compare to Solo Stove Titan?
+HonoluluTita Titan is huge! I like this stove better tho than the regular solo stove.
Nice stove hope you can do more :)
wsxokm1200 always. thanks.
great review. looks like a very nice Stove going to have to add that to my wish list atb John
Turtle Bushcraft thanks for watching. great stove for sure.
cool stove it works like a weber chimney starter .
better buck beagles michigan Sort of, yes. LOL.
Silver fire makes some great products, thanks for the review ollllllo
From Urban to Country Homestead thanks for checking it out.
That was nicely done! Thank you.
Great stove; great vid! Thanks!
StandsWithABeer thanks man.
what size capacity is your MSR Alpine pot?
+Doug Ramsey Not sure, you can find it on their website. I know they come in different sizes. Think this is the smaller one.
It's the 775 ml
Why do you prefer this over the Solo Stove?
Stewart Hudnall Both great stoves, this one is better built by a bit.
Living Survival Thanks for the speedy reply! So other than the build that is the only difference? Burn performance similar?
Stewart Hudnall Similar yes, each have a learning curve for dialing in the heat you want. Both great systems especially when you next them with their proper pot.
That's a cool set up, looks like it works really good. Thanks for the videos. Keep it up.
+Living Survival What size was the MSR pot you used to contain the stove?
Pendejo Not sure, it comes with their combo. Maybe look on their site?
Nice Review ..Great Stove ;-)
Nice setup thanks for the review
NeoWolf thank you.
I'm gonna have to get me one of them!
+Karl Olewine DO IT
i have had a wild woodgas stove for about 2 years looks almost the same as that stove
John James I have both a Wild Woodgas (from UK) and the Silverfire Scout, and the Scout is far better - in engineering, ruggedness, and function. Also, the larger Silverfire Survivor is the best rocket stove on the market!
nanomaine i love my wild woodgas which i think is good, its great that the silver fire is bigger, nice one
Nice video man thanks
cfred841 thanks for watching.
the highway is NOT far away
Vary cool Ben
39camper worth checking out for sure. great price too.
Very nice!
Jay Williams thanks for watching and leaving a comment.
Nice video
bushcrfter791 thank you for watching.
SWEEEEEEET!!!!!
***** :)
made me hungry foe Pork
Kristyanna Virgona LOL tasted good!
My biostove collection: Silver Fire Scout, Kelly Kettle, and the Firebox Nano!