Bushbuddy Stove

“oh boy, a new gear thread!

you know me... gotta stay out on the edge... this is the first major update to my stove strategy in years. i have always wanted to get/use a sierra stove but refused to carry the weight or a stove that required a battery.

the bushbuddy ultra weighs 5.1 oz so it fits my weight requirements (esp since you don't have to carry any fuel with it). it is also fairly compact... fits inside my cookpot in fact... just like a canister of butane fuel.

it's a "downdraft gasifier" stove. i won't go into the technical details here but suffice to say the design is double-walled and vented such that a fan/battery is not required for it's operation. it resolves all the problems i had with the sierra stove.

i want to add that the guy that makes these things is a grade AAA first-rate craftsman. i haven't seen a piece of gear in a long time that i can say was a work of art. the bushbuddy is. i can easily see making one of these out of cans, wire, etc however i can't possibly see achieving the level of craftsmanship on display with the item i purchased. i guess i am saying that while the stove is expensive it's worth it... assuming it performs which for me has yet to be seen.

anyway, i'll post a report on it after i have tinkered with it a bit. cooler than cat crap, eh?

i really think this is the next wave for me. 5.1 oz is heavy for a weekend stove but for a weeklong trip the weight savings will be tremendous. i am considering using this on my jmt trip and packing esbit to use in areas where fires are prohibited. the stove has a wire grill in the firebox that burns esbit perfectly. so all i will have to carry is enough esbit to get me through the no-fire zones and then i can use indigenous twigs/sticks for fuel everywhere else.

it is nonscarring meaning that the outside wall doesn't get hot enough to burn anything (it is said you can burn it on a wooden table and it won't burn the surface). the ash it produces is a fine powder, easily disposed of cleanly. i hear some people use it as a mini "LNT" campfire for comfort and warmth at night.

it can only be used in places where open fires are permitted. while it's a stove it is still an open fire and throws off sparks/etc. so if fires are banned or require a special permit the bushbuddy will have to treated accordingly.

we'll see...

Where to read more/buy:

http://bushbuddy.ca/

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/bushbuddy_ultra_wood_stove.html (go here to see a cool video of the stove being put together)

Images:


Stove packed up (top comes off and nests in bottom)


Stove put together


Cool burning


Stove in action


Stove in action (from Ryan Jordan's Arctic 1000 Expedition)

OK, enough "stove porn"... you get the picture.
last edited: 3/29/07 8:40:40 AM”

“Neat”

“Had one for years, copied off of me again.”

“Kewl! I always loved our Sierra zip stove, as much as we had to tinker w/ it constantly and as slow as it boiled water. Loved it so much it's still around here somewhere, even though it hasn't been fired up for about 7 years. I'll be very interested in your review Jimmy san.”

“haven't tested boil times yet but 8-10 mins for a covered pot is said to boil 1 quart of water. we shall see...”

“Nice, soot problem shouldn't be too much worse than an Esbit.”

“I used a little spray of oven cleaner on the bottom of my Stainless cup and the soot from both fire and Esbit wiped right off in about 10 seconds...

I'm thinking that a small cloth soaked in Oven cleaner carried in a ziplock might solve the soot problems....
last edited: 3/29/07 9:21:20 AM”

“I saw this - it got me intrigued, but it did seem more practical to use alcohol on the short trips I tend to take. Does seem a great piece of kit though.”

“8 posts, and no ones made a dirty joke yet? you guys are losing your edge”

“JS, don't you have ENOUGH gear????”

“i was looking for some solid trolling... you know...

well, if you are serious about LNT you won't light a fire in ANY backcountry area whether it's permitted or not. we are stewards of the land and sometimes that means doing more than the rules require of us. even if this means pooping in plastic bags, wearing soft-soled shoes, and NOT MAKING FIRES in the backcountry. do you have any clue how may acres of backcountry are lost to fires every year? it sickens me to even think someone is making a contraption such as this "forest fire in a box" and selling it to ignorant firebugs that are going to head out thinking they found the "next wave" and end up burning down Yosemite.

as far as i am concerned... you can NEVER have enough gear. :)
last edited: 3/29/07 9:49:36 AM”

“Jimmy san is such a gear whore. I am impressed.”

“holy crap!!, $85 for a portable fire pit??!!...couldn't you get the same effect with a coffee can with holes cut in it?”

“SuperTroll, I have great success just taking a few baby wipes to clean off my pot. I also will just store it in a grocery bag sometimes.”

“hehehe Jim said "bush"!”

“thriftyhiker: i would agree with you however i think it would be pretty tough to duplicate the double-wall design and the precision of the stove you can purchase. like i said, the thing is really a work of art... quite impressive. it reminds me of the brasslite stoves that guy who is a jeweler makes... top quality craftsmanship. sure i could make one out of cans but it would be heavier and not as precise. the unit this guy makes fits together so well it won't even clank around in your backpack. i value the work of a craftsman and, frankly, will gladly pay to keep someone bringing innovative outdoor products sans marketing hype to my door. the guy that makes the thing, franz, emailed me personally when he got my order. nice. reminds me of henry shires... actually cares about his customers. try getting that from MSR.”

“boiled a liter of water just now on the bushbuddy. i grabbed up a handful of sticks, no larger than thumb size, and broke them up a bit. it lit very easily with a single tinderquick tab and burned very, very well. i didn't time the boil. this wasn't really much of a controlled test. i just wanted to see if the stove was easy to light and work on the process for feeding it fuel. the pot was blackened, as expected. i had to leave it on the picnic table in my back yard. it still had little coals in it. to re-light it i just had to toss a few smaller sticks in it and it light right up. so far i am very pleased.

clearly the wind took a chunk out of it. the boil would slow when a breeze came. so setting up a good windbreak will be key.”

“Did the fire get a good updraft?”

“yeah, the stove breathed really well. i was very impressed. i had not thought it would be so easy to light nor be so easy to maintain. handful of twigs/sticks was all it took and i didn't have to be that careful... just stuff laying in my yard at home, some of it a little damp.”

“You bringing this on the cave trip?”

“not much call for it there but yeah, sure, just to show off. i'll prolly pack steaks, potatos, etc, etc. it's not really a backpacking trip.”

“It is for me. Well...except when I stop at the car to pick up the cooler.”

“hehe, lugging that cooler down that trail to first creek is going to be... an experience. it will be a lot easier going back the next day!”

“you were supposed to thru-hike the quehanna trail with me... now there is a trip i can use my new stove on!”

“I was thinking of bringing a collapsable hand truck. Pretty cool little tool I got for xmas last year. Folds down flat and can transport up to 300 pounds.

Small wheels on it though, might not make it down the trail”

“prolly not the best idea if the trail is muddy, eh? i dunno. i could bring my "hauler"... 5000CI lumbar support pack from my heavy days.”

“I have a Sierra Zip stove and it worked as advertised. The reason I quit using it was mostly that I got tired of tending the fire. Of all the stoves, it is the one that takes the most attention.”