Hiking, biking and running are fun, but to be perfectly honest, part of the reason I’m out there is to earn the feast that follows.
When I get back to my campsite after a big adventure, whether that’s a hike, bike ride, trail run or climb, I can’t wait to settle into a comfortable chair and enjoy a warm meal with friends while we reminisce about best moments of the day. With summer only a few months away, I’ve been looking for ways to revamp my camp kitchen and these three products caught my eye.
BioLite BaseCamp Stove
The BaseCamp Stove has two cool features that really set it apart from most stoves out there. First, it’s powered by wood, so you can use fallen branches or your own firewood to create a hot flame for grilling, sautéing or boiling. Second, it has this magical way of converting heat from the flame into electricity sent to a USB port that lets you charge a smartphone, helmet cam or other device. (It’s actually patented core technology that uses a thermoelectric generator.) The built-in lithium-ion battery stores the electricity if you want to use the power later.
So basically, while I’m making my dinner, I could be recharging my phone’s battery that’s in the red zone because I was snapping pics all day and using the GPS to track my route. That’s pretty awesome.
Other handy features include a lever that lets you adjust the flame, an LED dashboard for monitoring flame intensity and battery power, and a flexible USB light that illuminates the cooking surface.
Coleman Triton InstaStart Two-Burner Stove
While not as flashy as the BioLite BaseCamp, the Triton InstaStart Two-Burner Stove really cranks out the heat. Its two powerful 11,000-BTU burners get your cooking done in short order.
The burners are independently adjustable so you can gently simmer your homemade marinara sauce on one burner while you bring a pot of pasta to a rolling boil on the other. The spacious cooking surface is large enough to fit a 10-inch pan and 12-inch pan at the same time.
Perhaps best of all, the InstaStart™ matchless lighting system makes turning the stove on as simple as opening up the fuel and pushing a button.
BioLite CampStove Grill Accessory
The BioLite CampStove Grill turns the BioLite CampStove (a smaller, backpacking-friendly version of the BaseCamp) into a wood-burning grill that fits up to four hamburger patties or six hotdogs.
Fire up the CampStove, set the grill on top and you’re ready to go. The folding legs and a durable plastic travel cover make it is easy to bring the grill along, even on backpacking trips.
The CampStove does a lot of the same things as the larger BaseCamp, including charging your gadgets, but is designed primarily for backpacking and boiling water.
Summer will be here before we know it. Are you equipped for making meals that’ll feed a group of hungry of campers?