Like a car, your BioLite CampStove contains a battery to aid in easy startup. Before first use, we recommended that you charge the battery with an external power source. Just use the double-ended USB cable included in your package to connect to a standard USB port on your laptop or a USB wall charger.

The light around the USB port will flash while charging, and will turn solid green when the battery is conditioned and ready for your first use. If the stove is unused for more than six months, repeat these steps to ensure your stove’s battery is properly charged.

See our instruction video or full instructions for more details.

Watch our instruction video (above) to see the CampStove in action. Just as in starting any fire, it’s important to use dry wood. If it’s recently been raining, you may want to carry a little dry wood with you to get the fire started. Loosely fill the CampStove with twigs, without blocking the jets on the side of the fuel chamber.

We recommend using firelighters, and we’ve included some inside your package. After putting some twigs in the stove, just light the firelighter on one end and let it start burning. Then place the firelighter carefully inside the fuel chamber.

If you don’t have firelighters, you can also get the fire started by placing small twig shavings, dry grass, or birch bark at the top of the stove after filling it with twigs. The smaller shavings can be lighted with a match, and will help ignite the twigs.

After lighting, wait 10 seconds, and then push the power button on the CampStove. This sets the fan to LO and starts the flow of oxygen, which will help your fire get started quickly.

It’s most important to choose wood that’s dry. Avoid wood that’s green or rotten, and use twigs that are dry enough that they snap cleanly. Twigs from hardwood trees, like oak or hickory, will burn hottest and cleanest. Softer woods like pine or fir will burn well, but the stove will require more feeding and will create more soot. We recommend avoiding leaves, as they can be smoky. 

When starting the fire or coaxing the fire from embers, use the LO fan speed. The LO speed is also good to use when you’ve let the fire burn down for simmering. When the fire is hot enough, you’ll be able to use the HI speed. While the fan has the ability to greatly increase fire efficiency, the high setting can blow out a weak flame.

When the fire is well-established, you can begin to add larger pieces of wood. Hardwoods (birch, maple, hickory, oak, etc.) will burn longer than softwoods.

If it’s windy, position the stove so the flame is blowing over the stainless steel fuel chamber rather than in the direction of the plastic power module.

The CampStove works very well in the cold, because the power generated is based on the heat difference between the flame temperature and the ambient air. The CampStove can be used in damp environments and light rain, but should not be used in heavy rain, to protect the electronics inside the power module.

The time to boil will depend on the heat of the fire you’ve built. With a typical fire, 1 liter of water can reach a boil in less than 5 minutes.

To simmer, just let the fire burn down, and push the power button to set the fan speed to LO.

Carefully lift your pot or pan, and add dry fuel as needed.

Choose pots and pans that are no more than 10" inches in diameter and no more than 8 pounds when fully loaded. Any metal cookware (aluminum, stainless steel, titanium) will work with your CampStove.

The CampStove is designed for clean combustion, but all woods burned in the stove will create some soot. Pitchy pine will create the most, and hardwoods like maple will create the least. The best way to minimize soot is to let the fire become well-established and hot before putting on a pot. Any soot on the pot can be wiped off with a moist rag. To make cleaning up even easier, you can use the campfire trick of soaping up the bottoms of your pans. Use a bar of soap and a little water to get your hands soapy, and then smear them on the bottom of your pot or pan before cooking. As you cook, the bottom will turn black, but will rinse off easily under water when you’re done.

On average, it may take 5-10 minutes before it’s ready to charge. It will take a little longer if you’ve recently been charging other devices, or if you haven’t properly conditioned the battery before your first use.

The CampStove is compatible with most devices that can be charged through a standard USB port. This includes cell phones, smartphones, MP3 players, LED flashlights, headlamps, and rechargeable battery packs, among other devices. Please note that not all manufacturer’s products may be included.

Weight: 2.05 pounds/935 grams
Fire Power Output (peak): 3.4 kW [LO mode], 5.5 kW [HI mode]
USB Power Output: 2W @ 5V [max continunous], 4W @ 5V [peak]
Time to boil 1L water: Varies based on strength of fire. With strong fire, 4.5 minutes.

View full specs here. 

Charging times vary by device, as well as by the strength of the fire and other variables like outside temperature. For an Apple iPhone 4S (2G), 20 minutes of charging with a strong fire can provide you with 60 minutes of talk time. 

Let the fire burn down to cold ash. Dig a small hole for the ashes, and pour water over them before covering with dirt.

The power module will turn off automatically as the stove cools. To manually power off, hold the power button for three seconds. After manually turning the fan off, it may automatically turn back on if the stove is still hot. This protects the electronics inside the power module.

Wait until the fuel chamber is cool before storing the power module inside. This is necessary to protect the plastic from heat. 

Remove the orange plastic power module and wipe it down with a damp cloth with soap and water. Don’t submerge the power module in water or get it excessively wet.

Wipe out the fuel chamber with a nylon brush as needed. The pot stand at the top of the fuel chamber can be wiped off with a damp cloth and dried well. The fuel chamber can also be washed in a dishwasher. Dry very thoroughly.

Store your CampStove in a cool, dry location, avoiding excessive heat. Keep out of the reach of children. If the CampStove is stored for more than a year, the battery may need to be reconditioned.

BioLite has a 1-year limited warranty. Please see instructions for making a warranty claim here. 

BioLite has a 30-day refund policy for new, unused CampStoves. Please visit our refund policy for instructions on making your return.

The CampStove is designed for easy maintenance and care. Please contact support@biolitestove.com for any specific maintenance or repair needs. 

The heat screen is stiff to the touch but will dent if crushed.  Because it’s made of mesh, it can easily be pulled out to its original shape.  Slight denting will not affect the safety of the heat screen.

The CampStove is durable and should provide you many years of use. When you need to discard the CampStove, it has been designed to be recycleable. Contact BioLite for our takeback program instructions.

1. Use dry fuel whenever possible.
2. For hottest and most efficient fire, make sure that there is space between the pieces of wood, the holes on the side of the Fuel Chamber are not blocked, and all wood is entirely inside Fuel Chamber.
3. To avoid excessive smoking, use small twigs to restart a fire from embers.

1. Insufficient fire. Solution: Add more fuel to fire.
2. Battery not charged. Solution: Add more fuel to fire to charge battery.

1. Check cable connection. Unplug cable on both ends and try again.
2. Unplug cable on both ends. Hold power button for 3 seconds and wait for the Power Module to automatically turn back on. When charging capability restores, replug cable.
3. If problem persists, contact BioLite.

Charge battery by plugging Power Module USB connection to computer.

Contact BioLite.

The CampStove will begin shipping in June in the order that reservations have been received. For ship dates for new orders, please see the current shopping page.

The HomeStove will be in large-scale pilot programs in India and Africa through 2012. Our focus is on making it available for retail sale in the developing world first. There are not currently plans to make it available in the U.S. 

Yes, we will ship internationally. The base price of the product will be $129, and shipping, handling, and taxes will be additional charges. These charges vary by location and depend on current shipping and tax rates.