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I was looking for a loan on Kiva and found this loan in Lesotho (Africa) The product people are borrowing money for is the ACE 1 Ultra-Clean Biomass Cookstove which sounds fantastic. It is designed for use in very rural areas, it is a high efficiency stove that burns any biomass (wood, dung, corncobs, etc) produces low to no smoke. AND it includes a solar charger, light and USB port for charging your phone. It weighs 4.6 Kg (10 pounds) so it would not be a great backpacking choice.

But it sounds like a great addition to a bike/canoe adventure. It has been out for a couple of years. I looked around for user reviews and didn't find anything. It is principally designed for rural home use, and I am considering hauling it around in my canoe behind my bicycle. So a couple of related questions. I don't have any question about it's efficiency, the claims made and the supporting documentation seem reasonable.

  1. Is there anything comparable to this by other manufactures?
  2. What kind of durability is it reasonable to expect?

As single summary question, is this a product I can expect to holdup to the hazards of bike trails and rivers?

Given considerations, it weights a lot and it is not water proof. I can accept these limitations

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James Jenkins
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I used a "rocket stove" on a long wilderness survival trip. That stove was also heavy and very efficient in burning "found wood." It made good sense for a fixed camp. In my opinion it would be far too bulky and heavy for either biking or canoeing and certainly backpacking.

On that trip, and others, I used solar chargers for electronics. I think solar chargers make a lot more sense than biomass chargers for most backpacking/canoeing/biking situations.

The Biolite campstove, at 2 lbs, would probably be closer to what you are looking for. It also has a charging device and burns "found fuel."

Buck Nelson
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