The Honey Stove Review (2009 Version)

[Ashley Cawley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOE1haJfb8

Honey Stove Supplied by
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/

[JEEP]

Excellent review. If I hadn't just gotten a Bushcooker, I would be all over the Honey Stove.

[resnikov]

Nice review, got a honey stove for crimbo, had a go and getting it lit today but no dry tinder, still got 2 inches of snow here. Looking forward to a bimble and brew in the woods with it soon.

[Fletching]

I like the idea of it 'flat-packing' away, but still prefer the 'ready-to-go' DIY type wood burning container that you pack your billy into. Only slightly larger diameter than the billy, which you've got to carry anyway. I know it probably weighs a little more, but methinks that's worth it when you consider setting-up in the dark or having pieces in long grass.

Wayland gives a good demo of his on his site (thanks Gary!):

http://www.ravenlore.co.uk/html/hobo_stove.html

Excellent review Ashley, keep 'em coming!

Steve

[JonnyP]

Very good review that Ash..
Whats with all the erms though.
I wonder if the warping would become a problem after a time..?

[paul standley]

Good review Ashley - The honey stove does look like it does the job well as a proprietary stove and the 'flat-pack' system is clever.

My usual preference is for a 'little money' DIY container type stove but of course not everyone wants to mess around making one.

I am working on a bit of a hybrid hobo stove at the moment that is part 'flat-pack' and part 'adaptable' inspired by the Honey stove and caldera trail and other stoves. If it doesn't get consigned to the scrap metal bin I'll share it.

[TinkyPete]

I got a Honey stove for Cristmas too, but I have seen them in action quite a bit, it's why it was on the christmas list. It is a extremely versitile cooker being able to use with any type of pot from 58 patern mug or crusader cup, through all the normal billies and titatium pot and MSR stoway pot to a lovely little frying pan I have.

Not only that but it also can be used with loads of different cookers, trangia, hexi, gel cookers which makes it a great pot stand and wind break too. A great design and easily packs away and carries easily as well, hardly notice it my pack.

Great review Ash showing off the wood capabilites of it. I am certainly pleased with mine :)

[Ashley Cawley]

... Not only that but it also can be used with loads of different cookers, trangia, hexi, gel cookers which makes it a great pot stand and wind break too. A great design and easily packs away and carries easily as well, hardly notice it my pack.

Great review Ash showing off the wood capabilites of it. I am certainly pleased with mine :)
Just today Scott & I used four side pieces of the honey-stove in conjunction with a Tatonka alcohol burner; it worked absoultely beautifully as if it were made for it, I think there are so many uses to this stove I might have to do a follow-up video to show them off some more.

[resnikov]

I have tried putting it in the 4 side config without a trangia burner in it but it seems a bit loose, does it tighten up when you put the burner in it?

[Ashley Cawley]

I have tried putting it in the 4 side config without a trangia burner in it but it seems a bit loose, does it tighten up when you put the burner in it?
Tightens up completely with the Tatonka alcohol burner (& I'm guessing the swedish one too) as the outer ring of the burners fits exactly into the slots of the side-panels themselves, so it interlocks all the pieces.

Now with something like a "white box stove" (as I showed briefly in the video-review) that doesn't happen and it is a little loose, but even still that hasn't been an issue for me.

[resnikov]

It might be I haven't used mine yet, so I have the first warp to happen which might tighten everything up. Hoping I am going to get time to use it tomorrow, only in the back garden :( but better then nothing

[gemgenie]

You will find that the warping does tighten it up a lot - mine is quite warped after a couple of years use cooking and having mini campfires in it to keep warm while camping with friends and sitting out at night having a drink or ten.

I have to push the tounges on the baseplate into place now but does make it sturdy. Dont forget that if your using the white box or similar you could get a tiny bit more rigidity by threading a couple of tent pegs throught the "holes" at the end of the slits. Also works well as a small impromptu grill of sorts.

Have you had a chance to tryout the hive yet Ashley?? Had my eye on that since they came out but not bought one yet (along with the fold out grill)

I

[Ashley Cawley]

...Have you had a chance to tryout the hive yet Ashley?? Had my eye on that since they came out but not bought one yet (along with the fold out grill)..
Yeah I've used the hive 2-3 times so far, I showed myself using it (cooking sausages) in the review I did, have you not watched the video in the first post of this thread? :p

... It's good, was a little mifted that it doesn't come with it's own new larger size grill on top, but you can use other things (as mentioned in the video).

It gives you a larger size to work with so you can get bigger coals etc.

[rancid badger]

Interesting review fodd for thought.

[Fletching]

...at the end of the day, it's still each to their own preference. Mine is a cheapo hobo stove and alcohol burner inside just in case, but I also carry a kettle (was Kelly 1pt, now M-Kettle), so there's additional weight. Works for me but I've never tried the HS. Keep up the reviews though Ashley. Like I said....kit...gimme, gimme, gimme!

Steve

[Skywalker]

I too had a 2009 honeystove for xmas. For 2 weeks, I just staredimpatiently at it. I finally got round to trying it out on the weekend, and I was really chuffed with it.
I only used it as a woodburning stove, but I boiled my trangia kettle twice, and cooked a full tea on it, then breakfast the next morning.
Great review Ashley, and looking forward to you posting more configurations with the stove.
Here's a couple of pics:

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff499/woodlandadventures/Crickley%20Hill/GloucesterOvernighterJan2011015.jpg

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff499/woodlandadventures/Crickley%20Hill/GloucesterOvernighterJan2011030.jpg

[Ashley Cawley]

Doesn't that fire just look hansome? Great to hear you enjoying using it and thanks for sharing your shots.

I will do an update with using it with some Meths stoves sometime.

[Martin]

This really is a lovely bit of kit. Like Jakob says, if I hadn't just parted with a sum, equal to the GDP of Wales, on the Bushbuddy, I may also be tempted.

Martin

[Alba Albion]

Hi Resnikov, I'm glad you think the same as I do. My Trangia burner ( or a cheap copy as it may well be ) just falls straight through the 4 side config. Very disappointing.

Alba.

[kesom]

got one of these a while back after seening ash's review,i've used it with wood and just to add to the list i used a highlander meths stove and it fits perfect ;) i've heated beans in their tin using the grill piece and a meths burner, would'nt go out without it now,it packs so small you wouldnt notice it in your sack :rock-on:

i find it great in the morning using the meths stove to boil water,no hastle,roll out of bed fill your billy, spark the meths stove and wait and i use wood for cooking and boiling the rest of the time but the meths stove is great with it in the morning

great stove

peace ken :)

[Ashley Cawley]

Thanks for dropping back and letting us know what you thought of it Ken, glad to hear you like it, I still carry it in my Rucksack 90% of the time.

[LandRoverMatt]

good video ashley , I just stick to my hobo only prob is that it doesnt got to peices like the honey

[Roadkillphil]

Well after the 8 items trip I ordered meself one of these puppies and have been getting all impatient about firing it up. Finally got to use it down the beach, oddly enough, this weekend. Collected the tinder and fuel on the way to the beach and boiled me a brew while the kids and dogs looked for treasure. I totally, absolutely, 100% love it. Fantastic bit o kit :D

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6056/6303449339_a31beb6da9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6303449339/)
Honey stove beach (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/6303449339/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

'Ansum :D

[jus_young]

Well gents, after reading through the comments on this one again I think you have made my mind up. I have been a bit undecided as i also liked the look of the Evernew Ultralight Titanium DX Stand http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product494.asp?PageID=99 but a few doubts such as the very small size and how awkward it looks trying to feed the fuel in when you watch the demo vid means that a Honey Stove is on my christmas list. Thanks for your thoughts on the stove, its probably stopped me from another bad purchase :)

[kesom]

thought id do an update on my experience with the honey stove,ive had mine a year now,used it all last summer as i said in my previous post in this thread with my highlander meths stove sitting in the circular hole in the plate provided and using wood for cooking,was really impressed with it and its a permanent piece of kit now
i tried using the 4 sided config and discovered that my highlander meths stove just slides through,had to use pegs to let it sit on(i keep 2 peg's in the honey stove pouch now) plus ive noticed that my HL meths stove can slip through the hole in the plate now :confused2:
don't know why this is,it was a perfect snug fit all last year,just thought i'd clear this up from what i said in my last post in case anyone gets a HL meths burner and it falls through after what i said

other than that its been brilliant,used it with the pegs down low close to the plate and used a hexi block to boil water in my 100mm billy,i could have moved the base plate up if i was using a pan or billy wider than the stove but it was just easier to use the pegs for my billy

ive been out twice this week,one night got to camp and as soon as i started to set up it started to bucket it down and the wind got gradually worse and worse,i had expected some rain so i packed an extra tarp (2.7m x 3.5m) and was i happy i packed that,it was the worst night ive been out in ages i got completely soaked from my thighs down to my ankles and couldn't get anything dry to light between the wind and wet even split feather sticks were gettin blown out,it was dark by now and my head torch was starting to flicker from the soaking it got while i was settin up my hammock and tarps and then i thought to light a little fire in the honey stove as the wind was comin in all directions and it lit nicely :D and when i had some decent sticks lit i transferred what was in the honey stove onto the ground i had prepared for my fire and finally got a decent fire going and got dry :campfire:

its definitely the best bit of kit i have and has so many applications,it saved me a lot of hassle the other night for sure and I've been looking at the new version and might either buy it or just the separate pieces I'm missing that are in the new version as their sold separately,the new meths stove holder might fit my HL stove and others if the hole is smaller ! will have to look into it
definitely worth the money

ken :)

[Ashley Cawley]

Thanks for posting an update Ken, glad to hear you still like it. It definitely shows that it's quite versatile and can help people in different ways.

Wow they do a Titanium one now for £75 was that the new one you were talking about? Or you were you talking about the Hive expansion kit?

[kesom]

Wow they do a Titanium one now for £75 was that the new one you were talking about? Or you were you talking about the Hive expansion kit?

hi ash i was talking about the 2012 stainless steel honey stove,here it is on backpacking light LINK (http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product397.asp?PageID=113)
if you look on the right of the page they sell the the separate pieces like the new meths burner holder a grill and a base plate for the 4 sided config and theirs the 2012 expansion kit too,you can just buy the extra pieces for the pre 2012 version theirs a vid of it all at the bottom,you probably know this i just wasnt clear about which version i was talkin about

the titanium one is very very tempting tho,i have to stop thinking about that now lol

peace ken :)