Versatile and small outdoor stove

[Borg]

I'm sure I could its that I saw your pic with the plug in place and was wondering. I've never forgotten to remove the cork . . . . Yet

I saw a vid on youtube where the guy left it in on purpose to film, you don't want to be in front of it when it blows thats for sure 

Thanks, for the info on the LMF.  I find myself frequently looking between a few mess kits, but haven’t found one I really want, so I have an insulated steel mug, a cheap collapsable silicone bowl (originally bought in multi-pack to keep in car for water for dog, but decide the extra works for my needs) and a couple different sporks.  For salt and pepper, I have a small Coughlans one that works well as long as you unscrew at the correct spot, otherwise you spill it all.

Since getting the stove, I find myself noticing twigs just laying on the ground.  I find thumb size diameter and smaller work best for mine, but they are plentiful and free.

I'm the same, i pick the LMF set up and put it back down, i like how compact it is but never pulled the trigger on it, i think one day i will just do it and be done, when i got the kettle i also got 2 sporks from them, the fork is also the spoon on those but they are bigger and they have a knife, i haven't really tried them yet but here it is next to the lmf and a 112 for scale

[Nix]

I found this intersting: the fella tests a few different stand for use with the Trangia spirit burner. If you are too busy to watch the video, the Firebox Nano does very well and gets a recommendation, in part for its versatility.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-xQNgoTe8&list=TLPQMzAwNTIwMjG0Mo8oYwTdLg&index=2

[Sos24]

I found this intersting: the fella tests a few different stand for use with the Trangia spirit burner. If you are too busy to watch the video, the Firebox Nano does very well and gets a recommendation, in part for its versatility.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-xQNgoTe8&list=TLPQMzAwNTIwMjG0Mo8oYwTdLg&index=2

I’ve watched several of his videos.  He is a very big fan of both the Nano and the Trangia.

[Nix]

I fell prey to Sos24's recommendation.   

I had been vaguely looking around for a 'bio-fuel' stove. I have a Solo stove which it outstanding, but not compact. Intrigued by the various stoves that can be assembled from the flatpack state, I took note of the easy set of of the Firebox Nano. That Firebox designed it to work with an alcohol stove, especially the Trangia, really won me over.

It arrived and got set up in no time.




The set up really is dead simple. I like that.

One of my concerns about the Nano was the numerous openings in the bottom and sides. I live in wildfire country and I can't let burning embers dribble out and start problems. To address the big holes in the base, I cut a piece of hardware mesh and dropped it in.





My hope was that it would keep large burning embers in place, but still allow plenty of ventilation.

My first test burn was with wood pellets. I figured that these small bits of fuel were a reasonable way of testing the mesh screening....and they smell good. ( I'm toying with the idea of using the Nano as a small hibachi, too. )





I fired up a mix of pellets and maple shavings. Once going, I added some more of each to get the fire box ripping along.

My test kettle was a big steel Billy ( 2L, I think ).





I had a minimal number of embers fall through the bottom, but, as you can see, some of the pellets fell out the feeder openings as they settled down in the box.

As my pellets died down, I added some pine sticks to be sure to get the water up to the boil. The cross-feed design seems to work well, although, again, I had some embers fall out as I worked the sticks into the Nano.




I was impressed by the degree to which the fuel was consumed. The Nano seemed to be very efficient. There was little left over aside from ash. I thought it was done burning when I snapped the following shot, but there are still a few live embers going:





The carry case worked really well. I believe it caught all the embers that did fall out.





I set the Nano on its case on a piece of scrap lumber to check to see is the stove on its case might damage anything below, e.g. a picnic table. There was a bit of scorching:





I think placing the carbon felt pad Firebox provided under the case would prevent this.

I haven't tried using the Trangia with the Nano yet, but so far I'm really pleased. The Nano is fairly light, easy to pack, easy to set up, uses fuel efficiently, and was stable with a large heavy pot. It is fun to use. The carrying case is well engineered to hold the Nano securely. It is easy to see how much fuel is left to burn and add more as needed. And bio-fuel is free!

What's not to like?

Negatives.... Obviously burning wood, especially pine, can be sooty and dirty. Because the fire box is small, it has limited fuel capacity and needs to be 'fed' consistently and often, especially for big pots or fry-ups. ( In comparison, with a canister stove you can set it going and be free for other tasks. ) If using bio-fuel, time will need to be spent collecting sufficient fuel for a cook. Doing so could be a hassle if one is stopping to set up camp at sundown or later. Or it is raining/snowing.

The Nano needs to be set up on a safe surface that won't be damaged by some heat. Additionally, I suspect that using live fire, even contained in the Nano, will be prohibited in some places at certain times of the year.

I think the wind today robbed me of some BTUs. It got the fire pumped up, but stole some heat. My experience is limited so far, but I can see where a wind screen might help this stove a bit.

I'll have to test the Nano out with both the Trangia and using the 'Swedish torch' technique. I'm hoping the Nano will serve as both pot stand and wind screen for the Trangia. There is more for me to learn here.

I doubt I'll make a habit of burning wood pellets, but I was glad to see that I could. I think I will continue to use my mesh floor screen accessory; it didn't seem to affect the performace in any way. It may burn out over time, but it'll be cheap and easy to replace. I like the idea that it might reduce the chance of live embers falling out. ( I'm intrigued that the Nano's floor holes are so large. They seem larger than necessary. )

As I used it today, I think the Nano presented a minimal wildfire risk. It was very windy today ( In the above photo of kettle on Nano, you can see the wind forcing the fire sideways. ) but there weren't any significant embers blown out that would be a hazard. Some ash, no live embers. All the embers that fell out were caught by the metal case and contained. However, I think the Nano needs constant supervision because it is fairly open. Doubly true if large sticks are being slowly fed into the fire and hanging outside. I would only use it without the carry case as a catch pan in very low risk situations, e.g. desert or beach. The case and stove work very well together--smart!

I chose not to use the included carbon felt and supports as a small windscreen today. In part, because it would seem to be a very small windscreen and a bit flimsy, and in part to test the Nano in the wind. I might end up leaving the two wind screen supports at home--they seem like some small bits to fuss with, keep track of, and rattle around. The support pins for a Trangia and the carbon felt seem useful or potentially useful, so they will stay packed in the case along with my mesh floor screen accessory.

@Sos -- I'm really glad you recommended this. I'm looking forward to using it more, learning to use it better, and taking it on little adventures!  Thanks for the prompt!   

[Nix]

Today I brewed up some hot water for coffee using the Nano as a stand for a Trangia.






Worked pretty well, but was slow, as alcohol stoves can be. Wind was again an issue. I think next trial will be with the Trangia resting on the floor plate, perhaps a bit better protected from the wind. It is very nice to be able to just drop the Trangia onto the support pins, but it raises the fire ring up where the Nano isn't able to shield it very much.

More experimenting indicated...... 

[Sos24]

Awesome review Nix.  Your observations are right on with what I have observed, especially the larger than seem necessary bottom plate holes and the wind impact.

I am glad that you seem to like it and can see some use for it.  I look forward to reading your impressions as you use it more.

[Nix]

More testing and training today ( making a coffee was the ever-handy excuse....  ).

I needed a coffee.....

I thought I'd try out an Esbit fuel block to see how it would do in the stove. Firebox sells a dedicated Esbit tray that can rest on the struts ( "Nano pins" ) used for the Trangia. ( @Sos: do you have one of these trays? ) I thought I'd use my improvised mesh panel with an Esbit. The idea here is that the tray, or, in my case, mesh panel raises the Esbit up to be closer to the cook pot and improve efficiency.





My set up included my Mk II windscreen--it was another windy day.  I also added a few twigs. This is something I do even with the standard Esbit stove. It adds a few extra BTU's and helps create a visual indicator that the fuel is burning.

I used a.....22 oz (?) titanium mug filled with 14oz of cold water. I used a homemade lid that has suffered over time and doesn't fit snuggly. But it is a lid. As noted I used one (1) Esbit cube  and a few twigs ( just those pictured in the photo above, no more were added. ). It was 70ºF (21ºC) with light to moderate winds.

Stove running:





You can see the Esbit block is fairly close to the pot. Once the sticks burnt down, the block settled down a couple of millimeters.

In addition to serving as a wind block, the Mk II screen also reflects some heat back and make the stove more efficient.

The water slowly heated up, but by the time all the fuel was consumed, the water had just come to a boil. It was not a rolling boil, but a nice noisy simmering boil. 100% fuel consumption.

The coffee was good and hot. 

This result seems pretty consistent with my other experiences with Esbit blocks: I've found 14oz is about the maximum amount of water one block can boil at this altitude (5000'). I was wondering if the open mesh would increase the burn rate and change the burn time & efficiency of the Hexamine cubes, but I'm not sure I noticed a difference.

I didn't time this trial...soooo......more testing is indicated......

[Nix]

I've found another thing to like about this stove: once it has finished burning, it cools down fairly quickly. Before I was done my coffee, the stove was packed up and ready for the trail.   

[Sos24]

I have the Esbit tray and the flame guard (slide on top side to help protect pot/cup handles.  They both fit in the x-case but it doesn’t snap shut as well with the carbon cloth.

The solid fuel tray just sits on top of the pins like you mention and is solid.  It works pretty well, but I’m not sure how much better it would be than your set-up.

I’ll get a picture shortly.

The cooling off quick is something I really like too. 

[Sos24]

I have the Esbit tray and the flame guard (slide on top side to help protect pot/cup handles.  They both fit in the x-case but it doesn’t snap shut as well with the carbon cloth.

The solid fuel tray just sits on top of the pins like you mention and is solid.  It works pretty well, but I’m not sure how much better it would be than your set-up.

I’ll get a picture shortly.

The cooling off quick is something I really like too.

Here is a picture of the Nano with the solid fuel tray

[Sos24]

More testing and training today ( making a coffee was the ever-handy excuse....  ).

I needed a coffee.....

I didn't time this trial...soooo......more testing is indicated......


(Image removed from quote.)

You better be careful with all this “testing”.  That is where it started for me.  Now it is a weekly (at least) habit.

[Nix]

[Gareth]

Awesome review Nix. 

Given how little I use the multitude of stoves I already have I really don't need another one...but I'm still very tempted. 

[Nix]

Given how little I use the multitude of stoves I already have I really don't need another one...but I'm still very tempted. 

Believe me: I understand.   

[Nix]

More testing and training....... Will this testing never end?! 

A hot day. Seemed like a good idea to cook outside......which meant there was a need for the Nano.

Here was my set up:





• 6" cast iron skillet
• Firebox Nano
• Firewood ( twigs and splits and such )
• Fire

Naturally, the wind picked up about 12 seconds after I got the stove going. While the wind acted like a bellows and really pumped up the fire, it also blew the heat sideways, less upwards.
Despite that, my little skillet got hot enough to drop some butter in with a gratifying sizzle. Once that had stopped bubbling away, in went a couple of seasoned pork chops.





Total success!

However, there were some lessons learned:

1.  The wind will awl-ways pick up when you light the fire. Plan for a windbreak.

2.  The Nano is light. While moving the heavy skillet around ( to pull the handle from the downwind position to a safer spot ) and flipping the chops, the Nano tended to skate on the hard paver. In hindsight, the carry case would be a good idea to stabilize the Nano when on smooth or relatively slick surfaces.

3.  After I flipped the chops, the fire calmed down a bit. I think I had overcrowded the pan, as well. As a result, the second side didn't sizzle and sear quite as well. This wasn't a big problem, but the second side did take a bit longer to cook. I added some more fuel to get the heat going, which seemed to help.

4.  When adding long stick through the feeding ports, coals sometimes got knocked out of the other port. I started using one stick to hold coals in the Firebox while feeding a longer stick in the other. This seemed to help that issue, but I still had a few coals fall out as the fire burned down and coals settled. Fire safety continues to be important.

5. When using cast iron, get the pan good and hot before cooking. My butter was sizzling away, but I think I could have gotten the pan a bit hotter. Cast holds heat really well, but in my experience thoroughly pre-heating cast iron is very helpful. So, more time on the stove before adding ingredients. And don't crowd the pan.

Awl in awl, I had a lot of fun using the Nano and skillet as a combination. No residences were burnt down and the chops were cooked to perfection. ( Still a blush of rose in the center. )

Now I'll be forced to test other pans...... 

[Nix]

One semi-clever thing I did when making my pork chops was having a metal bucket at the ready while using the Nano.

After the chops were done, but before going inside with them, I tossed the buck over the fire to make it safe while unmonitored.

This is useful at home. In the woods, I expect I'll sit with the stove until it is cold.   

[Sos24]

Those look awesome.  I’m really glad it worked for you. The x-case does prevent the stove from moving around some, but because it is so small and light it can move. 

I frequently use a stick to push in or block burning embers/ash.  the Nano’s firebox being so small, it does take some careful maneuvering with larger sticks.  I find myself breaking sticks and feeding in between the stove top and pan more than the feed holes when using smaller pots.  I also find if possible pushing the stick in at a slightly upward angle can decrease the likelihood of pushing embers out.

Happy testing.  I warned you it is addictive.

[Nix]

 

I did some top loading as well. The Nano does make it pretty easy to get fuel into the burn box. I can see there is a little skill set to develop with this stove...but that seems like fun, too. 

Yes....more testing and training..... *** sigh ***

[Nix]

Another grueling day of testing and training.....

Here was today's test set up:





• Nano case
• Nano with Trangia pins
• Trangia
• 10" aluminum pan
• pot grabber to manipulate pan
• Lucky Phillies garden gnome

This pan is from Firebox and is anodized. However, they give directions for 'seasoning' the pan like one would a cast iron pan. I duly seasoned the pan and have been using it a bit on the range. It works very nicely and I haven't had any sticking issues yet.

But...it is meant to be used for camping...so I wanted to test it out on the Nano.

I had some reservations about putting a 10" pan on a little Nano; however, with the supports angled outward, and secured in the case, the pan felt solidly planted on the stove. The fact that the pan has no handle also means it doesn't have a heavy lever trying to tip it over. Very clever Firebox!

It was a calm morning, so I didn't use the windscreen.

Of course, as soon as I lighted the Trangia the wind started up. And I do mean the wind picked up the very instant I lighted the stove. I felt the Lucky Phillies Gnome was letting the side down.....

Today's trial included breakfast:





( You can see that I set up my Mk II wind break after the wind picked up. )

My apologies to those of you who may be cardiologists.

Breakfast was eggs and scrapple* fried in French-levels of butter. I find that ample use of butter greatly enhance the non-stick qualities of cast iron and other cookware.

Having learned from previous experience, I made sure to use the pot gripper to gently lift the pan slightly off the stove wen flipping or turning. This worked very well.

To wrap up, the eggs were placed on top of the scrapple and eaten with knife and fork. Mine got well dosed with some Texas Pete hot sauce; Mrs Nix went for ketchup. Putting the egg & scrapple on bread and making a sandwich--sometimes called a "Scrapple Banjo"--works well, too. But we didn't have bread.   



* Scrapple is a German-American specialty. It is a kind of sausage composed of all the parts of the pig that aren't fit for hot dogs, usually with some heart and liver. I make my own in the Fall, but this was store bought stuff. Not bad, if perhaps a bit heavy on the corn meal. Scrapple is analogous to Cajun Boudin Blanc, but made with corn meal instead of rice. It is delicious when fried up crispy. 

[GA1dad]

Great Post!!! Looks good!!

[Nix]

 

[RF52]

Must be hard to do all this testing Nix, and probably not fun at all

Sent fra min M2002J9G via Tapatalk

[Nix]

Must be hard to do all this testing Nix, and probably not fun at all

RF, I'm trying to be a good and supportive MTo member. I do this testing so that you guys don't have to. If it seems like I'm having fun...well....that is just a coincidence. I'll do my best to carry on......   

[RF52]

Much appreciated, wouldn't want to get outside and play with fire(not jealous at all FYI!)

Sent fra min M2002J9G via Tapatalk

[Nix]

 

[RF52]

Sent fra min M2002J9G via Tapatalk

[Sos24]

All this testing is awesome.

I almost feel bad that my post resulted in all this “testing” for you.

[Nix]

Don't feel bad for me. But you might spare a thought for my poor old belt.....