BioLite Base Camp Stove

Product Description

A true innovator in the world of camping - the BaseCamp from BioLite converts heat into usable electricity for large-scale cooking and power-consumption. Using only branches and brush, prepare wood-fired meals while charing tablets, laptops and smartphones - all at the same time! Thanks to its lack of fossil fuels and efficient use of natural energy, the BaseCamp is the smart alternative to a bulky, out-of-date charcoal grill.[Details] Cooktop - 13.25" diameter (33.66 cm), 138 in² cooking area (350.52 cm²) Charging Time - 30 min of charging = 5 hours talk time, 5 hours video, 20 hours of audio (average smartphone) Battery - Lithium ion, 2200mAh Weight - 17.92 lbs, 8.16 kg Fuel - Solid biomass (twigs, firewood, wood chunks etc) USB Power Output - 5W@5V, charging times vary by strength of fire Compatible Devices - Powers most USB-chargeable devices including smartphones Materials - Stainless steel, cast iron, high-temperature plasticFlexible USB Light - Light your site and keep device charging Bucket Handle - For easy portability Group Format - Large surface area fits 8 burgers Grill-To-Boil Lever - Transform flame at the flip of a switch Power-pack - 5W output to charge your gear Smart LED Dashboard - Monitor your fire and power Burn Chamber - Powerful combustion and easy refueling via side entry Fuel Rack - Keep fuel stable up to 20" Ash Tray - Keep your site clean Folding Legs - For adjustable cooking height and sensitive surfaces Model: BCA

Top Reviews

BioLite needs to work on their quality assurance some
by Keith Sinders,Top Contributor: Cooking (3 out of 5 stars)
July 22, 2015

I just got my BaseCamp grill and the Campstove grill. The fit and finish on the Campstove grill was perfect. However, I noticed a few little problems on my BaseCamp grill when I opened the container.

First, the BaseCamp has a cast iron liner to it. This made the BaseCamp a little heavier than I was expecting. The weight fully assembled is 17.4 pounds. When I opened mine, the cast iron was already rusting. I'm assuming that is OK as far as use, but I'd have thought they'd have done something to keep it from rusting so it at least wasn't rusted when the customer first opens the box or there might be some notice stating that the cast iron might arrive rusted and that is OK.

Secondly, the plastic casing that goes over the heat exchanger that converts the heat to electricity wasn't fitting very well. As I looked the casing over, I found part of that had to do with the design of the plastic casing itself and there being no screws or methods of really securing those two pieces of plastic together well.

Third, there is an orange rubber-like material that kind of fits in between the metal and the plastic casing and that material had not been installed in mine properly.

Fourth, I found that they had actually left a screw out the helps secure the electronics board and part of the top portion of the case down. It was one of the two screws that are supposed to get installed in the cone portion of the fan intake.

Fifth, the casing doesn't fit the filter snap in plastic piece all that well. It tends to want to pop out at one of the bottom corners.

So basically the plastic casing needs a little redesign work and they need to ensure that the portion around the heat exchanger gets assembled properly.

I can't tell you yet how it works because I just got it today. Other than the things I mentioned, it appears to be constructed pretty well. The legs fold out very easily and are attached well. And to fold them back for tucking away, just give a little squeeze and fold them in. The size of the grill space is pretty nice and it looks like it should overall hold up pretty well.

I'm just a little nervous for the first time I use it that the electronics portion of it works with what I experienced using the casing.

One thing I really like about the design is the ability to continuous feed the wood. And the legs raise it up to a nice height to grill with while sitting in a chair. And the light feature on it is a very good idea. From the videos I saw, the way the blower stokes the flame is an excellent idea and should make this unit great. The Campstove grill has pretty similar features. There is a little cover on the grill for the Campstove that can be flipped up to add more burning material. And it also has a fan that stokes the flames.

If the electronics work, I'll edit my rating and move it up to 4 stars. If not, I'll be calling Amazon and asking for a replacement. I love the concept of how this unit is designed though. I can definitely tell it has had some good thought put into it. The finer points just need a little tweaking.
*** Update on July 29, 2015 ***

I had someone claim that my unit was "Obviously Used" and that the review I wrote was unfair. So I decided to update my comment to address their claim. I attached a new picture of the unit. On this picture, I made sure to include a picture of the grill grate and pieces below with the rusted cast iron in view. If the unit had been used, there is no way I could have gotten the grill or pieces below that clean. And most likely in addition to being discolored from grease, etc from use the metal also likely would have been discolored from the heat of the flames. If you look at the picture, there is no discoloration to any portion of the metal on the grill portion of the unit or on the metal below, clearly visually indicating that the unit has not been used.

I'm a very detailed person and I like to cover the products I review in close detail. Comment details often help me in deciding whether I will buy a certain product or buy a different one. So thanks to all of you out there that have provided me with good detailed comments that have helped me decide what to purchase.

I like to help others out what I can. I'm an engineer. The rust on the cast iron doesn't really concern me all that much. I don't think that will affect the unit's performance. That is basically something cosmetic, but it gives a very negative first impression of the product for most people. People don't expect to open their brand new item up and find it already rusted. The way the plastic casing appeared to be improperly fit, missing at least one screw and assembled wrong concerns me far more. Those are some definite design and manufacturing quality problems that BioLite needs to fix. Like I said, I will update my review once I've tested it out. I was hoping to test it out last weekend, but the weather didn't cooperate. Hopefully the weather is nice this weekend so I can give it a good test. And for those that are wondering, I've kept it indoors in the AC the whole time. So the rust on the cast iron wasn't due to it sitting outside in the rain or anything like that.
*** Update 4/3/2016 ***

I tried my BaseCamp stove out in the summer of 2015 and it worked good. I wouldn't be concerned about the rust on the cast iron. It really shouldn't cause any issues, especially after you use it. It cleaned up pretty easily and well. It cooked a few steaks and some pork loins pretty well and it cooks them fairly fast once it gets going. Probably the biggest downfall is that you can't cook for too long before the chamber is full of ashes and you have to clean it out which really requires you to fully clean the chamber out before you can start cooking again. Although the unit fires right up pretty fast once it is cleaned out and fresh wood is placed inside. I'd probably recommend BioLite make the chamber slightly larger put a grate in the bottom with an ash catch pan below so you can keep continuously cooking by just emptying the ash catch pan and moving the kindling some to let more of the ash fall through the grate.
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Cooking bliss - dont hesitate, just buy it. Beats campfires, charcoal and propane by a mile!
by Dan or Adrienne (5 out of 5 stars)
August 23, 2018

Real review from a real person - My family has owned this for a few months now and we absolutely love it. It has replaced our outdoor barbecue entirely, and is the star attraction any time we go camping. It makes cooking a breeze and you never have to worry about charcoal, lighter fluid, propane tanks, faulty ignitors, or any of that other nonsense. Just scrounge around the nearest park or forest or even your back yard and you can come up with enough fuel to cook dinner. Choose some really good wood like fruitwood or cedar and you'll never go back to that blackened charcoal smell or taste again, I guarantee it. The electronics package works exactly as described, and even though we don't use it that often, it's fantastic to have in a pinch for the included light, charging your phone, or whatever smaller device you might have. (Not really very effective for a tablet, but it'll charge smaller stuff fairly well for free.) The coolest thing about this is the automatic fan which powers itself once a fire gets going and makes burning even slightly wet wood much easier. No more face full of smoke from sitting around the camp fire! No more finding bundles of wood and chopping it up! . I can't see how anyone wouldn't love one. And if that isn't enough, the company itself is on a mission that I support. Simply put: Helping others. I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to research it yourself. Happy Cooking!!!
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Great for cooking, warmth. Unreliable for electrical production
by Thomas fletcher (4 out of 5 stars)
January 7, 2016

Great stove but unsure about charging unit. Several days ago I sent detailed questions and video to Biolite without response. So without their feedback this is my review.
As a cook stove it's great!! Cooking and boiling fantastic. Firebox a little small so clearing ash while cooking and not losing flame a challenge. A grate that goes to ash box would have been wise. Takes a non engineer for that wisdom. With very dry wood burns hot. Slightly moist and a small firebox it drags it down a lot. Overall a great stove for my place.
The negative is the charging unit at this moment. Perhaps Biolite will reply and clear it up.
1. The enclosed light and USB port seems to have a lot of wiggle. If port is soldered in place then it's a problem. If it's a cable with designed slack then that's fine.
2 shouldn't have to burn a fire of level 2-3 for over an hour with 3 bars of battery power to get the light to work even a little. The instructions I believe are purposely vague on how long it needs to be used at what fire strength in order to use USB port. Took a long time to get light to finally come on and stay on. Over 60 minutes however when unplugged and replugged it often wouldn't light again or cell phone charge.

Perhaps it needs to be run a hour before you can use the enclosed light or charge a phone. Or the port has a cold solder that expands with heat thus allowing light to work some. Without reply from bio light it's hard to tell.

Thank you for reading.
Feb 27, 16 update.
After being rather forceful with Biolite regarding social media my email was answered. Good communication with rep. They confirmed unit defective. I returned to Orvis and after they dragged their feet with refund. I purchased another unit from Biolite.

Arrived yesterday and unit has same issues another person wrote about at length. Meaning the electronic pack and filter. Darn thing is warped. Seams don't line up. A screw lose on the bottom and can't see where it goes. Abrasions to the power unit and black smudges all over. I really feel this is a reclaimed or returned unit.
I didn't bother to fire up this stove as for the cost of it I expect this unit to reflect the price I paid. Meaning for 300.00 a customer deserves a well made and assembled unit. I'm disappointed in Biolite to produce this item.

When I return to NYC shortly I think visiting them in person to advocate for better quality control is in order. Will try one more time then I'm done.
See photos

Thank you.

April 2 2016 update. Took a lot of communication sadly on social media to get biolites attention. However eventually was shipped a perfect working stove which I am very pleased with.
I would advise if possible to purchase from a retailer where you can see and pick the product off the shelf. If you purchase via the net. Remember to use Facebook to ask questions vs their web site.
Great product but needs better oversight on shipping Dept and customer service.
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Good
by andrew (5 out of 5 stars)
October 17, 2015

I love the basecamp. The only problem is that the light won't hold itself up, it tents to flop over instead of supporting it's self up
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Caution
by Jake J. (2 out of 5 stars)
February 11, 2017

Mine was defective. I tried wood and pellets and couldn't boil water. I'm an avid camper and I own several stoves so before you judge me know that it has nothing to do with my skill level. The fire simply didn't get hot enough.

I also don't like the design. Pellets are cheap, compact, and very efficient. This design does not allow more than a handful without spilling out. When I used pellets I inserted a mesh cylinder to allow a few cups.

For wood I burned red oak, very dense and normally burns hot.

I returned this stove and bought the smaller one. It boiled 1.5 liters in 8 minutes with the fan on low using the same pellets. Very nice. I recommend that one.
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Minor flaw for extended cooking periods - Solved !!
by Mr. Gm Ashby (4 out of 5 stars)
June 30, 2016

This is a really GOOD piece of kit !! To be able to charge your devices by burning wood is completly awesome. However, there is also some room for improvement. The heat on the grill top is hot in the middle and almost non-existent in the sides.

The good news is that there is a cure for this.

Adding GrillGrates to the stove makes is a much more usable cooking unit (with even heat distribution) - but although brilliant (and recommended), this is not the most important improvement.

The biggest problem you face with cooking periods over 30 mins is this:

The bottom of the stove gets choked with ash and restricts the airflow to the fire and new timber going into the burn chamber.

When this happens, the intensity of the fire dies off and the cooking heat reduces and the charging rate also reduces.

The cure is to add a bottom fire grate to the grill which allows the user to rake out the ash below the fire into the ember pan and allow oxygen to enter below the fire to keep the fire hot and the charge at maximum.

I will shortly be selling this solution to compliment a great product and turn it into a fantastic product with this minor flaw addressed to allow extended periods of cooking time as much as you will ever need.

Watch this space !!
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Broken in box... Sorry
by Douglas Barnes (1 out of 5 stars)
November 10, 2018

Don't get me wrong here, I absolutely love biolite and would recommend them to anyone and everyone! But I bought this as a gift long before the return date. And when I finally gave it to him, we started to use it but the fan never started. Even after a good steady fire for I'm excess of ten minutes. It cooks really well, but it seems like the battery mechanism is faulty. I am sorry for giving 1 star, but I don't know what to do.
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Bought Base Camp with Pizza Dome - GREAT!
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
September 23, 2017

We bought this in preparation for the latest hurricane which fortunately went the other direction. We gave it a try in preparation for the next hurricane. It was great. I had stockpiled all sorts of wood but it took only 5 or 6 short, small branches and we were able to bake 2 pizzas and could have done a lot more. We love it!
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AWESOME STOVE.....Buy it...You won't regret it!
by S. Brown (5 out of 5 stars)
June 24, 2016

Amazing stove. Seemed spendy to us but now that we have used it we can see the quality and how well it works. It just burns sticks and twigs (easy to find simple fuels) and at the same time it charges your phone and provides a light. We later added the Pizza Dome to it (Ordered directly from BioLite) and that gives you a domed lid and a pizza stone for simplified camp meals.
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Cooking with Biolite
by Amazon Customer (4 out of 5 stars)
September 20, 2019

I use Biolite at my primitive cabin where it's easy to collect tender and kindling. On the downside, it takes adjustment because you have to prepare, but once it's going, cooking is easy. With Biolite I'm less dependent on propane for cooking and I can charge my phone. This is a great benefit since I have no electricity available.

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