Is the ACE 1 Ultra-Clean Biomass Cookstove too good to be true?
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.
- Is there anything comparable to this by other manufactures?
- 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
1 answer
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."
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