Solar Ovens & Rocket Stoves

[TNWNGR]

I've been researching Solar Cookers which most of us generally lump into the Solar Oven genre for a while now with mixed feelings about them. I also began looking at rocket stoves as a complement to the solar cookers. With either you can either go DIY or purchase a manufactured product. While I've yet to decide on the rocket stove. I've decided on and ordered two different types of solar cookers for less then $200.00 combined to experiment with.

As far as the rocket stove goes I'm still trying to decide but should have one ordered in another week or so. Would anyone here care to share what they've learned or done with respect to solar cookers and rocket stoves? FWIW from a recreational and outdoor cooking perspective I'm experimenting with alternative options.

[Grand Torino]

For something light and on the go this one has performed extremely well for my son and his wife. They do a lot of back packing/camping and he talks about it so much I actually remembered the name of it.

https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-pot-900-1/

For something more substantial he likes this. He has recently gifted us on of this for our SHTF stuff but I have yet to fire it up. It seems fairly well made.

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/small-rocket-stove-makes-efficient-offgrid-or-camping-stove.html

[TNWNGR]

45 minutes ago, Grand Torino said:

For something light and on the go this one has performed extremely well for my son and his wife. They do a lot of back packing/camping and he talks about it so much I actually remembered the name of it.

https://www.solostove.com/solo-stove-pot-900-1/

For something more substantial he likes this. He has recently gifted us on of this for our SHTF stuff but I have yet to fire it up. It seems fairly well made.

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/small-rocket-stove-makes-efficient-offgrid-or-camping-stove.html

I'd looked at the SOLO stove, they also have a larger model that while not as large as the Eco Zoom you linked to still produces a lot of heat for cooking. I've been looking at the Silverfire Survivor stove as well...

http://www.silverfire.us/survivor-rocket-stove-p10

Oh well...at least you can't say not many people make biomass rocket stoves...

Thanks GT...

[TNWNGR]

OK I'm going to officially say this collapsible solar oven should be on everyone's list of either camping, prepping or just giggles and grins fun of outdoor cooking list. http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/SUNFLAIR I'm going to go with a rigid box solar oven for home use later on but this ones going in my disaster prep and camping gear duffle bag.

The other thing I have on the way is a replacement multi-fuel Coleman backpacking stove. http://www.ozarkswalkabout.com/coleman-exponent-multi-fuel-stove/

I'm still researching a wood burning rocket stove for truck camping or home use and have it narrowed down to two...the most rugged one (Groves) isn't very fancy but sure looks like it'd handle being dropped or accidently kicked over pretty well.

[Grand Torino]

That seems like a pretty sweet little solar oven. You've peaked my interest...

[TNWNGR]

20 hours ago, Grand Torino said:

That seems like a pretty sweet little solar oven. You've peaked my interest...

It works to, there are several U-Tube-it's with people cooking a surprising number of items in it. I used it to  help rehydrate and heat up a freeze dried meal today and it was plenty hot. People are pasteurizing water in them, heck I kind of knew you could do that in a mason jar but never thought about it in a solar oven.  

 

 

[RED333]

Solar stove, really, no sun and well cold food. Them rocket stoves are heavy to carry around. A few rocks (they are every where) some mud and some wood and you can make what you need when you need it. No need to carry anything.

Always have a backup plan.

[TNWNGR]

11 hours ago, RED333 said:

Solar stove, really, no sun and well cold food. Them rocket stoves are heavy to carry around. A few rocks (they are every where) some mud and some wood and you can make what you need when you need it. No need to carry anything.

Always have a backup plan.

Absolutely, Solar Stoves and Rocket stoves aren't backpacking items, they're alternative home or vehicle born camping tools. As for no sun no cooking with a solar oven...well kind of...if is fully overcast, night or storming then your right a solar cooker's out. But solar cookers work even when its more overcast then you'd think it possible for them to work, it just adds to the cooking time.

I don't know if I'll get really serious about solar cooking and rocket stoves but those that have reduced their utilities bills. The thing about rocket stoves and wood gasification stoves is they use twigs, pine cones, dried grass and foliage to cook faster with less fuel and effort. They also reduce fire hazards. FWIW I've cooked a lot of meals over an open fire or fire pit but some places I've been wouldn't allow an open fire.   

[RED333]

3 hours ago, TNWNGR said:

FWIW I've cooked a lot of meals over an open fire or fire pit but some places I've been wouldn't allow an open fire.   

That would put my open fire out. I checked out youtube on how to make one, we used a #10 can to make a few in the Boy Scouts.