Has anyone here actually got one? I've heard mixed reviews but am quite tempted...
Hi Reg, I have one. I'm a self confessed stove fanatic and got one for the novelty value more than anything. I wouldn't want it as an only stove for the following reasons:
Weight. It is quite a heavy old Hector.
Not all sites allow open fires. It isn't but you can imagine some jobsworth saying it is.
Does blacken the pan bottom somewhat.
Quite heavy on fuel.
The last one doesn't really matter I suppose as long as you have plenty of it as you start cooking. It is great fun though. I say take a small saw and axe or a a big knife. A fragment of a solid firefighter to get it going and get cooking.
Assuming dry fuel it hardly smokes once it is going and it is well capable of chucking out a lot of free heat. I use a big heavy pot with a good thickness of bottom and the stove doesn't struggle with heating it. I cooked curry for eight people and it kept it at a rapid simmer for as long as you threw wood at it.
I also have the grill attachment but haven't tried it yet due to a sudden case of being vegetarian. Every time I take it on holiday, I fail to catch any fish so it remains in the box!
To conclude, I would say on balance, get one! It charges your phone or GPS as well. I don't think I have used it without someone asking what it is either.
