The swiss army knife of camping stoves

[ostrich160]

Hi guys, so if you remember long back when I came to this forum looking for bushcraft advise, and you guys gave me some excellent ideas, so I went out there into the wild and its been a blast. However, what I do for my job, and for fun more than anything, is Im a bit of an inventor. And I've come up with a bushcraft product idea I'd love to hear your feedback on, but be absolutely honest whether you like it or not because I need to know whether you guys would like this. Okay, here we go...

This is essentially the swiss army knife of camping stoves, meaning 2 things. It has many functions, but also these functions are simply tools, its not like the pop up tents where all the works done for you, this is something that takes away nothing from the experience, and is more there to help you do things. So, you have your average stove, its strong, light and durable. Normal fuel can be used, or you can just find twigs and stuff and that can be used to create the fire. Okay, so we're cooking some food, but were do we eat? Well, it has a fold out table with grooves in for plates and cups, allowing users to sit around the stove and eat together. But our seats are too high off the ground, and the stove is too small. The stove has pull out adjustable legs, meaning the height can be changed easily. Okay thats cool, but we're british right, we cant just eat some beans alone, we need a good cup of tea with it, right. Well, it uses the excess heat that comes out of the sides of the stove to heat a kind of compartment filled with water, meaning the water is both hot and safe to drink. Not only that, but this stove has compartments, under the table a space to hold a pack of playing cards or whatever, or the side a space for your knife. Heres a very quick and basic render I took of it using my 3d modelling software, it needs some work however

Heres the picture

So yeh, tell me what you think guys, and as I said, be honest.

Thanks a lot
Tom

 

[welchyd1]

How big and heavy would that bad boy be? I presume its not portable.

 

[petrochemicals]

yup, portability is the thing. Most backpacking,people won't have full size seats to sit round it at a height, the need for cups onboard or cutlery. So I really cant help you in your target market.

The kettle things a good idea, lots of people like a seperate water heating thingy. A super lightweight addon for small stoves you may have another product, perhaps incorporated into the windshield.

 

[ostrich160]

How big and heavy would that bad boy be? I presume its not portable.

Oh its defiantly portable, otherwise it would be pointless for camping. I'll be working hard to make it as compact and lightweight as possible.

yup, portability is the thing. Most backpacking,people won't have full size seats to sit round it at a height, the need for cups onboard or cutlery. So I really cant help you in your target market.

The kettle things a good idea, lots of people like a seperate water heating thingy. A super lightweight addon for small stoves you may have another product, perhaps incorporated into the windshield.

Hmmm, its certainly a thought to just sell the tea water heaters, Ill consider that if I find this product falls through

 

[spandit]

It's not going to fit in a rucksack, though, is it? Unless it's made of titanium in which case I think the cost will be prohibitive...

 

[StuMsg]

honestly, it would not interest me (takes up space and I work to reduce the volume I take. un-nessecary for the type of camping I do) but it's good to see people are trying new ideas.

Perhaps it would interest car campers - parents might not like children to be eating around the stove and hot water though.

Stu

 

[ostrich160]

It's not going to fit in a rucksack, though, is it? Unless it's made of titanium in which case I think the cost will be prohibitive...

Lets say it would, just for arguments sake, but it would take up quite a bit of space and be pretty heavy. Would it be on any interest to you?

honestly, it would not interest me (takes up space and I work to reduce the volume I take. un-nessecary for the type of camping I do) but it's good to see people are trying new ideas.

Perhaps it would interest car campers - parents might not like children to be eating around the stove and hot water though.

Stu

Good point, however the water canister thing would be removable.

 

[Gray]

Probably not a bushcraft stove tbh but for family camping as a base camp type stove set up then yeah i think its ace. Its all down to weight and pack size i reckon. You know how it goes, bushcrafters (not all) tend to sit around the fire and cook on it or at the edge of it, families like to sit and eat at the table which this device enables you to do.

 

[spandit]

I think it might get too hot near to the stove and would make it difficult to sit so close. I'd rather have a moveable seat/table. You'd also need a high flue to keep smoke out of the way if you're sitting round it

 

[ostrich160]

Probably not a bushcraft stove tbh but for family camping as a base camp type stove set up then yeah i think its ace. Its all down to weight and pack size i reckon. You know how it goes, bushcrafters (not all) tend to sit around the fire and cook on it or at the edge of it, families like to sit and eat at the table which this device enables you to do.

Yeh thats a good point, I guess I either want to aim it at families or maybe more down my ally the kind of geeky campers (The kind of guys that buy guns just in case the zombies come ), but yeh maybe bushcrafters arent the right guys to talk to this about, you like to do as much as you can yourself

I think it might get too hot near to the stove and would make it difficult to sit so close. I'd rather have a moveable seat/table. You'd also need a high flue to keep smoke out of the way if you're sitting round it

Oh yeh I didnt even think of smoke

 

[Graham_S]

It also doesn't look very stable.
I'd be concerned about it falling over.

 

[ostrich160]

It also doesn't look very stable.
I'd be concerned about it falling over.

Oh thats just a very basic concept image, yeh I do notice I need to work on the legs.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

I think if it has potential its in the caravan and mainstream camping sector. Something like the cadac with extra features. The concept of eating round the stove on pull out platforms or playing cards on it doesnt really work for me. If im family camping or in a caravan ill always have a table to sit round and play games on.

You obviously have some design skills though so keep at it

 

[bilmo-p5]

... I do notice I need to work on the legs.

Does it need legs? That space is wasted; it could be taken up with a fuel tank/bottle. Certainly 3, possibly adjustable, feet would be useful for levelling and stability

 

[mountainm]

When you said swiss army stove I'd envisaged heater/multi fuel cooker/lamp combo. I think your idea here is admirable but the functions you are trying to combine do not really benefit from convergence.

 

[Jonbodthethird]

When you said swiss army stove I'd envisaged heater/multi fuel cooker/lamp combo. I think your idea here is admirable but the functions you are trying to combine do not really benefit from convergence.

Now that's a idea and a half! Lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ozzy1977]

Thats what I was thinking, sort of a cross between a frontier stove and a biolite making electric for some lights.

 

[mrcharly]

You couldn't sit round that, you'd be roasted.

The top would get really hot - so impractical to put anything on.

Why combine a stove and a table? That's like combining a pocketknife and a canoe. Totally different functions.

A 'swiss army' knife is multiple tools in one package. They are all tools.

A stove has the primary function of producing heat. The heat could be used for cooking, heating water, warming a space/people or generating power. Think about combining those functions. Maybe look at kelly kettles; these are wonderful water heaters but poor cookers. Maybe you can make something inspired by them that is a decent cooker, water heater and space warmer in one.