180 Stove - Emergency Stove, Backpacking Stove, Camp Stove - Stainless Steel - U.S.A. Made

EDIT:First off, 180 stove sent me a replacement because they wanted to analyse the warping.That warping was pretty easily cleared up as i was essentially over-abusing the stove, both in terms of going way too hot and cooling things down way too fast.So, that being said, I decided to try some other stoves in the search for a perfect stove. Actually, i have quite a few stoves, including 5 gas canister stoves of varying shapes and sizes, a multi-fuel stove, two alcohol stoves, a fuel tablet stove, a sterno stove, and now, 5 wood stoves (vargo, emberlit, emberlit mini, firebox, and this one).Specifically around wood stoves, of the five i now own, each has its uses, advantages, and disadvantages.I now split each stove depending on the type pf trip.For extended duration (more than two weeks) with a base camp, the firebox. The firebox is a bombproof stove that could be used every day, for extended periods per day, and never break.As a backup to a gas stove or multi-fuel stove, the emberlits (full-size or mini)As a bugout bag kit, the vargo (no parts to lose)For everything else (up to a couple of weeks), the 180 stoveOf all the wood stoves, the 180 stove really is the best all-rounder.It's the best of the bunch in that juxtaposition between - durability, - compactness, - weight, - flexibility of fuels, - surface area for variety of cups, pots, pans, and even a weighty dutch oven.I have cooked fish on here wrapped in foil, setup a 9.5" tall wind screen with foil along the top to create an almost oven-like setup, made chili and re-hydrated several pot meals, and of course, pots/kettles/cups of water.Combined with the ash/snow pan, this stove is extremely versatile, allowing better fire starting on wet ground or snow, and also simplified cleaning up ash.The 9.5" tall wind screen i mentioned earlier. Is another reason i like the 180 stove. Unlike many other stoves, the 180 stove has a much lower height, which makes the wind screen/heat reflector particularly effective with cups/kettles/pots/pans as it keeps the sides warm and equally protected from the wind.-----EDIT:I've used this stove about a dozen times now and it's starting to warp.It's clear now that my initial concerns are confirmed. They should have used a heavier gauge steel for this unit as it's just not thick enough to resist heat for too long.I really wish someone would figure out that some folks want compact & durable.Will continue to keep this unit as an emergency, but hope someone makes a better version with thicker walls in the near future.---After reading the 1 star review for this 180 stove, i got really excited because unlike most people, what i seek in an emergency stove or backpacking stove like this is MORE weight, thicker walls that don't bend easily and can withstand several hours worth of heat without warping. I still like a compact size but compact stoves bend easily when u least expect it and i really loathe equipment failure in the field.Unfortunately, while it's true that this unit is heavier than other compact stoves, it still bends easily and is not nearly as heavy as the 1 star review suggests.The other complaint from the same reviewer was that u can't put any large pots on it. In my case, i felt the oppsite to be true. Because most of these hiking compact stoves are designed either without good walls or become smaller at the top to improve heat flow, i find them to be less stable with larger pans or pots. The 180 easily held a 10" skillet for some pan fry cooking and a larger 3 quart pot as well as my 32oz and 44oz kettles and was stable.And while heat was significantly less efficient than other designs, the advantage was the wood burned slower too, so i could keep the fire going for a few hours and the stove required less attention than rocket stoves which burn fuel very quickly. On moist ground or where u have a lot of kindle but not much branches, this suffices as a small camp fire.the three walled structure is fine for me and posed no problems. It meant one less piece to carry and allowed me to continually stoke the fire over time, not dissimilar to larger side loading rocket stoves.One thing that can't be argued with is the reviewer's complaint on how to get heat to stay close in when trying to cook. The solution is a panel folding heat reflector. I like the 11" tall duogreen heat reflector that i use with all my stoves for wind protection but most people i would imagine don't want yet another piece to carry. I love the folding screen though and use it for gas stoves, dutch oven cooking small camp fires and small charcoal grills as it seems that everywhere i cook wind is a problem as it whisks away heat too fast. In the case of the 180 stove, this poses an interesting dilemnma: air flow. With the windscreen really close in to the 180 stove, there isn't enough air to keep the fuel going. So u need to put some distance between the two, but every inch of gap translates to a significant drop in heat reflection, so there's a balance there but isn't too hard to figure out.If the walls were just a bit thicker and resistant to bending and warping, it'd be a perfect compact stove for my kind of solo hiking and small group day trip uses. As it is, this unit has earned a spot as my primary fire gear with a smaller alcohol stove and tiny gel stove as backup.The last whiny thing i would venture is that the ash & snow pan should be included with the 180 stove standard and still be about $50. The 180 stove plus the ash pan cost me $65 and frankly, considering the thin material, it doesn't really feel like $65 worth of stove, but that's just me.Would i recommend this product? Yes, as long as you understand the pros and cons, this unit may be as good for your uses as a main or secondary emergency or hiking stove as it is for me.Either way, best of luck and happy camping.

This is the kind of product that rekindles your faith in the American entrepreneurial spirit. I love this little stove. It's simple. It folds together a half inch thick and slips easily into my backpack. (I keep it stored in my bug-out bag.) It's stainless steel. Although it is very light, when assembled it has tremendous strength due to its structure. It heats liquids fast. It complements the user's ingenuity and skill by requiring the ability to seek out fire-starting materials and actually start a fire. As always - a little skill on your part transforms into a little more freedom. And God seems to have made many of us with a secret delight in starting and tending fires. I have a wood stove in my house for that very purpose - well, not to mention heating and cooking. Keeping an eye out for kindling and burnables forces you to be more aware of the environment as you look for and snatch up what you need on approaching camp. To summarize: This stove is a simple, sturdy, elegant, high quality, environmentally engaging, skills enhancing, freedom bestowing, solution to hot drinks and warm food. Not to mention the joy of poking around with a fire. It is a practical and philosophical stove.It fits with what backpacking, camping and good tools are all about. I wish all my tools were so completely designed. Keep your money in America.

I bought this stove with the bottom plate. It works really well, and folds up flat. This will never leave my pack, whether I need it or not....the ultimate backup stove for when you don't have fuel, or can't have open fires. I keep a carbonzied mini blanket with it to use as a ground protector, pot holder, etc, and it works well...this stove will get HOT, but cools fairly quickly once you remove it from the heat source.EDIT: A year later, still going strong, still one of my favorite pieces of gear. The baseplate warped a bit, because I cooled it too fast, but it still works fine. Only minor, very minor, complaint, is that I would like to see some kind of improvment in the way the crossbars fit into the sides of the stove, it can be a pain. That is nitpicking, though. If I lost this stove, would I buy another one? The answer is "HELL YES!" I might consider buying the smaller flame stove, instead, but one of the two would be my first and only go to stove, for sure.

i read other reviews and the "glowing" reviews are nuts . this is tinny , flimsy and first fire , WARPED . one review is TOTALLY CORRECT ; at the COST , the base plate should be INCLUDED as it is NEEDED for batter burn . ALSO for cost , i expected HINGED parts ; its a "slip-lock" type when fully assembled , kwite stable ON BASE PLATE . i IMMEDIATELY ordered a different type that DOES fold . if one considers COST , DONT buy it . ridiculous . i kept 3 stars because it IS lite , small and packs well with base plate . NOW , again , missing a substantial CASE !! you get heavy ziplock bags ; insane . so now ANOTHER cost . AND make NO mistake , it is simply a STAND for you pots & pans . there is NO controlled burn here . originally i looked to but 3 similar such product , but now it wont be fer sure .

You look at the photo, you think either big and bulky or small, lightweight and flimsy.Small, yes! ... Compact, yes! ...Flimsy, no!This product is fabulously constructed, well built, efficient, and it is honestly no bigger than one of today's newer, larger cell phones. ... We had looked at dozens of stove and stove-like items, and when we saw this one, we both thought that it was close to perfect. Accordingly, it went straight to the top of our bug-out (emergency items) list for camp stove items. A very good item!~ ~ ~ ~ ~A Post script ... We agree with the reviewer who felt that the snow & ash pan should also be included and that the price for both should not be increased up to $65 from the initial $50.