Already smashing through the half million dollar pledge mark over on Kickstarter (with only a $45,000 goal), the new BaseCamp Stove from BioLite appears to be the next must-have camping accessory. With the ability to cook a family size meal and charge everyone’s gadgets at the same time through the simple act of burning twigs and branches, the stove’s popularity is understandable.
Similar to the smaller BioLite CampStove, the BaseCamp Stove converts heat from the fire into usable electricity via a thermoelectric generator housed within the orange power pack connected to the base. This pack powers a fan that blows air back into the burn chamber for improved combustion. Any surplus electricity is then sent to a USB port, allowing you to charge electronic devices.
The CampStove creates an elevated cooking fire that burns smarter than a simple campfire. A switch at the base of the grill alters the flame into a more concentrated sphere for boiling water. When you want to grill hamburgers or steaks, simply flip the switch back to a wider flame.
The cooking unit pumps out 5W of usable electricity via a standard 5V USB port. A new feature on the BaseCamp Stove is the addition of a battery to the power pack. This means you don’t have to be cooking in order to charge your phone. A flexible USB light comes with the stove, so you can see what you are grilling at night.
For the next two weeks, you can pre-order your own BaseCamp Stove for $299. The expected delivery date is sometime October 2014. If BioLite hit their stretch goal of $750,000 (which looks entirely possible at this point), they will put resources behind a new accessory project for BaseCamp. The best part—you get to vote on what should be that accessory. Pizza oven anyone?