User Review: Bushbuddy Ultra

I'd been carrying a homemade alcohol stove for thousands of miles after 3 thru hikes before finding this stove in preparation for the CDT. Not having to carry the weight of fuel or be worried about finding alcohol in town convinced me to give it a shot.

I got the ultra light version, weighs 5.1 ounces. It nestles perfectly inside my Snow Peak 900 titanium pot. So well that it doesn't even rattle as I hike! Construction is awesome; a solid piece of gear. Cooking with fire was a pleasant experience, especially since I never make campfires on my hikes. Being that your fire is contained in the metal stove, it qualifies as a Leave No Trace fire and burns the small twigs one uses as fuel to ash.

5+ ounces for a stove sounds heavy, but not having to carry any fuel is a huge weight savings. A few cotton balls rubbed with petroleum jelly serves as an emergency firestarter in case you can't find any dry tinder, but with a little know how you can find dry wood in a downpour. The only time I'd hesitate to bring this stove is in an extremely arid climate where fires are extremely notorious. Southern California on the PCT comes to mind here.

I suppose one could argue that if you're cooking with fire, why even bring this stove? Having the flames contained somewhat in the metal base was comforting and seemed to limit the blowing around of embers that often results from a fire. Or maybe this was my imagination?