Has anyone had any experience with the Little Bug Stoves? I was thinking it might work as a backup stove. Would it be any better than a small grate and a campfire? Little Bug

I haven't tried that stove but it might work really good with my alcohol burner.

Seems like a nice stove, as long as it doesnt come with that hobo cooking over it.

I have a Little Bug senior stove and it works well except that when using wood I found it difficult to control the temperature well. This was especially true when trying to simmer things or fry things at a moderate temperature. That trip we wound up mostly cooking on the fire grate and controlled temperature by moving things around. It could well be that with more practice that I would get better at it. Maybe I should play around with it at home. In the meantime, we've gone back to using gas stoves.

Wow $57.00 for a stainless steel tube with some holes in it? I must be missing something. From the picture I could make one from a piece of stovepipe or a coffee can. You could drill holes for metal rods to be inserted for a pot support. Also drill holes at the bottom for air intake for your fire or alcohol burner. Yes it is a nice stove but personally I would make one.

I have bought a little more complex one, expensive, yes it financed some stove in project in a developing country...

It works, cones, small dry brushwood etc are ok in it. Difficult to regulate heat output, and everything gets sooty.

So I am back to fossil fuel or ethanol/methanol mix. (4:1)

If wood is the point it is a good thing, if non fossil fuel is the point, ethanol/methanol mix in a Trangia 25 type cookset should be better.

We have the SR model and love it. It is great for boiling water FAST.
I have learned some temp control, just takes pratice, fried fish and pancakes all the time. It comes apart and packs VERY thin, something that a homemade burner would not do. It has already paid for itself a couple of times. And because it is stinless it will last forever. Highly recommend this stove.

CB

Cant be used when there is a fire ban on as it still a wood fire.

I just bought one of these, the Senior, and have been practicing at home. Temp control would require getting a bed of coals and then slowly adding wood and using some larger chunks which burn more slowly and less hot.

It is a great stove, especially for boiling water and warming up without starting a big campfire. It requires just small sticks which are everywhere and other debris such as pine needles and pine cones. I agree that is seems expensive for 4 pieces of metal. But it is well engineered and I could spend all winter trying to come close. I can boil a full size kettle of water with a good 2 quarts of cold water in it in ~5 minutes without wasting expensive cartridge fuel. It is light enough to simply replace a can of fuel. Some of the guys I go with are coffee addicts and can't function without boiling a bunch of water in the morning. At least with this thing I can warm my hands while they get their fix and it is much faster so we can get to fishing sooner.

It is very well designed, easy to assemble and take down, lightweight, and fun to use. All of the edges are smoothed so you won't cut your skin handling it. It cools quickly after the fire is out. It also works very well as a windscreen for an alcohol stove. I have a little alcohol stove but never used it because I dislike the fiddly windscreen that uses a paper clip to hold it together. This thing is much more solid and can support a heavy pot. So for short trips that require just boiling water, I could take the Littlbug with the alcohol burner and I am in business. I understand it is made in USA (MN).

It does generate soot but any wood burner would do the same. It is not the solution if you want to do a lot of camp cooking, but it is great for boiling water and warming up quickly.