BioLite CampStove 2+ Review (2026)

Name: BioLite CampStove 2+
Brand: BioLite
Price: 150.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 9.2 (1 reviews)

The BioLite CampStove 2+ does something no other stove in this roundup does: it generates electricity from the heat of a wood fire and stores it in a built-in battery you can use to charge your devices. I was skeptical before using it and am now a convert for certain types of camping. On a 3-day car camping trip in Shenandoah, I cooked every meal on it and charged my headlamp battery and phone's emergency reserve without any other power source. The fan creates efficient combustion with minimal smoke. At $150 it's the most expensive stove here, but for trips where you want one less thing to recharge separately, it delivers.

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$150 retail

9.2

/ 10

TrailCraft Score

What Works

Generates usable electricity while cooking — a genuine feature
No fuel to carry — burns sticks
Built-in fan creates efficient combustion with less smoke
Versatile for car camping where weight is not the primary concern

Limitations

33 oz — too heavy for backpacking
Requires dry wood — challenging in sustained rain
Slower to reach full heat than canister stoves
Most complex setup in the roundup

Specifications

Weight33 oz / 935 g

FuelWood — sticks and biomass

Electricity Output3 W USB via thermoelectric

Internal Battery2600 mAh

Boil Time4.5 min per 1 L

Fan Speeds5 levels

Warranty2 Years

MadeChina

Score Breakdown

Cooking performance

9.0

Fuel flexibility

10.0

Portability

7.0

Ease of use

8.5

Value for money

8.8

The electricity generation in practice

The thermoelectric generator captures heat from the fire and converts it to electricity stored in the 2600 mAh battery. During a typical dinner cook (45–60 minutes), I generated enough to fully charge a headlamp battery (about 40% of a phone charge). It's not a replacement for a dedicated power bank on a long trip, but for weekend camping it means one fewer thing to charge before you leave home.

The built-in fan has five speed settings that control combustion intensity. Lower speeds maintain a steady cooking fire; high speed creates a more intense burn for faster boiling. In practice, I use mid-range for most cooking and high for initial ignition and quick boils.

Fuel availability

Burning sticks eliminates the need to buy and carry fuel canisters, which adds up in cost and pack weight over a season. The tradeoff is reliability — in wet conditions, finding dry fuel takes effort. I've cooked in light rain with the BioLite by sourcing dry wood from under fallen logs and overhanging branches, but it requires more thought than lighting a canister stove.

"Car camping with it for a weekend and I didn't miss having a charging cable. That's the feature no other stove in this roundup offers."

Comparing options?

See all four Best Camp Stoves for Backpacking & Camping side by side — specs, scores, and pricing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much electricity does the BioLite CampStove generate?

The thermoelectric generator produces up to 3W, which charges the built-in 2600 mAh battery during cooking. A 45-minute cook session typically generates enough to charge a headlamp battery or provide about 30–40% of a phone charge.

Does the BioLite work in rain?

The stove itself is functional in light rain — the fan-fed combustion chamber handles moisture reasonably well. Finding dry fuel wood when it's been raining for days is the harder challenge. For consistent wet-weather cooking, a canister stove is more reliable.

Is the BioLite CampStove 2+ good for backpacking?

At 33 oz it's heavier than any serious backpacking stove. It's best suited for car camping and base camping where weight is less critical than feature set.