In this video I show how to assemble the Firebox Freestyle in the 3-sided configuration and how to use it with an alcohol stove and with wood Firberglass Mat www.amazon.ca/...
Well done Mark 👍😎👌 I really like the three-sided stove and have found myself using it quite a bit. I don't find it necessary to have the fire Stick crossing on top to hold a small pot. The corner of the two high sides seems to do the trick just fine. For me the only reason to carry any fire sticks at all would be if I am planning to use an alcohol burner. Otherwise all I need are the three sides which makes for an extremely minimalistic and ultralight weight wood burner 👍 Cheers😎
I live at an elevation of 7500 feet and I don't experiment much with fire because we live in a parched high desert. So you taught me about having a fire taller than it is wide to help with combustion. You might save a few lives with this knowledge.
The problem with any tall stove is that, once the coal bed is suitable for grilling meat, it's too far below the meat to cook it. I use my large Toaks titanium stackable stove for a quick boil, and my Firebox Nano for grilling, though it suffers from a small surface area. It's great for hot dogs and sausages, though, which are better options for hiking than burgers and steaks. On this spring's 230 mile Appalachian Trail section hike I left the wood stoves home and just used my Supercat homemade alcohol stove. My longest time between resupply options was 6 days, so I didn't need much stove fuel. Surprisingly, I didn't miss a wood fire. I only spent one night in the woods with a group, and they built a nice fire in the fire pit. Interestingly, no one used it for cooking! Excellent presentation and wood stove physics theory.
Yes, tall stoves like the Toaks work best for quick heat for boiling but not so much for grilling. It is hard to find a stove that does it all well and is still ultralight. The Freestyle and the Nano are close but even they take skill to use for grilling. Thanks for commenting
I like to use the Speester Stove in the three-sided freestyle which is also a safety stove with fleece so you don't create fires when you spill the spritus.
Use the cotton bag, buy some 6mm thick firefelt as a heat protective base, aluminium foil is a heat sink, so must still get the ground hot. Leave the oversized tin at home when using 3 and 4 sides. Thank you for sharing, all of interest as usual. Take care
Great Video Mark,,,, I tried your link to Amazon, to buy the fiberglass Fire matt,,,, doesn’t seem to be available for the US right now. In regards to the UCO mini flat back grill,,, added holes on both sides similar to your example. Your Right,,,!!!! What a transformation,,!!! Charcoal or Wood it’s really earned a spot in my wood stove rotation. A pocket bellows will be with this stove always,,, Really enjoy my Freestyle,,, I’ve been using the fire pits mostly,,, Blessings to You and Your Wife,,,,,, Joshua
Found this on Amazon US www.amazon.com/TRIWONDER-Fireproof-Protective-Fiberglass-Retardant/dp/B09B764MCC/ref=sr_1_9?crid=1DQ975ZJ3AQ0V&keywords=fiberglass%2Bfire%2Bmat&qid=1659205747&sprefix=fiberglass%2Bfire%2Bmat%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-9&th=1&psc=1. Glad you found the video helpful
I’m assuming you’re using the smallest of the fiberglass mats available (30cm x 30cm). Could it be folded around the disassembled stove, top side facing inwards, and secured with that Ranger Band you left behind, to act as a case for the stove, so the bag could also be left behind?
Great video again. I was thinking though if you use the fire sticks in the bottom you can make a short of grate So sticks don't go all the way to the ground. Thanks Mark.
Getting all the lighter weight advantages BUT with a high quality stove. You're not wrong about issues at altitude. The ice cream always expands on my way home from shopping. 2-stroke engines can get the wobbles, especially with changes in air pressure up here. Great video Mark. Can you still use the little toaster attachment with this configuration ? I use a barrel type gasification stove, with wood. It has a two-speed battery operated fan, which is necessary once you place a pot on top. The more oxygen, the better.
Yes, a fan powered stove like the BioLite will have an advantage at altitude. As for the toaster, if you are meaning the grill, then yes but there is not a lot of area on top to grill over. Thanks for commenting
Hi Mark! Been watching many of your videos and Im a big fan! However, I think it's not worth it to buy Firebox Freestyle - if you are not into making a firepit for big family (then go ahead by a doublle stack Freestyle). Otherwise, It's much more worth it to just buy a double stack Firebox Nano which is the ULTIMATE multi purpose stove which is not revolving around firepit for family. Why? Because Nano is first of all MUCH ligher, like TWICE as light as a Freestyle. Secondly, you can use it with anything you want: All the way from Trangia Alcohol burner to Trangia Gas burner to wood, or even Esbit tablet burner. If you want a "rocket stove" with Swedish torch like you mention here in this video, just use a double stack Nano which creates even longer lasting fire than this Freestyle which you mentioned here. I think it's nice of Steve to come up with new ideas but I personally think this Freestyle is waaaaay too "niche" of a product than his King of the stove: Nano. Sadly, it's hard to beat Nano. Steve already beat himself by creating that Nano. The bar was already too high to beat that record. Freestyle is too gimmick in my opinion but if you are guy with big family and a camper van, then go ahead, this is perfect for you! Otherwise as a lonely man hiker, I would rather stick with that light weight Nano. And btw: The 3-sided Freestyle is actually harder to fold together, you will have to remove one of the metal stick to fold it. Lighter weight but more fiddling in the cold (just a minor detail).
I wonder if making the sticks a little shorter would help with the damping and smoke. If you got a foot of flame, it certainly wouldn’t hurt heat wise, and maybe would give it more air.
It might Jim. Lot of factors go into reducing smoke. The height of the fuel in relation to the bottom of the pot is one of them. I can do a side by side test with different height wood and see. Thanks for commenting
G'day Mark, well, I'm not particularly a gram counter mate, though in fairness, who wants to carry unnecessary weight, especially over longer distances. It sure is a significant difference and couldn't be easier to convert, I assume an intentional design feature ? If so, well done Firebox, if not, well done Mark, lol. I've been close to pulling the trigger a couple of times on either a Firebox or Solo stove; however with all the fire ban days here, kinda seems quite pointless, except perhaps in emergency. In any case, why not leave the lot at home and just make an open fire .............. Incidentally; I've been carrying a refillable torch type lighter for a few years now, as well as a bic and ferro rod. Sure makes life easier in the wind, not bad on damp material also. Cheers Duke.
Hi Duke. I don't get a chance to make fires most of the summer because of bans. When I can, I like using my stoves as they take so little wood to cook a meal and leave little trace of me being there. Still, I do like a good size open fire once in a while. Thanks for commenting
Great video Mark. I love my firebox gen 2 and all the configuration options. As I do more backcountry I'm appreciating more weight savings. Nice modification and review of the freestyle. I think I'll be owning one in the future. I'm also in Cda, Where did you buy yours? Also love your recipe videos as I'd like to eat healthier and lighter while out there.
@MarkYoungBushcraft Thanks for the great overview videos. I'm really having trouble deciding between a Bushbox LF and a Firebox Freestyle. I love the Firebox Nano for my canteen kit, and I use a 5" bushbox copy (Boundless Voyage) for family outings--but I'm pretty set on getting something the size of the LF for more versatility on solo outings. I wondered if, having both, you have settled on a favourite between the two? I am torn between the tradeoff of the firebox being a little bit more "fiddly" while having more versatility. There isn't much out there as far as direct comparison between the two goes.... and I'd much appreciate the opinion of a fellow haligonian.
Hello neighbour. This is a hard one to answer as I really do like both stoves. The biggest advantage the Freestyle has is the flexibility is building bigger stoves out of two of them. For simplicity of use it is hard to beat the Bushbox LF. Hope this helps
@@MarkYoungBushcraft Thanks for confirming that for me Mark. I think I might just have to bite the bullet and purchase one....then end up purchasing the other one eventually as well. That seems to be how it always works.
