Solo Stove fire pits have become very popular in recent times. These portable mobile fire pits can provide sufficient heat in different outdoor settings. If you’re thinking of getting one, you may want to know, do solo stoves come with a cover?
The solo stove has five parts which are the burn chamber, base plate, ash pan, vent holes, and fire ring. It also comes with a nylon carrying bag. But if you need a cover, you’ll have to buy it separately, either from Solo Stove itself or other manufacturers. You can also get a solo stove station.
Getting a cover for your solo stove is one of the ways to protect it from weather elements. But you also need to take extra care of it if you want it to last long. Here, we discuss whether solo stoves come with covers.
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What are Solo Stoves
Solo stoves are portable low-smoke fire pits. The Solo Stove brand produces fire pits, camp stoves, and grills. Jeff Jan established the company in 2011 in Texas and was founded by Jeff Jan. Beyond the burning devices; Solo stoves manufacture other accessories that cater to the needs of campers, adventurers, and anyone who enjoys being around that fire.
Solo stoves fire pits are the most popular solo stoves product. This environmentally conscious burning device is smokeless and comes in three models. With it, campers don’t have to worry about how to dispose of the propane cylinders that they use for fire. Solo stoves use wood for burning and consume very little energy.
Parts of a Solo Stove Fire Pits
In order to understand how the Solo Stove works, it’s important to identify the parts and their function. They include:
1. Burn Chamber
It’s the body of the Solo Stove and has vent holes at the bottom and top. The body of the burn chamber is made from a double layer of 304 stainless steel. It’s where the combustion process necessary for the solo stove to burn and produce heat happens.
2. Base Plate
This is close to the burn chamber bottom, and wood sits on the base plate. There are holes at the bottom of the base plate which allow oxygen to enter the burn chamber. The airflow fuels the fire at the base and allows it to burn better and faster. Ashes from the logs also fall out through the holes in the base plate, ensuring that the ventilation is clear.
3. Ash Pan
This part catches all the loose ash from the fire and prevents it from clogging the system, which will impede airflow. It also serves as the heat shield, lessening the effect of the solo stove against the surface it’s placed on.
4. Vent Holes
There are vent holes around the top of the burn chamber and at the bottom. This allows preheated oxygen to fuel the flame, ensuring a stronger combustion process. This limits the smoke while also ensuring the fire produces more heat.
5. Fire Ring
This is a single piece of stainless steel sitting at the top of the solo stove. It serves to keep the fire even and centered. In addition, the fire ring can sit comfortably inside when you turn the stove upside down, making it easy to store.
Accessories for Solo Stoves
Beyond the fundamental parts of a solo stove, there are other accessories that you can get to make the use even better.
1. Carrying Bag
Solo stoves come with a carrying bag. This is a black nylon carrying case, and it’s part of what makes it portable. With the carrying bag, you can easily move the Solo Stove around.
2. Cover
Solo Stoves don’t come with covers. But you can buy that separately or as part of the bundle when getting the solo stove. A cover is great because it makes it possible for you to use it outside, no matter the weather. With the cover, you may even be able to leave it outside and keep your solo stove in good shape if you happen to leave it outside.
The covers are called shelters, and each size solo stove has its shelter. They come in black and Gray and at a reasonable price. You can buy the shelter and the solo stove or buy them separately. Other companies such as Covers & All and Coverstore make premade and custom covers for all kinds of fire pits, including solo stoves. Just make sure you get something that specifically fits your solo stove for the best results.
3. Solo Stove Station
You can also get a solo stove station. This is a firewood rack with a slot where you can put your solo stove. There are also hooks on the side for other accessories, and it has a waterproof cover draping over the fronts and side. However, it’s slightly costlier.
What Kind of Wood Can You Use in a Solo Stove?
You can burn any wood in the solo stoves. But for optimal results, you should opt for dry hardwoods. This means woods such as hickory, oak, maple, and birch. They’ll burn better and slower than softwoods. You can use any size of wood, but it’s best to use about 4-6 logs that aren’t longer than 16 inches. You shouldn’t overfill the solo stoves as this will lead to smoke. For best results, don’t fill the stove beyond the holes around the top of the fire pit.
How to Safely Use the Solo Stove?
You should exercise the same caution you’ll exercise with a regular fire when using the solo stoves. Just as you won’t start a fire on a flammable floor, you shouldn’t place the solo stove on any material that could catch fire or be affected by gear such as wood, rubber, carpet, rug, etc. It should be near any flammable material at all. If you want to use it on a wooden deck, make sure to use a stand to reduce the heat transfer.
You can also use it in an existing fire pit, but it’s advisable you give it about 2 inches of clearance around the unit, so there’s proper ventilation.
How Long Can a Solo Stove Last?
Solo Stoves use 304 stainless steel. This is highly durable under high temperatures and also corrosion-resistant. But there’s a limit on how much heat it can take and how long. The first place you’ll notice the rust is the inside portion which has direct exposure to the flame, especially the vented bottom where the firewood burns. The least you can do is minimize exposure to any other element that could increase the rust, such as water. So it’s advisable not to leave your solo stove in the rain if you want it to last very long.
In Conclusion
Solo stoves are great burning devices for any outdoor use. But you should be careful when using them. Although highly durable, they can spoil fast with constant exposure to weather elements. You can get a cover to limit this exposure by getting a cover. But it’s best to always store in a safe and dry place after use.
