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The Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless Steel

The Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless Steel
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The Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless SteelThe Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless SteelThe Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless Steel
The Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless SteelThe Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless Steel
Our Price:  £25.99
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Availability:  

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Product Code:  RD105
Brand:  Backpackinglight.co.uk

The Honey Stove - Stainless SteelThe Honey Stove - Stainless Steel

 

Well it all started way back in 2009 when I found I needed two Honey Stoves next to each other to BBQ a trout!

I found that during the warmer days, which were few and far between, that the Honey Stoves out performed my big domestic BBQ set in efficiency and performance, so I thought it was about time that I designed a way to extend the cooking coverage to incorporate larger pots, bigger groups and a more social chilling around a contained fire.

The trick was to add two more panels to the Honey Stove, thus making it 8 sided and increase the base panel from 12cm to 18cm.

It sounds a simple task, however it has taken many samples with different breather holes in it, to get the correct air flow for a good contained fire. One which would burn efficiently, and not race through the fuel used.

The next issue was to get a custom made grill made which fitted the stove. Big enough, but too big, and of course being food grade was important.

Your package consists of 2 x side panels, a base plate and a 180mm x 180mm (7" x 7") top mesh food grade stainless steel grill in a tough bag large enough to store flint and steel and tinder.

The only construction difference, is to start building the stove with a side panel with prongs facing upwards.

From experience the base plate is best situated in either of the lower two slots with the grill placed on top, especially when using charcoal BBQ briquettes.

Please note: It is designed to be a tight fit the first few times you assemble the stove. This will quickly become easier with use.

Weight: Side Panels 2 x 42g - Base Plate 112g - Top Grill 43g   Complete 8 sided kit 474g

Supplied in bag large enough to take the complete Honey Stove and Hive, plus tinder and lighting tools.

The Pocket Stove The Honey Stove and The Hive Stove are all designed and made in the UK.

Manufacture

The Honey Stove and The Hive Stove are manufactured using .5mm Stainless Steel which is considerably stronger than it looks.

The square, hexagonal and octagonal use of the material is exceedingly efficient at reflecting heat inwards and upwards.
At the same time allowing the correct amount of air draw for the different cookers or fuel used.

Once heat is applied to the metal base plate, it will warp slightly. This is normal and doesn’t affect the assembly process or life span of the product.

The square mesh grill is 1.5mm food grade Stainless Steel, therefore food can be placed directly on it and cooked over coals.

 

Tinder

To start any fire you require tinder, which will catch the spark from a flint and steel, or other igniting tool.

Once tinder is burning, it will in turn ignite the kindle. Small dry pieces of wood, which will burn with a greater heat and light the thicker dry fuel.

Tinder can take many forms. You can also use bark peelings from a Birch tree, wire wool or feather sticks.

These are made by splitting a finger thick stick into quarters and running a sharp knife along the edge to ‘curl’ the dry core into fine slithers.

Cotton wool dipped in Vaseline is very efficient as is the commercially available Hammaro Tinder Card.

Burning Wood

The stoves works more efficiently with small pieces of dried wood no thicker than a pencil.

Thicker pieces take longer to ignite and are more cumbersome to collect and break. Two handfulls of these twigs will boil 500ml of water in approximately 8-10 minutes.

Never use green live wood, which will just smoke and not burn. Always look for air-dried wood caught in tree branches, as these catch and burn much more effectively.

Don’t overfill the base plate with fuel before lighting, as good combustion requires good airflow.

We’ve found using a small piece of Hammaro Tinder Card will ignite instantly from a flint and steel, and accelerates the lighting of dried kindle.  

Once the fire is established and there is a good ‘heat’ at the base, add the thicker fuel on a regular basis, to maintain the desired cooking heat.

Cooking BBQ style is best done over ‘coals’ rather than ‘flames’, so once you have established a good bed of heat in the stove, use slightly larger pieces of wood (or BBQ fuel) and once they are burned through to a grey ash, there is less chance of dripping fat reigniting the flames.

Fire Safety

All fuels give off noxious fumes and wood based stoves are no different. We would always advise you to light any fire in a well-ventilated area, with a good throughput of air, such as under a tarp.

NB: Remember modern artificial fabrics used in jackets, trousers, sleeping bags and tents ignite very easily. Another reason to never light a stove inside an enclosed area.
 
Leave No Trace

Where possible try to use some kind of ashtray beneath the stove to protect the ground.

The heat generated by any stove can damage or scar the organic matter beneath.

So where possible, try to ensure you place the stove over bare earth, sand, stone or use a protective matting or foil.

After use, you will see a fine ash beneath the stove gathered on the tray. Please let this cool and try to ‘leave no trace’ in your disposal.

On a stone or sandy beach, you may not need the ash tray at all, however always consider your environment and please dispose of the fine ash with appropriate and responsible care.

Warning

In use this stove will get very hot. No matter the type of fuel or heat source used within the square, hexagonal or octagonal combination.

Do not attempt to pick it up, move it or take it apart when fuel is burning. You will burn your hands!

Please allow enough ventilation around the stove and ensure that all the component parts are cool before packing.

Also ensure the ground under the stove is cool to the touch and not burned in any way. Use of petrol, or any other petroleum products in this stove may result in severe burns and/or death.

Emissions

Burning wood efficiently is almost Carbon Neutral.

The efficient use of a small amount of organic matter is much more eco-friendly than the more convenient commercial fuels, such as petroleum based derivatives and natural gas (LPG).

LPG emits 15 times more CO2 (carbon dioxide) per kg than wood.

Petrol based fuels emit nearly 10 times as much. CO2 is the main source of global warming.
(Source - Journey To Forever)
Which wood to burn? They use this old woodman's poem ….

Logs to burn! Logs to burn!
Logs to save the coal a turn!
Here's a word to make you wise
When you hear the woodman's cries.

Beechwood fire burn bright and clear;
Hornbeam blazes too,
If logs are kept a year
And seasoned through and through.

Oak logs will warm you well
If they're old and dry,
Larch logs of pinewood smell
But the sparks will fly.

Pine is good and so is yew
For warmth through winter days
But poplar and willow, too
Take long to dry and blaze.

Birch logs will burn too fast,
Alder scarce at all.
Chestnut logs are good to last
If cut in the fall.

Holly logs will burn like wax,
You should burn them green,
Elm logs like smoldering flax,
No flame is seen.

Pear logs and apple logs,
They will scent your room.
Cherry logs across the dogs
Smell like flowers in bloom.

But ash logs, all smooth and grey,
Burn them green or old,
Buy up all that come your way,
They're worth their weight in gold.


Hard woods for roasting
Apple, Ash, Beech, Birch, Sweet Chestnut, Hazel, Holly, Hornbeam, Larch, Oak and Willow.

Soft woods for boiling
Alder, Aspen, cedar, Hawthorn, Horse chestnut, Lime, Pine, Poplar, Spruce, Sycamore.

The expansion pack consists of:

  • 2 x side panels
  • A large 8 sided base plate
  • A 180mm x 180mm (7" x 7") top mesh food grade stainless steel grill in a tough bag large enough to store flint and steel and tinder.
Weight:
  • Side Panels 2 x 42g
  • Base Plate 112g
  • Top Grill 43g  

The complete 8 sided kit therefore totals 474g

NB: As with the original Honey Stove the first few times the stove is assembled it will be stiff. This will ease after a few uses.

Average Rating (31 Reviews):  
Write a Review and share your opinions!

Rating:  
Hive
15 April 2024  | 

Really pleased with the product as always great service 😀 👍

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Rating:  
Hive exansion kit for the honey stove
28 April 2022  | 

I recently added the Hive expansion kit to my stainless steel honey stove after seeing it being used on a camping video.

I have to say this just makes me like the Honey stove even more, it doesn't add much more in the way of weight or size but makes it much more usable, particularly if there is more than one of you and you are grilling something.

Yes it is a little fiddly as you now have two more panels to fit but like when you first use the Honey stove you soon get the hang of it.

I think what would be nice to see on BPL would be the option to buy them as a set instead of individually so perhaps just a little bit cheaper.

All in all a great addition to an already great stove.

P.S Whilst I can't speak for all I do miss the Outdoors Station podcasts.

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Rating:  
Nice option
30 July 2020  | 

I don't use this often but it fits the bill when I do. Holds the little fire to sooth my soul and grill my dinner.

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Rating:  
Necessary
01 July 2020  | 

Adds more heat and cookingsurface to the already brilliant honeystove

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Rating:  
Upsize, upgrade.
27 March 2018  | 

I have had a honey stove for years and I love its simplicity, versatility and robustness. And the Hive expansion ofders even more from it. Going to be taking it to Northern Sweden this August using it as our cooking and heating source inside out tipi and on a quick lightweight mountain wonder during the same trip. As well as testing it this coming easter weekend in the last ofthe winter weather. Thanks very much. The skittles are always loved but the hand written note is really special customer service rarely seem.

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Rating:  
The Hive (Expansion Kit) Stainless Steel
27 July 2017  | 

ordered the hive and honey together ,
excellent quality and great service from
Backpackinglight, will definatley be using this site again

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Rating:  
Family camping grill!
19 June 2017  | 

Makes yhe honey BIG! Same quality as the honey. Grill slides a bit, but wire ties will solve that.

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Rating:  
The Hive
02 March 2017  | 

This kit makes the honey stove into a unit tha can handle even a 12'" skillet.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.


Rating:  
Hive expansion kit
28 December 2016  | 

Great piece of kit, arrived next day as promised.

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Rating:  
Great addition to the honey stove
21 June 2016  | 

If you want to convert the Honey stove to a larger longer burning peice of kit then this is a great addition

the resulting Octagon is roughly seven inches across and is still light enough to carry, it also follows the leave no trace and is a better alternative to a small open fire.
would have given it five stars but it is a little on the expensive side. still very pleased with it though.
Service from Backpacking light was great as you would expect

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Read all 31 customer reviews...

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