Rounding out our BioLite coverage (until their next release) is the BaseCamp, a large-format wood burning grill that harnesses heat to charge your phone, and more importantly, can make pizza.
Like the CampStove 2, the BaseCamp features a side-mounted power pack that turns the heat from your fire into energy, for powering the included FlexLight, charging your devices, and more.
That energy is also used to drive fans inside the power pack, making for a more efficient and easy-to-maintain fire. The BaseCamp’s fans turn on and off automatically based on temperature, as opposed to the manual control options available with the CampStove 2.
The BaseCamp comes in at $200 without accessories and with a 2200 mAh battery, compared to $130 for the CampStove 2 with 2600 mAh. The BaseCamp is also a full 16 pounds heavier than the CampStove 2, weighing in around 18 pounds before add-ons.
The star accessory for the BaseCamp is the PizzaDome, which includes a lid with integrated thermometer, pizza stone, and metal base to hold the stone.
The lid allows for higher temperatures and faster cooking of everything, and we’d highly recommend it even if you think you have no intention of making pizza.
While being able to charge devices in the woods is awesome and all, what really struck us when using the BaseCamp was how safe it felt. The stove is very stable and easy to feed, and on a windy balcony the fire was completely under control at all times, even when exceeding 500 degrees for pizza making. This is a great product for novice grillers and campfire makers.
Beyond the PizzaDome, other BaseCamp accessories include a Carry Pack that will hold everything, and BioLite’s Stick Snapper.
Like we said when covering the CampStove 2, BioLite’s BaseCamp isn’t the cheapest, lightest, or most powerful grill on the market, but if you’re looking to cook for more than two people and would rather burn sticks than propane, there’s nothing out there we’d recommend more.