Firebox Gen2 Nano Stove: light weight, easy to use and built to last

I carried the Gen2 Nano with me on an extended canoe trip last
year and it was perfect whether I was using wood or an alcohol
burner as the heat source. 

Of all the wood burning camping stoves I have looked at and used, the best one by far is the Gen2 Nano Firebox Stove. 

Firebox also makes a larger version, the G2-5-inch Folding Firebox Stove, which is a very good unit, but for my uses I want small and light weight.

The Firebox Nano is not only easy to carry and use, it sets up super quick, is extremely rugged and as an added bonus, will accept the Trangia alcohol burner.  With the use of two supports, the Trangia burner is placed one inch below the pot supports on the stove. This is known as the "sweet spot" for the Trangia burner where you get the most efficient use of the heat generated. With the burner in this position it is also possible to use the simmer ring for the Trangia, which is a must.

For me, being able to use my Trangia burner was the deal maker on this stove. I have looked over other units that take proprietary alcohol burners or solid fuel cubes, but having the ability to use a Trangia burner, which is considered the king of alcohol stoves, puts the Nano leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

Those who have been pinned down by rain for a few days will totally understand the value of being able to use the alcohol burner when dry wood is not available. I have been in that position more than once and have had to pull out a backup stove. With the Nano, I will only need to add the alcohol burner and fuel to my gear to keep me cooking.
Specifications for the Firebox Nano are:

• Width:   3.0 inches (8 cm)
• Height:   4.75 inches (12 cm)
• Folded:   .25 inch (.635 cm)
• Weight:   6 oz (170 g)

By making the side panels of the stove asymmetrical, it allows the Firebox Nano to fold flat, taking up very little space in the pack. Folding flat for storage is true of the Nano and the larger Campfire Stove. To open either stove, there are no clips to engage, separate panels to put in place or anything else to move. You just very simply unfold the stove, flip down the ventilated floor plate and you are set to go. The legs on each corner of the Nano act as part of the hinges and both lift the stove off the ground and provide pot support.
It is simplicity itself. 

When it comes to weight, the six-ounce stainless steel Nano, which is what I have, is easy to carry. For those who want to shave the weight down a bit, there is a titanium version weighting only 4 ounces, with all the other dimensions being the same.

Retail on the stainless steel Firebox Nano is $39.99 and the titanium version comes in at $69.99. To be honest the added cost of the titanium is a bit too much for me, but for those who want to go light and have the extra cash, it may be the way to go.

I am not new to using wood stoves while on the trail, having used a couple different ones over the years. They were big, took up a lot of space in the pack and with each of them it was difficult to add wood to the fire.

With the Gen2 Firebox Nano, the issue of having to break wood into small pieces has been eliminated. On two panels of the stove near the bottom, there are openings that allow you to feed longer sticks into the fire, moving them in as they burn. When I have used the stove it was very easy to keep the fire fed and control the heat output. Having used other stoves that required small pieces of wood and lots of it, this addition makes life much easier. Add to this, the fact that the stove burns extremely efficiently and it is easier to start than many of the stoves I have used in the past or an open fire for that matter. 

Perhaps the reason there are so many pluses to this stove is because the maker, Steve Despain of Firebox Stove actually uses the stoves his company makes and he listens to his customers. He understands what it is all about when you are on the trail and want to cook a meal. You want a stove that is easy to set up and use, offers the versatility of using different fuels sources and will hold up over time. He has created this in his line of Firebox Stoves. 

To this end, Steve has not stopped with just offering a basic stove. There are grill plates that can be added, a flame deflector which keeps some of the heat off the handle of your cook pot and more. It is truly a complete system for cooking in the back-country or in base camp.

The only problem I found has to do with how well it works and how much my wife likes the stove. I now find myself having to purchase a full size Firebox Stove for base camp use, but honestly it is going to be money well spent.


For more information on the Firebox website for more information on the stove and other gear offered there. Then take the time to watch a few of the videos Steve has made using the stove and you will be amazed by what can be done with this simple but capable stove.  

Solo on the Ausable River: Trying a new PFD from Stearns and dry bags from SealLine

Late fall trips are always on my list each year but this time around I decided to stay off the trails and head for the Ausable River in upper Michigan for a few day solo trip.

In general, I am a backpacker and not a canoeist, sure I canoe the lakes I camp on when I have a car to get me there and I have traversed lakes to campsites along them, but was a bit different. So when I opened my equipment list on my computer it did not exactly fit my needs.

In short, I needed a way to keep my gear dry in the canoe and I very honestly needed an updated life jacket.

So it was time to look for a new PFD and dry bags.

The life jacket ( PFD) I had is a very general recreation type, intended to be worn in situations where extreme freedom of  movement of the arms is not a necessity as it is in canoeing or kayaking. It will do  when I have cross a lake to camp, but it would not work out for extended paddling, it would be too restrictive and uncomfortable.

So the search began.

When it came to finding a new PFD I was amazed by the variety and the price range of what is on the market. I thought that spending big money may make sense for those who will be using their  PFD reasonably often, but as I came to find, spending the big bucks really was not necessary. What I wanted was a PFD that was dependable, offered all the safety certifications that matter, is comfortable, made me feel secure and is affordable.

So I started looking around and reading as much as I could on paddle sport websites about the different PFDs on the market. It can get a bit crazy with prices ranging from $20 and up to near $200.

The Avant 200 Paddlesports Life Vest offered comfort 

while paddling and security, especially when the 

winds were gusting up to nearly 30 mph. 

One of the benefits of being an outdoors writer is that I have access to experts at the companies that offer the gear we all use in the outdoors. So when I have a question I can send an email or pick up the phone so I contacted Stearns Flotation.

Stearns Flotation has a long history on the market. They make everything from strange little water wings for children to full blown PFDs for the most extreme conditions faced by search and rescue teams and the military. Along with this wide variety of gear is the fact that the pricing on the recreational vests put them well within reach of all of those heading onto the water.

Thanks to the people at Sterns I was offered the chance to try which ever PFD I felt would work for me and I picked the Avant 200 Paddlesports Life Vest. First off, it offered the options I was looking for, a zipper front, ease of adjustment and what is always important to me is a reasonable price. Retail on the PFD is $37.99 and can be found online for right around $30. This is always important to me when I have the chance to test gear, will the price of the item make it available to the average outdoors person and in the case of the Avant 200, the answer was yes.

The Avant 200 Paddlesports Life Vest is designed for as its name implies, those who are doing more than just sitting in a boat. The arm openings are wide enough to provide unimpeded movement and the zipper closed front makes it easy to put on and take off. There are two adjustment straps on each side with slide buckles that are easy to use and when tightened down, for me, the PFD felt comfortable and secure.

As I said, I needed to feel confident in the PFD I was wearing and when I hit one of the big ponds on the river being moved by 15 mph winds with gusts approaching 30 mph, I was glad I had the Avant. On that day I had to make 15 miles to be close to my pickup point the next morning. With an entire day on the water wearing the Avant, it was very comfortable and it offered the freedom I needed when paddling. My only observation is that a small  pocket or two on the Avant would really add to the convenience of keeping small needed items at hand, but I solved this easy enough with a small pouch attached to the canoe cross member near me.

Next on the list were dry bags.

With the three dry bags from SealLine, I was able to carry 

the vast majority of my gear secure that it would remain dry.  

In the past I would line everything with heavy duty trash bags, add my gear and then put my packs in trash bags and then hope for the best. This works if all goes as planned but then there are times when nothing goes as expected. The major problem with the "trash bag" system is that they tear and puncture easily and believe me you will punch holes in them The only trash bag I used on this trip was in my day pack as a liner. The gear in it would not be ruined if it got wet and the pack protected the plastic trash bag.

Another concern was that unlike cruising on a lake that I remained on, going on the Ausable required that I would have to portage at dams along the way. Having gear in trash bags will not work when going solo with a couple hundred yard portage from the take out point to the next entry on the river.

Again I was lucky on this point having the opportunity to test out a few dry bags and a portage pack from SealLine. Individuals who use dry bags understand just how well they work and for those who do not and plan on being on the water on a regular basis, believe me the convenience and water tight security they offer is well worth the cost.  Add to this the fact that if they are properly cared for, they can last for a very long time.

The three bags, part of the Nimbus line from the company were a 5 liter, 10 liter and a 30 liter bag which provided plenty of storage. Prices on the bags are $19.99, $24.99 and $34.99 respectively.  I was able to separate my gear in a way that I could access what was needed while leaving the other bags closed and in the canoe.

Using the 10 liter bag I was able to store my Trangia 27-4 UL cook set, a Firebox Gen2 Nano stove, alcohol fuel, a collapsible wash basin and a few other items for the kitchen.  In the 30 liter bag I was able to stow all of my clothing which I separated in smaller plastic bags based on use, such as base, mid and outer layers and socks. 

Finally in small 5 liter bag I had all of my photography gear, my still camera, video camera, lenses and extra batteries along with a digital audio recorder and microphones.

Nimbus dry bags are very simply polyester nylon bags with a very tough urethane coating. What makes them special and water tight is the way in which the top seals. After they are loaded, the opening of the bag is folded over a small amount, there is a strip which controls the width of the fold. You then press the air out of the bag and fold it again and finally a third time. There is a strap and a buckle on the outside of the fold and when brought together, the pressure forms a water tight seal and in effect creates a handle. Once you get used to folding and "burping" the air out of the bag the process is fast and easy. 

At one campsite on my trip, the bank was a couple feet above the river and while I was tossing my gear up onto the shore, the bag with my camera gear rolled off and into the water, getting trapped between the canoe and the shore. The shot of adrenaline I felt as I watched it hit the water was intense and then it floated up and just sat there. To say I was relieved that I had that dry bag is an understatement and it was reinforced when I opened the bag and found everything dry.

With adjustable, padded shoulder straps

and a very basic hip belt, the Boundary Bag 

makes it much easier to move your gear 

when making portages. 

Perhaps the best of the dry bags I had the chance to use was the 70 liter Boundary Pack from SealLine. The best way to describe this is a large single cavity rubberized backpack with a roll down top that straps down making it water tight. There are shoulder straps and a very basic waist belt making it easy to carry on a portage. This sort of pack is not built for comfort like a backpack, but it allows a person to haul gear on a portage and it truly saved me a lot of work.

The 70 liter size allowed me to stuff in a rather large sleeping bag I was testing, my tent, tarp, compressed sleeping pad and a host of other small items stored in a plastic bag. What I really liked was the top of the bag where you roll it down. As with other dry bags there are strips that control just how wide of a fold you can make and added to this were instructions. First it is "fold a to b" then "2: fold tightly again" then  "3: fold connect buckles D-ring  out". It does not get much easier than that.

Though I was using a portage cart to move the heavy canoe I was using, it was extremely helpful to be able to put the portage pack on and reduce the weight I was pulling. If I was in a more remote area with a lighter canoe that I would be carrying,  the Boundary Pack would be invaluable.

For anyone heading into remote areas with a canoe I highly recommend this portage pack, it is not inexpensive with at a retail of $90 but it is also not over priced either. Considering I carry a backpack on the trails that cost me three times the cost of the Boundary Pack, it is a great buy for all it will do for you.

Over all the dry bags worked out very well and as I said the Boundary Pack is a must have if you are going to be portaging any distance at all.

For more information on the Stearns Avant 200 and other products offered by the company, head to the Stearns website.

Information on Nimbus dry bags and the Boundary Pack can be had at the SealLine website. SealLine is a subsidiary of Cascade Designs, which offers top shelf products for use in the outdoors. 

Storms hit Michigan's Upper Peninsula damaging campgrounds, back-country trails and campers

Radar image of the storm front that hit Michigan's Upper
Peninsula July 21 causing damage at campgrounds
and crushing two campers.

I have been in some pretty bad storms in the back-country but what hit the upper peninsula in the past two weeks sound more like something out of a bad science fiction movie and it has happened not once but twice this month.

The latest storm slammed the Upper Peninsula again yesterday causing damage at campgrounds, crushing two campers and bringing down power lines across the region.

“We’ve had damage reported at state parks from the Porcupine Mountains, east to Twin Lakes and especially at the Emily Lake State Forest Campground in Houghton County,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer. “At this point, we have not had any injuries reported from the parks.

Two campers at Emily Lake State Forest Campground
were crushed when trees came down during the storm.

At Emily Lake campground two campers were destroyed when trees came down basically tearing them in half. Both campers were occupied and somehow, no one was hurt. The campground is closed until further notice.

Earlier this month, on July 11, a huge storm rolled across the upper peninsula and with it came winds up to 90 mph, an EF1 tornado, up to 11 inches of rain and in its aftermath damage that has forced the closure of some campsites and cabins in Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park.

The Porkies, as they are often called are located on the western edge of Michigan’s upper peninsula and is the largest state park in the Michigan system. It is known for back country trails and a true taste of wilderness.

Detail of the areas affected by the July 11 storm where
temporary closures are in effect. 

The two cabins closed include the Big Carp 6-bunk and 4-bunk cabins and the 4-bunk Lake Superior cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. Along with this is the closure of 10 back-country sites which are between the mouth of the Big and Little Carp rivers.

“Access to this area is very limited. Many boardwalks have washed out, bridges are gone or compromised and the trail is washed away in some areas and flooded in other areas,” said park supervisor Dave Merk. "We are closing the area for safety reasons. Once the water levels recede, we will be back in there to reevaluate and prioritize our plans."

All of the closures are temporary and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says everything should be back to normal by July 28, that is if the storm that hit this week did not cause further damage. 

Along with the cabins and campsites closed, there are some trails that were damaged by the 11-inches of rain that pounded the area. 

For more information on the area and the damage caused by the storms, check out the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park website where updates are being posted.