My Zipp stove is four years old now and still works. I've made maybe 50 fires with it. It's really all the things that the likers and dislikers say. It gets pots black, but that doesnt come off easily.. It smells like smoke, but does not smell like gas. You have to have wood (bring starter sticks), but you do not need gas. If you drop it too many times, lights out. It's not very stable. It's anti-MSR! Burn! Destroy! Back to the Stone AGE!

Similar Products Used:

None

Regarding the negative post below.

1. Only in the earlier models and they replaced mine very quickly.

2. The black soot doesn't come off that easily so there is very little mess and like Ben said it helps with heat retention.

3. I've burned wet wood successfully. It doesn't burn as hot and there is alot of steam but it still does the job.

4. Don't drop it.

5. Never happened to me but I usually don't burn wood that sparks very much.

6. Yes it does and its wonderful! I personally like the smell of a wood fire. The smell I get when I get home and unpack my pack transports me back into the woods for a brief moment. That is much better than smelling like a gas station.

7. Yes you can. Just dump out the embers. Besides, MSRs can't be started till they cool which is very annoying.

8. How many of us actually camp above tree line? I personally like to sleep below tree line and summit the next day. Besides, you can always grab a stick on your way up, it doesn't take much.

9. A standard AA battery will last about 6 hours. That is plenty for a week. A Wisperlite would use about a half gallon of fuel in that time. And like I said in my last post a solar recharger will extend the life considerably. Besides, how much space and weight are AA batteries?

Some areas don't allow campfires and they use far more wood. Also if you are not at an established campsite, you shouldn't scar the ground with a fire.

This is also the most environmentally friendly stove. There are no bulky disposable canisters and no toxic fuels. Gas stoves are very polluting, from both evaporating fuel and unburned particulates.

Bottom line: This stove is far and away the best backpacking stove for those that want to pack light, are environmentally friendly, don't like to worry if they have enough fuel for their next meal, don't like to pack toxic fuels, and those that enjoy the natural smell of a campfire.

Similar Products Used:

MSR Wisperlight International
MSR Dragonfly
Primus Yellowstone Lite
Peak Extreme
Colman Duel Fuel

Please disregard the pessimist below me. The zip stove makes a fine portable alternative to the traditional camp fire. The soot build-up is a benefit to speed of boiling. Also, in wet conditions dry twigs are not that hard to find, just look! It's become apparent to me people either love or hate this stove. Indeed the ones who are negative are clearly nonintuitive when it comes to the great benefits of this stove.

Customer Service

fast delivery!

Similar Products Used:

various white gas stoves, canister stoves and alcohol stoves

I had great expectations for this stove when I bought it, but was very disappointed. I got a Sierra woodburner a couple of years ago. Over seven extended backpacking trips, it had many problems:

1. Sierras heat up so high that the stove bottom actually warps. 2. They leave a thick coat of black soot on the bottom of pans, which gets very messy. 3. If it rains hard and vegetation is well-soaked, good luck finding something to burn in it. 4. The bottom half of the stove is very flimsy. If you drop it, or if a wire comes loose, the fan won't operate. 5. You must watch it carefully as burning debris pops & sputters and sparks frequently melt the unprotected electric wire to the switch. 6. If you are packing it with other things in your pack, it stinks up the whole pack, even if you place it in a bag. 7. You can't turn the stove off until it has burned everything. 8. Not useful above the tree line or where wood is scarce, unless you bring charcoal which kind of defeats the purpose of a lightweight stove & fuel. 9. You must carry extra batteries to keep it going which add up on long trips. Bottom line, it's a piece of junk compared to a modern fuel stove. If you want to burn wood or charcoal just build a small campfire & save the trouble.

Similar Products Used:

None

I recently purchased the new titanium zip stove. It's 10 ounces vs the 18 ounce standard version. The titanium model is a bit shallower in the bowl's depth, but has fold-in legs and the battery mounts under the bowl with a tiny switch remote extending away from the hot unit. This may be the "Perfect Stove" for me. Lightweight and no fuel to carry, the only stove better is a camp fire!

Customer Service

the motor continues to hum along, no problems

Similar Products Used:

dragonfly, whisperlite, trangia, snowpeak, esbit solid fuel stove

I really enjoy this stove. It's a great design. My only problem was when a piece of burning matter fell out of the bowl and melted the plastic coated wire that goes to the fan switch. I would prefer a fixed switch mounted on the unit than a remote with wires.

Customer Service

prompt courteous service

Similar Products Used:

None

This is a wonderful product. It essentially is a small, light weight, portable forge for cooking. A battery powered fan blows air thru vents which exhausts on combustable material - producing intense heat. I've cut charcoal briquettes into quarters, soaked them in starter fluid, poured off the excess, and put the briquettes in a plastic pint jar with a good seal. 2-4 Pc.s of charcoal produces sufficient head to boil water and cook by. The Zip Stove used in this matter is probably the most efficient stove there is on a "BTU per weight" basis. I really don't understand why it's not more popular than it is.
I'm the only person I've ever seen using one. While I usually carry my own fuel in the manner described, as long as there's anything to burn available, you're in business. It would seem that the ability to cook, boil water, and not carry fuel would be a killer argument for owning this product. I'm giving this product 4 stars instead of 5 because (for my uses) it could use (ironically) a bit more weight.

Similar Products Used:

None

This is my favorite piece of gear. Its super light and I never have to worry about carrying fuel. A single AA battery will last about 6 hours and with a solar charger it is almost unlimited. Once going it burns about as hot as any other stove on the market. I can boil a liter of water in about 4 min. All it takes is a 4 foot stick about the thickness of your thumb to cook a meal. It even burns wet wood. I usually can start it with twigs or bark but if its really soggy I use sawdust and wax fire starters. It works equally well in cold weather but if you don't use lithium batteries then you should carry the battery in an inside pocket.

This stove rules. I don't have to worry if I have enough fuel to cook my next meal and I don't have to worry about spilling smelly fuels in my pack or pack out bulky canisters. I also like the look and smell of a wood fire.

Customer Service

REI is an awesome store. Their salespeople are great and stand behind everything they sell.

Similar Products Used:

Primus Alpine Lite
MSR International
Coleman Duel Fuel