Bushbuddy Ultra

Why would anyone take a well engineered $120 piece of ultralight equipment that verges on artwork and try butchering it up to add something that isn't necessary and would probably double the wieght with batteries?

First, do you own a Bushbuddy Ultra? I'll assume you don't, ok?

Well engineered: I see lots of room for improvement. But that applies to most products.
Cost: Irrelevant to me or I wouldn't have spent over $120.00 for something which may be duplicated for a few dollars. Or free, e.g. campfire. Albeit not an exact duplicate.
Artwork: In the eye of the beholder. I think it's beautiful. YMMV. Maybe i'll buy another just to have an OEM version. Seriously!
Butchering: I have no intention of butchering the BU. Why did you assume I would? Seems a bit presumptuous.
Unnecessary: Nope, I consider it necessary. E.g., it would enhance the flexibility.
Weight:
1) An OEM Zip Ti stove fan assembly weighs 2.6 oz.
1a) DYI fan assemblies can be made for about an ounce penalty.
2) Weight is not the only consideration or we would all be posting sub 5lb lists.

Hope the above clears things up for you.

Peace,

Richard.

Richard
Maybe you should try the DIY forum, although it is a mod rather than a DIY project….
How about you get hold of a small computer fan, add a thin aluminum band at the bottom of the BB to block all of those holes except for one (maybe two) make a pipe to connect the fan to the BB, add a 9v battery and you have it. This will allow you to see if it works without modifying structurally your BB.
I did something similar with my version of the BB using a tiny fan from a computer graphic card, it works….
Franco

Franco; thx for the info. I love your idea but if it you say it works then I know it works!

So, i'm going to make a centered hole. I've used computer fans and 9 volt lithium batteries on similar projects. This time I want to try a simpler solution. Duplicating the Zip's hole will allow me to use the Zip fan assembly. Quick and painless. :-)

BTW; I did think about posting to DYI but thought it best here. Do you think I should repost there? Or ask the mods to move the thread?

Peace,

Richard.

Hi Richard
I wouldn't be that confident, what I call "works" maybe different from what you expect.
For a period of time I was playing with making wood burning stoves out of food cans, so that was something I tried. The fan made it easier and quicker to get the fire going. I used the side version because it was easy to do and didn't want the extra height.
The reason I suggested the DIY forum is because the usual tinkerers are more likely to spot the thread there.
I now have the TiTri Caldera cone if I need the occasional wood burn, but if a two week plus trip came up where I could burn wood, than I would consider the BB+fan idea again. I might check with my computer repair place if they have a smaller fan than the one I have, about 1.5" square.
Franco

FYI, I do own a Bushbuddy Ultra. The beauty of the BB as I see it is that it doesn't have a fan, no batteries, no mechanical parts.

"It would enhance the flexibility", what is that supposed to mean? How can adding a fan make a woodburning stove more "flexible"? One of the problems with using a fan on something like the BB is the size. The Zip stove is as big as it is for a reason. If you fan the fuel it will burn that much more quickly and if there is a downside to the BB it's that you have to keep feeding it fuel.

But hey, go for it and let us know how it works out.

Nice to hear from you Mike. And I agree w/u about the simple beauty of the design.

From my POV adding versatility takes nothing away from the design. Ie; one doesn't have to take a fan and battery.

BTW, closing the hole w/a piece of flashing tape when the fan is not expected to be used is quick and painless. ;-)

Franco: Thx for the additional heads up. I'll exercise due diligence.

Peace,

Richard.

In the spirit of Jonathan Swift I think that instead of using batteries to power your fan-powered BrushBuddy you could use a small nuclear reactor designed after the small Russian one the U.S bought from Yeltsin for use in satellites. No extra batteries need be carried and the warmth from the reactor could allow you to lower your sleeping bag weight by storing it in the foot of your now lighter bag.

This is just a proposal and would require a bit of research to implement but, hey, progress awaits you.

P.S. Richard, this is a SERIOUS proposal (you know me) and if you try it I promise I will not turn you in to the FBI.

Eric

P.S. "Seriousnessly", if all you need is extra air to get the fire going once its lit then just stick the end of an 18" piece of SURGICAL TUBING in a bottom hole of the BushBuddy and blow. Works great on any kind of wood fire.

Several of the BB user have mentioned that it can be difficult to get the fire started so are using Esbit or other fire starters to alleviate that. Maybe a small fan and a 9v lithium battery can be a lighter solution if two or three hot meals/drinks are required over a week or longer period .
Anyway my point is : why not try it ?
Franco

I'm all for trying out ideas, but I'm not a fan of fans. I'm just kidding.

I believe that the Bushbuddy Ultra is a light solution to the problems of having to carry too much fuel on unsupported, long distance trips and wanting to minimize your trace left in the remote wilderness.

Using a battery powered fan is a fine modification to the Ultra, but that change contradicts one of the reasons of the Ultra's design: no feed to carry fuel. Carrying fuel tabs is same type of violation, but more in spirit with the design if used only rarely.

IMHO, an elegant enhancement to the Ultra would be something that requires no artifical energy source. For example, a mini-bellows to fan the fire to get it started.

One thing for sure, after the Ultra gets going – it "fans" itself. Anyway, everyone is free to do whatever they want with their gear regardless of the intent of the design.

George Wrote: "Using a battery powered fan is a fine modification to the Ultra, but that change contradicts one of the reasons of the Ultra's design: no feed to carry fuel. Carrying fuel tabs is same type of violation, but more in spirit with the design if used only rarely."

No offense but not only do I enjoy modding gear but I couldn't care less about spirit of design issues. [chuckle]

I do recognize that it is a valid concern and therefore it is important to some. [shrug]

As an adjunct to my …. if I see room for improvement, i'll mod it in a heartbeat …. attitude: I do not care if my solution to any perceived need is the lightest, or the most aesthetically pleasing, etc.

First and foremost I want an item that may be depended on to last an entire trip. Next; ease of use. If its a PITA …. no thx! Not even for free. Perceived value is next on my priority list. All other considerations are very low on that scale.

IMHO, the BB Ultra (modded or not) fits the first and third criteria. But there is room for improvement within the second criterion.

George Wrote: "IMHO, an elegant enhancement to the Ultra would be something that requires no artifical energy source. For example, a mini-bellows to fan the fire to get it started."

Interesting POV and idea. But since I already carry LuxuryLite trekking poles (i must use poles when trekking) I could easily use them instead of a dedicated piece of gear.

Peace,

Richard.

I had some difficulty getting my BB Ultra started and tried various of the techniques described in various forums. One thing I did worked quite well and didn't weigh very much. I use a length of 1/4"OD, quite flexible, aluminum tube and bend a 90° angle at the appropriate place. Put the proper end of the tube along the side wall of the BB "fire chamber" and blow briskly into the other end. A few puffs usually get things roaring in short order. One does need to be able to get the tube out of the fire quickly to avoid being burned by the hot tube. I give a few quick puffs and back off to see how the stove is doing and give a few more puffs if required. This is also handy to do as you add wood. If the fire dies down with the addition of wood you can give it a little blast to get things moving. The effort reminds me a little of the "dance" you had to do to use the BrassLite Trail Baker.

One must constantly remind oneself how utterly cool the BB is, not how silly you look, while fussing about with the "bellows" tube.

Oh, and don't forget. Just like Bill Clinton said he did/didn't do. NEVER INHALE.

Re: ease of use –

1/2 Tinderquick tab atop a ti spoon, light by Firesteel, place in stove atop 1-2 sheets of wadded TP at the base of the tinder bundle. Sprinkle on dry leaves or needles to boost heat output from initial burn, then add pot and start feeding progressively largely sticks. Stop feeding sticks at boil, and use coals for simmering.

Worked like a charm every night of my month-long Grand Enchantment Trail hike this spring.

Thx for the advice Brett.

Did you get my eMail?

Peace,

Richard.

Denis, I don't have a BB yet, but have one ordered. I am just curious whether this function could be performed with a straw (the kind that bends near the top for drinking soda pop).

I bought a BB after several attempts to build my own, similar model. Nothing that I built came close to the BB in terms of performance, weight and durability. I think most people using a BB agree that no enhancement is necessary. Building a fire in the BB does require some skill but is fairly easy as far as bushcraft skills go. You should not need an Esbit tab or windpipe to start or maintain a fire in a BB. Unless you are in a location where all combustible material is soaked to the bone, 1 tinderquick tab or 1 cotton ball soaked in Vaseline is all it should take (I recommend a firesteel as your sparking device). If you find you need more than that to get a fire going (whether in a BB or not), you might be better served working on bushcraft skills than attempting to modify an already high tech (relatively speaking) piece of UL kit.

joseph said: you might be better served working on bushcraft skills than attempting to modify an already high tech (relatively speaking) piece of UL kit.

Now that's good advice! The obvious is not always clear for us to see.

Some of us can't believe that sometimes low tech beats hi tech : )

Hi Joseph.

Joseph Wrote: "I bought a BB after several attempts to build my own, similar model. Nothing that I built came close to the BB in terms of performance, weight and durability."
Pretty much the same here.

Joseph Wrote: "I think most people using a BB agree that no enhancement is necessary."
I think so too …. I am one of those people.

Joseph Wrote: "Building a fire in the BB does require some skill but is fairly easy as far as bushcraft skills go."
Once again …. we are in agreement.

Joseph Wrote: "You should not need an Esbit tab…[snip]"
Although I agree w/u here …. in general …. I must point out that need has nothing to do w/my post in re modding the BBU. I thought I made that clear already. [chuckle]

Joseph Wrote: "(I recommend a firesteel as your sparking device)"
Good choice.

Now i'll hijack my own thread so you'll have a better understanding of how I look at gear in general: Over the past few months i've replaced my firesteels (lotsa types) w/an additional huge, heavy (relatively speaking) "candle" lighter. So now I carry two 40 gram lighters instead of one mini bic (11 grams) and a mini firesteel/magnesium combo (14 grams).

A huge difference by SUL standards! As defined by yours truly in the WTS thread on the Members Only forum. [wink]

But let's not stray too far off course. Because definitions in that re are not germane within this thread of mine.

IOW; how I define and/or prioritize perceived "need" may be of interest to you all but it's not relevant to this thread (and i am very willing to discuss it in a different thread, by pm, etc).

Joseph Wrote: "If you find you need more than that to get a fire going (whether in a BB or not),…"
If need was paramount when we choose gear …. we'd all be in a world of hurt. [lol]

Joseph Wrote: "…you might be better served working on bushcraft skills…"
Good advice. Although my "bushcraft skills" are fine, imho, I don't bother practicing them much (seldom in fact) for the same reason I use a calculator most of the time when doing math. JIC you're wondering …. my math skills are fine also. [chuckle]

Joseph Wrote: "…than attempting to modify an already high tech (relatively speaking) piece of UL kit."
Please tell me why I shouldn't modify my BBU? I know it's not necessary to do so. Stated pretty clearly in my previous posts, I thought. [shrug]

TIA for you help.

Peace,

Richard.

George Wrote: "Some of us can't believe that sometimes low tech beats hi tech : )"
True, but it doesn't apply to me.

As for the mod I plan to make to my BBU …. it's my BBU. Nuff said?

Sure, I enjoy reading your opinion(s) but you're just wasting breath and bandwidth on issues not in contention. If you have any truly helpful advice i'd like to hear it. TIA.

Peace,

Richard.

Maybe a small wind-up fan

or a hybrid (a battery but also with a wind-up)

that clips on the Ultra

Hmmm, now that's an interesting idea. Thx!

I haven't seen any small wind up fans. Do you know of any?

Peace,

Richard.

Does it get very hot under there? Would you need a metal fan to avoid melting plastic? Might make sourcing more difficult.

Based on my tests w/two Zip stoves (ti and standard) a small computer fan handles the heat w/o a problem if the zip stove is kept high enough above the fan.

Please keep in mind that my test conditions may not apply to your circumstances.

I have finally decided to cut the hole for an OEM Sierra Zip fan assembly. Well, for this experiment. I might try other options as they appear, or occur to me, later.

Here's a Q: If the BB Ultra had a fan as an OEM option who would be interested?

Please state why or why not.

Peace,

Richard.

Perhaps Sierra could work on lightening their design, if the goal is to achieve the lightest possible fan-driven wood burner. The beauty of, and I reckon the mfg philosophy behind, the Bushbuddy is that it is lighter and less complex than a fan-driven stove, yet with the capacity to deliver performance that is comparable to one. This is the primary appeal of the product for most users.

The tiny bit of extra effort sometimes requires to use a BB, versus a Zip-type stove, is probably part of the allure as well. This is a stove that is fundamentally practical to carry as part of a UL kit, while at the same time holding out the promise of uncertainty, of the sort that appeals to those looking to heighten their sense of connection to the outdoors through primitive skills development. The BB lets one take a small but meaningful stand against the slick and shiny trappings of so much of today's gear, including ultralight gear. It doesn't have to do this, certainly, but it can. And for many users, I suspect, it does.