We’ve all experienced the game of “musical chairs” around a fire where the smoke seems to follow you wherever you move. What about your hair and clothes smelling like smoke for days after sitting by a fire? Our fire pits and camp stoves produce a “secondary burn” that nearly eliminates smoke, so you can grab your seat, relax, and breathe easy.
The secondary burn takes place near the top of the Solo Stove’s burn chamber. The upper vent holes along the inside of the fire pit or camp stove blasts the fire with preheated oxygen, creating a hotter and more beautiful fire while burning off smoke. All this happens due to our Signature 360° Airflow Design™.
How does it work?
- As soon as a fire is lit, rising hot air and the absence of oxygen created by the combustion process creates a vacuum at the bottom of the Solo Stove’s burn chamber. This vacuum draws oxygen in through the Solo Stove’s exterior vent holes at the bottom of the fire pit or camp stove, immediately fueling the fire at its base.
- At the same time, additional oxygen travels through the Solo Stove’s double walls. This preheated air is then injected into the top of the fire through the interior vent holes, providing an extra boost of already-hot oxygen to further fuel the flame. This results in the coveted secondary burn that makes a Solo Stove fire so mesmerizing and joy to gather around.
How to get the secondary burn?
- Don’t stack your firewood logs or twigs above the upper vent holes along the inside of your Solo Stove. By making sure those holes aren’t blocked, you will allow the preheated air to blast your fire at its hottest temperature to burn off smoke before it leaves the Solo Stove.
- Your fire pit’s flame ring is an important part of the process. Make sure the flame ring in your fire pit is turned upwards (the ring should taper towards the inside of your fire pit). The flame ring directs the secondary burn towards the inside of the Solo Stove in order to burn off smoke. If the flame ring is upside-down, it blocks the upper vent holes. See the photos above to see how the flame ring should sit on your fire pit.
By following these simple tips, you’ll be sure that your Solo Stove creates a super efficient burn that is not only mesmerizing to watch, but a joy to sit around to make memories.