Stove

Anyone have experience with The EcoZoom products.

I have no personal experience with EcoZoom items. looking at their website, they seem to be focused on improving cooking conditions in less developed countries, certainly a very laudable enterprise.

However, for emergency use in the developed world, I would see no significant benefit. There is an enormous range of small, light, portable stoves that utilize gas, propane, alcohol, etc. that are far more useful in emergency conditions.

When I started serious hiking, I built campfires exclusively, using my first gasoline stove during a winter climbing expedition. I soon shifted to gas stoves because they were more efficient, safer, and generally easier to use. Doing SAR, I routinely packed a small alcohol stove - even safer and lighter, but able to heat up quickly. Now I use iso-butane canisters with a small burner head. The unit, ready to roll, weighs under a pound. I still retain the capability to use available wood in a standard campfire as a backup,but that application is rare.

I note that the EcoZoom Versa stove weighs 14 pounds. Way to heavy for what it does. Walk blindfolded into any sporting goods store and you can do better.

My recommendation for a versatile cookset, quite handy in emergencies would be a mini-Trangia cookset, complete with stove, fueled with Everclear - fuel, disinfectant, and celebratory fluid to toast your success.

If you are talking about the Ecozoom stove, it looks similar to a generic rocket stove for which you can find plans on-line. Some look like they’d be fun projects.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_stove

Overseas in 3rd world countries I quit carrying gear from American outdoors stores. It attracts unnecessary attention, and the locals are more likely to steal your stuff. You look "touristy".

I just take one of those fire-starters that are sold at BBQ stores ... to get charcoal bricks burning. Basically, it's a tube of metal with some legs and a handle. Those things put out a lot of heat, and you can easily cook a whole dinner over one. You can put in kindling, small pieces of wood (chopped), or the local charcoal sold on the street. Third world charcoal is often very crummy in quality, so beef it up with some wood chips.

BTW, if somebody offers to make goat soup for you ... tell them not to put the goat's head in the middle of the basin. It's not very appetizing. :-)

Have fun!!

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I wouldn't mind taking one of these EcoZoom stoves for a spin.

They seem well thought out and built to last -- cast iron grates etc. They rate them for roughly five years of daily use overseas. Given the weight, they are obviously intended for home or car camping.

The twin doors for dual fuel use (wood or charcoal) is a nice touch. (I make barrels of hardwood charcoal from the tree trimmings on my property.)

The company's third-world work seems laudable. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like U.S. sales help fund distribution to the needy in the third world. If that is correct, they are worthy of support.

As others have noted, you can build your own for less. But if you're not inclined, -- $99 USD on Amazon is not an outrageous price.