Charging your gadgets from fire is nothing new. First there was the PowerPot, then came the BioLite Stove. The latest fire charger to hit the market is Stanford tech darling FlameStower . With perhaps the lightest thermoelectric generator device out there (7 oz.), the team is targeting the outdoor set first and foremost, with emergency and third world applications as other attractive markets.
Unlike the other fire charging devices, the FlameStower is pretty singular in function, simply harnessing the power of an open flame and water to charge your gadgets off the grid. To operate, you simply unfold the legs, put a small amount of water in the reservoir, then place the blade in an open flame from either a fire or camping stove. The device's thermoelectric generator then harnesses the temperature differential between the metal blade in the flame and the side cooled by the water to generate electricity.
The FlameStower enables you to charge any USB compatible device. The max power output is 3W, with an average output of 2W, similar to charging your phone from your laptop. For each minute of charge, you can get around 2 to 4 minutes of talk time. Once finished, the FlameStower folds down to a fairly flat profile to easily fit into your backpack.
For $70, you can be one of the first to receive the FlameStower fire charger. As the company already exceeded their Kickstarter funding campaign by over 200%, they recently added a new award- Stowers for Alex. For $100, you will not only get your own FlameStower fire charger, but all profits will go towards the purchase of manufacturing equipment for Alex's Innovation Center in Kenya where eventually all FlameStowers for local markets will be built.
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