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Having recently visited Lake Eyre national park, one of the strict rules of the park is that there are no solid fuelled fires by campers i.e. wood or coal fires.
This rule has remained unchanged since 1996 when I first visited Halligan Bay.
Travelling in an XJ Cherokee means that you have to think of space saving ideas. Rather than carry a separate gas burner, etc in addition to my Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal firebox, I decided to create a hybrid system.
During the long trip, I used coal and wood in the Weber firebox wherever permitted.
But for the LENP, I placed two Trangia spirit stoves in the firebox and used the Weber lid as a backing to stop the breeze from impacting the flame and heat transfer. On one occasion, I used two pots from my trusty Furno 360 degree kit to cook spag and the mince/ sauce simultaneously on the spirit stoves.
When fueled to the max, the stoves will burn metho for approx 25 mins.
I also carry 2 cast iron breakfast plates from Weber which were designed for the Baby Q - a gas grill. They actually fit the Go Anywhere too. It's my hack. The plates can be placed over the wire rack (when the coal/wood fuel is running) or directly on the spirit stoves and they are double sided - there is a smooth side and corrugated side depending on what's on the menu. A cast iron skillet will also do the trick if you don't have breakfast plates.
My Weber Go Anywhere is versatile. I can use it with coals/firewood in most places where there will be a longer stay, and it can double as an outside heater using wood and charcoal fuel. This is important when I cannot find an obvious firepit and I need the fire safely self contained. The fire can be extinguished in a relatively short time by closing the lid's vents and Side vents starving it of oxygen.
Alternatively, it can be used as an instant cooktop where you need to cook or heat food quickly without having to wait for solid fuel to ignite and reach cooking temperature. I frequently used the stoves in rest areas where I had to heat milk or boil water quickly, especially for breakfast cereals/ tea/coffee, make toast (with the hotplates) etc. At various times, I boiled water and poured it in the thermos flasks for later use. On one occasion, I was craving a decent coffee and got out of the tent while the kids were sleeping at 4am (Neales waterhole) to make it. It is the best coffee I have ever had -staring at the 'deep universe' overhead and pondering my insignificance! I made a second cuppa because I figured that it was something I needed before the kids woke up.
The Trangia stoves and Weber baby q hot plates will fit into a packed up Go Anywhere firebox. I used about 2 bottles of metho in about 5 days and had a third bottle on standby.
The metho bottles were stored upright with other liquids in the Thunder Down Under bucket. Any Unused fuel can be securely contained in the spirit burners for next time using a screw on lid.
Overseas, the Weber Go Anywhere grill has a gas option, but buyers have expressed mixed reviews on that model which remains purely a gas burning grill. My experience with the charcoal version is that no matter what weather conditions transpire (heavy rain and no tarp cover excepted), there is something wrong if a Go Anywhere solid fueled fire cannot be started. These things are designed to guarantee a fire even in cold temperatures.
Last edited by eksjay; 22-08-2019 at 07:10 PM.
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2018 Jeep JK Unlimited
