The OzPig product reviews

Oh my dear OzPig, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... OK, not going to count the ways, but they are prolific. I recently had the opportunity to take this on a sort-of-camping trip (An overnight stay on the shores of Lake Taupo, living out of the car) and it was the perfect way to keep the late night chills at bay. In fact, it was so good, another couple who were also taking a break from a long road trip walked over from a nearby campsite and asked if they could huddle around it for warmth too. Sharing is caring, after all...

By the time the wood I had prepared was starting to run out, there was a group of 8 gathered around and we were all quite warm despite the very nippy night air. During the evening we had all stayed warm, a pot of soup had been cooked on top, as well as water boiled for hot drinks, and it was all run off a small armload of hardwood bits about the size of a beer can - which lasted for a good 6 hours with plenty left over to last a second night.

The tiny down-side of how effective this unit is, was that I had to leave it outside overnight to cool down... which had me very nervous that I would wake up the following morning to find an OzPig-shaped space filled with air instead. So, with the help of my camping companion, we shut the door to keep in the hot coals and sparks, then used two long branches to hoist the OzPig around to the other side of the campsite and hide it between the tent and the car. This had an unexpected pay-off in that it was now upwind of the tent, which was bathed in a gentle breeze of warm air while we drifted off to sleep. So... you know how it can be sometimes - lucky accidental discovery!

The following day, it was pleasing to see the OzPig still tucked away, and now cold, it was a simple matter to relocate it to the designated fire zone and spark it up again to cook breakfast. I had maybe 14 hunks of wood left, and that kept it running through to lunchtime when I doused the fire so we could go for a swim in the lake. The day had warmed up enough that we didn't feel the need for the fire, so about an hour before dinner it was an easy job to fire it up once more, use up the last 5 chunks of wood to cook dinner and settle down for the night. We had company again, naturally, because everyone was impressed by the thermal output from this beast, and many hot drinks later it was time to sneak it back into it's hidey-spot to cool down overnight.

The morning came, the wood was gone, so we opted for cereal and milk for breakfast, after which we cleaned out the OzPig - a fast and simple job for sure, using nothing more than a handful of twigs and leaves to give the inside a quick scrub - then packed it all down for transport, which took all of 10 minutes from start to finish.

Overall, while I wouldn't suggest taking this on a hiking trip - 17kg + wood is a heck of a burden to lug on your back - it's great for camping/glamping trips where you have a vehicle to do the heavy carrying for you. It will easily heat an area 3-4m across so there's room in the warm zone for 8-10 people without anyone getting too close for safety. It was important to leave the front door of the burner box open to give good ventilation. You need good airflow to burn the wood cleanly - reduced airflow makes for smoke and lots of ash left over in the morning, plus increases the odds of airborn sparks! Is this a good purchase at this price? Definitely! In fact, knowing what I know now, I would happily buy it at a higher price-point.