Anevay Stories: History of the Frontier Stove
We were looking over some drawings of our original Frontier Stove the other day and it got us thinking about the history of this little stove. It's come a long way from its disaster relief origins, with lots of changes along the way to meet the needs of those using it. When it was first designed, the brief was simple: a lightweight, rugged stove that could be packed up compactly and shipped across the world where it was needed. It needed to be sturdy but straightforward and not too costly to make, to ensure that as many stoves as possible could be sent out as aid.
As the Frontier grew in popularity, the brief started changing: before, it didn't matter if the stoves arrived a little scratched, so long as they could keep people warm and let them cook their food safely. Now, we had to update our production process for the retail market. We also started making design changes based on years of the stoves being tested in the field; we replaced the ball bearings in the legs with pins so there were fewer moving parts to get lost. Recently we updated our paint finish, replacing the old process with a new eco-friendly and much more durable finish.
Making the Frontier sustainable
We also started thinking about our impact on the planet, and the impact of the stoves we were designing. Our stoves use just 10% of the fuel of an open fire, and burning wood as fuel is close to carbon neutral, but we were still conscious that they would have an effect on the environment we loved. We did some research and partnered up with the International Tree Foundation to plant a tree for every stove we sell (and for good measure, one for every stove we'd ever sold or donated).
Why buy an Anevay Frontier Stove?
As the Frontier's popularity increased, copies of the Frontier started appearing online. While we were proud that the Frontier design had become so popular, we also worried about the safety of some of these copies, often sent out poorly made or without proper instructions. Remember, when buying a Frontier Stove online make sure it arrives in a blue and white Anevay box with instructions. Using a stove without any instructions can be dangerous and we don't recommend it. If it doesn't have the stainless steel wolf on the door, it's not an Anevay Frontier Stove. We've come across lots of copies with wobbly legs and other safety issues.
When you buy an Anevay stove, you're not just buying a stove.
You're planting a tree that will provide for a community and offset the wood you'll burn. You're investing in a piece of kit that's designed with care to last and last. You get a lifetime of support and you're becoming part of a community of people who love the outdoors, who want to see the environment they love thrive and who value adventure over everything.
The Frontier's journey
At the end of the story, from their humanitarian roots through design changes and tree planting, our Frontier Stoves go through a rigorous checking process. They're checked along the way while they're being made for safety and quality issues. Before they're dispatched to you, our Quality Team in Cornwall carefully hand badge and check each Frontier Stove again, making sure that the paint finish is perfect, the construction is consistent and everything that should be is included in the box. Once they're carefully packed, our courier collects the stoves and they're shipped across the world and on to new adventures.
We like to think the journey doesn't end there: we've had people drop by our HQ in Cornwall with Frontiers that they've had for years, battered and looking a little worse for the wear but with lots of great stories to tell. We've seen Frontiers fitted in various interesting places and teaching children in forest schools, being turned into fish-smokers and keeping tipis in Finland cosy.
We've had some great photos of your Frontiers being used outside over the past couple of weeks. Keep them coming - we love seeing what they get up to on your adventures and all of the interesting places they go.