Kelly Kettle Ultimate Base Camp review
Kelly Kettle Ultimate 'Base Camp' Kit (1.6L, Stainless Steel)
By Tom Calder
The Ultimate 'Base Camp' Kit pairs Kelly Kettle's large 1.6-litre kettle with the maker's full set of accessories. The double-walled 'volcano' kettle boils in three to five minutes on sticks, pine cones or bark, the maker says, and a hobo stove, pot and pan, grill, cups, plates and pot support come in the same bag. It gives a family a backup way to boil water and cook a hot meal without gas, batteries or mains power. It is an open flame for outdoor use only: use it on a level, non-combustible surface away from buildings, and never indoors or in a tent or porch.
- Best for
- A family or small group wanting one outdoor kit that boils a larger kettle and cooks a hot meal on sticks, with no gas or batteries to buy.
- Skip it if
- You want a light, instant stove for a grab bag, or you usually need just a mug of hot water, as…
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Everything comes in one bag: a 1.6-litre kettle, hobo stove, pot and pan, grill, cups, plates and pot support, so beyond tinder and matches there is little else to buy
- Burns sticks, pine cones, bark or dry grass, so there is no gas, liquid fuel or battery to store or run out of
- The hobo stove turns the fire base into a stand-alone wood stove for any pot or pan, so it cooks a meal as well as boiling water
Worth knowing
- Heavier and bulkier than the basic Scout kit or a gas stove: the whole kit is 2.26 kg against about 1.4-1.5 kg for the Scout, so it suits a car boot or shed better than a grab bag
- A fire has to be lit and fed, the kettle and fire base get very hot in use, and children must be kept well away while it is lit
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Our review
The Kelly Kettle Ultimate Base Camp kit pairs the 1.6-litre stainless steel chimney kettle with a hobo stove, a pot and pan, a grill, cups, plates and a pot support, in a bag at 2.26kg. It boils and cooks on twigs and cones, with no gas or batteries to buy. It is an open fire, for outdoors only.
What you get
Kelly Kettle's UK page lists the Base Camp kettle at 1.6 litres with its fire base and whistle, a hobo stove that turns the base into a small wood stove, a cook set of a 0.85-litre pot, a pan with lid, a two-piece grill and a gripper handle, two cups of 500ml and 350ml, two plates, a pot support that sits on the chimney, and a drawstring bag. The kit weight is 2.26kg. Everything nests inside the kettle and base, and the 1.6-litre size makes four or five mugs per boil, which is where it earns its place over the smaller Scout.
How it works
The kettle is a water jacket around a chimney. A handful of twigs, dry grass, pine cones or bark goes in the fire base, the kettle sits on top and more fuel is fed down the chimney, and the flames heat the water from the inside across a large surface. Kelly Kettle says it boils in three to five minutes outdoors in any weather. With the pot support on the chimney you can simmer a pan while the water heats, and once the kettle is off, the hobo stove or the base takes a pan directly for frying or a stew. Our guide to cooking without power shows how to plan meals around it.
Using it safely
Kelly Kettle's instructions say never to touch the outside of the kettle or the fire base in use because they will be hot, to keep the kettle full of water when it is on the fire, and never to boil it with anything blocking the spout. Lift it by the handle and pour with the chain, away from the chimney. It is an open fire, so it belongs outdoors on bare earth, paving or another surface that cannot burn, away from fences, sheds and overhanging branches, with children kept back. The NHS advice on carbon monoxide applies to every fuel-burning stove: never use one indoors or inside a tent.
How it compares
On our camping stove comparison the Scout kit is the same idea at 1.2 litres and a kilogram, enough for a couple. The BioLite CampStove 2+ also burns wood and charges a phone but cooks less at once. The Trangia 27 and Primus Essential Trail are faster and cleaner but need fuel you must buy and store. The Base Camp's advantage is free fuel from the garden and enough capacity for a family.
Our verdict
Buy it if you have a garden or yard where a small fire is safe and you want one kit that boils for a family and cooks a hot meal with nothing to run out of. Skip it if you have no safe outdoor space, if you want to cook indoors, or if you only need hot water for two, where the Scout is lighter and cheaper.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Kelly Kettle: Ultimate Base Camp kit, stainless steel; Kelly Kettle: how to use the Kelly Kettle; NHS: carbon monoxide poisoning.
Who shouldn't buy this
You want a light, instant stove for a grab bag, or you usually need just a mug of hot water, as the kettle must be full before it goes on the fire: a small gas stove is simpler for those jobs, and the smaller Scout kit is lighter if you want to stay with wood. If you have no safe outdoor space, none of these is for you: wood and gas stoves alike are for outdoor use only.
Key specs
| Type | Wood-fired volcano kettle + stove and cook kit |
| Fuel | Sticks, pine cones, bark, dry grass |
| Boil time | 4 min |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for A featherweight, dependable burner with instant piezo ignition for boiling water and simple cooking in a grab bag or camping kit.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for A household or small group that wants one wood-fired set to boil water, cook and serve from, with no gas, batteries or fuel to buy.
in stock when checked
Best for A near-indestructible backup cooker for power cuts and camping, using cheap, widely-available meths.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Questions
What is in the Kelly Kettle Ultimate Base Camp kit?
The 1.6-litre stainless kettle with fire base and whistle, a hobo stove, a 0.85-litre pot, a pan with lid, a two-piece grill, a gripper handle, two cups, two plates, a pot support and a bag, at 2.26kg.
How long does the Base Camp kettle take to boil?
Kelly Kettle says three to five minutes outdoors in any weather, depending on the fuel. It holds 1.6 litres, about four or five mugs.
Can I use a Kelly Kettle indoors or in a tent?
No. It is an open wood fire that produces smoke and carbon monoxide. Use it outdoors on a surface that cannot burn, away from buildings.
What fuel does the Kelly Kettle burn?
Any small dry natural fuel: twigs, dry grass, pine cones, bark or paper. No gas, meths or batteries are needed.
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