Q&A: 12 Surprising Facts About Solo Stove Ambassador Zach Fowler

There are moments that can define your life. For Zachary Fowler, that moment was when he went onto History Channel’s Alone, and ultimately won, surviving on only what he could find for nearly three months. Join us as we sit down with Zach—outdoorsman, YouTuber, and Solo Stove's latest ambassador—to delve into his story and get to know him a bit better.

Solo: Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Zach: My name is Zachary Fowler of Fowler’s Makery and Mischief on YouTube.  Several years ago, I began a new chapter when I went on History Channel’s Alone show and survived off of only what I could catch and cook for 87 days, deep in the heart of Patagonia, high in the Andes Mountains. Upon returning home from that adventure, I started making YouTube adventures about catching and cooking all sorts of interesting things, like rattlesnakes in Texas or iguanas in Florida. As my culinary skills grew, I needed a cooking tool to bring my cooking to a new level of culinary excellence, so I reached out to Solo Stove!

Solo: What is your favorite Solo Stove product?

Zach: Sometimes the simplest is the best, so a hot fire with Solo Stove’s Bonfire 2.0 and wok are my go-to. But it’s a toss-up because I LOVE pizza, and the Pi Pizza Oven makes such an amazing wood-fired pizza. I’m not sure I could live without either of them in my life ever again!

Solo: Who inspires you?

Zach: I’ve always been inspired by Julia Carolyn Child and her cooking.  She wanted to learn how to cook, and she didn’t give up till she learned how.  But she didn’t stop there; she kept going, took it a step further, and shared it with the world.

Solo: What are your best memories of sitting around a fire?

Zach: Some of my best memories are of sitting around the fire and cooking something that brings a smile to the faces of my friends and family. And now that I have a Solo Stove and Pi Pizza Oven, that’s only increased 10-fold.  Every new thing I catch, my first thought is, “How can I cook this on my Solo Stove?”

Solo: How do you disconnect and find time for yourself? 

Zach: As a YouTuber, doing primarily outdoor adventures, there’s a time that every video project ends, and the fire is still going. That’s when I put my feet up and just soak it all in.

Solo: What is the craziest thing you’ve done? 

Zach: The craziest thing I've done (so far) has to be building our pontoon pirate ship, then catching and cooking (on our Solo Stove) for a week on the water.  At one point in the adventure, we foraged chanterelle mushrooms and cooked a wild pizza in our Pi Pizza Oven right on the deck of the boat.

Solo: What’s the craziest food you’ve ever cooked? 

Zach: I’ve done a lot of crazy cooks over the years, but surviving off of rattlesnake and raccoon soup while spending 30 days in the bush of Texas definitely stands out the most.

Solo: What will you cook next over a fire pit or in the Pi Pizza Oven?

Zach: Ice is forming, and I haven’t cooked any catches out on the hard water yet, so this winter, we’re going to spend a cool couple of days ice fishing, and I think my first cook will be Smoked Trout Rangoons on the Bonfire Wok on the frozen surface of the lake!

Solo: What gets you excited in 2024? 

Zach: We have all kinds of fun “catch and cook” adventures planned for 2024, and Solo Stove will be an important part of those. I can’t wait to try more recipes in the Pi Pizza Oven, like Oyster Rockefeller.

Solo: What’s one thing you want everyone to know about you? 

Zach: When I started YouTube several years ago, I mostly made brown, barely edible dishes, but with time and exploration and the grace of God, I’ve found I can turn just about anything into a culinary delight, so don't be afraid of the fire, get out there and make your life a tastier adventure!

Solo: How would you explain what Solo Stove stands for? 

Zach: For me, Solo Stove stands for adventure and possibilities, and it can be for you as well!

Solo: What’s so special about the outdoors? 

Zach: The outdoors is a place of learning and growth and that’s something you can find in every piece of the outdoors, from a rooftop patio in the city to the back end of nowhere.  The opportunities are only limited by your imagination.