Alcohol Stoves

[Jay Strine]

I have always used white gas stoves for years, for over 20 and
counting. I took some clinics and I am trying to lighten my load. I
made some Alcohol Stoves. I did a a-lot of research on how to make
them. I have one I am happy with.
I just read some posts on a Hiking webpage, about difficulties with
Alcohol at altitude and with Cold/Cool temps. I never really looked
into using Alcohol as a fuel.
I am scheduled to do the JMT from Bishop Pass to Mammouth on Sept 7th.
Any advice on using Alcohol as a fuel, how will it work at those temps
and elevation.
Any imput and/or feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Jay Strine

[jape]

I've never had a problem with alcohol stoves along the John Muir.  Different
stoves will of course have different fuel consumption rates, but the alcohol
always burns.  I been using them since the days when one filled the stove
with vermiculite. <g>  The inventor of the Cat Stove used his to hike the
PCT, and his son, Flyin' Brian has triple crowned in a calendar year with
one.  Carry yours with confidence.

One caveat, do take a windscreen.

Eckert

[William Comer]

I will STRONGLY second the warning to take a windscreen! Venting it just
right is also a little on the fiddle factor side. Too much venting and wind
will blow your heat away, too little and the stove will not breath well and
will take for ever to come up to heat. You can't just take off using one
without a little learning time. While I have not yet used mine higher than a
mile I have used mine when there was ice on the coffee water I put in the
pot the night before. It worked fine. Actually it worked better than the
pocket rocket I used to fix lunch the same Dec. day here in OH. The wind
killed the pocket rocket sitting out in the open while the alcohol stove
that morning did just fine in the wind and subfreezing cold! IIRC it was 18
F when I got up and made coffee.

Pat C.


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[Dale Stuart-2]

I have to agree about the venting, windscreen, fiddling, to get things just right.  I've made many a stove, with and w/o a pot stand, with and w/o a wind screen.  Even made a couple of Caldera style cones out of flashing material.  Lots of fun playing around but when it is all said and done - WHY NOT just buy a Caldera Cone setup - where all that R&D has already been done for you.  They are not that pricey. ($30-40) 
 
They come in a screw lid container that can act as your Qt freezerbag cozy/bowl and the lid as a cup.  When put together it  contains the  stove, fuel bottle, fuel measuring cup and cone.  Weighs in at around 5oz (plus fuel). I also have my spoon, matches and 1cup measuring cup nested in the container also.   As for performance, 30 ml (1/2 oz) of fuel will bring 2 cups water to a hard boil for a few minutes.

Dale

 


     

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