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My alcohol stoves go inside my cooking pot as does the windscreen and lighter and a few other items. Not that it needs any protection though... it isn't made from a soda can, it is much stronger. Not all alcohol stoves are equal in weight, strength and performance. IMO the pespsi can stoves are the most inefficient, weak and difficult to build.
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"There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us, And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go." -from "The Call of the Wild" by Robert Service
My trail journal: DuctTape's Journal -
I like the tea container idea a lot! In fact I think I'll rig up something like that for the next time I use it.
Ahhh the right cooking pot, also a good idea. Not to mention an alcohol stove that won't 'crush like a tin car'. I'd been using a kind of "boy scout style mess kit" if-you-will aluminum pots and pans with a closing bar that acts as pan handle... I've always used that mess kit for as long as I can remember... First trip out without it tomorrow, so we'll see how I fare with jetboil and no mess kit (boils water? ok, should do, haha). I'm paddling, so... I'm not regretting the weight yet (I'll use the can stoves situationally) -- at least my stove alone weighs slightly less than the whole Sairy Gamp!
While I didn't build it, I was always proud of that stove... It's just plain cool.
It's plausible the burn times for my pepsi can stove are worse than what's listed on the few various sites that have taken the readings, I can get ~7 min / oz on my boil one, and ~15 min / oz on the simmer. (Which actually got the job done for me)"ya gotta get a better view outside, cause you'll burn right up inside, through the knowledge fools get the mileage, birds eye view, catch all this" -delComment
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I've used an MSR Dragonfly about a dozen times in each of the last 7-8 years and I've never had a problem of any sort. It's noisy, but it gets the job done. My experience is limited to spring, summer, and fall - so I can't attest to its reliability in the winter.Comment
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What are your views on this? I think I'd like to try and make one, if at all possible.
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Do a forum search on kellykettle. You'll find more than one comment by me on the Kelly Kettle. I like them so much I have 2, of different sizes. It depends on how you use it, how long your trip, your ability to estimate conventional fuel use, and other factors. I home dehydrate all of my own food so I only need hot water. In about 4 minutes I have 5 cups of boiling water using only twigs and pine cones on the medium size KK. I am taking both of them as mandatory equipment for my 1000 mile trip down the Yukon River next month.
I don't know how you would make one at home without pretty good metal working skills and specialized forming and aluminum welding equipment.Last edited by Wldrns; 06-15-2009, 12:45 PM."Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." -Walt WhitmanComment
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It seems to me that the kelly kettle is an ideal way of boiling water, provided you've already mentaly made the trade off in inconvenience of lighting for the less weight of not carrying fuel. There are a lot of lighter weight designs for biomass burners, but as far as efficiency, i think the KK wins out.
I agree it might be hard to make unless you have a lot of experience with metalworking. I was under the impression that they came in copper and SS not aluminum... but i may very well be wrong on that.
EDIT: Yup, i'm wrong. Aluminum as well.
I was thinking about this
Last edited by 111t; 09-16-2009, 06:48 PM.
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I just bought a White Box alcochol stove for $20. Looks like it is made well and will hold up to good use. It boiled 2c water in about 5 minutes from time of lighting the stove and used about 2oz fuel. A good choice when boiling water for freeze dried food but not cooking meals.
I guess my 41 yo Svea 123 will always be "my" stove. Never had an issue with it and only had to clean the jet once after using old fuel.Comment
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I have used the following system for over four years through out all four seasons with great success.
- MSR Ti Kettle
- S2S Folding Spork
- Northern Lights Alpha Ti Stove
- Small JetBoil Isobutane/Propane Mix Canister
- Homemade Aluminum Windscreen
- Silnylon Stuff Sack
Total weight is 16.14 ounces with a full gas canister and includes everything above plus two ziplock bags (one for the stove and one for the canister). Everything (spork, stove, and canister) fits in the kettle with a little room to spare. Sometimes I add an Antigravity Gear cozy that weighs about an ounce.
I know using a canister during the winter months is generally frowned upon, but I have had no problems at all. The coldest I have used the above setup is about -10 degrees F. Of course I have to make some adjustments. I sleep with my canister or warm it up in my jacket before using it. I also put the canister on a piece of blue foam. By varying the relative size/distance of the wind screen, I can keep my canister warm while heating my food/water. I never, ever leave the stove unattended and am constantly touching the canister to make sure it is not too hot. I find it much easier than dealing with a white gas stove. I would not want to melt snow using this setup thus I always plan to camp near a stream with running water. That said, my camping partner always carries his white gas stove year around. It's always good to have a backup plan.
I am not recommending this method for others just stating what works for me.
One small canister usually lasts me two days in the winter, three days in the spring and fall and four days in the summer time. I mostly just boil water for coffee, pasta/rice dish or rehydrating food. In the wintertime, I use a Steripen so I do not have to boil extra water for purification. I usually just heat it up, Steripen it and then it goes into the Nalgene with bottle parka. An added benefit is that the water doesn't taste flat since I do not have to boil it.Comment
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Does anyone remember the Sterno stoves? When I was a kid (I'm 60), we used them in on fishing trips and in the Scouts. It was a metal folding frame and a can of Sterno fuel slid inside. I think the fuel in the can was an alcohol based gel. It was just big enough to house the can and would support a small mess kit pot or pan. Not very high-tec or practical for today but back then it sure did the job heating up a can of beans or Dinty Moore stew.Comment
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Yes, I remember them well!
Ah...good old Dinty Moore...
Overpriced food, suspect health benefits, cans to carry in and out...ah, those were the days....
DickComment
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Sterno lives on
I regularly take a small can of sterno with me on either backpacking or canoe camping trips. It is small, lightweight, and allows you to cook (or at least keep things hot) when placed between two logs with a pot over spanning the gap between the logs. I often use it to keep the coffee (or hot water) warm while cooking the balance of breakfast.
You can get small ones at most cooking specialty stores - cheap. The larger ones (often used for chafing dishes) are a bit big for a pack.
Once (I'm embarassed to say) I brought my Wisperlight and fuel, but not my pump. The sterno was forced into a cooking role and did well enough. A wind screen is very helpful with sterno.Comment
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Svea 123R with a Sigg Tourist outfit for over 30 years. Never let me down in the winter. If I were a weight weenie I'd lose some!Comment
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Yes, I remember them well!
Ah...good old Dinty Moore...
Overpriced food, suspect health benefits, cans to carry in and out...ah, those were the days....
Dick
Don't forget some good ole Spam in on that Sterno stove. If you lived in the Philly area you might be fireing up some "Scrapple" instead. You just gotta love a food that has both "Scrap and Crap" in it's name.Comment
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Scrapple has come a long way, traditionally it is made from all the scraps of a pig, innards, ears ,etc.
However a much healthier blend can easily be made at home today.
Served with maple syrup.YUM!Be careful, don't spread invasive species!!
When a dog runs at you,whistle for him.
Henry David Thoreau
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