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Fuel options

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Aug 22, 2013
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Red Lake, Ontario
The video of the alcohol stoves has got me thinking about fuel choices.

I use Naptha, it's been good to me and is easily available and cheap enough. $16/can will more than last me a year.

Propane/Butane canisters are a bit of problem because you can start a trip with a part used canister and then got to carry it with the whole way. Also they are not recyclable, around these parts anyways, and I know are banned in Provincial Parks (or maybe it's just the disposal of them that is).

What are others experiences with different fuels sources, drawbacks, advantages and so on.
 
I'm pretty basic when it comes to cooking on a solo trip, so it's either over the fire, or with my twig burner. The twig burner demands a little bit of attention, but it will boil water fast, which is about all I need.
 
Hi Red, My old standby is the Optimus 00, runs on kerosene. Never, not once, failed me. To prime it I use alcohol, which burns very clean and the burner stays free of soot. In use the stove has a sound somewhat like the old blow-torch, even without looking I can keep track of how the stove is doing by the sound.

Kerosene is messy stuff; if you spill it the smell will be around for a while, however it doesn't present the dangers of gasoline. The times I've spilled were during fueling up the tank, so now I have my drill down and we haven't had any problems for a long time.

Best Wishes, Rob
 
Hmmm, I did some experimenting with alcohol tonight (in more ways than one) and I found the stove fidgety, but that is really my first time so with practice it should get better.

Seem to take real long time and a fair amount of fuel to boil a pot of water. At one point I added more fuel to the stove, which was really really really really stupid. Did I mention how stupid it was. Anyways the resulting fire was mostly invisible which created other concerns for this fuel. I managed to save complete embarrassment by not burring anything but a tupperware container which I didn't even realize was burring because the flame was mostly invisible until the plastic started burning.
 
I guess your signature line ("In alcohol's defence...")makes sense now ;). Were you sober at the time? Hope you didn't burn yourself.

I feel bad encouraging folks to make alcohol stoves without giving safety tips!
 
Here I go again...my preferred fuel is twigs, pine needles, bark, and any of that kindling under foot that most folks just walk on. In the Kelly Kettle of course...and no, I don't own stock in the company!!
44 oz of water at a time, a little less than 2 minutes to a full boil. These things sound like my buddy's live steam engines when they get going.

DSC_3026.JPG
 
For those of you who exclusively use either twig stoves or open fire, do you carry another stove in the event of a fire ban?
 
I have a variety of white gas stoves that I used in the past. I have to check into my twig burner this year for fire bans, in some circumstances, it might be acceptable.
 
never ran into a fire ban
if there is a fire ban I guess there is no alternative, eh? got to use a stove.
 
For those of you who exclusively use either twig stoves or open fire, do you carry another stove in the event of a fire ban?

I have only camped once when there was an ADK wide fire ban, I used a Peak 1 then...and I specifically avoid the Eastern High Peaks region of the ADK's, partly because of the permanent fire ban, mostly because of the crowds.
 
Some parks will make you show them a stove before embarking. Fire bans are a reality and recognizing when there should and shouldn't be a fire is good as well. If you travel on crown land there is nobody ensuring that you have a fuel stove.

Yes, I was sober when I did that very stupid stupid thing with the alcohol stove, sure wish I wasn't then I would have had a better excuse.

I made that stove from the other thread, but wasn't happy with it, so I ended up modifying it and made a wind screen/pot stand out of an old white fuel tin. I knew I kept those for a reason. The new version worked significantly better but still took a long time to boil the water.

I think alcohol, beside being a part of tasty beverages, is a decent alternative considering the lack of weight from a stove. I see the draw for the backpackers using it.

But Naptha or White Gas still is a more reliable choice.

A question about the twig stoves, how difficult is it to control the temperature and does it make your pots sooty?
 
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I'll always bring a stove.. Sometimes its just easier ie when its raining and other times there may be fire bans. Fire bans are quite common in N Ontario and Quebec some years. Not so much in Maine or the Adirondacks.

Your choice depends on where you trip.. We are using a iso butane stove on our trip Tuesday.. Not wanting to spend time whacking cottonwoods if we even find any suitable. In the desert and on the prairie.

Not much luck burning mangrove. The stove goes to Florida. Fires are prohibited on many Maine Islands (though the same many sorely need a fire). The stove goes kayaking.
 
My wife prefers to cook over a campfire. She loves the big and heavy 2 burner propane, but that's for short travel trips only. Otherwise it's the white gas Coleman. It's handy as a go to if there's a fire ban or we don't get a fire lit.
One trip during a fire ban, I brought along a lantern (battery operated), reasoning it might make a cheery replacement for an evening campfire. It just felt weird, sitting around ...a lamp. It got stowed at the bottom of the pack. I'd bought the battery one because our young son got burnt with a 3-candle lantern. On a dark and stormy Temagami night he reached over to play a winning card and scorch! Thosecrazy 8 card games, played for marshmallows, can get wild!
Here's a neat twiggy I'm tempted by:http://www.fireboxstove.com/camp-stoves
The smallest folder might be a handy thing (with alcohol burner) to go in an emergency kit.
Just to prove to Stripperguy I'm paying attention, here's a nice website:http://www.kellykettleusa.com/KellyKettle
Have you noticed that the USA made kettles have a plastic/rubber stopper, while the ones direct from Ireland have a stopper made of cork. Cork! If I bought one, I'd have to opt for the cork plugged one, just for the eccentric appeal.
I found this :http://www.allcookwarefind.com/Camping/ There's that nice looking Ti Snow Peak set.
I think that gorgeous big hunk of stainless steel love at the bottom of the article, just may put Oldie's cowboy coffee out of business. Imagine that! A 10 cup propane powered coffee maker! I may have to rethink my kitchen pack options.

Sorry, I got carried away and forgot which thread I was on...
 
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Hmmm, I did some experimenting with alcohol tonight (in more ways than one) and I found the stove fidgety, but that is really my first time so with practice it should get better.

Seem to take real long time and a fair amount of fuel to boil a pot of water. At one point I added more fuel to the stove, which was really really really really stupid. Did I mention how stupid it was. Anyways the resulting fire was mostly invisible which created other concerns for this fuel. I managed to save complete embarrassment by not burring anything but a tupperware container which I didn't even realize was burring because the flame was mostly invisible until the plastic started burning.

Hmm. Might be best to spend the $20 for a proven design. The Trangia works like a charm. I use a clickstand - it packs up flat and is sturdy. I can see the flame when it's burning in the stand.

A lot efficiency from a alky stove will come from the stand as well. I'm pretty sure I measured mine and it boiled a quart in around 6 min. It takes about an ounce of fuel - I'm using pure methanol. Seems acceptable to me.
 
I have the Trangia alky burner and a Littlebug twig stove that also takes the Trangia for when its pouring.

I think my reticence is due to being used to fuel powered stoves.. I admit to being a wee bit afraid of a flame I can't see.
 
Okay now I remember watching a video on the Trangia stove in action as was quite impressed. But to get the kit is over $100 at mec.ca
 
This is the one I got, from Home Hardware of all places, 79 bucks. I've seen the biolite and the used the Zip, and in my opinion, this one is way ahead of them. Much sturdier, easier to feed, not tippy and will take as much weight as you can put on it. Folds up into a very small rectangle. With the fan on low, you can regulate the heat fairly well, as long as you keep feeding it. On high, it throws off a heck of a heat. Yes, it blackens you pots and pans. But it's neat and groovy, and saves on lugging gas.

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/i...tk-All_EN/R-I6347056?Ntt=camoing+stoves&Num=0
 
If you want a really small, lightweight Alky stove, try this http://whiteboxalcoholstoves.com/ I've had one for several years and it's my go to stove for dayhiking. it weighs about 1 oz. and is perfect for boiling a cup or two of water. I use it with a sierra cup for a quick brew up.
 
OK, color me stupid (or maybe just a bit thick) but I don't get putting a fan on a twig stove. Isn't that what hats with floppy brims are for? Or a length of flexible tubing (just don't inhale)?
 
Don't waste your money on a BioLite. I'll sell mine for $80 then you can charge your I-Phone out in the bush where you don't get a signal.
 
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