Playing around with Alcohol Stoves

[red langford]

The alcohol stoves are still intriguing me to the point I have done a pile of youtube research on them. I had no idea there were so many different ways of making them.

In an effort to get enough cans to make them I had to do some consuming of canned beverages. I don't drink pop so I was forced to consume beer and cider.

I made a stove like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbHHQrh9m58 and I have to say I was way impressed. It boiled my little pan of water in no time at all. I am hoping to come up with a solution that is light weight so I can make some weekend trips with just a single bag. I have ordered a trangia and clikstand but I think the little homemade stove I made will boil water faster. There is another stove made by the same guy that can boil 2 cups of water in 3.5 minutes but have yet to attempt that one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA97x9o0_2Q or this version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0RosfKZ-sg

I'm now in the process of repurposing bicycle spokes to make pot stands.

 

[redoleary]

I can't say enough good about the Fancee Feest stove, its simple, efficient, built-in pot stand, can add simmer ring, can be scaled up for larger pots etc and it's bullet proof. Tho' I'm too lazy to go see what I made mine out of,but I made an oversize version cuz I'm often boiling 4c or there abouts,and I used wood stove door fiberglass seal for the wick, rather than regular fiberglass fabric.

But building and playing with alcohol stoves is hours of fun!

 

[sweeper]

In an effort to get enough cans to make them I had to do some consuming of canned beverages. I don't drink pop so I was forced to consume beer and cider.

Beer from a can, I feel your pain.

 

[Mihun09]

As long as we have 32 gallons of Coleman fuel available for no cost, the only alcohol around here will be ingested.

(I do have an interest in these stoves, although the other half does not)

 

[red langford]

The video that Red posted earlier is a good testament to the alcohol stove. I don't know if I will completely convert put I have an interest in trying some ultra-lightweight short trips and the alcohol stoves plays into that. Imagine a small backpack and a canoe and that's it. Single carry every portage. I can't see big trips like this.

 

[Mnoutdoorfunguy]

They can pry my Trangia from my cold, dead fingers!

 

[Canotrouge]

We use Trangia when we use stoves, and in my wife outdoor ed school program that is the only stove they use. I thought to go with different stove, but the trangia works great, the kit is well made( I have the one with the pots that are made with the laminated aluminum and SS, Alu outside and ss inside.)

 

[DuctTape]

I, too, use the fancee feest stove when I bring an alky burner.

 

[snapper]

When I'm by myself or just another person I have begun to use my alcohol stove almost exclusively. Besides the lightweight aspect of things I really enjoy the quiet. There is a bit of a learning curve to them but certainly worth it in the end; in my opinion. I've made a few and the simple ones are quite easy to make. The ones I've made are from this video: https://vimeo.com/64726512

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[Jim Dodd]

That was the simplest one I've seen made !
I'll be making one for sure.

Wondering how long the aluminum holds up ?

Any recommendations on fuel ?

Thanks !

Jim

 

[DuctTape]

A friend has a basic jetted pepsi-can stove. he used it for his entire AT hike (a decade ago) and continues to use it. My Fancee Feest has held up well for the few years I have had it. I don't see needing to replace it soon. Even when I do, it will cost me less than a dollar. For fuel, I use Denatured Alcohol from the hardware store. Some use the fuel additive HEET (yellow bottle). Denatured is mostly ethanol, HEET is methanol. I have tried both and don't notice a difference. Denatured comes in a larger can. For some that is a positive characteristic, others like the smaller plastic bottle that HEET comes in. Pick your poison, literally.

 

[redoleary]

I prefer denatured alcohol, only tried Heet once and the bottle leaked after I opened it, burned well enough I guess I just prefer denatured. Bonus: denatured is easy to find at nearly any hardware store, purchased some in NZ once, where white gas or canisters may have been harder to find.

 

[wgiles]

I enjoy making and using alcohol stoves. I like the Fancee Feest, but prefer the Starlyte without the pot holder. There are simmer rings that can be used with either one. I use a fire bucket setup with mine, which is an aluminum flashing windscreen with some stainless steel welding rod pot supports. I can also use a tea candle as a warmer. My Starlyte style stoves will hold about an ounce of alcohol, but are slow. It takes about ten minutes to boil a pint of water. The Trangia and Esbit alcohol stoves are very nice, but a bit on the heavy side. The screw on cap is a very nice feature. The wide base makes them harder to tip over.

 

[red langford]

I have found that Denatured Alcohol is not available in Canada, I am using Methyl Hydrate which works well. Maybe a chemist amongst us can explain what the difference is and why we can't have the same thing in every country.

 

[redoleary]

I'm no chemist, but I believe denatured alcohol is a grain alcohol made from corn and such with an additive to make it undrinkable and probably poisonous, Methanol OTOH is alcohol made from wood and is naturally quite poisonous all on its own, but I think packs a few more BTUs?? Either will work.

 

[sweeper]

I could have used these videos about 4 months ago, but I'll gather the supplies and wait for a rainy day.

Thanks

 

[red langford]

I could have used these videos about 4 months ago, but I'll gather the supplies and wait for a rainy day.

Thanks

You have no idea how many there are. Some are better than others for sure but the shear number is astounding.

 

[sweeper]

I KNOW, now.

I spent last night watching videos. I seen a few in the backcountry but never gave them much of a look.

Last year I bought one of these http://www.dutchwaregear.com/vargo-t...iad-stove.html and had some luck with it, but these look a lot more stable and have a better flame.

Now I have to find something fit to drink out of cans or start walking the roadsides.

 

[Guest]

I've had fun with them,but don't
take then tripping. To little heat output and burn too much fuel. If I want to take a fuel stove it's my jetboil of a big propane one. Usually I use my twig stove.
Turtle

 

[shanks]

I like the Littlbug Jr. twig stove with the Trangia spirit burner. When I don't feel like making a little fire, the Littlbug acts as a windscreen, and pot stand. The Trangia has been great. I do agree that it uses quite a bit of fuel...the extra alcohol carried still takes up less room that one fuel canister, however.