I don't know if this is the right place to interject this or not but the talk about if a stove is necessary or not caused me to remember it. Most of us have at one time or another got cold, sometimes seriously cold. Now there's nothing like a warming campfire but often the conditions that lead us to getting cold in the first place, also preclude a real handy campfire, certainly not quickly.
To my mind, that's when a dependable stove can really shine. Glugg down hot tea, coffee or bullion cube and hot water and you've placed heat right into the core where you need it. Keep on with the liquid till you're warm, won't hurt a thing and it'll give the kidneys a flush as well.
Bird's alcohol stove is a well proven idea, don't think you could go wrong with one of those Trangia spirit burners. Was looking on Amazon under "spirit burners" and I found "1-2 people portable outdoor kitchenware set" $46.85 Looks neat!
If I wasn't so wedded to my Optimus OO I might give it a try, I hear that Brad's got money to burn (so to speak) maybe he'll try it out and tell the rest of us what he thought!
Best Wishes, Rob
HA!! Money to burn. If I employed that millionaire's method of fire starting with $100 bills, I couldn't make a smudge pot. Actually Rob, you make some good points (aside from overestimating the depth of my pockets). We've tripped during fire bans. They're nearly an annual occurrence here in Ontario. And yes, a (mini) roaring stove fire can kinda warm the fingers if held close enough, though never the cockles of my heart. A hot drink can be a lifesaver. It sucks going without open fires when you need the warmth. One trip (fail) with my two sons, we set up camp barely before a storm blew in. My canoe and small tarp as wind and sideways rain break was good, but there was no dry wood to be scrounged. We wound up huddled around an emergency candle, burning in a pot lid propped up against a granite wall. It actually worked! Or at least, that's what I kept telling the guys.
"Ooooh! Can you just feel that warmth!?"
"Um.Sure Dad. Whatever you say."
We did have a small hot meal though.
My twig stove will accommodate an alcohol burner, so I'm considering either a Trangia burner, or making one of these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove
There are lots of Youtube tutorials around.
I'm not convinced picking up twigs is labour intensive, but gas stoves or alcohol burners might be problem free. At least, I've yet to experience any fiddling or frustration with my old Peak 1. She hates the pressurizing required...
"OH! I hate this thing!"
"Honey, it helps if you pump the tank
before balancing a pot of water on the burner. Here, take a glass of wine for a walk down to the lakeshore, while I start supper."
"
Fine. Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Of course. Oh wait. I thought it was your turn... to make...supper. Never mind."