View Full Version : Tea Light stove
featherhiker
02-12-2015, 14:03
I have just built a pot stand for a tea light stove and want to know if it is worth my while using it.
Jason Klass talks about his tea light stove. I don't know how his is set up.
My tea light stove is a mini Fancee Feest stove zelph made for fun, I guess.
I use it with my 300 ml Snow Peak "sierra" cup with a folding handle no longer sold. The present Snow Peak "sierra" cup has a different handle. Anyway, I use it with a folding hardware cloth pot stand and Ez Fold windscreen.
I have good results.
Rocket Jones
02-12-2015, 14:40
Test it at home. That's the best way, plus you'll get experience with it before taking it out on the trail.
I love tea light stoves. I'd never bring one out to the trail to start a hike with but they are always my backup plan if I were ever to lose or destroy my current stove. It's just so easy and cheap, buy candle, and make a pot stand out of a soda can. done.
I wouldn't bring it out as my primary though, except maybe some short sul trips. (Even then I'm not sure)
I hadn't thought of dayhikes.
I have it for SUL overnights. It is kind of fun having it.
I will need a max-min thermometer to provide a real report.
I like to develop various overnight gear, because I like to take walks in beautiful places. I have onX Hunt app for showing private and public land. If public land, I explore a little. If a problem, I would be "okay" for an overnight bivoiac.
WILLIAM HAYES
02-12-2015, 22:27
have used one I made based on Jason Klass's design for years weighs next to nothing add some fiberglass insulation from your attic to the tea light it will increase the burn time it is really a cool little stove with a built in pot stand
MuddyWaters
02-13-2015, 00:27
tealights are the only alcohol stoves I use.
I played with all the rest, made a bunch, they offer no real benefit, just added weight
having any alcohol stove that needs priming , or that you cant recover fuel from easily is stupid
My small tealight is used for small pots, usually a zelph flat bottom. The tealight is 1/8" taller than normal, extend it up using aluminum foil tape so it has more capacity. Put a bent piece of flashing in it to wick more heat into the alcohol and speed up the vaporization,cuts minutes off. boils 2 cups on 0.4 oz fuel in about 7.5 minutes. Residual fuel is sucked out back into bottle.
tealight wt = 0.07 oz
stand wt = 0.22 oz
windscreen = 0.45 oz
pot with lid = 1.05 oz
total= 1.79 oz
shakey_snake
02-13-2015, 01:27
What kinda pot only weighs 1.05oz?
I always use rocks for a wind screen.
rocketsocks
02-13-2015, 06:58
use some foil for a make sift caldera cone for maximum efficiency.
rocketsocks
02-13-2015, 06:59
tealights are the only alcohol stoves I use.
I played with all the rest, made a bunch, they offer no real benefit, just added weight
having any alcohol stove that needs priming , or that you cant recover fuel from easily is stupid
My small tealight is used for small pots, usually a zelph flat bottom. The tealight is 1/8" taller than normal, extend it up using aluminum foil tape so it has more capacity. Put a bent piece of flashing in it to wick more heat into the alcohol and speed up the vaporization,cuts minutes off. boils 2 cups on 0.4 oz fuel in about 7.5 minutes. Residual fuel is sucked out back into bottle.
tealight wt = 0.07 oz
stand wt = 0.22 oz
windscreen = 0.45 oz
pot with lid = 1.05 oz
total= 1.79 ozI did this a couple years ago but used copper wire, worked great.
rocketsocks
02-13-2015, 07:03
I did this a couple years ago but used copper wire, worked great.
Never do this with a pressurized penny stove or the like...Kaboom shaboom, what da da da da da da da da.
Kaboom shaboom, what da da da da da da da da.
Is this some sort of cultural reference? lol
@Muddy, That's taking the Tea Light to levels I never dreamed of. The only reason I wouldn't use a system like that on a longer hike is my fear of crushing the pot. I love the Fosters can I have, but unless it's in a caddy I'm not confidant I can protect it for extended hikes. A few days and I'm cool, but any longer and I'm vastly increasing my chances of doing something stupid and ruining it.
Any pointers? or am I just underestimating the strength of the pot?
rocketsocks
02-13-2015, 10:11
Is this some sort of cultural reference? lol
well the pee pee dance I did when it exploded did kinda resemble a cross between a drought stricken rain rumba and a Inuit baby it's cold outside "Hey mo" what just happened. So yeah, sure, why not.
Another Kevin
02-13-2015, 17:25
Never do this with a pressurized penny stove or the like...Kaboom shaboom, what da da da da da da da da.
I seem to be the only guy I know who uses a pressurized alcohol stove and has never been without eyebrows. Just lucky, I guess. It does have quite a habit of turning into a blowtorch if I use a priming dish, which I need to do in winter. But I've never managed to explode it.
MuddyWaters
02-13-2015, 19:53
Is this some sort of cultural reference? lol
@Muddy, That's taking the Tea Light to levels I never dreamed of. The only reason I wouldn't use a system like that on a longer hike is my fear of crushing the pot. I love the Fosters can I have, but unless it's in a caddy I'm not confidant I can protect it for extended hikes. A few days and I'm cool, but any longer and I'm vastly increasing my chances of doing something stupid and ruining it.
Any pointers? or am I just underestimating the strength of the pot?
Only time I damaged a ridged foster pot was when my pack slid off back seat of truck when brakes were applied, and basically fell on one. popping it back out made little cracks. I put duct tape over them and used it that way for a week without issue. The ducttape baked itself to the pot.
The flat bottom fosters has steel bottom, I use that one with cannister stove no problem. With the lid in place and held on with a 0.04 oz rubber band, it is pretty resistant to damage. I make a spot in the top of my pack for it, no tension on it, and no problems. Like I said, duct tape can fix damage. If it cant, you can get some tin foil in town and line it with that. I only use mine to boil water.
rocketsocks
02-13-2015, 20:59
I seem to be the only guy I know who uses a pressurized alcohol stove and has never been without eyebrows. Just lucky, I guess. It does have quite a habit of turning into a blowtorch if I use a priming dish, which I need to do in winter. But I've never managed to explode it.
I embellished to keep up with all the lying on the trail (http://www.amazon.com/Lying-Trail-William-Townsend-III/dp/150319387X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418831767&sr=8-1&keywords=lying+on+the+trail&pebp=1418831770703) that goes on around here, more of a pfoot really. :D
plus it allowed this lead-in to plug "Just Bills" book which i'm lovin' :)