View Full Version : Which alcohol stove do you prefer??
kytrailman
03-11-2008, 13:25
I have tried a few different alchohol designs( ion, pepsi, supercat) , and was wondering what anyone else's experiences were with different types. Fav type, effeciency, durability. etc.
earlylight
03-11-2008, 17:13
I have tried a few different alchohol designs( ion, pepsi, supercat) , and was wondering what anyone else's experiences were with different types. Fav type, effeciency, durability. etc.
I like the Brasslite the best. It is a hefty 1.4 oz, but it uses fuel much more efficiently because the simmer control/windscreen, pot holder and base plate are all part of the stove. The thermal conductivity of the all-in-one design is a huge improvement over alcohol stove systems that require multiple disparate components. This makes a huge difference whether the weather is cold and alcohol stoves become difficult to light and stay lit.
Appalachian Tater
03-11-2008, 17:15
SuperCat. Light, easy to make, no pot stand needed.
Starlyte
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18383
pros: very small, efficient, no primer, lights in freezing cold
cons: needs potstand
Two Speed
03-11-2008, 17:43
Trangia in cold weather, PMS in mild weather.
AlwaysHiking
03-11-2008, 18:16
Starlyte, Zelph is a stove king!
Trangia for me. You can seal it up with fuel still in it. As far as I know it’s the only alcohol stove you don’t have to let run out of fuel before you put it away.
Eventhough I haven't had it long at all, I'm totally convinceed my Caldera Cone in tha bomb! :D
Ramble~On
03-11-2008, 19:42
Trangia.
Chaco Taco
03-11-2008, 19:45
Starlyte
Fancy Feast stove with Heiny Pot!
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2114782460059664855RxwVCk
ChinMusic
03-11-2008, 20:42
SSBIT by Minibulldesign http://www.minibulldesign.com/fs2.htm is my standard stove for just boiling water. I also have the Nion 2 for times I want to simmer.
I just saw the Blackfly and really liked the design. The Blackfly would be my choice to replace my Nion 2.
supercat. cheap, light, easy to make, integrated pot stand, no moving parts, nothing else to bring along with it, and if someone sits on it, you can bend it back into some semblance of usable shape.
corialice81
03-11-2008, 21:11
Hooch...I'm with ya! I love my Caldera Cone!!! 15 oz of fuel boils 2 cups of COLD water in 6 mins! Tin Man hooked me up with a customized stuff sack to carry it all on my thru hike this year so it won't get damaged (I'm not too kind to gear). The stuff sack even has a sleeve for my titanium long handled spoon for FBC. :)
I hope it takes less than 15 oz. of fuel to boil 2 cups of water. I assume you meant 1.5 oz. A supercat will perform similarly if you have a good windscreen and a wide bottomed pot.
Hooch...I'm with ya! I love my Caldera Cone!!! 15 oz of fuel boils 2 cups of COLD water in 6 mins! Tin Man hooked me up with a customized stuff sack to carry it all on my thru hike this year so it won't get damaged (I'm not too kind to gear). The stuff sack even has a sleeve for my titanium long handled spoon for FBC. :)I hope you mean 15 ml of fuel. ;) Hey, I just noticed that you're from Lenoir. My dad and his brother were born there. My grandpa used to own a butcher shop there back in the 60's or so. Granma still lives in Hickory. Small world. :D
I use a combo of a homemade insulated beer can, and the stand from the Etowah alcohol/esbit stove......works great all year!
corialice81
03-11-2008, 21:21
Yeah, I meant 15 mL...LOL, I must be tired. And yes, in a previous thread you also told me that. I just moved here in July from Foscoe. I just finished my Master's in Biology at Good Ole Appy.
Skidsteer
03-11-2008, 21:21
Hooch...I'm with ya! I love my Caldera Cone!!! 15 oz of fuel boils 2 cups of COLD water in 6 mins! Tin Man hooked me up with a customized stuff sack to carry it all on my thru hike this year so it won't get damaged (I'm not too kind to gear). The stuff sack even has a sleeve for my titanium long handled spoon for FBC. :)
I hope it takes less than 15 oz. of fuel to boil 2 cups of water. I assume you meant 1.5 oz. A supercat will perform similarly if you have a good windscreen and a wide bottomed pot.
I hope you mean 15 ml of fuel. ;) Hey, I just noticed that you're from Lenoir. My dad and his brother were born there. My grandpa used to own a butcher shop there back in the 60's or so. Granma still lives in Hickory. Small world. :D
So is it 15 oz, 1.5 oz, or 15 ml?
Makes a bit of difference. :D
Edit:
Oops! crossed posts!
corialice81
03-11-2008, 21:26
Okay sorry for the confusion. Let's try again.
For me, I use 15 milliliters (ml) of fuel to boil 2 cups of cold water in 6 mins.
Footslogger
03-11-2008, 21:27
My personal preference is the Trangia. Heavier and a little bigger than several of the alternatives but it has a sealable reservoir and is made of pretty non-destructable brass. I own 2 of them at the moment ...bought them back in the late 90's. Carried one on my thru in 2003 and it's still going strong.
'Slogger
Survivor Dave
03-11-2008, 21:36
The Skidsteer 8000...there is no substitute:D
Why can't I copy and past anymore? Arrrrgh:mad:
put me down for the caldera cone,It really is da bomb isn't hooch:D
gold bond
03-12-2008, 09:49
Trangia. I have the combo which came with the pot and windscreen. I as well like the fact that you do not have to use all the fuel and can seal it up. Just do not confuse the lid with the simmer ring!
Nearly Normal
03-12-2008, 09:57
Trangia. I have the combo which came with the pot and windscreen. I as well like the fact that you do not have to use all the fuel and can seal it up. Just do not confuse the lid with the simmer ring!
...and don't seal it while hot. You can burn the O-ring used as the seal.
http://www.thru-hiker.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=TR101
Here are some alcohol stoves (http://www.moonshinerstills.com/) complete with pricing.
The tough part about a "which do you like best" question is that few people have meaningful experience with all (or even several) of the alternatives.
I tried making my own Pepsi can stove, several attempts in fact, and though they worked I wasn't satisfied with the performance. I bought a Brasslight stove; the cost is quite low relative to a lot of other backpacking equipment, and it works well. I didn't think I would care about the simmer ring, but I have in fact since used that feature too.
I have no idea if this is the best option today. The Caldera Cone sounds intriguing, but what I have is light and works well for me now.
Note also that the word "best" builds in some assumptions. Is low weight your primary consideration, or ease of use, or least fuel consumption, or perhaps you want a stove that can burn multiple fuel types, or the one that's least expensive, or ...
I don't mean to nit-pick, but for me to reply "I have a brasslight, it's the best" --- you would have no idea how (or whether) to use that information, other than the very very limited perspective that one person likes one of the models by this manufacturer.
Starlyte
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18383
pros: very small, efficient, no primer, lights in freezing cold
cons: needs potstand
The "StarLyte" has been upgraded to complete stove. No potstand required.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=565557&postcount=174
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20one/jutefirestarter026.jpg
I just made a new supercat last night, and I think I did a pretty good job. It works great (cooked dinner on it last night) and the best part is that I can make a new one for 33 cents if I break it.
I've been using the walmart generic catfood cans, they seem to be a little more durable than other cans I have tried. Anyone use these?
NICKTHEGREEK
03-12-2008, 18:30
Prefer canister, but Trangia is super durable. Pepsi can homemade was fun to make.
White Box stove or Super Cat.
put me down for the caldera cone,It really is da bomb isn't hooch:DAgreed!
Skidsteer
03-12-2008, 20:31
The majority of my hikes I carry a Heineken cook kit. It's light, compact, versatile, and effecient. There are a few variations I may substitute but mostly it resembles this:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/hkc_001_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23039&c=516)
Just a bit over four ounces for everything but the fuel:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/hkc_003_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23038&c=516)
And it makes a killer cup of coffee:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/hkc_026_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23035&c=516)
The stand is made from a Budweiser aluminum bottle. The stove is normally some species of Turbo Tea-Lite (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=22524).
Video. (http://www.jumpcut.com/fullscreen?id=F7BDF4F61ECB11DCAE08000423CEF682&type=movie)
The total weight of stand and stove is 8 grams for my favorite combo but can creep up to 12 grams depending on the stove. Some examples:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/hkc_005_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23037&c=516)
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd238/acsskidsteer/Latest%20TT2/th_LatestTurboTea-Lite008.jpg (http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd238/acsskidsteer/Latest%20TT2/LatestTurboTea-Lite008.jpg)
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd238/acsskidsteer/Total%20Cook%20System/th_TotalCooknBrewSystem010-1.jpg (http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd238/acsskidsteer/Total%20Cook%20System/TotalCooknBrewSystem010-1.jpg)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/TurboTea-lite004_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15575&c=favorites)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/TurboTea-LiteII011_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17409&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
__________________________________________________ ____________
On trips that I cook for more than one person, I take a PMS Stove(Potted Meat Stove) (http://www.bplite.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=214)
Video. (http://www.jumpcut.com/fullscreen?id=BE92063C1F9211DC86C0000423CF4092&type=movie)
It's simple, light(8 grams), fast, effecient, and doesn't require a separate stand:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/7/7/9/more_pms_pics_027_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=23052&c=)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/3/3/9/Themighty8gKSinaction_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17737&c=searchresults&searchid=13800)