View Full Version : alcohol stoves?
jeremiah j
03-25-2009, 15:28
I can't figure out what all the fuss is about alcohol stoves other than they are light. I have one and it takes approx 12 minutes to boil water (1/2 liter). Maybe I am impatient but my whisper light will do the same in about 2 and 1/2 minutes. any feedback,,thanks:confused:
David S.
03-25-2009, 15:34
12 minutes seems longish but whats your hurry man? Your out in the woods, not cooking on Iron Chef...LOL.
My little Antigravity Gear stove will boil 2 cups easily in 5 minutes. You should have similar success I would think.
I can boil 1 litre of water on mine in about 4 minutes. Not all alcohol stoves are created equally. Some of the ones being sold are not the best.
What I like is that I made it myself, it is almost indestructible, no parts to break and I customized it to work with my pot stand and cook pot. The advantages are weight and you only have to carry the amount of fuel you will need. Fuel is available everywhere along the AT.
What I do not like about a whisper light is the weight, not only the stove but the fuel bottle. And the noise they make is far from a whisper.
One of the things I like about dinner at a shelter is seeing all of the different stoves in use and getting new food ideas.
jeremiah j
03-25-2009, 15:48
hey thanks for info, what commercially available good stoves are there? You mention that not all are created equal.
I like the Starlyte and the Fancy Feest by Zelph.
Check em out at:
http://www.bplite.com/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=d5d82d5e8a511cf8256cb7345da0ae2c
bplite.com is THE site for stove makers.
Slo-go'en
03-25-2009, 16:03
The stove design, type and size of pot you use, if you have wind screen or not, water temp and ambiant temp, amount of wind, are all factors as to how well the stove will work.
The anti gravity Caldora stove sytems works nicely. I just tested mine with 500 ml of 50* tap water, titaninum pot and took about 6 minutes to get a rolling boil. Maybe 3 minutes for water hot enough for a drink. Sure it's not as fast as a white gas stove, but the weight (and bulk) savings is significant. I usually don't heat up more than 2 cups of water at time and that doesn't take as long as 500 ml, nearly 3 cups.
hey thanks for info, what commercially available good stoves are there? You mention that not all are created equal.
I make my own: they are as good or getter than any on the market, get to drink 2 beers for each stove, can make one in 15 minutes and they cost next to nothing.
If I did not want to make one I would buy one from Anti gravity Gear.
I like the caldera system, it combines the pot stand/wind screen; takes about 5 minutes.
ryanwheeler007
03-25-2009, 16:37
Zelphs the man... Way better than the titanium one I bought at rei (and subsequently returned)
Jack Tarlin
03-25-2009, 16:49
The most popular commercially available alcohol stove on the Trail (for at least the past five years if not longer) is the Ultra-Lite II made by Etowah Outfitters.
The most popular commercially available alcohol stove on the Trail (for at least the past five years if not longer) is the Ultra-Lite II made by Etowah Outfitters.
I have only ever seen this stove 2 times in my breif 6 years on the AT. Once in 06 and one other time I cant even remember. I did not see even 1 during my 07 thru hike. So I would find it hard to belive it is the most popular. They seem like a good stove.
I am sure I will take flack for disagreeing with you but such is life.
BigFoot2002
03-25-2009, 18:31
My Etowah stove works great for the Boil/simmer cooking I usually do for dinner and breakfast. I've cooked up to 2 liptons at a time in my snow peak 1400 pot. Never had a problem even in single digit temps. Will burn denatered, Heet, or rubbing alcohol. Don't forget to use a windscreen.
Will also work as a great campfire starter with even the wettest wood. Just build a small teepee of pencil sized sticks around it and lite the stove, When it's going well, pull it out of the fire with a larger stick.
i Like The Starlyte And The Fancy Feest By Zelph.
Check Em Out At:
http://www.bplite.com/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=d5d82d5e8a511cf8256cb7345da0ae2c
Bplite.com Is The Site For Stove Makers.
+1
www.whiteboxstove.com
and check out brasslite stoves!
My small white box original will boil 2 cups in under 4 minutes.
Correction: whiteboxstoves.com
Pokey2006
03-25-2009, 19:21
I can't figure out what all the fuss is about alcohol stoves other than they are light. I have one and it takes approx 12 minutes to boil water (1/2 liter). Maybe I am impatient but my whisper light will do the same in about 2 and 1/2 minutes. any feedback,,thanks:confused:
Don't underestimate the importance of something being light. Weight is definitely something to "fuss" about.
One thing that's nice about them is that you can carry exactly the fuel you need for any given trip. There's none of that carrying a full canister when you only need enough fuel for one night.
They do take longer to boil water, but what I do is get it going first thing, and set up camp while it does its thing. Or, in the a.m., break camp while you're waiting for your water to boil.
Agree with Dave S. What on earth is the big hurry? Fretting about a stove taking x minutes more than another to boil water is totally missing the point of being out there in the first place. If you can't stand waiting, there are almost always a few little tasks that need done around camp while dinner is cooking - fluff your sleeping bag, organize your stuff, scribble in your journal, study your maps. Or (gasp) do absolutely nothing at all for those 8 minutes.
plowhorse379
03-27-2009, 15:13
haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but at 1.6 oz and 50 bucks for the whole setup (including spare parts) i figured it was worth it.
I have been using one from Anti Gravity Gear for the past few years. Great stove. I've never timed what it takes to boil my water. It's not that long though. I even bought a couple of friends one and they are very happen with them.
Skidsteer
03-27-2009, 18:37
I can boil 1 litre of water on mine in about 4 minutes. Not all alcohol stoves are created equally. Some of the ones being sold are not the best.
Impressive. I'd like to see your design. How much fuel does it take to boil a liter in four minutes?
SunnyWalker
03-27-2009, 22:31
One thing about an alcohol stove I have noticed-it is quiet. No jet roar to break the silence and beauty of the outdoors.
oldfivetango
03-28-2009, 08:31
Frito Lay makes a great "bean dip"stove.All it takes to create the
stove is a push pin.Boils water to rolling just a few minutes IF you
use a good tight windscreen.
But I loves my Brasslite Turbo2D the most when i am in the mood
to simmer something.
OFT
plowhorse379
04-01-2009, 12:53
here's some picks of a "bisquick loaf" I baked with my featherfire yesterday. baked in around 14 min on @ 1 oz of heet5973
5974
5975
5976
plowhorse379
04-01-2009, 12:54
:bananaI like this better than the steam baking method. This way everything browns like it should
theinfamousj
04-01-2009, 13:30
:bananaI like this better than the steam baking method. This way everything browns like it should
Please let me know how you did it. That looks fantastic and I'd like to try it when out on the trail, myself.
plowhorse379
04-01-2009, 14:02
It's pretty simple, can't take the credit though. I watched one of tinny from mini bull's videos. I just folded a mini loaf pan out of aluminum foil ( about four layers ), placed it in a heavy copper bottom pot ( all i could find that my wind screen fit around ), placed a pie pan on top for a lid and viola bisquick loaf is served. My stove I can adjust the heat, so after about 5 min, I turned it down to med i'd say, and just kept checking till it was done. tinny sells heavy aluminum sheets to make ovens out of for @ 10 bucks. He also places rocks in his to avoid hot spots.
I can't figure out what all the fuss is about alcohol stoves other than they are light. I have one and it takes approx 12 minutes to boil water (1/2 liter)......... Like someone else said, not all alcohol stoves are created equally at all. I'm a dedicated Caldera Keg (http://www.antigravitygear.com/proddetail.php?prod=TDCKEGhttp://) user and can boil 2 cups of H2O in about 4 mins or less. Obviously it takes a little longer in the cold, but this is true of pretty much all stoves. I'm pretty sure that if you tried a Caldera Cone or a Caldera Keg, you'd be instantly sold on alcohol stoves.
.......my whisper light........I never understood how or why MSR named that stove what they did. It's neither light, nor does it whisper. One of the loudest, more heavy stoves on the market. But, to each his own.
JaxHiker
04-02-2009, 14:40
I'm curious if anyone's tried Brian's stoves from OES (http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/products-stoves.html). I love the heck out of my MacCat and these look like sweet little stoves but I haven't dropped the coin yet.
summitnh
04-03-2009, 09:28
I love the stove tinney form minibull makes. Lots of other hikers were impressed by how well made it is. Boils up water really fast
I'm curious if anyone's tried Brian's stoves from OES (http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/products-stoves.html). I love the heck out of my MacCat and these look like sweet little stoves but I haven't dropped the coin yet.
I've built and used stoves of that style before...I would never pay more than 50 cents for a soda can. I've also built the cat food can stove and a few others. Right now I'm using one like this because it also acts as a pot stand:
http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm
The truth is that performance wise almost all alcohol stoves are about the same if they are built correctly...and usually even if they're not...they will all boil 2 cups of water in under 4 minutes or so, and that is all 95% of hikers do with them. I built one just outside of NOC with a beer can and a pocket knife and carried it for several hundred miles. Most thru-hikers will eventually break down and switch to an alcohol stove because of weight and fuel availability.
maxNcathy
04-06-2009, 08:40
The packafeather stove looks good.
I already have 2 great canister stoves but am thinking of getting an alcohol stove as a spare in case i can't get canister fuel along the trail.
maxNcathy
04-06-2009, 08:41
PS How do all the burn craters appear in the picnic tables?
Dances with Mice
04-06-2009, 09:32
PS How do all the burn craters appear in the picnic tables?Oh. That was me. Sorry. I'll try to be more careful.
JaxHiker
04-06-2009, 09:34
I've built and used stoves of that style before...I would never pay more than 50 cents for a soda can. I've also built the cat food can stove and a few others. Right now I'm using one like this because it also acts as a pot stand:
True enough. I think I actually have better results with my Super Cat than with the average soda stove.
The truth is that performance wise almost all alcohol stoves are about the same if they are built correctly...and usually even if they're not...they will all boil 2 cups of water in under 4 minutes or so, and that is all 95% of hikers do with them.
I hear this but I've never seen it. The best I've done with an alcohol stove is 5:29. Of course most times it seems to be closer to 6 or 7 min.
I built one just outside of NOC with a beer can and a pocket knife and carried it for several hundred miles.
This is actually what I want to do. I know I can make one with my handy tin snips, drill, etc. Now I want to make a functioning stove with just some cans and my knife.
I am trying to compare the performance of several stoves I have built with online statistics. Does anyone know the official definition of a boil? A full rolling boil or just the presence of bubbles?
medicjimr
04-08-2009, 00:14
I made a fancy feast stove to try in cold weather opposed to my canister stove. I really enjoy the simplicity of the stove. and hardly ever use my canister anymore. Boils fairly quickly to. I use a pot cozy so I don,t worry about simmering.
mkmangold
04-08-2009, 07:45
Zelphs the man... Way better than the titanium one I bought at rei (and subsequently returned)
He da man alright: I just received notice that the Starlyte can be purchased at backpackinglight.com! Hoping that it's not against forum policy, check it out at http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/zelph_ss_starlyte_ultralyte_alcohol_stove.html?m=0 0396eMX3is_tMFV5BSlKxFyiuQ
I am trying to compare the performance of several stoves I have built with online statistics. Does anyone know the official definition of a boil? A full rolling boil or just the presence of bubbles?
The boiling point is defined as the vaporization of water. This occurs when the vapor pressure of the water is equal to the air pressure. Thus at higher elevations (lower air pressure) the temperature will be lower. The normal boiling point of water is 100*C (212*F).
But I believe you wanted to know how the stovies generally refer to this point observationally. When the water vapor bubbles appear in the bottom of the pot, only a small fraction of the water is at the boiling point. At a full rolling boil, almost all of the water is at the boiling point. Thus I use the latter observation to determine "a boil".
I can't figure out what all the fuss is about alcohol stoves other than they are light. I have one and it takes approx 12 minutes to boil water (1/2 liter). Maybe I am impatient but my whisper light will do the same in about 2 and 1/2 minutes. any feedback,,thanks
hey thanks for info, what commercially available good stoves are there? You mention that not all are created equal.
The "SS StarLyte" ALCOHOL stove is now available at:
BACKPACKINGLIGHT.COM (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...MFV5BSlKxFyiuQ)
In a few years it will be the most popular on the AT. It's lightweight and vesatile. It's a one piece stove. Has a built in pot support. Once the fuel is put in, it won't spill out. It's user friendly!!!!
Support your local "Stovie":banana
;)
Thanks to my "Stovie" buddies;)
JaxHiker
04-08-2009, 13:15
Somebody's Compass is Broke
That's what BPL tells me. :)Maybe this link (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/zelph_ss_starlyte_ultralyte_alcohol_stove.html) will work better.
Somebody's Compass is Broke
That's what BPL tells me. :)Maybe this link (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/zelph_ss_starlyte_ultralyte_alcohol_stove.html) will work better.
Battery was weak in my GPS, thanks JaxHiker
I'm alot better at making stoves than doing paper work:D
I hate paper work:rolleyes:
cwayman1
05-12-2009, 01:36
I'm still an advocate of the penny stove :)
http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/stove.html
the first one I made actually had a small crack in the side and I could still get a quick boil-- about 6-7 min on LeConte on new years day(really frikkin' cold) and about 4 or so min. in temps around 60-ish.
oh yeah... and mine was made out of coke cans:D
I recently created this little stove specifically for the Heineken pot and 3" diameter mugs. When I hit onto a really good design I make some available to those that have asked about their availablility. I listed them on ebay. Search cobalt blue alcohol stove and it'll come up at the top of the page. Thare is also some information on the stove down in the make your own gear forum.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20two/th_CobaltBlueSolo.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20two/th_ColdwaterCobaltBluesolo.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/sub%20two/th_Video53.jpg
I'm looking to replace my Dragonfly with an alcohol stove. Have read alot of threads and advertisments. Seen demos etc on-line. Haven't seen any info on the following: How do you put out an alcohol stove and reclaim any unused fuel?? I do not want to build a stove and only want to buy one time. Any info to help me towards getting "my" stove is appreciated. Will primarily be heating water....but will have to cook some of those dreadful liptons also. Thanks Sojo
le loupe
05-24-2009, 21:04
Another plug by me for Tinny's Magic Mouse stove. I can boil 2 cups of water (not that i ever boil more than 1) in my 700 ml mug in 6 minutes with this stove.
I can get a total of 8 minutes of burn out of 3 teaspoons of fuel.
no pennies to carry or lose. no simmer ring required, just raise the mug up with the included pot stand. Everything, (potstand, stove, matches in waterproof container, 4 oz of fuel and measuring cup all fit inside my mug for a tidy little kit.
MDhiker1967
05-24-2009, 22:07
www.minibulldesign.com (http://www.minibulldesign.com)
First class site and very well built products..
Good Stuff
Trail Bug
05-25-2009, 07:50
Love my stove from Antigravity. http://www.antigravitygear.com/proddetail.php?prod=AGALBC
Well built and heats up water quickly. Has two lines on inside so you only fill up according to how long you want it to burn. Unless you carry a can to throw over it there is not an easy way to put it out. With a little practice you will quickly learn what amount to use.
I like the DIY aspect of alcohol stoves, and that it can burn everclear. Not only good for fuel, but good for sleeping too :D