Sierra Stove

[Graywolf]

My step father just gave me an almost new Sierra Stove and was wondering if anyone has any experiance with this stove? It is a lot heavier than my alcohol stove but according to the website, can blow very hot and burns with anything including leaves and sticks.. The one thing I see as a neg is that it runs off of batteries, and we all know how heavy batteries can get..

Any comments???

Graywolf

[cowboy nichols]

I've used mine for years and wouldn't think changing. of

[SGT Rock]

I've played with one. It was nice, but I always find my way back to alcohol.

[garlic08]

My wife used one for the first month of her thru hike. Then a rivet broke and she sent it back. Then someone made an alcohol stove for her out of two beer cans found at a road crossing, and it's been alcohol ever since.

If there's a fire ban, bring stuff you can eat cold.

[Graywolf]

Thanks Guys/Gals..I am going to play around with it..I think it would be great on small trips and overnite trips but Too heavy for long distance..JMO... I may thank otherwise later,

But it was a nice gift and the fact it is practically new, a great score...

Graywolf

[Hikes in Rain]

Nothing much better for grilling a steak! And having your own personal campfire is pretty cool. They're fun and useful, but as was pointed out, there are also lighter options.

I've used my brother's, but don't have one myself. However, if someone were to give me one, I'd probably use it from time to time.

[Cedar Tree]

I carried one from Springer to Gatlinburg. I found it to be more work than I wanted. It will burn the contents of the little "burning pot" very quickly, especially if you fill it with small twigs. I use alcohol now (brasslite). I like the ability to light it and do other things as opposed to constantly hovering over the stove to keep it going.
CT

[mkmangold]

I've played with one. It was nice, but I always find my way back to alcohol.

There are medications and support groups for that!

[mkmangold]

Thanks Guys/Gals..I am going to play around with it..I think it would be great on small trips and overnite trips but Too heavy for long distance..JMO... I may thank otherwise later,

But it was a nice gift and the fact it is practically new, a great score...

Graywolf

On the other hand, NOT carrying around fuel makes the Sierra or WoodGas Stove more efficient on a long hike (weight of stove + fuel per day).

[weary]

I haven't used anything except a Zip stove in decades. Well occasionallly on a quick overnight backpack I'll use alcohol, a cartridge or white gas. But a Zip is ideal for anyone on a long distance hike and who also wants to do more than boil water. Which should be most everyone on a tight budget.

The freedom to boil cheap generic rice for 15-20 minutes, or brown rice or dried beans for 40 minutes, without worrying about fuels, is a godsend to hikers without a lot of funds. With a zip you can spend $10 for a bag of generic rice, add a few pennies in salt, pepper and spices and you have all the calories needed for a week or more.

Even us wise "rich" folks love it. A zip makes elaborate meals possible. And provides the comfort of a flame on chilly nights, and the comfort of a ready smoke smudge when bugs attack.

Best of all, no worries about fuel running out. Or getting to town quickly when fuel supplies get low.

Yup. The Zip is inconvenient. Users have to -- or should -- harvest twigs and broken and dry stuff as one walks along. It forces one to learn to be aware of the trail environment. And even to acquire an interest in some of the many wonders of the long green tunnel.

I think long distance hiking should be more than just getting from Springer to Katahdin with the least inconvenience possible. Cooking off the land, huddling around a fire produced by fuel from the land, even keeping mosquitoes at bay with the scraps of wood from the land -- does not detract from a thru hike experience. It enhances that experience.

Weary

[Tinker]

I've played with one. It was nice, but I always find my way back to alcohol.

Ditto here. I own one and only use it once in a while when demonstrating hiking gear for the "wow" factor. It's nice to use on short, flat hikes where fires are legal (most areas where fires are banned consider a wood burning stove to be a "fire").
The batteries aren't really a problem. If you choose to hike with it you can replace them in town with the rest of your resupply items.
I generally use alcohol or Esbit tabs in the warmer months and white gas (MSR Whisperlite) in the winter.

BTW: Welcome back, Sgt. Rock! :)