View Full Version : Stoves!
Sierra Echo
05-12-2011, 21:09
Ok, if you were told you could only use one type of stove for the rest of your life, what would it be? And it would have to be something I could buy from backcountry.com too! LOL
For my next trick I'm going to try stoveless but...
I've been very, very happy with my esbit / graham cracker stove / caldera cone for a few years.
Very light, cheap and does the job.
Leanthree
05-12-2011, 21:42
Sigh, probably a Jetboil. I like alcohol but it isn't versatile enough if I am out with more than one other person.
Feral Bill
05-12-2011, 22:31
Same one I've been using for 40+ years. SVEA.
Cannister stove. Either the Snow Peak Gigapower or MSR Pocket Rocket. Super simple, good quality highly adjustable flame.
Not the lightest or the cheapest, but a great amount of versatility.
Amen! My SVEA is older than I am, and more than a bit more reliable.
Sierra Echo
05-13-2011, 16:27
Ive looked at all of these and I'm still a tad bit leery. I'm a dangerous person. I'm not gonna sugar coat it! I'm a menance to myself and those around me. I need a stove that is Sierra Echo-proof. Do they come in solar powered? :D
max patch
05-13-2011, 17:02
I didn't plan it this way, but it looks like my SVEA will be the only stove I own during my life.
Tenderheart
05-13-2011, 17:21
Ive looked at all of these and I'm still a tad bit leery. I'm a dangerous person. I'm not gonna sugar coat it! I'm a menance to myself and those around me. I need a stove that is Sierra Echo-proof. Do they come in solar powered? :D
There, there, there now. It can't be all that bad. The most bombproof stove I know of is the little Trangia. Be advised though that you can't see the denatured flame burning. You will wonder why your tent, tarp, etc. is melting. Let's be careful out there.
LIhikers
05-13-2011, 17:22
Ive looked at all of these and I'm still a tad bit leery. I'm a dangerous person. I'm not gonna sugar coat it! I'm a menance to myself and those around me. I need a stove that is Sierra Echo-proof. Do they come in solar powered? :D
Maybe you should try an alcohol stove. After all they don't usually have any moving parts to break, wear out, or get lost.
I can tell you that my wife and I have had nothing but reliable service from our MSR Simmerlite. We've owned it for years and for a while it was our only stove. Now it's our cold weather stove because I know I can count on it in any kind of weather, or other situation.
4eyedbuzzard
05-14-2011, 08:49
Go with a cannister like a jetboil or pocket rocket or similar. If you're worried about a stove being "Sierra Echo proof" you probably shouldn't be messing with liquid fuel stoves.
Beachcomber
05-14-2011, 08:56
Ive looked at all of these and I'm still a tad bit leery. I'm a dangerous person. I'm not gonna sugar coat it! I'm a menance to myself and those around me. I need a stove that is Sierra Echo-proof. Do they come in solar powered? :D
I've seen pictures of some great solar-powered cookers in China. Boil water in just a minute or two. Trouble is they weigh about 400 pounds.
garlic08
05-14-2011, 09:19
I don't use a stove on my three-season hikes any more, but if I had to choose one for the rest of my life it would be alcohol--home made or the Trangia. No moving parts, nothing to clean or maintain, no fussy jets or valves, and it'll burn many different fuels available in hardware stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, even backyard stills, around the world.
Alcohol is the only way to go!!!!
John
If I could only use one stove, it would be a Fancee Feest stove (http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/fancee-feest.php) from Zelph. I was a dedicated Caldera Cone/Keg user for some time, but I love my Fancee Feest stove! It pairs pefectly with a Heineken can pot, is lightweight, super fuel efficient and easy to use.
i like the msr superfly. it will attach to other companies canisters.
If I could only use one stove, it would be a Fancee Feest stove (http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/fancee-feest.php) from Zelph. I was a dedicated Caldera Cone/Keg user for some time, but I love my Fancee Feest stove! It pairs pefectly with a Heineken can pot, is lightweight, super fuel efficient and easy to use.
I agree Hooch. I've built several and am amazed how simple and efficient the design is. It's my next thru hike stove.
Chenango
05-16-2011, 17:35
I don't use a stove on my three-season hikes any more, but if I had to choose one for the rest of my life it would be alcohol--home made or the Trangia. No moving parts, nothing to clean or maintain, no fussy jets or valves, and it'll burn many different fuels available in hardware stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, even backyard stills, around the world.
Garlic - I have noticed several times on WB you saying you go stove-less. Can you help me out and give me an example of what a 2-3 day resupply would look like for you? I find this intriguing!
garlic08
05-16-2011, 17:55
Garlic - I have noticed several times on WB you saying you go stove-less. Can you help me out and give me an example of what a 2-3 day resupply would look like for you? I find this intriguing!
Sure, you bet! Here's an entry from Trailjournals: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213108. And another: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=228680. I wish someone had told me this was possible long before I found out by running into a hiker doing it on the PCT. He carried nothing but cereal and peanut butter. It was easy enough to morph the idea into something I found appetizing. My usual partner hikes stoveless, too, and his diet has no resemblance at all to mine. So you can make it your own. Good luck.
Interesting, although I don't believe I could ever go totally stoveless!
I did discover you can break a "block" of Ramen noodles in half (find the seam and split it open like an oyster shell) and end up with two pieces about the same size of a piece of white bread. I spread peanut butter and honey on them and make the most delicious sandwich in the world.
Tipi Walter
05-16-2011, 19:07
I went the stoveless route for several years during the 1990's, after I got tired of replacing worn out and broken Svea 123's. It does simplify things and there's nothing like eating cold food all the time, although in winter it gets a little old and of course is hard on the teeth. I just got tired of it, and as my trips got longer without resupply (around 18-20 days), I found I could carry more food with no water content and add water I found on the trail to cook. To me, backpacking food is all about variety, and it's nice to have a fry pan to grill up morning toast or eggs or tofu or tempeh, and to augment my diet with cooked wild greens such as lamb's quarters, chickweed and smartweed---all foods helped by cooking. I actually like preparing hot meals when I'm out.
johnnybgood
05-16-2011, 19:22
I find your meal concept intriguing Garlic , and I too use only an alcohol stove to heat water for instance Lipton sides, and other packaged food items.
Not thinking of anything more complicated than that . I try to maintain the KISS philosophy.
Read your trail journals , some good stuff there !
earlyriser26
05-16-2011, 19:35
Have to be the MSR pocket Rocket. I have tried most stoves over the years and they are either heavy or a pain in the rear (esbit or alky). The pocket Rocket is where low weight meets easy use.
Even though I like my MSR Pocket Rocket a lot and think that alcohol stoves are crafty and cool, the go-to stove for the ages is the MSR Whisper-light International for the following reasons:
1) It's multi fuel
2) It works at many elevations
3) It will boil water like a blow-torch in winter for my hot water bottles
4) It is field reparable
5) liquid fuel is very obtainable
6) It is reasonably light
7) It simmers well
8) It is a classic
9) It's fun to do primer jump starts
10) I have about 4 of them
Rick Hancock
05-16-2011, 20:57
Either a White Box Alcohol Stove or a MSR Pocket Rocket. I like the White Box Stove a lot and it does the intended job. The Pocket Rocket is so efficient it will boil one more liter of water after the cartridge is empty. Just Kidding, but it is a great stove.
Rick Hancock
05-16-2011, 21:05
It does my old heart good to see so many positive comments about the Svea Stove. It was and still is a reliable easy to maintain stove. I used ONE for 30 years before it got cranky. The secret is to keep the wick wet! Never let the fuel tank go dry.
I give talks to various groups about hiking gear. When I discuss stoves I always say "Go to the hike shop, find the stove you want, then, look to the right of the stove, look to the left, look above and below. If you see a repair kit... look for another stove. Repair kits mean trouble."
Just my 2 cents worth.
Tipi Walter
05-16-2011, 21:30
It does my old heart good to see so many positive comments about the Svea Stove. It was and still is a reliable easy to maintain stove. I used ONE for 30 years before it got cranky. The secret is to keep the wick wet! Never let the fuel tank go dry.
I give talks to various groups about hiking gear. When I discuss stoves I always say "Go to the hike shop, find the stove you want, then, look to the right of the stove, look to the left, look above and below. If you see a repair kit... look for another stove. Repair kits mean trouble."
Just my 2 cents worth.
I'll add another perspective of the beloved Svea . . . . after using several over a period of 20 years. Here's my blurb on a recent thread:
Anyone who has used the Svea for 20-odd years knows what a tangled mess it can become when the chained-key gets tangled in the brass housing, or when the brass housing gets slightly bent (which it will) and hard to remove or connect. Oh, and then the little three support prongs get lost one by one and you replace them with bent nails, which invariably fall off and get lost in the dirt.
Then there's the wonderful feature of running out of fuel midway thru cooking a pot of food---something an MSR rarely does. Why? Because the Svea fuel tank is TINY. And when you refill the still hot stove, you get a tremendous fireball. Or do you wait 30 minutes to start cooking again?? No way. And then there's the fun aspect of wasting precious white gas when you either fill the tiny hole on the gas tank or splash fuel into the priming trough. I used to carry an eye dropper and a funnel but who can bother with such minutiae? I upgraded to a MSR Simmerlite ten years ago and never looked back at the brass paper weight. __________________
From
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54972&highlight=svea
harryfred
05-16-2011, 22:02
I don't have one YET, but I would say if I could have only one stove the svea 123 would be it. Most find it bullet proof, it is infinitely rebuildable, and works in all temps and all altitudes.If we are just talking AT and related trails than any home made alky. I have gotten my soda can and cat can's to light at -0deg. but they use a lot of fuel and take a lot of time to get a boil.
. . . .the go-to stove. . . .is the MSR Whisper-light International. . . .It is reasonably light. . . .No it's not. It's not even close to light. It's the opposite of light, which is anti-light or un-light. I'd hate to see what you consider heavy. :rolleyes:
Tipi Walter
05-16-2011, 22:29
Even though I like my MSR Pocket Rocket a lot and think that alcohol stoves are crafty and cool, the go-to stove for the ages is the MSR Whisper-light International for the following reasons:
1) It's multi fuel
2) It works at many elevations
3) It will boil water like a blow-torch in winter for my hot water bottles
4) It is field reparable
5) liquid fuel is very obtainable
6) It is reasonably light
7) It simmers well
8) It is a classic
9) It's fun to do primer jump starts
10) I have about 4 of them
Totally agree, except I'd change it to the MSR Simmerlite. I've had thousands of meals cooked with the Simmerlite over the years and find it very light, easily field serviceable, long-lasting and quick cooking with a hot flame for excellent winter use. I routinely get a typical 22oz white gas bottle to last 17 days without refueling and this is important on long trips. White gas is cheap and a gallon lasts me many trips.
The main problems I've seen with alcohol stoves are their poor winter performance, especially when melting snow, and when confronted with high winds. I've seen backpackers hunched over their alky stoves thinking they are boiling up something when in fact their stoves are plumb out and were blown out. And I've seen alcohol stoves perform very poorly at 0F or below, taking forever to rocket thru a liter of water to a boil. And some alky stove fuel cannot be blown out and saved for later, although I know some brands have a cap to conserve fuel.
Rick Hancock
05-16-2011, 22:35
First thing I did was get rid of that handy chain, so I never had that problem! But I know what you mean. If I recall the Svea held 1/3 pint of fuel and I could cook 2 suppers between fillings. Only had 1 hot meal a day (maybe hot tea in the morning). It might be a paper weight... but it's a venerable paper weight!
I tried a Whisperlight "Shaker" stove. I didn't like having the fuel bottle connected to the stove and with the windscreen/cook pot in place I couldn't tell when the pressure was getting low. I used it once or twice and sold it.
I also used a Hank Roberts Cartridge Stove in the dusty days of yesteryear.
Chenango
05-17-2011, 07:11
Sure, you bet! Here's an entry from Trailjournals: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=213108. And another: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=228680. I wish someone had told me this was possible long before I found out by running into a hiker doing it on the PCT. He carried nothing but cereal and peanut butter. It was easy enough to morph the idea into something I found appetizing. My usual partner hikes stoveless, too, and his diet has no resemblance at all to mine. So you can make it your own. Good luck.
Thanks, Garlic. You gave me some great ideas for my next hike (I am sitting home now nursing a stress fracture I got on the AT).
No it's not. It's not even close to light. It's the opposite of light, which is anti-light or un-light. I'd hate to see what you consider heavy. :rolleyes:
coleman dual burner suitcase stoves are a little bulky for my pack. hell yes the whisperlite is heavy. it's fun for mini explosions and removing unwanted eybrows as well, or maybe if you wanna start a small controlled burn to reduce the fuel load in the immediate 10 foot area, or burn a shelter to the freakin' ground. they're perfect. there's a tool for every job.
JaxHiker
05-17-2011, 09:32
No it's not. It's not even close to light. It's the opposite of light, which is anti-light or un-light. I'd hate to see what you consider heavy. :rolleyes:
My Svea is 22 oz with fuel. Not really what I'd call light either. :-?
Tipi Walter
05-17-2011, 09:45
hell yes the whisperlite is heavy. it's fun for mini explosions and removing unwanted eybrows as well, or maybe if you wanna start a small controlled burn to reduce the fuel load in the immediate 10 foot area, or burn a shelter to the freakin' ground. they're perfect. there's a tool for every job.
Only a newb could get such results from the Whisperlite. I've used it for years before I got the Simmerlite and never had your results.
The simplest and sturdiest stove I've ever used is the Trangia, but the burner, being brass, is relatively heavy by alcohol stove standards. It does simmer with a removable attachment and has a cap (which is stupidly heavier than it needs to be) so you can save the alcohol you don't burn. Unfortunately, you can't put the cap back on immediatly when you're done cooking or you will melt the rubber "O" ring, and while you're waiting for the stove to cool the hot alcohol inside is vaporizing into the air (wasted). Also - a full stove takes longer to preheat and "bloom" than one which is nearly empty. Lots of folks love their Trangias. I don't use mine anymore, but I like to look at it and remember the days before my eyes were enlightened to see how "heavy" ;) it was.
coleman dual burner suitcase stoves are a little bulky for my pack. hell yes the whisperlite is heavy. it's fun for mini explosions and removing unwanted eybrows as well, or maybe if you wanna start a small controlled burn to reduce the fuel load in the immediate 10 foot area, or burn a shelter to the freakin' ground. they're perfect. there's a tool for every job.
Only a newb could get such results from the Whisperlite. I've used it for years before I got the Simmerlite and never had your results.
I thru-hiked with the Whisperlite 12 years ago, used it in Norway in winter, on MANY NOLS courses, etc. It can be cantankerous no doubt. But I'm comfortable enough with it that I could disassemble and reassemble almost as quickly as the M16 I used in the Marine Corps. It is reliable, tough, and allows for the best flame in cold weather that I have used. I just wouldn't try to cook eggs with it.
However, with new users, I've seen some intense conflagrations. On NOLS courses, we instructors always carried an extra pump because, despite many warnings about the dangers of cross-threading the pump into the bottle, somebody messed up about 1 course in 4 and started a scary blaze. The pump would be a molten loss. Hence the extra pump for each course that went out.
Nowadays, I only take the Whisperlite on winter trips. But no two ways about it. It is a reliable, albeit heavy option that definitely has its place in my gear inventory.
But for ease of use, I still absolutely vote cannister!
I tell ya, I'm a big alchy stove fan. Carried one on my thru hike. Pry it from my cold dead hands and all that but......
when you factor in total weight including fuel the alchy stove and a say a pocket rocket cannister come in too darn close to argue over.
I still prefer the alchy stove since fuel is so damn easy to get.
Only a newb could get such results from the Whisperlite. I've used it for years before I got the Simmerlite and never had your results.
i ain't no newb, and i used a whisperlite international for over 10 years until the one time that i primed it, shut off the gas, did something else for a minute or two and lit said primer plate. and, fuego, big ass white man fire. bout a 2ft diameter,i'd say,with whisperlite in the middle. what happened was the gas valve screwed somewhat shut, felt like it was off to me. lit it a minute or two after gas had spilled over the edge of the primer plate and onto the ground, continuously. pilot error? yeah, maybe a little. the valve did malfunction as well. i checked it afterwards, but, i did notice that the pan was a tad full when i lit it. buddies thought it was the funniest thing they'd seen all week. i thought it was funny enough to buy a canister stove.
Feral Bill
05-17-2011, 15:38
I'll add another perspective of the beloved Svea . . . . after using several over a period of 20 years. Here's my blurb on a recent thread:
Anyone who has used the Svea for 20-odd years knows what a tangled mess it can become when the chained-key gets tangled in the brass housing, or when the brass housing gets slightly bent (which it will) and hard to remove or connect. Oh, and then the little three support prongs get lost one by one and you replace them with bent nails, which invariably fall off and get lost in the dirt.
Then there's the wonderful feature of running out of fuel midway thru cooking a pot of food---something an MSR rarely does. Why? Because the Svea fuel tank is TINY. And when you refill the still hot stove, you get a tremendous fireball. Or do you wait 30 minutes to start cooking again?? No way. And then there's the fun aspect of wasting precious white gas when you either fill the tiny hole on the gas tank or splash fuel into the priming trough. I used to carry an eye dropper and a funnel but who can bother with such minutiae? I upgraded to a MSR Simmerlite ten years ago and never looked back at the brass paper weight. __________________
From
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54972&highlight=svea
I guess I'll answer this slander. Tangled key chain? a few seconds to fix. Dented windscreen? So what, mines been that way for decades. Missing pot props? How do you manage that? Tiny fuel tank? Sure, but only a problem melting snow for a group. 45 minutes is plenty of burn time. Funnel and dropper too much bother? Please. A pour spout works if that really bugs you.
Remember the original post, a stove for life. There are plenty of SVEAs out there still chugging along that are older that every MSR stove ever built. Mostly with no more maintenance that cleaning the jet and replacing a gasket once in a decade or so. All for a few ounces more than the other choices.
FB
http://www.campsaver.com/minitrangia-28-t-stove-kit
or you can buy mine, in very good condition for $20.00 (you pay shipping). :)
I like my Coleman 442 Multifuel, for cold weather and a Super Cat other times when I am just boiling water. I don't know if there is such a thing as one stove for life, to many options and situations. I think the solution is to be flexible and be armed with knowledge for adaptability. Truth be known I have 5 or 6 stoves, like most who have camped/hiked over the years, needs, styles and desires change.
Then there's the spoiler: just build a fire.:banana
There were two hikers on my thruhike, Dumptruck and I forget the other's name, who built a small cook fire every night. They got really good at finding just enough wood to boil their water.
Sierra Echo
05-18-2011, 17:47
I looked at stoves today in Bass Pro. Didn't buy one, just looked. The Jetboil looks like the least complicated.
Maybe I should find me a man with a stove and flirt to get my hot water! :rolleyes:
Doc Mike
05-18-2011, 18:03
"The Jetboil looks like the least complicated.
Maybe I should find me a man with a stove and flirt to get my hot water! :rolleyes:"
Both good options let me know which works better......btw I have the jetboil and love it but find myself using alchy almost all of the time.
Doc Mike
Tron-Life
05-26-2011, 18:42
are any of you using stick stoves?
World-Wide
05-26-2011, 23:16
i like the msr superfly. it will attach to other companies canisters.
Ditto...great stove and ability to attach to different brand canisters offers a bit of flexibility! W-W
I've been very, very happy with my esbit / graham cracker stove / caldera cone for a few years.
Very light, cheap and does the job.
I just bought this set up. Though I have not yet used it, I expect it will be the only stove I ever need. There are threel have fuel choices with the cone. It comes with an alcohol burner. Wood is also a fuel source. I'm planning to use the Esbit option that 10-K mentions above. Esbit fuel on the graham cracker in a Caldera Sidewinder cone. (Not sure if 10-K has the sidewinder.) Everything fits in the pot. My 900ml pot has a fry pan for a top.
http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-sidewinder
I must add, the guys at Trail Designs are first class. REALLY helpful.
SassyWindsor
05-28-2011, 23:38
If being the most borrowed stove on a trail means the best stove then I'd say it must be my Titanium Zip. More than I can count hikers have borrowed my stove to cook a meal because the last resupply point was out of alcohol, out of cannisters, or they just ran out of fuel, blah, blah, blah. The several hikers that I've ran up on that also use some form of wood burner have told me they've had the same experience. The wood burner comes in handy when the water filter clogs and you need to boil a lot more water, or when stranded due to heavy snow and have to wait things out.
Sierra Echo
05-29-2011, 08:05
I got a jetboil flash.
mark schofield
06-03-2011, 05:46
I used the MSR Superfly for a while (great stove). The burner was too large for my Snow Peak 900 cook set. I switched to a GigaPower.
JaxHiker
06-08-2011, 14:25
Ditto...great stove and ability to attach to different brand canisters offers a bit of flexibility! W-W
That doesn't seem like a big deal. It's an industry standard. Any of my canister stoves will work with any other manufacturer's canister. I have yet to find a case where that isn't true.
Don Newcomb
10-26-2011, 17:52
Ok, if you were told you could only use one type of stove for the rest of your life, what would it be? And it would have to be something I could buy from backcountry.com too! LOL I don't think this qualifies on the second count but I'm still using a Svea 123 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svea_123) with a SIGG Tourist cookset.
A clean Whisperlite and white gas, backed up with a bic.. I live in New England and hike in 4 seasons.
Sierra Echo
10-26-2011, 19:46
I don't think this qualifies on the second count but I'm still using a Svea 123 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svea_123) with a SIGG Tourist cookset.
I ended up getting a jetboil flash. Its a good stove, just really bulky!
Since the OP pushed me into this corner, I'm going to say the whisperlight international - mostly I'd burn coleman fuel (a.k.a. white gas)
The Cleaner
10-26-2011, 20:04
Same one I've been using for 40+ years. SVEA. My first Svea lasted 25 years and then the saftey valve blew out....14209 Don't guess I'll need a 3rd one.....
ed short
10-26-2011, 23:57
esbit- very lite, more efficient than alc. 1/2 oz morning , 1/2 oz eve = 1 oz fuel/day= hot meal, hot drink, getting easier to find. I have a cook kit that weighs 2 oz, incl pot, insulated eating dish, table cloth (lets be civilized. ) bic,stove ,pot stand ,spoon, insullated hot drink vessel. why go stoveless? when 2 oz will do the trick!!! gnome
stoveless is fine for a few days but I like coffee and hot food and going weeks without a stove (I think I've gone 4-5 days) just isn't fun for me - I have the following stoves:
1) Alcohol - homemade from old El Paso chilies can - ok for solo - kind of neat but and low-fi but limited
2) MSR Pocket Rocket - I have 2 or three of these - pretty much my easy go-to stove for 3 season lately
3) MSR whisperlight - my winter stove and what I carry for my gourmet backcountry creations (shaker jet version) I might still have a non-shaker jet with the pick - not sure
4) MSR whisperlight international - same as above for missions to far away places
5) MSR Dragonfly - simmers well but bulky and not the best stove I own for sure
6) MSR XKG - my alpine stove - it's the bomb
7) Optimus SVEA - for historic reasons - I might take it camping one day for fun - haven't used it in a while
8) Sigg 123 Tourist - totally for historic reasons - not sure if it still works
9)Sigg Fire Jet - this stove has a fuel bottle, pump, and fuel line that is not compatible with other stoves and never works as good as you think it will
10) 2 burner coleman camping stove - this thing looks like a small green suitcase - car camping only affair
11) I'm also fairly handy at cooking on a fire but don't do it so much for LNT reasons
Sierra Echo already bought her stove, and I failed to mention in my posts above that alcohol is not dependent upon deep drilling and the incredible use of energy to obtain petroleum and natural gas.
It's greener than other fuels, is the point I should've made previously.
I'll stick with my Supercat for three season use, my Whisperlite (1987, with a new pump last year) because it's more efficient in cold temperatures, and Esbit tabs in the heat of summer when it's only occasionally that I crave a hot meal (though I always want a cup of coffee in the morning). I have an original Zzip stove (well, second edition, with separate battery and switch pack), and use it only on short hikes because it's heavy and bulky (it's fun to show off, though).
Caldera Cone Ti-Tri and Evernew 1.3 L pot. Too bad BackCountry.com may not sell them. O well . . .
Don Newcomb
10-29-2011, 07:55
and I failed to mention in my posts above that alcohol is not dependent upon deep drilling and the incredible use of energy to obtain petroleum and natural gas.
It's greener than other fuels, is the point I should've made previously.
Only in some twisted environmentalist dream. In reality, most alcohol is produced by intensive mechanized agriculture requiring and "incredible use of energy" for fertilizer, irrigation, cultivation, pest control, harvest, transport and distillation. Were it not for heavy government subsidies, it would never be viable as a fuel source for vehicles. It would still be a good fuel for backpacking stoves. Now if you want an environmentally appropriate fuel, use a wood burner. Collect the charcoal left in fire pits and burn it down to a white ash. With locally grown wood, there is no energy input other than what the trees get from the sun.
I really like my Brunton Raptor.
cabbagehead
11-01-2011, 15:16
I did a three month AT stroll last summer under the name Protein Powder. After the trip I decided that when I went on my next trip, I would bring a lighter stove. I did some research, and found out that commercial stoves are often heavy, or have problems with priming. I looked up some DIY stove designs and did some experimenting. I ended up making a stove I liked with a variety of power tools, and home made jigs. Its made from thick aluminum Budweiser beer bottles and doesn't require a stand. Since I enjoy making things, and already have the jigs and tools, I decided to mass produce stoves. Check out my website.
Bottlestoves.com
Doc Mike
11-01-2011, 15:26
I did a three month AT stroll last summer under the name Protein Powder. After the trip I decided that when I went on my next trip, I would bring a lighter stove. I did some research, and found out that commercial stoves are often heavy, or have problems with priming. I looked up some DIY stove designs and did some experimenting. I ended up making a stove I liked with a variety of power tools, and home made jigs. Its made from thick aluminum Budweiser beer bottles and doesn't require a stand. Since I enjoy making things, and already have the jigs and tools, I decided to mass produce stoves. Check out my website.
Bottlestoves.com
yeah this takes less than 5 minutes with simple hand tools.
cabbagehead
11-01-2011, 15:34
I would like to see you make one of them in 5 minutes with hand tools. How would you crimp the bottle? It would likely take 1k lbs or more of even pressure.
cabbagehead
11-01-2011, 15:36
Can you stand on top of your 5 minute stove?
Doc Mike
11-01-2011, 15:38
Its the same bottle so why not? Is yours stronger because you use power tools and homemade jigs?
Doc Mike
11-01-2011, 15:40
Its the same bottle so why not? Is yours stronger because you use power tools and homemade jigs? In my pictures you can see one made from a venom energy bottle that took less than 5 minutes.
Doc Mike
11-01-2011, 15:42
For the best in homemade stoves contact Zelph
http://www.woodgaz-stove.com/
If being the most borrowed stove on a trail means the best stove then I'd say it must be my Titanium Zip. More than I can count hikers have borrowed my stove to cook a meal because the last resupply point was out of alcohol, out of cannisters, or they just ran out of fuel, blah, blah, blah. The several hikers that I've ran up on that also use some form of wood burner have told me they've had the same experience. The wood burner comes in handy when the water filter clogs and you need to boil a lot more water, or when stranded due to heavy snow and have to wait things out.
That's exactly why I switched from an alky to the Emberlit woodstove. I hate having to figure out where I'm going to resupply my fuel. The Emberlit can also be used with alcohol and esbit type tabs so it's very versatile. It's also fairly light at about 5 oz and of course you aren't carrying ANY fuel. I've also used it with wet wood and it worked fine.
I've also been eyeballing the Backcountry Boiler woodstove. It solves the soot problem and is extremely efficient. It too can also be used with alky and esbit type tabs.
I used to go stoveless, but i can only eat so many powerbars and the like. So i use this guy now, Soto Micro Regulator Stove. Its alot more expensive then the pocket rocket normally so wait for a sale. I picked one up for 30 so I was happy. Its only 2.5 ounces and has an lighter built in. Cant go wrong.
MSR Reactor stove.. Hands Down.. A bit heavy but I've used the convection pot to break through 4 inches of ice and then melted the ice into water at 6000 ft, 40 mph winds, on a bald at 14 degrees.. Boils 2 cups of water in 52 seconds. Reactor stove= Power Stroke Deisel... Jetboil= prius at best
WILLIAM HAYES
12-28-2011, 17:12
a tea light alcohol stove that i made with an integrated pot stand check out Jason Klasses website for instructions on how to make one weights about one oz
shelterbuilder
12-28-2011, 19:56
... Now if you want an environmentally appropriate fuel, use a wood burner. Collect the charcoal left in fire pits and burn it down to a white ash. With locally grown wood, there is no energy input other than what the trees get from the sun.
Actually, Don makes a very good point, and I don't want to hijack the thread (although since "the stove-for-life" has already been purchased, I don't feel too bad about the doing it), but using some sort of woodburner that's fueled by the charcoal remains of other people's campfires is a great idea. I've used my ZipStove many times in this way, although it IS a bit heavy for long-distance treks. (The "mini-campfire effect" is cool, though.)
Personally, I don't know if there is ONE stove that I would consider to be a "stove-for-life". I'm partial to my old Optimus 99 (the one with the aluminum body and the cover that doubles as a small pot), but I also have an alky stove (not used too often, because I like to COOK, not just heat water), and I also use a canister stove. My Whisperlite hasn't been the same since I dumped a half a pan of not-yet-cooked scrambled eggs into the burner in Vermont many years ago....
And then there's the "car-camping-only wood stove" that I built several years ago...drafts like a chimney...puts out heat like there's no tomorrow...built like a tank, and just as heavy....:D
Chaco Taco
01-02-2012, 10:13
Been a fan of Zelph's stoves for years. Used a starlyte for 4 years then switched to the cat can stove. Never failed on me. Etowah stoves are nice as well. If I had to carry a canister for cold weather, MSr Pocket Rocket, hands down.
I used a Zelp Starlyte at -4*F, it works better in the ultra cold than a canister.
lissersmith
01-02-2012, 11:50
ALcohol!! I have used my little 1/3'rd of a sprite can for years.
SassyWindsor
01-03-2012, 00:30
If backpackers traveled by commercial airways, especially international travel, they would learn quickly that about the only stove that meets all the requirements would be a wood burning type stove, cleaned. This is why I started and have continued to use one. I absolutely did NOT want to use a wood burner, but the hassle of fuel, used fuel burning stoves, etc, etc and having to buy stove fuel at my destination was too much and after I learned all the angles of a wood burner (titanium zip) and their convenience I am now very much sold on them and would never return to by old fuel burners.
Shadowalker
01-03-2012, 02:39
( Stoveless ) I recently done some Trail in Pa. and took with me , Peanut Butter and Granola Bars , and packs of noodles , Also packs of Oat meal and a Tin Cup for heating water , Worked well on the Trail except for rain days , No fire no hot meal , But Im not worrying about starving on the Trail , I have about 30 extra pds. to walk off anyway !!
cabbagehead
02-08-2012, 10:46
The only food I cook is cabbage.
advantages of cooking cabbage only:
- vegetable nutrients
- no soap needed to clean the pot
- Cabbage lasts a long time. I've never had a cabbage go bad on the trail.
- a convenient spherical shape
- I don't cook every day. I cook just enough to get my vegetable fix and prevent malnutrition.
I make quality stoves at bottlestoves.com.
Have used my Svea since 1976, and with very little maintenance, and have never had any ofthe problems Tipi mentioned. It's heavy but super reliable. You DO have to know how to use it. Just bought a new MSR Windpro (on a super sale at www.backwoods.com (http://www.backwoods.com)) as I like to cook and it can use up all the gas in the canisters. Another great stove though heavy (6.5 oz) by the standards here.
swjohnsey
02-20-2012, 23:57
The only food I cook is cabbage.
advantages of cooking cabbage only:
- vegetable nutrients
- no soap needed to clean the pot
- Cabbage lasts a long time. I've never had a cabbage go bad on the trail.
- a convenient spherical shape
- I don't cook every day. I cook just enough to get my vegetable fix and prevent malnutrition.
I make quality stoves at bottlestoves.com.
An SAS survival instructor once told us you would have to eat 80 lbs of cabbage a day to survive.
http://www.campsaver.com/minitrangia-28-t-stove-kit
or you can buy mine, in very good condition for $20.00 (you pay shipping). :)
Sorry, gone-- gave it away.
cabbagehead
02-21-2012, 01:18
I cook cabbage every once in a while for the nutrients. Most of my diet would be peanuts, raw oatmeal, bars, fish...
+ 1 on cabbagehead's bottle stove. Love mine !!!
I dig my Giga. Light and very adjustable. I like to slow cook sometimes and need the ability to turn down the heat and simmer. Moved away from Jetboil, which is great for a fast boil, but very little else. Guess it depends on your cooking style and whether or not you want to deal with the canister issue...