View Full Version : Solo mug for super cat alcohol stove
I'm thinking about carrying a super cat alcohol stove on my upcoming planned thru hike. It has a pretty wide flame pattern that, from what I've seen in videos, goes up the side of a snow peak mug just under or at a liter. This causes a lot of wasted energy. Any suggestions on good, reliable and obviously lite wider and shorter options for solo all purpose mugs?
Also, does anyone have any strong feelings for or against using such a stove on a thru hike? It seems a bit sturdier than the beer can version.
I'm new around here, thanks for any help
Rocket Jones
12-05-2011, 07:49
Use a windscreen that fits fairly closely around your mug. I recall that recently someone did some time testing and that the flame up the side of a mug isn't as inefficient as believed.
BigHodag
12-06-2011, 00:26
I used a 585 ml Esbit hard anodized aluminum cup (http://at-trail.blogspot.com/2011/01/esbit-stove-cooking-set.html) with my Supercat stove on this past summer's section hike of NJ. Worked great. The Esbit cup held my stove, windscreen, medicine cup, mini Bic lighter, razor blade (kitchen knife) and a piece of chami. I got the Esbit cup as part of a stove & cup combo at a local military exchange for $25. The entire cook set weighs just 6 oz and takes very little packing space.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/5/0/2/picture_378_thumb.jpg[/URL ([URL]http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=43664)]
This is my mess kit. A supercat can be made to work with a narrow cup, as stated above, by using a fairly tightly fitting windscreen, however, I wouldn't plan on feeding my thruhiker appetite out of a cup. You'll spend all night boiling cup after cup after cup - to rehydrate all the food you'll likely be eating (unless you limit your cuisine choices to foil pouches and freezer bags). I haven't met one thruhiker who hasn't had an intense craving for some real cooked food once in a while (plus, try stirring anything in a cup besides cream and sugar). I made the mistake of buying a mess kit years ago which had a concave (indented) bottom. This design is made to boil water efficiently, not to cook. The cup in my picture has such a design, but I don't cook in it. It does come in handy for reheating coffee that I've left unattended too long, though. It came from the cheapest titanium set that Snow Peak makes. The pot is an Evernew 1.3 liter ti model. It was cheap because it had a broken handle (I removed the other one and use a bandanna). I think that the .9 liter model might be good enough for a solo hiker counting grams.
super cat is a fine stove. have you experimented with a tealight stove at all? I used one on the AT this summer with a MSR Titan with satisfactory results. I was going to use the Supercat but the flame was too wide for my liking.
super cat is a fine stove. have you experimented with a tealight stove at all? I used one on the AT this summer with a MSR Titan with satisfactory results. I was going to use the Supercat but the flame was too wide for my liking.
Me? I use a Supercat mainly for ease of use. I made several stoves from tealight tins a few years ago, but they require a stand, adding weight, plus a taller windscreen, adding more weight. I figured that if I had a bigger pot I'd get more bang for my grams than going to a smaller stove that required more hardware. I don't ever intend to use a cup to cook in, so why use a stove that is better suited for a cup?
I'll use my supercat with the GSI Dualist every now and again. the larger pot is nicer for making actual food in. I guess it depends on what type of meals your are planning on making. I usually just boil water for my meals so the titan kettle works great for me. I can cook all sorts of things in it However if its more than just me; along comes the dualist and the super cat.
-kreate
Odd Man Out
12-06-2011, 14:35
Zelph has a cat food can stove that is a top burner. It works for beer can pots so should be fine for heating a cup. Or I have made a simmer cat (super cat with one row of holes at the top). Less heat output, but smaller flame pattern. But the advice about wind screens above is good. Each stove/pot/wind screen/pot stand combination will perform differently. Pick a system, tweek it, and go.
Sailing_Faith
12-06-2011, 14:46
The flame wrapping around the sides of the container actually increases the heat transfer. If you check youtube, there are some videos on this very thing... they heat the same quantity of water in a flatter and a taller vessel and the taller vessel boiled the water slightly faster.
It makes sense since the surface area that is directly heated is larger that it would boil faster...
If you limit the number of holes in the lower row of the Super Cat, you can limit (somewhat) the height of the flame.
Wow I love this website/community, not a lot of forums on the internet that are mostly free of mindless bickering. Thanks for all the great advice so far, I have a lot to think about and look in to. See ya'll on the trail and any more input is appreciated!
Wow I love this website/community, not a lot of forums on the internet that are mostly free of mindless bickering. Thanks for all the great advice so far, I have a lot to think about and look in to. See ya'll on the trail and any more input is appreciated!
We specialize in thoughtful bickering here. No mindless bickering allowed. :D
The flame wrapping around the sides of the container actually increases the heat transfer. If you check youtube, there are some videos on this very thing... they heat the same quantity of water in a flatter and a taller vessel and the taller vessel boiled the water slightly faster.
It makes sense since the surface area that is directly heated is larger that it would boil faster...
If you limit the number of holes in the lower row of the Super Cat, you can limit (somewhat) the height of the flame.
Heating with a tall container works as long as the container is full or nearly so. Leaves little room to add food for cooking; and stirring a tall, narrow pot is difficult because you need a long handled spoon and the height of the pot makes it want to spill more readily once you start stirring. If all you do with your pot is boil water it's fine.
Tip: You can make a simmer ring from a soda (pop) can. Cut it about 2/3 the height of your Supercat and about an inch in diameter (or more) larger than the stove, you can pick up your pot, drop the ring down around the stove, and put your pot back on for a nice, long simmer. Staple the ends of the pop can ring together.
It is shown in the picture above.