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lucky duck
02-17-2013, 17:22
I'm still pondering my stove options. In that connection I have a couple of questions:

>If I buy a jetboil (sol ti) and I run out of cannister fuel, can I boil water with with it using esbit? Wood?

>Looking at the various alcohol burner options out there, as far as I can tell only the Trangia burner is designed to store unused fuel. What do folks do that are using non-Trangia burners with the fuel that is left over once they have boiled their water? Just let it burn out (thus wasting fuel and requiring the carrying of more weight in the form of fuel)? Or do folks let things cool down and then poor the unused alcohol back into their storage fuel container?

>Lastly, with respect to alcohol burners, are there any that are generally recognized to burn less fuel given equal test conditions (i.e. same wind, windscreen, amount of water and water temp. etc.)? It seems that much of the advantage of alcohol burners is lost by the carry weight of the fuel (assuming trails that do not have resupply every 4 or 5 days or so).

Thanks for your input.

colorado_rob
02-17-2013, 18:14
I'm still pondering my stove options. In that connection I have a couple of questions:

>If I buy a jetboil (sol ti) and I run out of cannister fuel, can I boil water with with it using esbit? Wood?. Starchild (or Starbright?) found that a little tea-candle holder, 0.1 ounces, without the tea-candle wax, of course, serves as a great backup Alchy burner for the JB Sol ti. That will be backup option for my Sol ti canister setup. Just sit the tea-candle holder on a flat surface, fill with alcohol, light, set the Sol Ti pot right on top, apparently the amount of alcohol in the tea-candle thing is just about right for 1.5 cups of boil, or two cups pretty hot.

DeerPath
02-18-2013, 09:20
Hey Lucky Duck,
IMHO there is very little difference in weight between canister fuel and a bottle of alcohol fuel that will last a week. I can boil water in about a minute with canister fuel vs. 5-7 minuets with alcohol.

I use canister fuel with a Crux stove and a Ti Windscreen that doubles as a wood stove, if needed. With this setup I don't have to carry extra fuel i.e. alcohol. esbet, etc.

(See Zelph's video. I can't get it to post, but you can find it in Homemade Gear Forum.)

russb
02-18-2013, 09:46
Most who use alcohol know exactly how much they need to get the water to boil (or whatever task they are doing) so they do not need to try to recapture or waste fuel.

As for weight, this calculator allows you to change input variables to fit your style, usage, type of stove:
http://www.howardjohnson.name/Backpacking/Stove/Stoves.htm

Odd Man Out
02-18-2013, 10:36
There are some alcohol stoves that have fuel-recovery strategies. There are stoves that are fed by a tube to an external fuel reservoir. You will find some people use a snuffer to extinguish the flame and then pour the alcohol back into their fuel bottle. Zelph has a new Starlyte with a lid. It has a wicking system inside so the unused fuel won't spill. Otherwise (as already mentioned) the "add just the right amount of fuel and burn it all" strategy works too. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. Pick the one that works best for you.

QiWiz
02-18-2013, 13:45
I'm still pondering my stove options. With respect to alcohol burners, are there any that are generally recognized to burn less fuel given equal test conditions (i.e. same wind, windscreen, amount of water and water temp. etc.)? It seems that much of the advantage of alcohol burners is lost by the carry weight of the fuel (assuming trails that do not have resupply every 4 or 5 days or so).

IMO, the Caldera Cone systems are the most efficient for Esbit or alcohol in terms of fuel weight used. Pot shape also is important, with squat pots having a greater bottom surface area tending to be more efficiently heated. The windier it is, the more I think the Cone has the advantage. If you really want to minimize fuel weight, an often overlooked option is to use a wood/twig burner that can also burn Esbit or alcohol if/when desired. Some fire and wood prep skills are important but not too difficult to acquire.

zelph
02-20-2013, 00:56
This pot w/lid and stove weighs 1.5 ounces combined. The burner portion holds 1.5 oz of fuel. Once your water boils you can snuff the burner out with the lid of the pot, wait 1 min. and put the green lid on the burner to save any remaining fuel.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/th_StarLyteStoveandFosterPot_zps15652e46.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v228/obijiwa/?action=view&current=StarLyteStoveandFosterPot_zps15652e46.jpg)

Odd Man Out
02-20-2013, 11:52
This pot w/lid and stove weighs 1.5 ounces combined. The burner portion holds 1.5 oz of fuel. Once your water boils you can snuff the burner out with the lid of the pot, wait 1 min. and put the green lid on the burner to save any remaining fuel.



I just bought one of these from you! (it's in the mail) Haven't sorted out the pot stand/pot/wind screen combo yet, but wanted to experiment with a center flame stove (rather than the side burners I have previously used). I was attracted by the fuel saving option you describe. I was wondering how to extinguish the flame. Didn't think of the pot lid snuffer trick. Thanks!

zelph
02-20-2013, 15:51
I just bought one of these from you! (it's in the mail) Haven't sorted out the pot stand/pot/wind screen combo yet, but wanted to experiment with a center flame stove (rather than the side burners I have previously used). I was attracted by the fuel saving option you describe. I was wondering how to extinguish the flame. Didn't think of the pot lid snuffer trick. Thanks!

Most of the time I use both hands(2 forefingers) to flip the burner over to snuff it. The pot lid I have to swipe it on my shirt to dry it before I use it to snuff. Just a like and a promise to dry it but I use the finger flip method most of the time.

One other thing about the burner is it's ability to suspend the fuel so it won't spill out if tipped over.