stoves

[barbbquilt]

Planning a trip in the spring of 2004. Researching catalogs
for stoves. I'm not so confused about the type of stove as
I am about the fuel tanks. How available are they to buy
in town? Do I have to carry all of them. Yikes!
Let me know what your favorite is.
Thanks

[Peaks]

You see thru-hikers will all types of stoves. (as well as other types of gear.)

Probably the most common are the home made alcohol stove and the white gas stove.

The home made alcohol stove (Pepsi stove or Cat stove) has become very popular over the last couple of years. Methol alcohol and dry gas have also become common in towns for resupply.

Most gas stoves are the whisperlite type, and white gas (coleman fuel) has been very common. Most hostels have a can.

Cartridge stoves are less common.

[Mtn. Pooh Bear]

I would have to suggest the alcohol stove. Tin Man makes them. I actually hiked with him from Horse Gap to Neels Gap. He makes them out of two coke cans. They are only $12.00, then you can only use Denatured Alcohol in them. The stove itself weighs less than an ounce. The alcohol you keep in like a gatorade bottle. You can't keep it in the metal ones cause it will discolor and go bad. I HIGHLY suggest this stove. Check out his website at www.antigravitygear.com. He also makes pot cozies for your pot for about $8.00 and you can boil your water then put your food in the pot then into the pot cozy and it will continue to cook your food for an hour, saving your fuel. Awesome stuff I tell you, much better than the MSR stoves I think. Just a suggestion. This guy is awesome, he won Editors Choice in Back packer magazine last month. It's definately worth a look. I hope this is helpful. This stove definately kept my boyfriend and I from being a statistic I think. I hope this was helpful to you.

[chris]

If you don't feel like buying a stove, take a can of beer, drink it, the cut off the bottom third or fourth or so of the can. Now, you have a stove. Pour in alcohol and light. If you want to get fancy, put a golf ball sized bit of fiberglass insultation in. Such a stove performs about the same as double wall stoves or cat stoves. If you do not have a stove already, seriously consider the alcohol stove.

By the way, note that the stove that I mention above can only be made with beer cans, and not soda cans. Old Milwaulkee seems to be the best, although I suspect Old Style will work just as well.

[barbbquilt]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. What a hoot!!
You've given me alot to think about especially creating my own versions. Will check out the web site too.
Enjoy!