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Author	Message Text
cowdoc	03/28/2011 07:02PM   Over the seemingly endless winter, I built a bunch of alcohol stoves. I've pictured 4 of the better working ones. L to R. Supercat, made from 3oz cat food can. A "inverted budlight bottle" type. A trangia type made from a Monster can. A "wick" type made from a Venom can, a sheet metal tube and some fiberglass cloth. More pics of 3 of the 4 in action. I did not do the bud bottle type. It is my least favorite and not efficient. The Supercat is easy to make and boils water quickly. The trangia type is tougher to make and takes a while to prime. I'll see how it works when it gets warmer. It burns a long time but doesn't seem to get as hot. It may work better for simmering. The wick type I made today. It is a flame thrower and is still efficient. Last pic is a metal can lid I use as a base....has a lip to hold some fuel for priming. Also in the pic is a snuff lid.
dsk	03/25/2011 03:35AM   congratulations with your Trangia. The Trangia stormcoocker sets are actually the most used camping cooker here in Scandinavia. The big pre. is the flexibility together with a (fuel saving)wind protection. It is possible to convert it to use canister gas, or a multifuel stove inside the base. (Coleman stoves are quite difficult to put in there) but MSR, Primus, Optimus, and a lot others will easily be fitted. (A little sorry for that, because I like the Coleman Apex ii so much) We would like to hear about how you feel about this. Soot may be an issue. A little water in the ethanol may reduce soot, and output. Ethanol with 20% methanol doesn't soot at all. dsk
rlhedlund	03/25/2011 06:53AM   All you need is a small teacup candle bottom. See one in the lower right picture. No cost, virtually no weight. The coat hanger stand weighs more. You can bring one as a second burner when you want to make a four course meal.
rlhedlund	03/25/2011 06:59AM   quote Blackfoot: "quote buffalodick: "quote Blackfoot: "I am thinking I will get the Trangia burner. I like the reducing ring and the fact I can just put a lid on it and not worry about the excess fuel. Just have to find one now. I see several on Ebay for under $20. " Blackfoot; I'm with you! I am going to pick one up also. I think this will be much lighter than the old Coleman single burner that I have and I should be able to figure out a pot setup that it will all nest into. I will build a windscreen/pot stand to use with it also. Dick " Is posting a Ebay listing allowed here? The forum I am a steward on does not allow it. Anyhow, there is a windscreen that looks perfect listed. It is about $7. It's just metal that you form into a cylinder. If you have the materials, it may be cheaper to make but since I don't, I think that is the route I'm going with. Unless someone has a better suggestion. " The windscreen I find most versatile is a big piece of foil.
whitecedar	03/26/2011 08:09PM   Hi: You can make your own windscreen out of heavy aluminum foil and or aluminum flashing which you can by at big box building stores. You could also build yourself a small wood burning cook stove although you have to deal with the soot on the pot. Check out Shug Emery videos on You Tube. He's crazy and wacky but he has a ton of different stoves he's always tinkering with. BTW, to build any of that stuff you only need a few simple hand tools. Good Luck and Have FUN!!
Blackfoot	03/25/2011 11:33AM   quote dsk: "congratulations with your Trangia. The Trangia stormcoocker sets are actually the most used camping cooker here in Scandinavia. The big pre. is the flexibility together with a (fuel saving)wind protection. It is possible to convert it to use canister gas, or a multifuel stove inside the base. (Coleman stoves are quite difficult to put in there) but MSR, Primus, Optimus, and a lot others will easily be fitted. (A little sorry for that, because I like the Coleman Apex ii so much) We would like to hear about how you feel about this. Soot may be an issue. A little water in the ethanol may reduce soot, and output. Ethanol with 20% methanol doesn't soot at all. dsk" I would really love to get a stormcooker set. Those loke sweet! But, alas, little out of my price range at the moment.
aebrooks	03/24/2011 08:59AM   i use a whitebox stove and i like it a lot. For boiling water its quick and i only need about an ounce of fuel for the two cups of water for a mountain house meal. i use heet in the yellow bottle for fuel.
boonie	03/24/2011 11:02AM   quote jrlatt: "Try making some meals out on your deck, then do the math. The big question is how many pots of coffee are you going to make? jrlatt " Yes. It will be affected by temperature, wind, amount of water you boil, size of pot you use, etc., so...take it outside with the pot and amount of water you will boil, time it, multiply by the number of times you'll do that, and add a fudge factor. Be sure to use a windscreen. Be careful of spillage. Have everything ready to go before you light the stove and monitor it closely so you don't burn fuel unnecessarily.
Blackfoot	03/24/2011 02:19PM   I am thinking I will get the Trangia burner. I like the reducing ring and the fact I can just put a lid on it and not worry about the excess fuel. Just have to find one now. I see several on Ebay for under $20.
Blackfoot	03/24/2011 06:13PM   I just got my Trangia at a local outfitter. It was actually cheaper than on Ebay and I rather give the local guy my money anyhow.
buffalodick	03/24/2011 03:58PM   quote Blackfoot: "I am thinking I will get the Trangia burner. I like the reducing ring and the fact I can just put a lid on it and not worry about the excess fuel. Just have to find one now. I see several on Ebay for under $20. " Blackfoot; I'm with you! I am going to pick one up also. I think this will be much lighter than the old Coleman single burner that I have and I should be able to figure out a pot setup that it will all nest into. I will build a windscreen/pot stand to use with it also. Dick
Blackfoot	03/24/2011 04:19PM   quote buffalodick: "quote Blackfoot: "I am thinking I will get the Trangia burner. I like the reducing ring and the fact I can just put a lid on it and not worry about the excess fuel. Just have to find one now. I see several on Ebay for under $20. " Blackfoot; I'm with you! I am going to pick one up also. I think this will be much lighter than the old Coleman single burner that I have and I should be able to figure out a pot setup that it will all nest into. I will build a windscreen/pot stand to use with it also. Dick " Is posting a Ebay listing allowed here? The forum I am a steward on does not allow it. Anyhow, there is a windscreen that looks perfect listed. It is about $7. It's just metal that you form into a cylinder. If you have the materials, it may be cheaper to make but since I don't, I think that is the route I'm going with. Unless someone has a better suggestion.
butthead	03/26/2011 11:49AM   Multi-purpose fuel is interesting! "Everclear Grain Alcohol and Golden Grain alcohol from the David Sherman Corporation come in 95% (190 proof) bottles. This fuel works well but is an expensive option and may be illegal or difficult to purchase in many places. It is also non-toxic and can double for medicinal uses. Grain alcohol can also be made at home in large quantities, though perhaps not legally in your area without special permits or permission (See TTB Forms)." Zen Stoves butthead
SunCatcher	03/26/2011 12:46PM   I have a Trangia with the Clickstand. I utilize "Heet" in the yellow bottle. I store it in a MSR Aluminum bottle with the O-Ring lid it works peachy. Will Heet melt or dissolve a regular soft Nalgene??? I have never put "heet" in one, so just asking? Anyway, I have the Stainless Steel Clickstand for my Trangia. I love the set up, when it comes to boiling water it works well. I also use it in my Ice Hut when I want to cook (heat soup) or coaoa on the ice. Works nice. Good camping and canoeing, SunCatcher
jrlatt	03/26/2011 11:31AM   You might want to check this out. http://www.titaniumgoat.com/TiTri.html Jrlatt
Blackfoot	03/23/2011 07:31PM   I am looking for a stove to take on an upcoming trip. Planning on a solo two+ week in early June. The MSR's that I wanted are rather expensive. So, I keep seeing these alcohol stoves come up in discussions. I have never seen one. I assume they are reliable but know nothing about them. Any advice in this area?
Blackfoot	03/23/2011 07:55PM   I did just find a YouTube video about the Trangia stove. That looks awesome!
boonie	03/23/2011 08:04PM   You can make your own. See this thread partway down this page. They are very reliable since there are no moving parts.
snapcrackpop	03/23/2011 08:02PM   Alcohol stoves are hard to beat for boiling water, cooking for 1 or2 with dehydrated or freeze dried meals. You can do more than that, but it gets trickier. Youtube "alcohol stoves"... hours of stuff Me personally, I like "minibulldesign" products and ideas.
buffalodick	03/23/2011 08:33PM   From my experience I'm going to say you will use about 2 ounces per boil. You can figure your needs from this amount. Dick
jrlatt	03/23/2011 08:25PM   Try making some meals out on your deck, then do the math. The big question is how many pots of coffee are you going to make? jrlatt
Bill Tea	03/23/2011 08:14PM   I used a Trangia burner with the "clikstand" base on last year's 7 day long trip and ended up using maybe 12 ounces of HEET. I got very liberal with the fuel towards the end of the trip and still came out with a lot of alcohol left in the 16oz flask. I had an extra 12oz bottle of HEET in the pack and never opened it. I use a Nalgene bottle with attached cap now...I tend to lose small things in camp. I also had a little measure cap which i must have lost a dozen times. My cooking was a combination of freezer bag/instant meals (mostly breakfast) and the Lipton/Knorr side dish bags (and others) doctored up with dried veggies, cheese, seasonings, and dehydrated ground meats & salsa. No bad meals on that trip. The unit cooks long enough and completely quiet with an ounce of fuel and the simmer ring that comes with the Trangia burner (initial boil was about 2 cups, maybe another 1 1/2 cups heated up later for clean up). The clikstand (there is another stand called the "Westwind" which is nice & a bit cheaper) and Trangia rig is not all that expensive, and you make the price up with the low cost and easy availability of either HEET or denatured alcohol. Almost any gas station in the Northern part of the country will carry HEET year-round, and denatured alcohol isn't ever hard to find.
Blackfoot	03/23/2011 08:09PM   I know this is question has way too many variables to answer with any certainty, but any idea how much fuel I would need for a two week trip?
jrlatt	03/23/2011 07:49PM   Google Zen Stoves they have a nice web site and is a very good resource. Midwest Mountaineering is now selling the Triangula stove. It is a very nice durable stove for $14.00. Alcohol does work well, but has it limitations. Most alcohol stoves can not support a pot and need a stand, they also need to have a windscreen. Youtube has a ton of videos. For solo camping it should work very well for you. Vargo does sell a Titanium wood stove also available at Midwest that could be used in conjunction with an alcohol stove. There are a lot of alcohol stove systems out there. I made one from a pepsi can and a windscreen. I am able to boil 5 cups in about 10 to 12min. Jrlatt