Pretty cool camp stove, and for me I have more than a few empty cans around.

gptc wrote:Pretty cool camp stove, and for me I have more than a few empty cans around.

Very cool. Much better engineered and more interested than I expected it to be.

I have carried the same alcohol stove since i started backpacking as a kid (a few years ago).

It has been flawless. Never once did it not work. Never once did it fail to light. Pretty stupid proof (which with me is a plus). Fuel is very cheap and easy to find and the unit requires absolutely no cleaning, adjustments, or maintenance. Stoves themselves are very cheap as well.

It has limits. Really cold temps, really high altitudes. But for the normal bushwhacking backpacker (and plane camper) like me, it has been a tremendous little gadget. Also weathers wind really well (have a little wind screen that I carry around).

http://www.solostove.com/alcohol-stove/

I couldn't find my exact unit. The one above is close. But mine has a base that the stove actually sits in that makes it really stable and easy to protect from the wind. Also came with several pots.

Now that the jet boils are out, I have considered retiring the old unit. But it is hard to retire a piece of camping gear that is almost 40 years old and still working well!! For some strange reason, I relate to old relics that still have a lot of usefulness!!!

88H wrote:http://www.solostove.com/alcohol-stove/

I couldn't find my exact unit. The one above is close. But mine has a base that the stove actually sits in that makes it really stable and easy to protect from the wind. Also came with several pots.

Now that the jet boils are out, I have considered retiring the old unit. But it is hard to retire a piece of camping gear that is almost 40 years old and still working well!! For some strange reason, I relate to old relics that still have a lot of usefulness!!!

I feel the same about my MSR (though I only picked it up about ten years ago): http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stove ... 12/product

Related:



Unrelated: WTF is up with Kanye's latest song/video.

Awesome... It would be Really Awesome if it would run on Rum, which I always have plenty of..

88H wrote:I have carried the same alcohol stove since i started backpacking as a kid (a few years ago).

It has been flawless. Never once did it not work. Never once did it fail to light. Pretty stupid proof (which with me is a plus). Fuel is very cheap and easy to find and the unit requires absolutely no cleaning, adjustments, or maintenance. Stoves themselves are very cheap as well.

It has limits. Really cold temps, really high altitudes. But for the normal bushwhacking backpacker (and plane camper) like me, it has been a tremendous little gadget. Also weathers wind really well (have a little wind screen that I carry around).

http://www.solostove.com/alcohol-stove/

I couldn't find my exact unit. The one above is close. But mine has a base that the stove actually sits in that makes it really stable and easy to protect from the wind. Also came with several pots.

Now that the jet boils are out, I have considered retiring the old unit. But it is hard to retire a piece of camping gear that is almost 40 years old and still working well!! For some strange reason, I relate to old relics that still have a lot of usefulness!!!

Looks just like a Trangia alcohol stove. I've had a Trangia since the 80's, and it's been on many campaigns with me through the years, still soldiering on. For a lightweight, foolproof stove it's hard to beat for one person; there are also many creative windscreen/ pot stand variations out and about that work very well. I use a steel GI canteen cup support, the Trangia goes underneath, and the cup goes on top.

I also have an MSR Whisperlite International, but rarely use it for fear I'm going to set myself and everything around me on fire every time I try to light it!

The beer can stoves work well too; there's tons of options for those also.

ViperPilot wrote:I also have an MSR Whisperlite International, but rarely use it for fear I'm going to set myself and everything around me on fire every time I try to light it!

Heh, yeah!

It's pretty wild until you know what you're doing!

Too funny. Its great to hear all these similar stories about stoves. I bought my MSR Whisperlite international in 1990. Its been ridden hard and put away wet and still keeps on chuggin. I'd love to buy a new fancy wiz-bang stove, but there just aint no reason. Someone will be cooking on that thing long after Im gone.

My first back-packing stove was an MSR XGK, and it still works fine. Mine's a bit different from this one--looks like this: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... CEEQ9QEwBA This new one is a much improved version, from the standpoint of convenience in using it, though it's hard to improve on the old one for boiling water: http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stove ... ex/product I bought it because it was the only one they made at the time that would burn nearly any liquid fuel, including avgas, mogas, Coleman fuel, diesel, kerosene, and jet fuel. Its major deficiency is that it's either on or off--no flame control. It also is noisy, sounds like a small jet winding up.

When they came out with the DragonFly stove, I bought it. http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stove ... ly/product It's also multi-fuel, like the XGK, but doesn't include avgas in its list of fuels. It has an extra valve control which allows the flame to be controlled, so it can be turned down to a simmer. It's the one I use the most, because of that feature.

All of these multi-fuel stoves work best on white gas like Coleman fuel--they'll clog up a lot quicker on other fuels. I have run the XGK on avgas just to try it, and it worked fine. I haven't used the DragonFly on anything but Coleman fuel.

I have to say, though, I'm impressed with the beer can stove--I was expecting junk, and it really looks pretty OK.

Cary

So, I built one of these beauties. It works as shown with 91% rubbing alcohol. I also tried 70% rubbing alcohol, but it would not stay lit. So it looks like if you want to be able to drink your fuel, the only choice will be Everclear. I guess for backpacking, the Everclear would be lighter than whiskey.

tom

Savannah-Tom wrote:So, I built one of these beauties. It works as shown with 91% rubbing alcohol. I also tried 70% rubbing alcohol, but it would not stay lit. So it looks like if you want to be able to drink your fuel, the only choice will be Everclear. I guess for backpacking, the Everclear would be lighter than whiskey.

tom

The best results come from Methyl Alcohol, but a good alternative is HEET, in the yellow bottle.

The dollar stores sometimes have multi-bottle packs on sale.

Don't drink the HEET--causes indigestion.

Cary

Cary wrote:Don't drink the HEET--causes indigestion.

Cary

Oh yes... at the least, please do not imbibe the stove fuel. Not only will it cause indigestion, but it may also seriously impair your visual acuity, as in complete and utter blindness!

Besides, there are other beverages to partake in around the dim glow of the beer can stove; Stranahan's comes to mind...

Probably the lead (Pb) in the 100LL is the reason it is not reccommended to burn in camp/cook stoves. ....?!
In the just burned/gaseous form it is quite poisonous, so if you do (anyone) use it, make sure there are no kids around AND HAVE VERY GOOD VENTILATION. (Probably best if "no one" is anywhere close downwind)

Probably overall not a great idea?
FWIW

bigrenna wrote:Too funny. Its great to hear all these similar stories about stoves. I bought my MSR Whisperlite international in 1990. Its been ridden hard and put away wet and still keeps on chuggin. I'd love to buy a new fancy wiz-bang stove, but there just aint no reason. Someone will be cooking on that thing long after Im gone.

Same here. I have 2 Whisperlites that just won't quit. I did have to R&R the pump/valve once but that's it.

Nowadays, I just buy MSR isobutane canisters and use the MSR Pocket Rocket out of pure convenience, and the weight can't be beat.

Excellent report only thing I'd like to see is wider base to balance the load of pan or pot . looks good on level floor with water but what about a rocky terrain with things slightly off level. Does it have to be alumumn ? Many years ago we made a stove out of tuna can and coffee can. Tuna can had a strip of cardboard soaked in parfin wax for a wick - rolled up . provided heat to cook hamburger ,boil water and heat tent.

After researching I decided to get a Trangia 28 mini ( less than a pound )from Amazon , about 24 bucks with pans etc. Tired of hauling old Colman propane stove with all the goodies at around 10-15 lbs and taking up valuable cargo space. Saving 10 lbs is important. Thinking of getting little kitfox type machine for local boondoging .looking for a 0 235/290 engine to drive it. Have a pair of kitfox wings and tail . Welding rig to weld up new project with 4130 chrome moly .

Dang you guys have some new fangled stuf!!! Heck, I have never ventured away from my old military stove. Had it since I was enlisted. Have to look at its issue date but I know it was old when I had it issued to me. Pretty slick, it looks like an older Coleman and it's legs fold under and the whole thing goes into a cylinder shaped container. It has literally been all over the world with me. I think it will burn dan near anything. I see similar one's at Army-Navy surplus stores occassionally.
I also still have one of those little folding 'Tablet' stoves that fits undar a canteen cup and holds a small round tablet that burns just long enough to heat up a cup of coffee.

I have purchased a couple of Jet-Boils, one is in the car for winter emergency use and the other is handy for whatever venture I am on.

That beer can stove was something that was taught to Boy/Cub scouts when I was young. Really can't get much simpler or lighter.