Fuel Economic Scheme (Efficiency) Amongst Stoves

OK, how do I stretch my fuel amongst my backpacking stove?  I do NOT desire to run out of fuel earlier the halt of my trip!  And why demeanour to a greater extent than than I receive got to?

What are the tricks to getting good stove fuel economy?  Are about stoves to a greater extent than fuel efficient than others?  Herein, I address this in addition to more.  Read on, dearest reader, read on.

A Kovea Supalite inward purpose amongst a rut exchanger pot.
Heat exchanger pots relieve fuel.

With most stoves, it's typically to a greater extent than close how you lot use the stove than it is close which stove you lot buy – at to the lowest degree amongst the major stove brands.  In other words, the user commonly matters to a greater extent than than the stove.  However, all bets are off amongst "no name" stoves that i tin purchase off of eBay or Amazon for shockingly depression prices.  Caveat emptor.

An uber inexpensive stove from Amazon.
Is it fuel efficient?  Who knows?

So, what are the "best practices" for fuel efficiency?  Here's my list.  Items are listed inward full general club of importance, the most of import beingness listed first.

• Pick a sheltered spot.  On overstep of a stone or picnic tabular array mightiness last convenient, but it's going to last windier upwards there.  Set upwards your stove on the set down behind a stone or log.  On a windy day, this is absolutely the most of import thing to address inward terms of efficiency, far to a greater extent than of import than how you lot genuinely run the stove itself.
• Turn it down.  High rut = inefficient.  This is the lay out i fault of novel stove users – they opened upwards the valve 100% (i.e. maximum), which is the absolute end thing that you lot desire to do if you lot desire to last efficient.  Running your stove at tell 30% of max volition last far to a greater extent than efficient.     Lower rut = to a greater extent than efficient. Of course of teaching it's going to receive got a fighting longer when you lot plough downward the heat.  Here's where you'll desire to experiment.   You ask to abide by the residual betwixt speed in addition to efficiency that plant for you.
• Use a windscreen.  Yes, fifty-fifty on an upright type canister stove (like a Pocket Rocket), but not a sum 360 score windscreen.  If you lot purpose a (partial!) windscreen amongst an upright canister stove, last careful to banking concern check the canister oft amongst your hand.  If it feels in addition to hence hot that you lot can't learn out your paw resting on the canister, receive got immediate steps to cool things down.  See Canister Stoves in addition to Wind before you purpose a windscreen on a canister stove.
  In full general windscreens add together to efficiency inward 2 ways.  They a) forbid current of air from blowing away the rut in addition to b) focus the rut on the pot.  Because a windscreen focuses heat, it's ever proficient to purpose a windscreen fifty-fifty on a solar daytime where it isn't peculiarly windy.
• Use a lid.  A tight plumbing equipment lid without a strainer or other openings is best.  Escaping steam = escaping rut = inefficient.

The higher upwards tin last used amongst pretty much whatever stove in addition to pot combination.  There are about additional things that i tin do if i is willing to construct about additional gear purchases; I listing those below.

An MSR Windburner uses a rut exchanger pot to attain high levels of efficiency.

• Use a wider pot.  Tall, skinny pots current of air upwards having flames become upwards the sides, wasting heat.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 wide, squat pot catches that rut better.
• Use a rut exchanger pot.  A rut exchanger pot (e.g. MSR Reactor, Jetboil Flash, Primus Eta Express, etc) tin relieve a lot of fuel.  Now, you lot volition relieve fuel amongst a rut exchanger , but commonly the rut exchanger weighs more than the weight of the fuel you lot save.  In other words, using a rut exchanger is often heavier overall.  However, if on a trip you lot forbid having to demeanour a larger or instant canister, a rut exchanger tin genuinely relieve you lot weight.  See Can a Jetboil Save Weight? for specific examples in addition to a sum discussion.
• Use a darker colored pot.  This is pretty nipper compared to the others, but a darker colored pot volition absorb to a greater extent than rut than a shiny reflective one.

A windscreen makes whatever stove to a greater extent than fuel efficient.
Featured inward this photo:  A Bobcat organization from Flat Cat Gear.

OK, in addition to hence the full general dominion is that it's to a greater extent than how you lot purpose a stove than what stove you lot buy, but in that place are exceptions.  Alcohol in addition to ESBIT stoves are an exception to my full general dominion that the user matters to a greater extent than than the stove.  With an alcohol or ESBIT stove, you lot typically receive got to design the efficiency in.  Most DIY alcohol or ESBIT stoves volition non last every bit efficient every bit a proficient commercially produced stove.  However, do your homework.  Just because a stove is commercially produced doesn't hateful that it is necessarily efficient.

A Ti-Tri Cone from Trail Designs – efficient past times design.

So, in that place you lot receive got it, about basic tips in addition to tricks for stretching your fuel.

I give thank you lot you for joining me,

HJ

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