Getting Started On Alcohol

A few of my many alcohol stoves.  L to R:  Cat nutrient tin stove (home made), Atomic stove (Mini Bull Designs), opened upwards top jet stove (home made), White Box stove (White Box Stoves), civilian Trangia (AB Trangia)

First, allow me nation that you're talking to a long fourth dimension white gasoline user here. When I was a kid, dad had an erstwhile white gasoline two-burner "suitcase" type stove. We used a white gasoline Optimus 8R when nosotros went backpacking. I bought my commencement stove, a white gasoline alone Whisperlite, inwards 1986. For all of the 80's together with 90's, that was the alone stove I had.

But every bit alongside us all, increasing historic menstruation has crept upwards on me, together with carrying a big, heavy pack exactly isn't an pick anymore. Lately, I've been trying to uncovering ways to lighten upwards my pack. One of the ways I've tried to do that is past times experimenting alongside alcohol stoves. Let me give you lot an example: Remember my Whisperlite that I bought inwards 1986? It weighs 312g/11oz for exactly the see together with stove (i.e. non including the windscreen, fuel bottle, together with fuel). By contrast, my 12-10 alcohol stove from Trail Designs weighs 16g/0.6oz. That's right, my alcohol stove weighs less than i ounce. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Whisperlite is nearly twenty times heavier than my 12-10 alcohol stove.  Speaking of the 12-10 stove, if you'd similar to run across my pick for a practiced ultralight alcohol laid up, cheque out my article together with shipping service on the Caldera Cone.

The 12-10 stove (in my left hand) from Trail Designs.

Now, inwards all fairness, alcohol doesn't incorporate every bit much rut per gram every bit white gasoline. One does cause got to bear to a greater extent than alcohol to do the same sum of cooking, but given that the Whisperlite is so much heavier to start with, unless you're doing multi-week trips without resupply, an alcohol stove volition almost ever hold upwards lighter overall.

Alcohol stoves accept a fleck of getting used to. They're slower, to a greater extent than ofttimes than non cause got less open fire command (depending on the model), together with are to a greater extent than vulnerable to wind. To start, you lot mightiness endeavor taking an alcohol stove on 24-hour interval hikes.  They're low-cal together with compact; you'll hardly notice they're there. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 loving cup of hot tea on a cool autumn afternoon is a existent please I must say. Then perchance endeavor bringing an alcohol stove on a "quick overnighter" (one nighttime out).  After you've tried some "quick overnighters," so perchance construct upwards to a total weekend, together with so perchance a multi 24-hour interval trip.  In no time, you'll experience real comfortable alongside your alcohol stove.

When you lot do start experimenting alongside alcohol stoves, I recommend an opened upwards style.  An opened upwards vogue is the easiest to fuel, easiest to light, together with is fairly unproblematic to make.

An open side burner stove (left) together with a closed jet stove (right)

Here's a video from renown ultra long distance hiker Andrew Skurka on how to brand a unproblematic truthful cat tin stove.


When you lot start working alongside alcohol stoves, hold upwards certain to jibe the stove to the pot.  Take a await at the below photo.  Notice how the flames tumble upwards roughly the sides of the pot?  Those flames are wasted rut together with so wasted fuel -- fuel that you lot had to bear on your back.  You desire to avoid open fire spillage past times choosing a depression broad pot rather than a tall narrow pot.  Match the pot to the open fire blueprint of your stove.  You desire to avoid whatever open fire spillage.

This pot is likewise narrow.  Note how rut is beingness wasted upwards the sides.

Be certain to utilisation a windscreen. The flames from a non-pressurized alcohol stove cause got a pretty depression open fire velocity.  Wind volition play hob alongside your cooking if you lot don't cause got a windscreen.  If you've already got a liquid fueled stove, the windscreen from your liquid fueled stove should function fine. If you lot don't cause got a windscreen, cheque out my article together with spider web log shipping service on windscreens.  In especial await at the multi-layered aluminum foil windscreen I made.  For an alcohol stove, you lot won't quest i that is every bit tall every bit the i I made for my canister stove, but the regulation is the same.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tip every bit you lot experiment alongside diverse types of alcohol stoves:  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 wearisome stove is typically a to a greater extent than efficient stove.  Stoves that rut H2O to a greater extent than chop-chop commonly terminate through to a greater extent than alcohol -- alcohol that you lot exactly hauled all the agency upwards together with over that high pass.  Get a slower, to a greater extent than efficient stove, together with you lot tin brand your fuel stretch a fleck longer.  Alcohol is nigh lightness together with efficiency.  If you're looking for fast boil times, you lot mightiness desire to await at gas or stone oil based liquid fueled stoves.

For beginners, I wouldn't recommend bringing an alcohol stove if:

• You're cooking for multiple people (too slow)
• You're melting snowfall (not plenty power)
• You're cooking a complicated bill of fare (not plenty open fire command typically)
• You're headed out inwards weather condition near, at, or below freezing (alcohol doesn't vaporize good inwards mutual frigidness weather)

Set upwards on an alcohol stove is a breeze. There's typically no pumping or priming. Just pour inwards some fuel, light, together with go. There's no heavy steel canister alongside frail threads that could hold upwards cross-threaded every bit alongside a gas stove. There's no see that could intermission or seals that could neglect every bit alongside a stone oil based liquid fueled stove. And it's QUIET.

Try it; I intend you'll similar it.

HJ

Related posts together with articles:

• Getting Started alongside Alcohol
• DIY Alcohol Stoves -- Basic Design Considerations
• Cold Weather Tips for Alcohol Stoves
• Is Ethanol Worth It?
  
• Caldera Cone Review Supplement -- Additional Photos together with Technical Appendix alongside Weights
• The Clikstand Alcohol Stove System Review
• Caldera Cone vs. Clikstand Alcohol Stove Tests
• Trangia 27 Alcohol Stove System Review
• The Caldera Cone's 12-10 Burner
• The Trangia Alcohol Burner
• What's the Best Alcohol for Stove Fuel?
• What Is Meths?  (And how is that dissimilar than Methanol?)
• Going "Green" alongside Stoves:  Alcohol together with Biodiesel

A classic, erstwhile Trangia 25 alcohol burner.  Extremely windproof.

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