-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Alcohol stove for camping, etc
- Thread starter Mike L.
- Start date
http://www.BackpackGearTest.org/reviews/Cook Gear/Stoves/ is a good place to start.
Do you have a good source for fuel? It's harder for me to find then I thought it would be since I don't burn liquor store "fuel" in my stove. If you don't need an ultra lightweight stove, I highly recommend the isobutane stoves from Jetboil and Snowpeak. A few extra ounces in a Snowpeak with a small gas canister is a good trade off to the alcohol stoves and, the Jetboil is a good option if I need higher efficiency for a longer trip.
Do you have a good source for fuel? It's harder for me to find then I thought it would be since I don't burn liquor store "fuel" in my stove. If you don't need an ultra lightweight stove, I highly recommend the isobutane stoves from Jetboil and Snowpeak. A few extra ounces in a Snowpeak with a small gas canister is a good trade off to the alcohol stoves and, the Jetboil is a good option if I need higher efficiency for a longer trip.
bladefixation2
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2004
- Messages
- 1,391
I agree, the extra weight is well worth the extra performance. Alcohol stoves are poor performers compared to gas or petrol. They also use a surprisingly large amount of fuel, and are very susceptible to the wind.
The vargo titanium jet-ti gas canister stove is very lightweight and performs well
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
- Messages
- 1,955
Denatured alcohol and "Heet" brand (Yellow Bottle) gas line antifreeze are both available at Wally World. If there's no Wally near you, a paint store would have the denatured alcohol and an auto supply would have the Heet.
Thanks for the reply's guys.
--Mike L.
Thanks for the reply's guys.
--Mike L.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2001
- Messages
- 2,861
Most of the ones I've seen do look like Trangias.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2002
- Messages
- 2,845
+1 on the Trangia. It works better than anything else on the market. Durability is good, as well, though I wouldn't step on it. I have a mini (comes with a one-piece windscreen) that rides around in a small pot. The hardware store is the best place for fuel - denatured alcohol in the solvent/paint thinner section. Anything from the liquor store is going to to be diluted with water. I used rubbing alcohol in a pinch, which wasn't particularly good either. The only minus I've found is that lighting in really cold weather can be difficult. They are sensitive to wind, but you just have to find a semi-sheltered cooking spot. Flare-ups are possible in the wind, and a melted a few pairs of thin, synthetic gloves from the heat while taking my pot on and off.
Trangia mini and westwind are low-cost, compact options. They also sell really good cooksets, with windscreen and stove, for more money. Another good option is making tin-can alcohol stoves. Once you have a few cans, they take about 30 minutes to make and are almost as good as the Trangia.
Trangia mini and westwind are low-cost, compact options. They also sell really good cooksets, with windscreen and stove, for more money. Another good option is making tin-can alcohol stoves. Once you have a few cans, they take about 30 minutes to make and are almost as good as the Trangia.
Trangia cooksets, either Swedish Army surplus or the civilian stoves, are the best alcohol stoves out there. White Box stoves are a close second and are made from recycled materials. Both are tougher than pop can stoves and won't smush flat if you accidentally step on them.
The simmer ring that comes with the civilian Trangia is designed to fit over the cap and help prevent leaks when you're carrying the stove. The ring will fit over the burner of the military stove, but will not fit over the cap when the stove is closed.
The simmer ring that comes with the civilian Trangia is designed to fit over the cap and help prevent leaks when you're carrying the stove. The ring will fit over the burner of the military stove, but will not fit over the cap when the stove is closed.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2000
- Messages
- 45,835
I have a couple of the Brasslites, which are quality stoves: http://www.brasslite.com/
Or you could make your own: http://zenstoves.net/
Here are some pics of a Super Cat I made:
Or you could make your own: http://zenstoves.net/
Here are some pics of a Super Cat I made:
Another fan of the Brasslite (Turbo II-D) stove here...well made, lightweight, and heats the center of the pot which works well with a smaller diameter pot.
I think the commercial Trangia is a little smaller than the military surplus ones. The only downside to the military surplus set is the weight, but it worked well for me in winter.
I think the commercial Trangia is a little smaller than the military surplus ones. The only downside to the military surplus set is the weight, but it worked well for me in winter.
The commercial trangia stove holds 3 fluid oz. of alcohol, weights about 6 oz. and comes with a simmer ring. I can comfortably boil a liter of water, simmer same, or fry stuff in a 12" frying pan.
The military surplus trangia (sometimes Svea) marked stoves have the same design as the commercial Trangia, but are scaled up to boil water in the approx. 1.5L mess tin that comes with it. It holds 4 or more oz. of alcohol, seems 25% bigger than the smaller commercial version, and usually doesn't come with a simmer ring.
Everything I have ever wanted to do with an alcohol stove, I have been happy to do with the smaller civillian model.
The military surplus trangia (sometimes Svea) marked stoves have the same design as the commercial Trangia, but are scaled up to boil water in the approx. 1.5L mess tin that comes with it. It holds 4 or more oz. of alcohol, seems 25% bigger than the smaller commercial version, and usually doesn't come with a simmer ring.
Everything I have ever wanted to do with an alcohol stove, I have been happy to do with the smaller civillian model.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
- Messages
- 1,955
I just got one of the Swedish surplus cook sets. It's a nice rig, but heavy.
The burner is marked Svea, and is seriously overbuilt. There is no simmer ring, but I think I may be able to fab one based on the Triangia design.
I also made a Super Cat just for grins, and it works very well.
The Swedish rig is perfect to stick in with the SHTF supplies, assuring me that I will have hot meals and drinks in the event of electric outages.
The last one was during a severe ice storm here in NC back in 2002. We had no electricity for 6 days. So, the stove can be useful and not just something put away for some sort of end of the world scenario. I think I can make it work ok for motorcycle camping, as well. My bike has big (35 liter) saddle bags, so I can make room.
The burner is marked Svea, and is seriously overbuilt. There is no simmer ring, but I think I may be able to fab one based on the Triangia design.
I also made a Super Cat just for grins, and it works very well.
The Swedish rig is perfect to stick in with the SHTF supplies, assuring me that I will have hot meals and drinks in the event of electric outages.
The last one was during a severe ice storm here in NC back in 2002. We had no electricity for 6 days. So, the stove can be useful and not just something put away for some sort of end of the world scenario. I think I can make it work ok for motorcycle camping, as well. My bike has big (35 liter) saddle bags, so I can make room.