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- Jun 4, 2010
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Hello all, finally had a chance to test out a modular twig stove design I've been thinking about. Normally use an alcohol stove or MSR Whisperlight, but the plastic valve body has a crack in it and accompanying leak sometimes. The alcohol stove is great, but not so good when temps drop and not so good for a keeping up with a handful of folks (the wife, two 6yr olds, and myself). Wanted a design that would work for larger pots, but also be capable of whipping up a quick cup of coffee/tea on the trail without a major hassle.
Bring on the modular stove. It works with a series of tab/slot matings, one has chopped down tabs and is the last one in the ring when assembling. I used a couple of flattened steel wool pads for a fire grate. Test burn was a 1.5 quart Texsport aluminum percolator pot filled with cold tap water. Was 14 degrees and breezy with the occasional gust. After about 5 minutes I stood a handful of split logs around the stove to shelter it a little. Took just over 15 minutes to a full boil. With a better screen I think I can get that time down to 10 or less, which would be 2x my alcohol stove.
Cleanup was easy, dunk the steel wool in some water, scrub the plates down, and shake everything dry. I used 5 plates to do my percolator pot, my coffee cup could make do with 4 ( I don't think it would work with only three plates), and 6 plates will handle the biggest pot I might consider hiking in, and might even double as a small campfire enclosure.
Its made out of aluminum plate, just over 1/16. The design is a take off on the cyclone alcohol stoves that use a bit of spin to increase air velocity in the combustion area. The air gets pulled in via cutouts shielded under the overlap on each section. This also keeps the heat away from the outer wall a bit and maybe concentrates it right at the center of the pot. Not sure how well it works in reality, but looking down in I could see it had a bit of twister effect working on the flames. On the alcohol stoves I tested this with, I had to add water to the alcohol to slow the burn rate down or they'd run their fuel too fast to heat my pot. On those designs, you can look down into the "stove" and see the vapors burning in a very fast-moving swirl, twig stove was nothing so dramatic but still apparent. Combustion was pretty much total - nothing left but some very fine ash. Steel wool looked almost new.
Anyway, thought I'd share - I am totally stoked to do some backpacking just as soon as it thaws out a bit.
Martin
Bring on the modular stove. It works with a series of tab/slot matings, one has chopped down tabs and is the last one in the ring when assembling. I used a couple of flattened steel wool pads for a fire grate. Test burn was a 1.5 quart Texsport aluminum percolator pot filled with cold tap water. Was 14 degrees and breezy with the occasional gust. After about 5 minutes I stood a handful of split logs around the stove to shelter it a little. Took just over 15 minutes to a full boil. With a better screen I think I can get that time down to 10 or less, which would be 2x my alcohol stove.
Cleanup was easy, dunk the steel wool in some water, scrub the plates down, and shake everything dry. I used 5 plates to do my percolator pot, my coffee cup could make do with 4 ( I don't think it would work with only three plates), and 6 plates will handle the biggest pot I might consider hiking in, and might even double as a small campfire enclosure.
Its made out of aluminum plate, just over 1/16. The design is a take off on the cyclone alcohol stoves that use a bit of spin to increase air velocity in the combustion area. The air gets pulled in via cutouts shielded under the overlap on each section. This also keeps the heat away from the outer wall a bit and maybe concentrates it right at the center of the pot. Not sure how well it works in reality, but looking down in I could see it had a bit of twister effect working on the flames. On the alcohol stoves I tested this with, I had to add water to the alcohol to slow the burn rate down or they'd run their fuel too fast to heat my pot. On those designs, you can look down into the "stove" and see the vapors burning in a very fast-moving swirl, twig stove was nothing so dramatic but still apparent. Combustion was pretty much total - nothing left but some very fine ash. Steel wool looked almost new.
Anyway, thought I'd share - I am totally stoked to do some backpacking just as soon as it thaws out a bit.
Martin
