[at-l] High Performance Alcohol Stove

[bullard@northnet.org (James Bullard)]

At 11:03 PM 5/15/01 -0400, Stewart Holt wrote:
>I posted about my experiences using the tin can stove a couple of months 
>ago. My conclusion and that of some other listers was that a lot of the 
>weight savings could be lost by having to bring more ounces of fuel which 
>are required over that of other stoves. (Part of that is my habits of 
>cooking and washing) The main problem with this stove is that the open 
>center of the stove allows as much alcohol to burn as will vaporize. ...clip...
>This stove differs in that the center is solid, vapors only come out 
>through the burner holes, and you use a small pan under the stove to 
>preheat it to get it started. ...clip...
>I have built several of these and found that they burn with a much better 
>controlled flame and will get the cooking done with less fuel. I was 
>finding that it took about 1 ounce of fuel in the tin can stove to bring 
>24 oz of water to a rolling boil and hold for about a minute. With the 
>high performance stove, I can do this with 3/4 oz....clip...

Let's see now.  You save 1/4 oz. with each firing.  I usually do one hot 
meal at the end of the day.  On the AT you are out 6-7 days at a stretch 
(average) so I'd save 1 and 1/2 to 1 and 3/4 oz. of fuel on outings of that 
length (not really that much in actual weight since a fluid oz. of alcohol 
doesn't weigh an oz.)  I'd save 3 to 3 and 1/2 if I were to heat water for 
tea in the morning (I only do that if it's really  cold, then I'd carry a 
different stove since these don't work well in really cold weather).  I'd 
have to add a preheat base for the stove to get it going plus the preheat 
fuel (I'm assuming you didn't count that in the 3/4 oz.).  I'm guessing 
that the preheat base and fuel adds around 1 and 1/2 to 1 and 3/4 real oz. 
(not fluid measure but actual weight).  For a one hot meal/day 6-7 day trip 
that is pretty much a wash.  I doubt that leaving the center in the top of 
the can adds any significant weight because that design leaves out the 
inner wall so that's probably also a wash.  All in all, I think I'll stick 
with the design I have.

Saunterer