[at-l] Zip Stove in the rain

[kellywin@earthlink.net (kellywin@earthlink.net)]

Karin asked about Zip Stoves--Karin, I used a Zip on my whole AT hike in
'96 and never had a problem using it in the rain--but here are some tips:

Shelters that are raised off the ground (like most are) often have very dry
little sticks and twigs under them. Just watch out for snakes and other
varmints when you're reaching around down there. The firepit is also a
great source for wood and partly-burned charcoal, as R&R noted.

If I was hiking and it started to rain, I usually stopped and gathered a
ziploc full of dry sticks before hiking on. That way, even if it rained all
day, when I got to camp I had plenty of dry tinder and fuel. You don't need
to get a whole meal's worth of dry fuel, just enough to get a fire
going--once it's started, you can feed damp wood in and it will dry out and
then burn. A ziplock full of dry sticks, pine cones, etc, weighs very
little. Another advantage to this is that it keeps the pressure off the
shelter site--one less person collecting wood there.

I also saved good tinder if I found it while hiking. Birch bark is full of
a resin that loves to burn and makes a great fire starter. Dry grass,
shavings, etc. are also good and worth saving.

I left my pot black because it transfered heat even more efficiently that
way. A little messy, but you get used to it. I kept the stove/pot in a
stuffsack because of this.

Ashes go in the shelter firepit, like R&R said. ALso, like he said, just
run the motor/fan to cool it down. The stove cools very rapidly.

Other ZIP TIPS:

To use the Zip for a whole hike, you have to really like playing with
little fires. You have to keep an eye on it and feed it regularly while
cooking, unlike other stoves. And it helps to have a fire-starting knack.
If you don't have one, you'll get one, by necessity. I can still start a
wood fire faster than anyone I know after 6 months on the Trail with a Zip.

If you know you're heading above treeline, remember to pack fuel up with
you, or barter with other hikers who may be willing to let you use their
non-wood stoves: "I'll give you three Snickers if you heat some water for
me."

In some areas, like near Mt. Rogers in VA, where there are rare salamanders
or other critters who need dead wood to survive, don't use the Zip. Eat
cold food or barter for stove use.

Zips don't smoke much if you use the right fuel, but if you're ever in a
mosquito-infested shelter, the smoke will get rid of the bugs. Use green
sticks and leaves to make more smoke.

*******

I've since switched to using a soda-can stove that burns alcohol--much
lighter and cleaner than the Zip, with less environmental impact, but the
Zip has a certain charm--it has that wood-fire camping nostalgia thing, and
it's definitely the best stove for roasting marshmallows.

Grace (Kelly Winters)