[at-l] Alcohol stove heresy

[Phil.Heffington@oc.edu (Phil Heffington)]

When openly contributing my comments about the pros and cons of alcohol
stoves vs. the Whisperlite gas stove I try to be as objective as my own
biases allow.  However, after trying out a number of home built alcohol
stoves and the commercial Mini Trangia 28, and one or two that others
have sent me in the mail, I have decided to stick with my good old
Whisperlite Internationale.  I know that the name "Whisperlite" is a
misnomer on two counts but, after all, I'm the one carrying the weight,
so that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Despite Jim's ability to keep his pots clean while using one, I have
never mastered that ability completely, and, after a week on the trail,
I always end up with a somewhat blackened pot.  That's not necessarily a
problem, just a fact of life for me.

I like the atomic bomb efficiency of the Whisperlite in both cold and
hot weather.  It is fast and HOT!  My claim to fame has been in
mastering  the art of simmering  with the thing.  I can do it!!  Don't
ask me how.  It is a matter of Zen and total oneness with the universe
when all the planets are in proper alignment.  Let's put it this way.
It was easier to learn than figuring out what size holes, at what angle,
to put in an home built alcohol stove to make it even close to being as
efficient as a gas stove. 

Of course, YMMV, and as I believe Jim or David once said in his own
caeat, "Advice is worth what you pay for it, and this is free."