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[at-l] Stoves - My Two Cents Worth
i'm reading all thest stove posts with interest.
having just spent the last few hours reading over alchohol
stoves and weighing (monetarily+mentaly) my options...
the optimus nova goes for 100 squid in the uk, the msr
internationale whisper 600 goes for 70 squid.
thats.. a lotta dosh. when i think in aussie dollars
its like.. 250-280ish for the nova, 170-200ish... ouch...
as for the alchohol stoves.. i thought you could get
methylated spirits anywhere? in australia metho + turpentine
was available all over the place.. here in england they call
it (i think) parafin (which makes me think of parafin _wax_)...
but if metho is hard to get in the usa... using a metho stove aint
much point ne?
btw.. why is metho known as alchohol? any relation to
rubbing alchohol? (with my luck it has 10000 different names....)
-Stu 'Just another Mad Aussie in London' George
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-l-admin@mailman.backcountry.net
> [mailto:at-l-admin@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Clark
> Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 6:44 PM
> Cc: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [at-l] Stoves - My Two Cents Worth
>
>
> Orange Bug gave some good info, here is my 2 cents worth:
>
> 1) If you are gonna be in cold weather, and having the
> ability to boil
> hot water [not simmer a 5-course meal, mind you] is critical, then I
> still think a white gas/multi-fuel stove like the MSR Whisperlite
> Internationale, or the new Optimus Nova, are your best bet.
> While most
> of an AT thru-hike does not involve too many days/nights of extreme
> cold, there can be some real winter storm doozies, and with either of
> these stoves, you will have a companion for many decades . .
> . [I still
> have and use my original MSR stove, purchased in the late
> 1970's]. The
> outrigger setup of these two stoves makes them incredibly stable, you
> can use foil windscreens very effectively, and white gas is
> the easiest
> fuel to find on the Trail. Also, both of these stoves can burn just
> about anything else, including regular auto gas, kerosene,
> and the Nova
> will supposedly even burn diesel fuel. Also, if you do run
> out of fuel
> with one of these units on the AT, you almost certainly will find
> someone willing to lend you an oz or two of fuel to get you
> by. I also
> think these stoves are easier to shield from strong winds
> than any other
> stove type. You should count on about one pound total weight, without
> fuel, for these stoves.
>
> 2) The canister stoves have gotten better and lighter, but are less
> stable than the above described stoves. As Orange Bug noted, the
> cansisters won't work until warmed up a bit if the temps are REALLY
> cold. For weight bang per BTU, these are hard to beat - the stove
> itself can weigh as little as 3 oz., and the canisters weigh
> the same or
> less than a fuel bottle full of white gas. I think these are great
> stoves to use on the AT, and you can help insure a steady
> fuel supply by
> using mail drops to cover areas where you are not sure you can buy a
> replacement canister. While it may not be legal to mail these things
> thru the U.S. Mail, people do it all the time, and how in the heck do
> you think they get to the stores where you buy them - by UPS and U.S.
> Mail package delivery, of course! These stoves definitely simmer much
> better than most white gas stoves, though I hear the Optimus Nova
> [mentioned above] has a great simmer setting. Since they sit up a bit
> higher, these stoves are a bit more difficult to shield from strong
> winds. As noted above, total weight, without fuel, can be as low as
> three ounces, and these stoves are somewhat easier and safer
> to use than
> the white gas stoves.
>
> 3) I've not used it, but I think the zip stove is a pretty
> good choice,
> too . . . although finding the wood you need when there are
> two feet of
> snow on the ground in the Smokies can be a bit of a challenge, and you
> do have the potential reliability issue with a fan motor/battery. You
> also will get soot on your pot, but that is no big deal. These stoves
> do put out good heat as long as wind shielded, but wind shielding is
> critical for ANY stove, and I think taking a piece of heavy duty foil,
> like that provided with the MSR stoves, would do wonders for a zip
> stove. Needless to say, you have no fuel issues here, and none of the
> potential safety concerns inherent with the use of white gas or
> compressed gas canisters. I plan to try and buy a zip stove
> soon to see
> for myself how it performs. The stove itself weighs about one pound,
> but there is zero fuel weight, and those who consider such things can
> also take comfort in the fact that they are not buying any
> oil-industry
> based fuel [but, let's be real - think of all the petroleum
> based fuels
> you use in other ways for a thru-hike, from all the
> plastics/nylons, to
> all those trips in cars, trains, planes, buses, etc.]
>
> 4) I've also not used an alcohol stove, but from afar would
> think that
> they are incredibly light, with less fuel weight than all but the zip
> stove, and with reasonable heating capability. They can be made at
> home, but probably have a bit of a learning curve, after which using
> them likely would be as easy as any of the others. You need to make
> your own stove stand, so stability is likely to be
> "variable." I would
> think one of the foil windscreens would work very well. Needless to
> say, there is only one heat setting, though you can cut out a
> metal can
> bottom or top to use as a heat diffuser [that also works with
> any of the
> above stoves, too]. Alcohol is being carried by more and more places
> near the AT, but is not as easiler found as most other fuels.
>
> Hope all this is of some use!
>
> thru-thinker
>
> Orange Bug wrote:
>
> > Thank you for a real live gear question! You might find a nearly
> > religious zealotry of opinions regarding stoves, but at least it is
> > connected to real live hiking on the real live AT.
> >
> > The Sierra Zip Stove is a nice item, using bits of debris
> for fuel but
> > requires batteries to keep the air moving. This could be a
> problem in
> > very cold conditions, but I've not heard of horror stories
> of that in
> > the real world.
> >
> > The alcohol stove (you can go much cheaper with soda/catfood can
> > stoves) work quite well, although you might have to be
> resourceful in
> > obtaining fuel. The cooler flame may not be hot enough for
> cooking in
> > extreme cold weather of February thru March in NOGA and NC.
> >
> > Canister fuels have problems in severe cold as the fuel may not
> > evaporate. Keeping the canister warm inside your shell may
> help. Once
> > lit, they make very good heat. I've personally used it in
> shelters in
> > the Smokies during sub-zero weather. They are all similar with
> > interchangeable cartridges, at least among the same fuel types. You
> > will find cartridges near the AT in the usual places for
> resupply, but
> > it is reasonable to carry two of them at all times.
> >
> > Bill...
> >
> > --- jac 150 <jac_150@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >>Is it feasible to use a canister-type stove i.e. MSR Rocket or the
> >>2.5 oz. titanium stove I have seen advertised?...
> >>
> >
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