[at-l] Gear Rant: Zip Stoves

[daveh at psknet.com (David Hicks)]

This is my last response on this as I am  HYOH guy and as I said YMMV.

However, I assume you are looking for answers to some of the questions you
raised.  So here is my take.

>>
SNIP
Denatured alcohol, right?  Where do you find that,
in small towns (and in small bottles?)
<<

I use methanol found in the form of  "gas line anti-freeze."  It is available
in 12 ounce bottles all along the trail at most service stations, most
convenient stores, wal-mart, etc.  WARNING -- be sure you get the gas line
anti-freeze that is pure methanol -- NOT the one with petroleum products.

>>
SNIP
How do you control the flame height or burn rate
with an alcohol stove?  If your cooking is finished
sooner than expected, can you put the flame out
and reclaim the unused alcohol?
<<

I don't.  It is the pot cozy that makes it unnecessary.


>>
SNIP
(Pray tell, what's a "cozy" and what does it do?)
<<

OLD-TIMER alert:

 - The following is a slightly modified version of an often-repeated message.

 - Your delete key is available.

Background:

Like many who started hiking/camping in the 40's, I progresses from campfire
cooking, through a variety of kerosene & white gas stoves, w/ a couple of
canister stoves thrown in.  I retreated to wood with a Zip but now use
alcohol.

Most stoves (the MSR Whisperlite International is a good example) burn hot.
Great for melting snow, cooking thin soups, etc. but a bit of a drag with
thicker soups, sauce, rice and beans, etc. dishes.  Even stoves with simmer
settings (like my x-tream) will often stick thicker stuff.  Even if it does
not scorch, it can be a hassle to clean up.  Moreover, btw, I haven't yet
mastered a simmer ring for a SCS.

To avoid scorching and a mess to cleanup, I at one time used to bring stuff
to a boil than "simmer" stuff in a water bottle wrapped in my sleeping bag;
until I got a wet bag on a cold windy night.  So, I now use a pot cozy to
save fuel (read weight), to keep the concoctions from sticking/burning, and
to save water.  Works great for soup and rice/lentil dishes.  However,
except in soup, pasta can come out sticky.  Commercial Mac&Cheese and the like
being an exception, for some reason.

To make a pot cozy --
Get some 1/2-inch thick closed cell foam.  An over-the-hill pad works.  Create
a strip a little wider than the height of your cook pot w/lid plus 1/2 inch
and a little longer than the circumference of your cook pot, or its lid, at
the widest point of the two.  Glue narrow ends of this strip together to make
a cylinder that just fits around the pot w/lid. Cut two circular piece of foam
to make a top and bottom.  The top circle should be as large as the outside of
the cylinder.  The bottom should just fit inside the cylinder.  Glue the top
to the cylinder to close one end.  Leave the other end open.  Cut a smaller
circle of heavy foil -- the bottom of throwaway pie plate works great.  Glue
this to the bottom foam piece. It keeps the hot pot from sticking to the foam.
My cozy weighs about an ounce and a quarter.

To use the cozy --

For most, "packaged" items follow the micro-wave instructions as to amount of
water to use.

For boil-pour items which require a wait of under 10 minutes, [like Lipton's]
just use the cozy to keep the temperature up.  Put the bottom circle of foam
on a level place, foil side up.  Place pot (w/lid on) on the foil.  Put the
foam cylinder over the pot, lid, and foam bottom.  Let sit undisturbed for
package "cooking time."  In real windy situations, secure with a light rock.
BTW never put cozy on pot while it is on stove, fire, etc.!!

For things that you would normally need to "simmer," boil and stir as normal
for up to 1/4  the normal cooking time.  Experimentation is the teacher here.
For example I boil rice for 2 to three minutes on the stove.  At the end of
that time, there should still be lots of liquid in the pot.  Again, put the
bottom circle of foam on a level place, foil side up.  Place pot (w/lid on) on
the foil.  Put the foam cylinder over the pot, lid, and foam bottom.  Note --
do not put the pot down in the cozy.  That would leave the "open-end up and
let the heat escape.  It is the completely sealed cozy holding the heat down
and around the pot that simmers the food.  Let sit UNDISTURBED for a little
longer than the normal (stove top) full cooking time for the longest cooking
item in the mix.  Do not open it cozy for a peek/check/etc. Hot air raises and
you will have serious heat loss every time you peek.

In the pack:

I pack my stove, pot grippers, spoon (with handle cut down to fit), lighter,
and windscreen in the pot.  They, in turn, go in the cozy , The foam bottom
(when cooking) is now the top and is held in place with Velcro.  So, the
entire cooking rig, sans fuel bottle, takes up a cylinder of space about an
inch and a quarter more diameter and height than the pot alone would take.

I bought an inexpensive dehydrator some time ago and dry my own vegetable
and fruits, except those I find readily available -- i.e. onions, mushrooms,
raisins, etc. I also use powders from King Arthur's Flour.

In the past, I use a lot of lentils (or split pea) and rice-based
concoctions.  Lentils and split peas have an advantage over most beans as
they do not require soaking and they cook in a relatively short time.
Lentils come in white, yellow, red, and black as well as the traditional
grayish-green.  So, you can give yourself some eye relief.  Split peas also
come in green and yellow.

I pre-package my own mixes, for the most part.  Some time ago I learned from
Chase, that if you cook larger dried beans (or just buy canned beans) and then
dehydrate them you can avoid the in-the-field soaking.

BTW -- the Tinman has a different style cozy for sale.  I understand it works
quite well, but I can't speak for the cook times and fuel use.  Maybe he will
jump in here.

As always YMMV.

Chainsaw