[at-l] Gear Rant: Zip Stoves

[shane at theplacewithnoname.com (Shane Steinkamp)]

> I have looked at zip stoves and had contemplated using one,
> however I see a couple of drawbacks.  THe first being that it
> requires a battery to run the fan.  It is not that battery are
> heavy, or they are hard to find, it is that they have a big
> enviromental footprint.  They are hazardous waste and must
> be disposed of properly.

A ZIP stove will run for 8 hours on a single AA battery.  How much alcohol,
white gas, or esbit tabs will you burn in the same period?  What's the
environmental footprint of THOSE?

I don't think you can honestly claim that 8 hours of any of the others are
better than a single AA battery...

Of course, you don't even have to use the battery.  It just takes a little
longer to cook.

> The second problem is that wood tends to be scarce around
> shelters and campsites.  This means that one has to start
> collecting wood long before one gets to where they to spend
> the night.  Some area just don't have a lot of wood.  I see that
> as a pain for me.

It's not really that big of a deal.  For a broader discussion, see:

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking/sections/skills/cookwithwood.htm

The benefits outweigh the drawbacks for me.

> Finally, some areas consider a zip stove the same as an open
> fire and if there are high fire hazard days you may not be
> allowed to use them.  I know of one incident at backpacker's
> site 2 (In NJ) were a Ranger seized a zip stove because there
> was a ban on open burning.

Rangers can't seize your property without due process.

I don't cook in high fire hazard areas.  I eat cold.

Shane