[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[pct-l] ZZZipstoves

Some people have dubbed me the queen of the zipstoves.
I 've used my zip for four years.  I haven't been above
treeline during that period so I haven't yet had to decide whether
to be disobedient or not.
Someone  asked:
I am concerned about fuel availability (how many twigs would I need for
two
15 min burns), soot problems, battery life, etc.

Depends on how hot you want to run it.  At a recent lunch break, we
boiled
two cups of water for drinks, two cups of water for minute rice for us
and
two more cups of water for seconds of rice for us and some for the dogs,

and two more cups for coffee.
For this we burned a 3 or 4 foot branched piece of tree which was as big

as my thumb at the thick end.  .
I really enjoy using the chunks of charcoal left in fire rings...makes
me feel
I'm part of the solution.  I do carry fuel.  I use the end of one fire
to dryout
the start of the next meal's fire and keep it in a sanwich sized ziplock
in rainy
weather.  I carry an old metal bandaid box, wrapped with a layer of duct
tape
for an ash can. (BTW...if anyone has one of these, I'd be pleased to pay
the
shipping to get it.  They seem to have stopped putting bandaids in metal

boxes....go figure<VBG>)  When I'm done cooking, I dump the embers
in the box and book.  It makes a nifty three minute handwarmer.
It does cause sooty pans but after a while the 'nature' of the soot
changes
to a more cohesive coating which may decrease boil times.  It doesn't
take a genius to figure out how to isolate the soot from your other
gear.
Conifers make more soot than deciduous.
As for battery life the websites below list times which I think sound
about
right.  I've always meant to keep track but never have.
http://www.gorp.com/zzstove/sierra.htm
http://yahi.csustan.edu/~gcrawfor/crawhome.html

And then you said:
On the plus side, I would lose that 18oz fuel bottle and fuel, lose that

stove maintenance kit and lose that reliance on a complicated piece of
gear.
I would also lose the fear that said stove would break on me, fuel would

leak on my gear or I would run out of fuel.  I can think of ways around
battery problems, use flashlight batteries (it's a backup anyway).

My ash can weigh just over an ounce and my twig bag about three.
The zipstove and the potandpan/lid combo they sell for it weighs
26 oz so my total cookset is <30 0z..  I could cut that weight with
titanium and propably while before my AT thru, but for now I
like the pot pan combo.

The thing about zipstoves is not everyone enjoys using them.  Type
A's probably won't.  Half the people I've heard from love it and
half hate it.  The thing I love is the QUIET and no worries about
rationing fuel or fuel leaking on your gear. And of course no fuel
weight....well...2-3 0zs <G>.And no petro-STINK!

As far as it being an open fire...I awaite Dave's report.  Does anyone
know if a charcoal grill is considered an open fire.

Reliability/simplicity....To me, there is nothing simple about an
electric
motor.  If my zip broke I'm stuck.  If a whisperlite broke I'm stuck.
Befor my AT thru, I'm gonna buy a new zip and keep the motor from
my old one in my bump box....err...that's a drift box out west <<VBG>>

* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

==============================================================================