Alcohol Stoves

[MJ from Oregon]

I purchased a Vargo the other day and used it once while out looking for sheds. I'm not sure if i'm using it correctly but it took over 15 minutes and over 1 ounce of Alcohol to hard boil 16 ounces of water @ 30 degrees and 3500'.

At this point I'm not impressed.

HELP?

 

[MJ from Oregon]

 

[Aron Snyder]

If you were you using wrong, than so was I

I have tried a few alcohol stoves and an esbit with the same results. They do eventually boil, but my ADD kicks in way before the boil does and eventually gave up on them.

I do know a few guys that use them...I'll shoot them an email and see if they can chime in.

 

[>>>---WW---->]

Hmmmm! I don't have a problem with mine. I have made several of them from old aluminum beer bottles. The last time I used it, I got a roaring boil in less than 3 minutes at 9000 ft elev. The secret is a good wind screen.

Get on youtube and click on white box stove. Mine is exactly like it except for the wind screen. I tried to make a screen out of aluminum flashing but the stove was so hot it melted it down. So I cut down a pumpkin pie filling can and drilled a few air holes in it. Everything fits in my cooking kettle.

 

[barcher]

I bought this one off of ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RIVET-Side-...ltDomain_0&hash=item5648f1ef64#ht_2558wt_1185

Works great - but a wind screen is key.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

A good wind screen helps, but I have never been able to get a 3 minute 16oz boil. The best 16oz boil time I have been able to consistently get is just over 6 minutes...maybe I don't know what I am doing either.

 

[>>>---WW---->]

http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread-print.cfm?threadid=360904&forum=5

Here is a pic of the stove I made. The windscreen that I got the good burn time out of is basically the same except that I put 1/2 inch holes in the bottom just like in the link. But I tried 1/4 inch ones in the top.

I placed a piese of aluminum foil under the stove and put a little alcohol on it and lite it up. This helps the stove to blossom out much quicker so your heating time is much shorter.

 

[Ironman]

I make alcohol stoves out of venom energy drink cans. Get a boil in less than 3 minutes, and an ounce of fuel burns about 8 1/2 minutes.
I use HEET in the yellow bottle. I did buy a venom last night, and that can was different. They started using a lighter can. Need to keep my eyes open for the original, thicker cans.

 

[>>>---WW---->]

Ironman: Sounds like you have the short boil time figured out also. Got any pistures of your setup?

 

[Ironman]

Ironman: Sounds like you have the short boil time figured out also. Got any pistures of your setup?

Yes, I have pics. Just can't figure out photobucket. Now if we had tapatalk, would post in a jiffy.

 

[Ironman]

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=305515&stc=1&d=1327454932

Here is a link for a photo.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Just copy the image code from photobucket and paste here

 

[Ironman]

Just copy the image code from photobucket and paste here

Link is above for photo.

 

[Lawnboi]

I think you guys that run alcohol stoves are nuts! i like my jet engine! I was always intriuged by those pop can stoves though.

 

[Ironman]

I think you guys that run alcohol stoves are nuts! i like my jet engine! I was always intriuged by those pop can stoves though.

Pop can, or "penny stoves" are different than the thicker white box type stoves. These things are super tough, and need no pre heating. If you run the HEET in the yellow bottle, it's 99% methol alcohol. This stuff burns at any altitude.

 

[TJ]

Weight wise is their any advantage to an alcohol stove?

Anyone try a Caldera Cone with your alcohol set up?

 

[Ironman]

Well, the stove itself weights .70 ounce, and if you pour your fuel in a light weight water bottle, your fuel weight would be less than the factory bottle. Not sure what 99% methol alcohol weighs, but 12 fluid ounces will boil 2 cups of water 12 times over. About as light a stove for boiling water you can have, and no moving parts, or seals.

 

[Ironman]

Just go to www.Batchstovez.com and get all the info you need to build one of these.

 

[Lukem]

Try the Super Cat http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html

Takes 5 minutes to build. Burns denatured alcohol (or most other alcohols) and boils quite comparably to the rest of the alcohol stoves. Weighs little enough that I carry 2 just incase something would happen.

 

[bearguide]

they seem to be good as a back up or for low elevation