Alcohol stoves

[HICKMAN]

Has anyone played with making one of these for their B.O.B. or get home from work bag?

Made with soda can:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2ausAOlan4]YouTube - The Octo Stove[/ame]


One with a cat can, figure it might work with a tuna can as well.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pajkt594Ruw]YouTube - Fancy Feast Cat Food Can Backpacking Stove[/ame]

 

[redneckmedic]

My dad and I experimented with one for back packing. It works but not really well. Took forever to boil a cup of water (the standard measurement) for backpacking stoves. And is very temperamental to wind. The other problem is yo must know how to measure the exact fuel needed. If you lay up short...too bad and if you put too much in....too bad, wasted. No on/off.

 

[Sailor]

Yeah, I have not been impressed. Simple yes but, my MSR is small and boils like a rocket. But most of the time I just build a small fire and put my favorite high tech soup can next to the fire. Boils in no time.

 

[cosermann]

I fiddled with a homemade alcohol burner of my own making once. It's a fun little diversion if you want to learn some principles for a time when you might HAVE to do it yourself someday.

In the meantime, it's much simpler to buy a Trangia.

There are advantages and disadvantages to virtually all stove types. The biggest drawback to alcohol stoves is lower heat output. Although this can be mitigated somewhat by a good windscreen.

I like the simplicity of alcohol burners and wide (worldwide) availability of the fuel.

If you're looking at alcohol stoves, you might be interested in this page:

Review: Lightweight Alcohol Stoves

 

[Cpt Caveman]

Build a few of the coke can stoves and see what works and what doesn't. Then go get some stadium bottles (thick aluminum long neck bottles) and ,make one from those they are a lot tougher , lot less apt to being damaged.

 

[SWAT-DOC]

Ever try a sterno stove?

 

[cosmicjetfighterpilot]

cool things

Mine works best with HEET as a fuel, but other than a cool thing to have around and the idea of it its worthless. But still cool to keep.

 

[Bisley Man]

Ever try a sterno stove?

Yes, back in the 1980's I had some little folding sterno stove. Worked good to heat prepared foods, heat water for coffee.

 

[Deathmedic1]

I was able to build one with the bottoms of two coke cans put together and about 20 small 1/16 Dia. holes punched into the outside of the base of the upper can. Also to ease the task of adding fuel i drilled a .250 Dia. hole in the bottom of the upper can to act as a funnel . It did boil a twelve ounce can of water in about 9 minutes and continued to burn for about 15 more minutes on only about three ounces of denatured alcohol. All in all it is still a great stove for taking caving as it is very simple and if it gets flooded with mud and water it still can be used without a major overhaul.....https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/images/smilies/AR15firing.gif

 

[IndyGunSafety]

I made one of these when the videos first hit YouTube. Mine was a coke can, some insulation and HEAT fuel anti-ice which is simply isopropyl. If I was in a pinch I'd sure try it, but I wouldn't make one to carry around. Too many other good products out there.

I know there are better ones out there, but I like the silly canteen stove/cup combo with fuel pellets! I've always liked that for some reason. Easy to carry if you cary a canteen I guess.

 

[HICKMAN]

Used to have one of these Espit folding stoves when I was in the Army.

Esbit Pocket Stove w/ 6 Fuel Tablets

 

[HICKMAN]

I made one of these when the videos first hit YouTube. Mine was a coke can, some insulation and HEAT fuel anti-ice which is simply isopropyl. If I was in a pinch I'd sure try it, but I wouldn't make one to carry around. Too many other good products out there.

I know there are better ones out there, but I like the silly canteen stove/cup combo with fuel pellets! I've always liked that for some reason. Easy to carry if you cary a canteen I guess.

I'm with you there, I need to visit an Army surplus store and get another canteen/cup combo or three

 

[HICKMAN]

If anything, I'm going to attempt to make some of these can stoves using only my knife and things I'd have in my B.O.B., just "in case" I ever need the skill later

 

[Bill of Rights]

I made one out of two coke cans.

Meh.

 

[jeremy]

Just pony up and buy a good multi-fuel. Like a Whisperlite International.

I have played with this types of stoves before. My opinion is that my Whisperlite had better be trashed before I would try one of these...

 

[HICKMAN]

Just pony up and buy a good multi-fuel. Like a Whisperlite International.

I have played with this types of stoves before. My opinion is that my Whisperlite had better be trashed before I would try one of these...

My point isn't just about "buying" one, for me it's about knowing how to build these various Coke/catfood/tin can stoves for SHTF scenarios like being stranded at work and getting back home....say if an EMP went off an took out all vehicles and I needed to get back to family.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I was able to build one with the bottoms of two coke cans put together and about 20 small 1/16 Dia. holes punched into the outside of the base of the upper can. Also to ease the task of adding fuel i drilled a .250 Dia. hole in the bottom of the upper can to act as a funnel . It did boil a twelve ounce can of water in about 9 minutes and continued to burn for about 15 more minutes on only about three ounces of denatured alcohol. All in all it is still a great stove for taking caving as it is very simple and if it gets flooded with mud and water it still can be used without a major overhaul.....https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/images/smilies/AR15firing.gif

First of all, 1/16th sized holes are to big, 1/32nd is best, 16 to 24 holes works good.

3 ounces is way to much denatured alcohol, 1 ounce will burn 5 minutes.

Make sure that you have a cap for the fill hole because it aids in the fuel delivery, fill with 1 ounce and seal the fill hole with small screw.
Windscreen is vital, and it's best to form a foil protector around it, pour denatured alcohol in the foil protector and light it, when the can heats up enough the vapors will ignite and fire up the stove.

I brought 1 quart of water to a boil in a old medium duty pan in just over 4 minutes, tried it later with a light weight aluminum pan and got it down to 3:30.

With a proper windscreen it will blow away a Swedish Tragia, it lightweight and a 12oz plastic bottle will give you plenty of fuel to work with.

If I ever get around to it, I have 2 - 24oz Molson XXX beer cans that I'm going to turn into a stove with a Heineken 5 Liter can modified as a windscreen/potholder.

 

[bigjoe1968]

Y go to all the trouble when you can use a heat tab ther not expensive and thay have a high heat .you can cook a can of soup in no time. you can get them at the army surplus.

 

[Bill of Rights]

Y go to all the trouble when you can use a heat tab ther not expensive and thay have a high heat .you can cook a can of soup in no time. you can get them at the army surplus.

Because in a SHTF situation where either you haven't prepared or your preparations are not accessible to you, it's good to have some skills and knowledge to get yourself through. Fairly reasonable to assume there will be aluminum cans around no matter where you are.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[45-70]

I've carried one of these Swedish Military alcohol stoves in my canoeing back pack for years and it works great though the little bugger can sometimes be a little difficult to extinguish. Lowe's paint department is the best source I've found for fuel. Stove link below

Swedish Cook Stove [MG_SWED_Stove_kit] - $8.98 : Wardens Supply Company!, The Art of E-commerce