Alcohol stoves, buy or build

Would I buy an alcohol stove, or build one?  The answer depends on my use.

BSA (scouting)

For BSA (scouting) you must purchase a stove. The BSA regulations for stoves explicitly prohibit "Equipment that is handcrafted, homemade, modified, or installed beyond the manufacturer’s stated design limitations or use. Examples include alcohol-burning “can” stoves, smudge pots, improperly installed heaters, and propane burners with their regulators removed." Notice how the BSA explicitly calls out "can" stoves. Because of the screw lid and snuff ring I would favor the Trangia or Esbit stoves, and add a separate wind screen and stand. The Trangia Triangle being very good candidate for a stand. I would add an aluminum wind screen similar to the ones that come with MSR stoves. You can find instructions on making your own wind screen on the web.

If I had the funds, I might consider purchasing the pricey Evernew stove set.  I would have to weigh the ability to conserve fuel to the lighter titanium stove. I am impressed with this stove system.

Use not including BSA

I would build a soda can stove, solve the pot stand problem, and use an aluminum wind screen.

To solve the stand and wind screen issue I am experimenting with the Vargo Hexagon Wood stove as combination wind screen and pot stand. The Hexagon works great as a stand. I believe the wind screen should shield past the division between stand and pot.  This keeps the wind from deflecting the flame away from the pot. Since the pot sits on top of the Hexagon, there is no protection at the division. I need to field use the Hexagon to validate the wind screen aspect.

There are other stands and wind screens, you can even make you own. I am still experimenting with the pot stands and will update this post when I reach a conclusion.

One of the reason I really like the Trangia 27 stove system is the stand, wind screen and pot design. The stove actually seems to perform better in a breeze than in absolute calm. The Trangia 27 is just too bulky and too heavy for me to want to carry.

Alcohol Stove (Vargo Triad)

Pros

• Integrated pot stand
• Lightweight

Cons

• Difficult to fill
• Difficult to light
• Small flame
• Long boil times

The Vargo Triad is the first alcohol stove I tried.  I was in a local stove, and the stove was on sale for a small price and I impulse bought it.  Even though the cost was low, I have regretted that purchase many times. Simply put, the stove fails to perform.

This small lightweight stove solves one of the problems with alcohol stoves.  That problem is where to set my pot.  The built in stand and the light weight are the only good things about this stove.  When filling the stove you must take care because the alcohol enters the small filling hole at a very slow rate. You must always fill the stove to capacity (2 oz or 60 ml) in order to light the stove. You fill the stove until a small amount of fuel remain at the bottom of the concave top.  You then light this small pool of alcohol and wait (and wait) for the stove to bloom.

I have devised a work around for faster lighting which I will explain.  But you will still need to completely fill the stove in order to boil 2 cups (500 ml) of water. In order to facilitate lighting the stove, I created a small "pre-heater" (inspired by the Trangia winter attachment) from one of the left over pieces from constructing a soda can stove.  I use the cut out, concave bottom to hold several drops of alcohol which I light, then push under the Triad, this starts the stove very quickly.  The concave "flash pan" then stores on top of the stove, being held in place by the folded pot supports.

On my one and only field use, the stove failed to boil water with one filling.  I had to refill the stove in order to achieve a boil.  Under ideal conditions, (no wind, 72° ambient), the stove took 9 minutes to boil 2 cups (500 ml) and consumed 1.8 ounces (50ml).  

Vargo Triad	Pre-heater
Pre-heater in position	Pre-heater stored. Stand and legs folded

Alcohol Stove (soda can)

Pros

• Lightweight
• Low cost

Cons

• Easily damaged

Soda can spirit burners are, in my opinion, where all the fun is at with alcohol stoves.  Made from two soda cans, these spirit burners work just like the commercial version.  Several web sites have good instruction on how to make these stove.  This site has some very good instructions with visual aids and templates.

With an abundance of empty soda cans, I made so many stoves that I started giving them away.  I experiment with the number of burner holes, the size of the burner holes, placement of the burner holes.  I even made some side burner soda can stoves.  I experiment with all the different variations. My observations were a little surprising in light of my expectations.  I found that burner count and holes affected the boil time and fuel consumption.  Larger holes burned more fuel, but did not decrease the boil time proportionately.  Same with more burner holes.  I finally just arrived at what I thought was the "best" combination.  More to do with ease of construction than science.

For my top burner stove, my boil time (using the Trangia Mini pot) were

Number holes	Boil time	Fuel
32 small	6 minutes	1oz. (30ml)
24 small	6 minutes	1oz. (30ml)
24 large	5 1/2 minutes	1.2oz. (35ml)
side burner	5 minutes	1.6oz. (45ml)

Soda can stove suffer the same drawbacks as other non Trangia stoves.  No way to snuff the flame, no way to conserve fuel from one use to the next use within the stove, no pot stand, and no wind screen. I must note that the stoves are sturdy enough to support a pot with 500ml of water.  Of course the only stove that will actually burn with a pot sitting on it is the side burner.  But the flames of the side burner, with the pot sealing the stove, shoot so far from the stove that most of the heat is lost past the width of the pot.

You will need a pot stand and wind screen for this stove.  I am currently using the Vargo Hexagon Wood stove for a combination pot stand and wind screen.  The jury is still out on the the Vargo Hexagon.  It flexes with the weight of a pot on it, but it has never failed.

Top burner 24 small hole	Top burner 24 large hole
Small hole vs. large hole side-by-side	Side burner

Alcohol Stove (Evernew TI DX set)

Pros

• Lightweight
• Pot stand
• Wind screen
• Fluid level markings
• Cold temperature configuration
• Compact, stove nest in stand

Cons

• Stability, especially with large diameter pot
• Wind screen performance
• No way to conserve fuel from burn to burn
• No obvious method to snuff stove

The Evernew TI is made from titanium.  The pot stand/wind screen is also made from titanium. Total package weight is 3.2 ounces (90 g). Since I already have a MSR Titan kettle I did not purchase the Evernew pot that is part of the Appalachian set.

One of the first things you will notice about the Evernew stove is that it has two rings of burner holes. When the stove is first lit, before the bloom, the flame burns from the large center hole, then jumps to the upper ring of holes, and immediately jumps down to the lower ring.  While burning, the upper ring of hole appear to not have any flame coming from them.  They appear to simply facilitate the bloom.

The time to boil 2 cups (~500ml) of water in the MSR Titan kettle was about 41/2 minutes.  This is faster than any of the Trangia stoves that I tested.  I also noted that the Evernew spirit burner used, by weight, the same amount of fuel as the Trangia stoves that I have tested.

One thing that I missed with the Evernew burner, was the ability to snuff out the stove. In a separate test, without the stand, I was able to place a pot over the stove and snuff it out.

Since there is not a lid for the Evernew spirit burner, the remaining fuel either needs to be poured out, or left to burn off. The two level nature of the burner made reclaiming the alcohol nearly impossible without a wide mouth jar or funnel to capture the liquid as it pours from two locations.  Burning the fuel off seems a better solution than reclamation. You will burn more fuel, than the Trangia, since you cannot conserve fuel from one use to the next.  I have found that predicting the fuel needed is also difficult since fuel use varies with wind and temperature.

The cold weather screen stores under the burner, and when in use is between the burner and the pot. The screen reflects heat back to the burner help maintain a good burn, plus radiates heat to the pot.  I found that the screen adds about 30 seconds to the burn, at the same temperature as the test without the screen. The screen also upped the fuel consumption.

On really odd thing to me, was the warning about refilling a hot stove.  This warning is stamped into the bottom of the stove and can only be read if you invert the stove.  The one place you cannot see if the stove is hot!

One other note.  I also purchased the Ti Cross Stand.  That was a major disappointment.  While small, light weight, and has a larger pot bearing surface, the boil times increased by about one minute.  I suspect it has to do with the distance above the stove that the pot is at, and the cross stand has the pot too close to the stove.  I have include pictures of the cross stand.

Note: The stove and stand are a dull silver/gray out of the box.  The blue you see in the photos is what happens to titanium when heated and then allowed to cool.  Adds a nice look, but does not effect the stoves performance.  Probably messes with the metal hardness, but I have not looked into the science of it, since I have not noticed any softening of the stove or stand.

Packed DX set	Stand base, stand upper (inverted), Ti spirit burner, and cold weather screen
Cold weather screen in storage position of lower stand	Burner place in lower stand. Note cold weather screen stored under burner
Assembled DX set w/burner	Assembled DX set w/burner and cold weather screen place into position.
Ti Burner w/disassembled cross stand	Assembled cross stand
Ti Burner with cross stand in position	Odd place for a warning

Dreams of a lighter pack vs reality

My plans for my major summer backpacking trip have yet to solidify. As I study maps of the area I plan to visit, I keep changing my route wanting to see it all.  One thing keeps coming up.  No matter which route I take or how many days I plan to stay out. Everything I will need I must carry in my pack.

Over the years I have gone through several phases on what to carry.  When I first started backpacking, back pack stoves were basically unheard of in my area.  I did not know a single person that had one.  We cooked over an open fire, carried relatively heavy equipment.  Dehydrated food was not very tasteful.  But I carried a relatively light pack, with just the bare essentials.

As the years went by, my equipment changed.  I also added a stove and water filter.  Dehydrated food quality improved. While I essentially carried more gear, the weight of the pack remained about the same.

Along the time line I married a wonderful lady, and our family came into being.  While my son was still quite young, I remember taking him back packing with me.  I also remember the 80 lbs. weight of the pack I carried.  I no longer carried just the essentials.  I also carried the 'just in case', and extra items that would make for a good experience for my son.

Later, when my son was in the BSA, and going on outings, I was invited along by the Scout Master to help out. Again, my pack contained extra stuff, 'just in case' some scout had problems.  While it did not weigh 80 lbs.  It did weigh 60 lbs. Then came the extended trip into the Wind Rivers of Wyoming.  For this trip, my son and I made some gear changes, and I decide that all the 'just in case' stuff that I had carried, and never used, would not be making the trip.  As a result, my pack weighed 34 lbs.

After my son aged out of scouting, and my professional life became quite demanding. I found that extended trips became nearly impossible to plan, and a simple over-night trip was about all I could manage.  During this time, my eight year old daughter asked if she could join me on my over-night trips.  Suddenly my pack went back to the 60 lbs range. As I carried extra gear, 'just in case', so that my daughter could have a good experience.

My daughter and I have been backpacking for almost 15 years now, and my pack has slowly diminished back to the 45 lbs. range.  While we split gear, I still have a tendency to carry the majority of the gear to lighten her load, but she is always pushing back to let me know that I can quit protecting her.

She is now in college, and our trips have become harder to orchestrate.  So I have started to solo hike. I have added a satellite phone, gps, and solar charger to the pack as safety devices.  This has added some weight, but not a significant amount.  What I have found is that I take more 'just in case' gear again, because I do not have someone else to rely upon for help.  To reduce that weight I have invested heavily in ultralight gear.  I now worry about ounces.  I check the weight of stoves, bags, filters, etc. before purchasing.  I have been able to keep the weight in the 45 lbs. range by doing so.

I have become a gear head. I still probably carry too much gear, but each solo trip trims unused gear from my pack. I hear of backpackers that go for a week (or more) with a sub 20 lbs. pack and I do not know how they do it. The area that I pack in is extremely remote, high altitude (above 10,000 ft), and on my last trip, I did not see another person for the entire trip.  The weather can change from sunny to snow, 80° F to 20° F in a matter of hours (if not minutes).  I must carry gear for all conditions, so I will continue to carry 45 lbs. and dream of a lighter pack.   Happy trails....

Alcohol Stoves (Trangia Triangle)

Pros

• Small
• Lightweight
• Stuff sack
• Trangia burner will also fit in stuff sack

Cons

• Mediocre wind protection
• Separate pot required
• No included burner

Unlike the previous two Trangia stoves I have written about, the Triangle does not come with a spirit burner.  Trangia clearly states the fact that the burner is not include on their web site.  The packed weight (with Trangia burner) is 9 ounces (254 g).  A Trangia burner can be carried in the same stuff sack as the Triangle.

Of all the Trangia stoves, this is the smallest and lightest.  The stove contains three flat stainless steel panels, a ring to hold the spirit burner, and a stuff sack.  The three panels nest and when disassembled lie flat. The whole thing, minus the burner is less than a 1/4 inches thick.  You should also note that unlike the other Trangia stoves, the Triangle does not include a pot.  The Triangle will not nest in a MSR Titan kettle, but will nest in the MSR Titan pot.

The boil test with 2 cups (~500ml) of water took 7 minutes. This is shorter than the Trangia Mini and I chalked this up to the slightly better wind protection.  Note that I used the Mini pot for the test. Where Mini has some deep cutouts that expose the burner to the wind the Triangle is a solid wall up to the tab that supports the pot.  The wind only chance in the small window directly below the pot. This is not complete wind protection, but significantly better than the Mini.

I am impressed with the Triangle.  The Triangle packs small, but when assembled is very stable. However, the fact that a burner is not included seems odd to me. Why sell what is basically a stove, but without the heat source?

Packed (I also placed a burner in the stuff sack)	What comes in the package
Stand assemble without stove holder	Assembled Triangle without burner
Assembled Triangle and burner ready for use

Alcohol Stoves (Mini Trangia)

Pros

• Small
• Well engineered
• Complete stove (burner, stand, pot)

Cons

• No wind protection
• No stuff sack
• Difficult to find locally
• Long boil times

The Mini Trangia Mini shares some attributes with the larger Trangia 27. Two main obvious things are the burner and the nesting of pieces to form a complete stove system.

The Mini includes a spirit burner (with screw lid, and snuff/simmer ring), pot stand, .8L pot, non-stick fry pan (doubles as pot lid), and pot lifter.  The pot has a rim on the bottom to help stabilize it on the pot stand.  The fry pan also has a small rim to position it on the the pot (when used as a lid).  The packed weight is 12.3 oz (348 g).

The burner nest in the stand, the stand nests in the pot, and the handle rests on top of the burner. The fry pan then snaps onto the pot completing the packed unit.  The fry pan snaps on tight enough that the packed stove does not fall apart in your pack.  There is no stuff sack included, nor available from Trangia.  The Mini does not really require a stuff sack, but I prefer one to keep the aluminum from rubbing on things in my pack and leaving a silver/gray residue.

In my testing the Mini took 7 1/2 minutes to boil 2 cups (~500ml) of water.  This is about one minute longer than the Trangia 27.  The pot holder does not provide any wind protection, and boils times can increase significantly in real use on the trail if a separate wind screen is not used.

Packed Mini Trangia	Packed ready for lid
Mini Trangia	Pot stand and burner
Rim on bottom of pot	Pot on stand showing small rim on fry pan
Fry pan on stand	Spirit burner and snuff/simmer ring

Alcohol stoves

Seems that alcohol stoves have peaked my curiosity lately. I even went so far as to build several from soda cans.

First up the Trangia 27

Pros

• Well engineered
• Sealable
• Snuff device included
• Complete (burner, stand, wind screen, and pots)

Cons

• Heavy
• Large
• Stuff sack not included
• No local store carry Trangia

Trangia makes a great stove in various configurations. From the complete 27 and 25 series, to the more compact mini, to the ultra-light triangle and open spirit stoves. All Trangia stoves are built around the same burner. I have two of the Trangia burners (one came with the winter attachment). While the burners are not the lightest alcohol burners I have used, they are perhaps the best engineered. They have a screw on lid with an O-ring to seal the burner and any alcohol within. This keeps any residual alcohol from leaking into you pack. The Trangia documentation states that storing alcohol within is not recommended, and in fact one of my burners leaks alcohol around the crimped ring where the stove is assembled (only an issue if the stove is not upright, and I fixed it with a little lead free soldier). The other burner does not leak. The burners also have a snuff/simmer lid that stores around the screw-on lid. I use this attachment to snuff the stoves after use. I have never had the occasion to actually use it as a simmer device. There is also a winter attachment to help heat the alcohol that works extremely well (I used the attachment is some 4ºF weather). These stoves are impressive in their design and engineering.

Trangia 27: The burner, pots, stand, and wind screen all nest. When assembled it is probably the best alcohol stove system I have seen. This thing can be used in any weather. The drawbacks for me are the pack size and weight. The unit (with stuff sack and winter attachment) weigh-in at a little over 38.2 oz (1084 g). Adding to the weight is the fuel. The stove requires between 1 (30 ml) and 2 (60 ml) ounces of fuel to boil 2 cups (about 500 ml) of water in 6 1/2 minutes. I you figure 2 ounces of fuel per meal, the weight really begins to add up. Trangia sells fuel bottles in 300, 500, 1000 ml sizes. That 5, 8 and 16 boils (meals) respectively. The stuff bag and winter attachment are sold separately. Also available are a multi-fuel and canister burner accessories.

Esbit alcohol burner is almost identical to the Trangia burner. I have not tried the Esbit, but I have seen the burner available locally. That is only the burner, not the entire package I have describe above.

Note: Use a Trangia fuel bottle. The pour top is unrivaled. Do not use aluminum bottles to store alcohol. The alcohol will corrode the bottles quickly! MSR bottles are unlined and will quickly have issues. ;Optimus bottles have an internal coating, but the mouth has gaps between the external paint and the internal coating and will quickly corrode as well (I speak from sad experience :( )

Next up will be the Trangia mini.

Stuff sack (carbon felt is 8.5 x 11.0 in.)	Complete stove packed
Strap and fry pan remove showing nesting	Explode view
Burner packed	Snuff lid removed showing screw lid
Burner resting on lower stand	Burner in the lit position in lower stand
Upper wind screen attached to lower stand	Kettle in wind screen and pot holder
Pot in wind screen and pot holder	Fry pan in cooking position
Simmer/Snuff lid in simmer position	Winter pre-heat attachment
Packed burner with winter attachment	Winter attachment in position to pre-heat
Burner w/winter attachment ready to light	Winter accessories