[Gordy Comer]

You gotta check this one out: (royrobinson.homestead.com) 's Cat food can alcohol stove. Lynda and I made a couple of these in a few minutes on a cool Monday afternoon. They are all they are claimed to be. After extensive testing, (I made several cups of tea and boiled lots of water) they compared well with my GAZ stove, and my MSR shaker jet stove. Again: faster, (when you work in setup time) lighter, quieter-no noise, cheaper. I used a stop watch. Last fall, my MSR failed me at Pedro Camp-Dutch Miller, and dinner was delayed while I learned how to service it. I can't see how this would happen with the Cat Food Can Stove. Does anyone know how alcohol does at higher elevation? Can't wait to try it out on a trip, I will leave those stupid, heavy stoves in the gear locker. See you on the trail!

[rubberlegs]

I've found alcohol stoves a little slower, but the weight makes it worthwhile. Alcohol doesn't have as much energy per pound as white gas, and since the stove isn't pressurized you don't get the MSR blowtorch effect. Nonetheless, for parties of 1-2 they are the only way to go! They work the same at low elevations as high from my experience. Maybe your catfood can version is more efficient than my juice can version. There are quite a few of these out there -- using tuna cans, pop cans, cat food cans, etc. Mine weighs less than an ounce. Zero maintenance. Just don't step on the dern thing! By the way, they are a lot better than Esbit solid-fuel stoves in my experience...

[Quark]

I second rubberlegs' responce: he helped me make my soda-pop can stove (only it's a small V-8 can) nuthin' beats it for less bulk and weight. It's so small that I have to be meticulous about making sure it doesn't blow away in the wind while setting up and breaking down my meal fixins, and it's so small I have to make sure to store it in my cooking pot so it doesn't get lost. I'm a lazy cook at camp, so all I ever need is boiled water (wish I didn't even need that, but I tried having cold meals on a multi-day trip once, and it almost drove me nuts). However I'm not so proud that I won't partake of a 7 course meal someone else has prepared on their more elaborate stove. Well, if they offer it to me, that is. Or if they leave it unattended.

[salish]

I really want to try one of these soda pop (or V8) can stoves with alcohol. Last year I used a little Esbit stove, then an Esbit "Wing" stove and it was really nice just to set the tab on fire and wait for water to boil for coffee and food. No noise, nothing, and it weighed nothing. I really like the solid fuel Esbit tabs but I hate paying the equivalent of $50 per tab. So I may take close look at these alcohol stoves.

[Gordy Comer]

I am here to say that my new alcohol stove worked fine on a 3 day trip to Ancient Lakes. For making water boil it was quick and simple. I have not yet mastered the simmer ring. A gov't bird counter stopped and talked lightweight gear. He spotted my cat can stove and said he knew of one made of a soda can, tiny jets made with a fine sewing needle, that was still faster. Would someone please tell me if there are plans for this? See you on the trail.

[rubberlegs]

Hey Gordy, I've made 10 or 15 juice/pop can stoves, and have settled on the Trangia copy. No priming and pretty easy to build. Here's one set of plans: PCThiker.com Look at the "Pepsi can stove" instructions. I use "JB Weld", a high-temperature expoxy, instead of heat-resistant tape. Easy to use and bomber. Hole sizes are not critical with the Trangia copies. I find the 5.5 oz juice cans a better size for my 1.3 liter pot. The regular 12 oz pop cans make too wide a flame (wastes precious heavy fuel!). Total weight for a 3 day trip for stove and fuel is 3/4 pound. I use three tent stakes to hold up the pot (or rocks, ice axes, anything except burnable sticks). A wind screen is vital!! I use the MSR stove windscreen, but some make 'em out of disposable cooking tins. Regular aluminum foil seems too wimpy. There is another stove that you might find on the 'net (too lazy to look it up right now). It is a pressure vessel... kinda scares me. If it blows up you are in trouble. However it does work hotter. Requires priming. Hole size very critical for optimum performance. Good luck! Let us know how it works out.

[Geek Dog]

3/4 pound That seems a bit heavy for stove and fuel or does that include pot? My Snow Peak Giga w/ auto ignition & small cannister weighs 2/3 lb and would easily last for 3 days. I find many of these gadgets somewhat amusing. Recently I was on a winter slog up Grebetchnil Mt with a bunch of buddies. In the old days, we'd get to the top, extract our stoves from the packs, and sit on them (the packs, not the stoves), melt some snow, and enjoy a cup of joe. Then we'd chat, enjoy the views, maybe wander off here and there taking in other views, and generally enjoy nature. But on the recent trip, all the tin can stove enthusiasts spent nearly the whole time on the summit messin with their stoves.

[marzsit]

i use a trangia westwind with a homemade windscreen, and an evernew 1.3l titanium pot. simple, durable and reasonably light.

[rubberlegs]

Hey Geek Dog, you can have your fun with store-bought stuff, and we can have our fun making our own. My 3/4 pound estimate was done in haste but I'm too lazy to calculate the exact weight. Don't use a tin can stove to melt snow -- way too slow. Use your cannister for that heavy-duty stuff.

[Odonata]

I also use an alcohol stove. Mines a pepsi can. Easy to make. Here's the http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsistoveinstruct.shtml instructions I followed. The weight advantage peters out as you spend more days in the field and carry more fuel. For me, if it's 5 or more days I'll probably bring pressurised fuel.

[marzsit]

i find that i usually use about 2 ounces of fuel per day, either alcohol (heet) in my trangia or white gas in my XGK or whisperlite. this is for spring/summer use, not melting snow for water. 2-4 hot drinks and a hot dinner.. alcohol stoves require some practice, since they work best when you use only enough fuel for the required job. i've reached the point where i know exactly how much fuel at a certain altitude and temperature i'll need to use to boil a specific amount of water, and i usually come pretty close to boiling/stove burnout. and no matter what stove you use, a pot cozy is a much better alternative to simmering on a stove. lightweight, saves a ton of fuel and no chance of burning the food.