I am really not knowledgeable about outdoor craft and prepping, but I would like to put together some bits of kit. I live in a small apt outside DC, so I am unable to store much of anything.

I have been thinking about getting a small spirit stove. Looking to keep it small/cheap (<$50) since it would only be used in an emergency situation.

So what are your thoughts/suggestions.

Make your own from soda cans. Google penny stove. Or get an emberlit http://www.emberlit.com/ not a spirit stove but a twig stove. I love mine!

I use those dry fuel tablets. Less of a chance of spillage in my bag, drawer or where ever. Just use some rocks or something to prop up your pan/pot. An actual twig stove like Seth uses is better for long term, but tablets are easier for emergency or planned camping in my opinion.

Another vote for tabs instead of liquid fuel.

Oh yeah, get one of the folding East German Esbit stoves, it is about the size of a deck of cards. The stove holds a couple tabs, can hold a can, and is easy to pack/carry.

Sethro,

Muchas gracias for the info on the Emberlit. I'm not quite sure why wrx was looking for a spirit stove for a crap/fan situation when natural fuel is the logical choice, maybe he can clarify. Nevertheless, this is what I've been looking for. If anyone has other alternatives, I would love to hear them.

Same here
I also made a buddy burner out of a quart can

They have gone up a few bucks lately. He has gotten them in stores and need to raise the price so retailers could make something from them. Mikhail is a standup guy and makes a great product. Goes out of his way to make customers happy. The Ti model weighs in at under 6oz and can hold a cast iron double boiler, full! The stove takes up no room and is easy to assemble. I slip mine next to my water bladder in my hiking pack. Makes a great enclosed fire for roasting marshmallows with the kid in no burn areas! I really should do a full review here.

I will have to do a quick search later
There are at least two similar products that I know of, one is made in Britain and another site gives you simple plans to make your own

http://www.nimblewillnomad.com/stove.htm
Here are the directions on how to make a small stove

http://zenstoves.net/Wood.htm
More stove plans

Two reasons, cost and I have no idea what I should be considering. I'm really thinking short term, few days of power outage. Maybe fuel tablets is what I should get.

Thanks for suggestions everyone!

Check out the stoves. If you can find one that will burn the tabs or natural fuel it would be the best of both worlds. There are a lot of dual use fuel stoves out there.

My favorite spirit stove >>> The one that doesn'T burn my bourbon.

We're NOT talking about that kind of spirits JJ. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks, I have been looking and found this: http://foldingfirebox.com/

That thing weighs 2lbs!

Poke a few holes in the side of a tuna can and use fuel tabs...Esbit type or trioxane. Cheap and effective, it worked great for us in VietNam. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I agree with PK: just a small tin will be enough to burn either solid fuel or alcohol. I made a burner from a Kiwi boot polish tin: packed a bit of insulation material from the loft inside it and popped some mesh over the top. Can use solid or liquid fuel, can pop it inside an Emberlit or under a GI canteen stove.

One thing to note though, be careful if you're intending to use these inside. Any burner will use your oxygen and pollute your air. Over here we get hexamine with our rations and it's poisonous stuff: must be used where there's plenty ventilation. Esbits aren't too dissimilar.

i would vote for an alcohol stove, because they are light weight, inexpensive, burn clean with no smell and the fuel is cheap and readily available almost anywhere.

i checked out a lot of designs before settling on the one i made. its made from a soda can but out of 3 pieces which give it an inner and outer wall, its super efficient and doesnt require a pot stand. i can boil up 2 cups of water in 4 or 5 minutes and it only takes an ounce of fuel for 10 minutes of burn time which is enough to cook most survival types of packaged food.

aside from that i made myself a wood gassifying stove. it's not as small and pack friendly as the alcohol stove, but its still light weight and relatively small.

an old survivalist dude told me once that its a great idea to pack both of these stoves. to use the alcohol stove when you need to be covert, because it puts off zero scent. and to use the wood gassifyer when you aren't worried about it.

i have pics of both designs around here somewhere, i'll have to post them up.

It would be interesting to see them WW.

here's the gassifier. the double wall construction allows for air to enter through the bottom and travel up the inner wall which creates a vortex of circulating air that feeds the fire. very efficient design, once it gets going it burns very clean.

since this pic, i've added a lid and constructed a collapsible pot stand that packs inside.

Nice work WW! I don't trust my own engineering skills to make something like that but I do have a Bushbuddy (I think it's called) gassifier. Great little burners when you use them properly. Like all small wood burners they need good prep and monitoring to work well. It is impressive when you see the smoke become flame though!

I use a Storm Kettle from Eydon kettle. Also known as kelly kettle or ghillie kettle.



Trngia is a OK alcohol stove. You can also buy just the Trangia burner and use a diy stove/stand for a kettle.

I'm digging the design of the emberlit. Might have to get one. Or might try and make my own. I have an alcohol stove my friend made. It's tiny and super light, but the fuel reservoir is really small so I have to refill it like twice before it boils water

I think I'm going to score one too. Looks great, totally packable and functional.

Great thread! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

didn't forget about this thread. cooked up some soup last night and snapped a few pics of my alcohol stove in action.

from first light to bloom and then with the pot on top <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I have all 3 . An Esbit , a small spirit stove and an Emberlit . By far the Emberlit gets the most use . Here in Ontario Canada if you are in the wilds , you in the woods . So there is plenty of free fuel . The great thing about the Emberlit is that you can use such small pieces of wood that even at a campground you can find enough sticks and branches laying on the ground to cook with . The reson for that is that most people looking for firewood wouldn't bother with such small pieces of wood . Or you can split down ONE good sized piece of firewood into enough fuel to cook 4 or 5 meals .

The Esbit is a great little stove too and I prefer it over a spirit stove for the reasons already mentioned , the possibility of it leaking into your pack . However the spirit stove WILL produce a more intense heat than the Esbit .

Hope some of this helps .

emberlit style stoves are easy to make yourself as well. i have plans to make one this summer.

I am starting to lean towards that option as well. If it turns out well it would be fun to make a few as gifts for family members.

You DID say FORUM members, right. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Great minds think alike. I tinkered around with an old tea tin this weekend. I need to strip the paint though. I haven't cooked with it, but it did burn nicely. Kicked up quite a bit of smoke at first, but once it got going, it was better.

You can always go past ultralight with an extreme light stove. The Dakota firehole.



I just use rocks.

it's a trade off - the gassifier type stove will burn hotter, but doesn't break down as small/flat as the emberlit style hobo stove.

pit fires are great when i have the time.

during spring break i'll have to post pics of my stuff. The little emberlit copy and my friend's alcohol stove

and I really like this too. I'm thinking of getting a small shovel. What are your ideas on those? folding or non folding? anyone have experience with CS shovel?

I use an E-tool often. Not sure what model it is. I "acquired" one many years back during a deployment. I'll check it next time I dig it out. I prefer folding just so it can fit in the pack better. Never had any issues with the connection.

This is what I have had for about 5 years. Heavy use and it still functions like new, although it doesn't look new anymore. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

At 4 ounces, the Vargo Titanium Stove might be a more economical and weight friendly alternative to the Emberlit.

Vargo makes a titanium alcohol stove too and it weighs an ounce.

i should weigh both of my diy stoves. hadn't even thought of it.

I can't find specifics for that stove, but a lot of Vargo's titanium products are produced in China. Which would account for the lower cost.

Hard to avoid buying some things from China, but I do like to know. I try to buy USA when I can. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I like "Made in U.S.A." as much as any other American. But ...

In that case, if you are willing to pay a little more, and I think it is not a bad idea to have it U.S. made, try this. http://www.emberlit.com/emberlit-ul-titanium

check you tube look at rocket stoves. you will like them, they use trash wood and you can cook on it. eazy to make.

I have a Ti Vargo alcohol/fuel tab stove. Great little piece of gear for under 35. Basically weighs nothing.

Fuel in a good bottle you should be safer against spills. Alcohol is fairly tame and can be used to clean gunk off stuff as well.

Just ordered the ember lit. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

This thread got me thinking and we all know that is dangerous
I am picking up a mini Trangia tomorrow
And I have been thinking about making an alcohol wick stove and another wax wick stove once I get back from Toronto
I just might have made a weekend project for myself

take pics!

Gotta pick up some methanol as well for the tests

Tonight I decided to do a very unscientific comparison between my new mini Trangia and my old Coghlan's emergency stove

I put approximately 28 to 30 ml of methanol in the Trangia and let it sit for about 2 minutes
I put 1 Coghlan's solid fuel tablet on the other stove

I placed 200ml of tap water into identical tinfoil bowls.

Lit both stoves and immediately placed the water on the stoves

The water on the Trangia started a rolling boil at 4 min 35 seconds
At the 7 minute mark I added a second fuel tablet to the emergency stove
At 8 minutes 20 seconds the water on the emergency stove started a rolling boil

At the 13 minute mark the water on the Trangia stopped boiling
At the 15 minute mark the water on the emergency stove stopped boiling


Bottom of bowl placed over the emergency stove after boiling water


Bottom of bowl placed over the Trangia stove after boiling water


Picture of Trangia stove


Picture of emergency stove


Both stoves with tomorrow's turkey in the background

Never mind the mess on the stove I was bored and just pushed everything back to put the 2 stoves on

I have thought about an alcohol stove, but the thoughts of keeping the fuel in a plastic container like they recommend (ok as most folks usually use) just bothers me. PLUS it is dependent of a "Can I find it" fuel source. That is why I am lean toward the natural fuel stoves.

i think its advantageous to use both. options are good.