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Alcohol Stoves

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    • Hello,
      I've been following this fine thread for a couple of years now, not intervening because what I found here was more than enough for me to understand what works and how to build me some stoves (I have currently built a number of CHSu-s and eFREVO-s). But now it's time to intervene and ask you guys: did you try these alcohol stoves at higher altitudes / in lower climates?

      I'm asking because recently I decided to try out some of my stoves (which work perfectly in low terrain, back home) in real conditions for my typical hike (around 2000m / 6500 feet altitude, and around 5-10*C / 40-50*F). And the ugly surprise was that in those conditions the alcohol would behave just like water: would not ignite for the love of God. I even tried with a lit up piece of paper, but to no positive result whatsoever. Suspecting the alcohol was to blame (lower quality?), I tried it again back home, and lo and behold: it works! So it's not the alcohol.

      So, the question above follows naturally: did any of you gents and lassies try these alcohol stoves at higher altitudes / in lower climates? Do you have any advice for these scenarios? Because making a fire just to heat the stove sounds absurd and ridiculous...
      Thank you so much,
      Eros
    • erosnicolau wrote:

      Hello,
      I've been following this fine thread for a couple of years now, not intervening because what I found here was more than enough for me to understand what works and how to build me some stoves (I have currently built a number of CHSu-s and eFREVO-s). But now it's time to intervene and ask you guys: did you try these alcohol stoves at higher altitudes / in lower climates?

      I'm asking because recently I decided to try out some of my stoves (which work perfectly in low terrain, back home) in real conditions for my typical hike (around 2000m / 6500 feet altitude, and around 5-10*C / 40-50*F). And the ugly surprise was that in those conditions the alcohol would behave just like water: would not ignite for the love of God. I even tried with a lit up piece of paper, but to no positive result whatsoever. Suspecting the alcohol was to blame (lower quality?), I tried it again back home, and lo and behold: it works! So it's not the alcohol.

      So, the question above follows naturally: did any of you gents and lassies try these alcohol stoves at higher altitudes / in lower climates? Do you have any advice for these scenarios? Because making a fire just to heat the stove sounds absurd and ridiculous...
      Thank you so much,
      Eros
      Welcome. I can't speak to high altitudes but have experienced the same thing in temps in upper 30's-low 40's. After doing all the tricks to warm up the alcohol, it still would not light.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • I usually have to prime my Penny Stove in cold weather. I have another soda can bottom that serves as both a stove stand (alcohol stoves don't work when sitting on cold ground) and a priming dish. I put a tiny splash of alcohol in the pan, put a wisp of TP in the primer, and light that. That's generally enough to get it going. That's when starting with cold alcohol.

      But I seldom need to start with cold alcohol. I have a TSA bottle (you know, one of those 3 ounce bottles that you can decant shampoo into) that I can fill with alcohol and carry in the inside pocket of my jacket, so I have warm alchy to start with.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • erosnicolau wrote:

      Hello,
      I've been following this fine thread for a couple of years now, not intervening because what I found here was more than enough for me to understand what works and how to build me some stoves (I have currently built a number of CHSu-s and eFREVO-s). But now it's time to intervene and ask you guys: did you try these alcohol stoves at higher altitudes / in lower climates?

      I'm asking because recently I decided to try out some of my stoves (which work perfectly in low terrain, back home) in real conditions for my typical hike (around 2000m / 6500 feet altitude, and around 5-10*C / 40-50*F). And the ugly surprise was that in those conditions the alcohol would behave just like water: would not ignite for the love of God. I even tried with a lit up piece of paper, but to no positive result whatsoever. Suspecting the alcohol was to blame (lower quality?), I tried it again back home, and lo and behold: it works! So it's not the alcohol.

      So, the question above follows naturally: did any of you gents and lassies try these alcohol stoves at higher altitudes / in lower climates? Do you have any advice for these scenarios? Because making a fire just to heat the stove sounds absurd and ridiculous...
      Thank you so much,
      Eros
      I have a 2 ounce nalgene bottle to keep my Heet methanol alcohol in. In the cold 5500' I had not problems lighting my stove when I kept the fuel bottle in my pocket for about 1 hour. The tiny bottle makes that easy.
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123
    • I have not tested at altitude. But I have tested my ECHS stove at 5 below zero. I chilled the stove and fuel to 5 below. The water in the pot was room temperature. To light the stove I just dropped a wooden kitchen map into the stove. It took about 45 seconds to get going. Once it started, it performed exactly like normal.
    • In cold weather, keep your stove and some fuel near body temperature. Insulate the bottom of the stove from the ground. If your pot rests on your stove, modify the stove so there are only three points of contact with the pot, or use a separate pot stand. To light the stove, dip a twig in alcohol, light the twig, and dip the burning twig into the alcohol in the stove. As a last resort, ball up a sheet of toilet paper for a wick, centered in the alcohol away from the side of the stove. The wick will burn up after the fuel, leaving ash and a stain inside your stove.

      Methanol has a lower boiling point than ethanol, so using methanol may help, but it is far more toxic than ethanol. A few drops of something flammable with an even lower boiling point might help, but could melt your stove or blow it to pieces, and throw burning fuel in all directions. I will have to experiment with this last idea to find out what works.

      I use a double wall stove with eight vertical jets. The inner wall rises above the jets and the outer wall, and extends to the bottom of the stove. The inner wall doubles as a pot stand when I want a slower burn, but a separate pot support is needed until the pot and its contents are warm enough to not draw away the heat needed to vaporize the fuel. The inner wall has a large enough diameter and is short enough to allow easy lighting with a lighter. I tip the lighter past horizontal and make the spark near the open pool of alcohol. I move my hand away quickly, less than a second after making the spark. If that is too fast to ignite the fuel, then I use a twig or a wick.
      I am human and I need to be loved - just like everybody else does
    • I've had no problems with Heet at 10,000+ ft. The only problem I've had is when I put the stove on the ground, condensate developed in the stove and it never got hot (this was at low elevations), I started carrying a piece of flashing cut the size of my pot so it fits in the bottom of it and set the stove on it rather than on the ground, this seams to have taken care of the problem.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.
    • odd man out wrote:

      I cut a circle the size of my pot from a disposable aluminum pie pan to put under my stove. It has a dimpled surface so it is nice and stiff even though it's not much thicker than Al foil.
      I also punched a bunch of holes in mine, which lets me use it as a steaming basket in the stove when it isn't a heat reflector on the ground.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • A little while ago I got out our MSR white gas stove and tested it for proper operation in preparation for this year's MLK hike. While I was standing there watching it burn, I got to thinking.
      Has anyone ever heard of, or tried, an alcohol stove that had a constant feed from a fuel container, something like how the MSR white gas stoves are constantly fed from a separate fuel bottle?
    • LIhikers wrote:

      A little while ago I got out our MSR white gas stove and tested it for proper operation in preparation for this year's MLK hike. While I was standing there watching it burn, I got to thinking.
      Has anyone ever heard of, or tried, an alcohol stove that had a constant feed from a fuel container, something like how the MSR white gas stoves are constantly fed from a separate fuel bottle?

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I have seen it done, I think it was on BackpackingLight,
      I saw one on the net too, maybe tinny bull design.
    • meat wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      A little while ago I got out our MSR white gas stove and tested it for proper operation in preparation for this year's MLK hike. While I was standing there watching it burn, I got to thinking.
      Has anyone ever heard of, or tried, an alcohol stove that had a constant feed from a fuel container, something like how the MSR white gas stoves are constantly fed from a separate fuel bottle?

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I have seen it done, I think it was on BackpackingLight,
      I saw one on the net too, maybe tinny bull design.
      yes, he has had these kind stoves for a while
    • Hi all,


      I'm new to the forum here and though that it would be a good place to start on my quest to find a collaboration partner for an alcohol stove project.


      If you have knowledge on how to build alcohol stoves, particularity Tektobas design I would love to hear from you and potentially collaborate on a project.


      Anyone out there? PS.


      If you aren't interested in collaborating I'm also interested in hiring someone for their time.



      Cheers!


    • This thread had a boatload of info on making those types of stove a while back. But it might mean going though 45 pages of old posts. I have made many eCHS stoves and still use that. I have stopped experimenting much as I now have a system that works pretty much the way I want it. Let me know if you have questions.
    • jx11 wrote:

      Hi all,


      I'm new to the forum here and though that it would be a good place to start on my quest to find a collaboration partner for an alcohol stove project.


      If you have knowledge on how to build alcohol stoves, particularity Tektobas design I would love to hear from you and potentially collaborate on a project.


      Anyone out there? PS.


      If you aren't interested in collaborating I'm also interested in hiring someone for their time.



      Cheers!



      I built stoves based on Tetkoba's designs. It is hard to find suitable containers, although I saw some small Jose Cuervo margarita cans that looked promising.

      I use a shorter wider heavier sturdier alcohol stove with vertical jets (no converging vortex) when I hike. I am not a gram weenie.
    • Today I dug out my stove building tools and supplies. I gummed up my favorite stove by burning fuel injector cleaner. I have some ideas how to improve the design. I will be killing two birds with one stone by building a new alcohol burner. The gummed up stove worked somewhat like a coffee percolator, occasionally sending a few drops of fuel over the outer edge of the stove. The overflow generally burned up before reaching the picnic table, but to be safe I will modify the design to avoid the overflow. I went shopping for suitable cans today, but did not find a 2.25 oz Underwood deviled ham can. I may have to special order some. I still need to find my side-cutting can opener.
    • odd man out wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Hikers must be the only people in the world who choose their food based on why kind of can it comes in :D
      I just drank a can of hop soda because the can can be used to make an ECHS stove and the label is a piece of shrink wrap plastic. When removed you have a nice unpainted can. The soda is good too.
      The Jose Cuervo 200 ml cans are the best I have seen for making Tetkoba's easy CHS (capillary hoop stove).
      [IMG:https://shop.iowaabd.com/images/product-page/058893-1.jpg]

      The post was edited 1 time, last by WanderingStovie ().

    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Hikers must be the only people in the world who choose their food based on why kind of can it comes in :D
      I just drank a can of hop soda because the can can be used to make an ECHS stove and the label is a piece of shrink wrap plastic. When removed you have a nice unpainted can. The soda is good too.
      The Jose Cuervo 200 ml cans are the best I have seen for making a CHS.[IMG:https://shop.iowaabd.com/images/product-page/058893-1.jpg]
      Did you admit to drinking it?
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123
    • Rasty wrote:

      WanderingStovie wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Hikers must be the only people in the world who choose their food based on why kind of can it comes in :D
      I just drank a can of hop soda because the can can be used to make an ECHS stove and the label is a piece of shrink wrap plastic. When removed you have a nice unpainted can. The soda is good too.
      The Jose Cuervo 200 ml cans are the best I have seen for making a CHS.[IMG:https://shop.iowaabd.com/images/product-page/058893-1.jpg]
      Did you admit to drinking it?
      Nobody has to drink it. I did not.