[pct-l] SVEA-123 Adventures

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning,

Jim provided a great summery on the care-and-feeding of a SVEA-123.  If I
were peddling one of the simple and light alcohol or canister stoves I
would let – or even insist that -- every prospective buyer read his
description just before I showed them a tiny, but perfectly adequate and
trouble-free, model.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/

On Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 3:14 AM, Jim Marco <jdm27 at cornell.edu> wrote:

> Ha, ha...you guys have all the fun.
>
> I have my plastic drink bottles in 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 floz varieties.
> With a little ingenuity it is easy to strip a piece of 10 or 12ga wire
> leaving a 12" length of vinal plastic tube. Cutting a small hole in a spare
> top with a slightly smaller drill, warming the tube in boiling water(after
> slicing the tube at an angle,) then feeding/forcing it through the small
> hole it is possible to make a tight, non leaking fuel filler cap for them.
> It even sucks back excess fuel from overfilling... And, it reaches beyond
> the burner so you can prime it with the correct squeeze.
>
> Priming does NOT heat the tank. Well, indirectly...it does. It is supposed
> to heat the valve/expansion chamber between the burner head and the stove.
> Any WG that enters this (through the wick in the tank) will flash to gas at
> higher pressures than the incoming gas and out the jet. Then the process
> repeats. Like priming any other WG stove. The pressure goes out the jet AND
> back to the tank pushing more fuel up the wick. The pressure heats the
> tank, with conduction keeping the expansion chamber hot. Some conduction of
> heat into the tank is inevitable, of course, but that is only incidental.
>
> If the flame is roaring, then you are wasting heat. I usually leave it
> about half way to full on for about 30 secs. Then turn it down to what most
> think of as a simmer. It does a slow put-put, but it throws much more
> usable heat. It takes about 7 minutes to boil 2 cups of water. I have run
> it like this for about 4 hours without refilling it and without overheating
> it. With some slight dimpling of the cover/flame deflector, you can reduce
> the roar to a mild hiss...but this is sort of like tuning up an old car....
>
> A "squarish" pot works best. About 5-1/2" dia with a rippled bottom and
> about 5" high. A Kmart grease pot can be ridged with a couple
> sticks...inside and out, by annealing, then working the metal gently with a
> hammer...a series of concentric rings can be hammered into the bottom. It
> will raise efficiency about 15-20%. It also softens the aluminum making it
> far less vulnerable to cracking, though it will dent easier.
>
> The old safety caps should be replaced with the newer spring loaded models
> (pre-1970.) A design flaw with the newer caps, they can fill with dirt or
> become rusted, easily. I recommend putting a drop of olive oil in the hole
> on the cap to prevent rusting of the spring. If you manage to pop the
> valve, tapping it several times on a rock will usually clear the trail grit
> and put it back in service, again. There is no need if you have a SVEA 123r
> or later. You do not need to get a new cap.
>
> They also make a "midi" pump for it that lets you pump the tank to
> pressure, and prime the stove, without pouring WG on it. Simply open the
> valve after pumping 4 times sharply, till you can see fuel on the stem.
> Turn it off and light it. Just as the flame burns down (about 30sec or so)
> turn it on, again. This also works well at 10-15000 feet in altitude at
> -10-20F. It does not rely on self pressurization to force fuel into the
> expansion chamber.
>
> IFF you over heat it and let it burn all the WG out, it can ruin the
> cotton wick. A few strands of cotton mop makes a better than new wick.
> Getting the old one out can be a problem. Simply remove all the pieces and
> burn it out on the stove, or, with a blow torch. They also degrade after
> about 25 years and need replacing anyway.
>
> Laugh all you like... I have had mine for 40 years without failing me in
> the woods. It always starts and runs, wet, cold or at altitude. At 17oz
> (stove, no cup) it is lighter than any self contained stove out there. It
> is the lowest starting weight I can carry for 10 days or longer
> (unsupported) trips at my usage. (I do two or three longish trips per
> year...) It is legal anywhere I go, except if there is a strict NO FLAME
> ban in place.
>
> It produces very small amounts of CO. With a couple vents open in your
> tent, it is possible to start it outside and bring it into your tent for
> cooking. Never recommended, but, sometimes necessary.
>
> A&H Packstoves has parts(http://packstoves.net/cart/ )...call and ask if
> you need them.
>
> User error? Yeah, these LET you make lots of mistakes. Not for the faint
> hearted hiker... But they are the most efficient stove in terms of best all
> around usage I have found. Small volume, compact, excellent fuel
> efficiency, good heat production (max is only 4700 BTU, I recommend about
> 700-800 BTU for operation) durable and reliable in the field. Let's see 40
> years divided by about 40 dollars is about $1 per year and still going.
> Fuel, WG is cheaper than canisters or alcohol, about $8 per year(something
> less than a gallon) at today's rates for about 60 days per year. Weight is
> only average. As part of a 23pound system for two weeks hiking (including
> food) it works for me. UL? Well, I don't really consider myself as a UL
> hiker...more of a comfort hiker. Till I can find a SVEA like design in
> titanium, I'll keep using what I have.
>         My thoughts only . . .
>                 Jdm
>
>