[pct-l] Why I'm I carrying an alcohol stove?

[Jay Bruins]

In theory, no screen required:
http://www.sotooutdoors.com/news/news/Pickup_OD-1RX.html

Personally I’ve been carrying a JetBoil Ti Sol the last few years and I’ve been scratching my head on weight: the entire kit (canister, “pot”, lid, cozy, stand, protective bottom) is ~16oz. (I had noted on the bottom of my canister it had been used for one dinner.) This isn’t much worse that an alcohol stove, is easier to use, and legal in more places. (You could get burned trying to finish one canister and having to carry a spare, or carrying extra due to resupply logistics.)

Of course, I’ve also had the luxury of always using dehydrated food (rehydrate in a pouch). I may want to trade this out for something thats more reasonable to actually cook in to allow for more flexibility on a thru hike.

J

> On Jan 9, 2015, at 1:49 PM, JPL <jplynch at crosslink.net> wrote:
> 
> Don't you have to use a wind screen with the Soto?
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Tim Umstead Sent: Friday, January 09, 2015 4:44 PM To: PCT-L Subject: [pct-l] Why I'm I carrying an alcohol stove? 
> For more then 15 years I have carried an alcohol stove.  While doing the
> JMT last summer, as an experiment, I carried a Soto Wind Master and a
> canister.  I'm looking at some of my math and I'm surprised at what I'm
> seeing and I'm asking myself "Why I'm I carrying an alcohol stove?"
> 
> Some background information, I cook for four people, me, my wife, and two
> kids.  This means I have to go with a bit bigger alcohol beer can stove
> then most.  (Yes I did sacrifice my liver and drink the beer myself)  We
> only cook once a day, dinner.  Our meals only need 1.5 -2 cups of boiling
> water and a little cooking time.
> 
> Alcohol Stove data:
> Foster Beer can stove - .75oz
> Titanium rod and brass pot stand - .6oz
> Plastic 35mm film canister (for measuring fuel) - .2oz
> Titanium windscreen - 2oz
> Hardware total - 3.55oz
> 
> MSR 11 floz Aluminum fuel bottle - 2.8oz  (Yes I know I could use a plastic
> bottle and lighten this up)
> Denatured alcohol - 17.2oz
> Fuel total - 20oz
> 
> Canister Stove data:
> Soto Wind Master w/pot support - 2.3oz
> Hardware total - 2.3oz
> 
> Empty 8oz canister - 5.5oz (So we are comparing apples to apples)
> Butane/propane mix fuel - 8oz
> Fuel total - 13.5oz
> 
> When just looking at the weight the canister stove is the better choice,
> but here is the kicker.  In all the years of using an alcohol stove I have
> found, for my family, that a single 11 floz fuel bottle lasts for 8.5
> dinners.  This summer a single 8oz canister lasted 15 dinners.
> 
> So if a single canister lasts almost twice as long as a bottle of denatured
> alcohol and the canister stove weights less then... "Why I'm I carrying an
> alcohol stove?"
> 
> The Ravens
> PCT '96
> 
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