[pct-l] Backpacking Stoves

[bodhisattvavow at hotmail.com (Matt Bradley)]

Your decision to carry one or two stoves will be dependent on hiking style
to a large degree.  If you and your partner rarely leave each other's sight,
and if either of you are comfortable cooking over a fire in a pinch, then
taking one stove would be appropriate.  However, if you like to have a
little more individual flexibility, two stoves would be appropriate.  Suge
is right that alcohol stoves, especially the soda-can type, are extremely
light and surprisingly durable.      The best pot support design I have seen
yet, and the one I currently use, is made of roof flashing (available for
cheap at any hardware store).  It also functions as a windscreen.  You make
it by cutting out a length of the flashing that is 7-8 in. longer than the
circumference of your pot and as tall as you want the stand to be.  Mark the
sheet at intervals of one third its length and then bend in 1 in. tabs to
one side.  Punch a lot of holes along one of the long sides of the metal and
then wrap it around so that the tabs are on the inside.  You can secure it
by cutting half way through each end to form interlocking tabs.  All of this
may take several tries to get it to fit your pot properly but the materials
are really cheap.  Also, the flashing seems to come with some sort of
coating on it that burns off when you use the stove.  Therefore, don't
breathe the fumes the first few times that you use it.  Good Luck
Peace and Love,
Matt