[pct-l] re: alcohol stove, fuel quantity

[Michael Henderson <mhat92@tidepool.com>]

a while back, i posted that i was going to try a modified tuna-can
windscreen with a trangia burner.  i want to combine a burner/pot stand and
windscreen into one, partly for weight savings, partly for even easier set
up and use.

what i have come up with is pretty cool, i think.  i've constructed a stand
out of aluminum flashing that is much lighter than the westwind stand and
msr windscreen combined, and equally efficient.  i got a length of 4" wide
flashing, and cut it down to 3".  i cut enough to make a 4.5" diameter
cylinder.  if you take the two ends of the flashing, fold 1/2" flap *down*
on one end, and 1/2" flap *up* on the other end, you can form a cylinder
with excellent structural integrity by interlocking these 1/2" flaps.  (i
hope that makes sense).  ok.  then, i drilled six 1/2" holes around the
top, and six 1/4" holes around the bottom, for air flow.  this didn't
provide quite enough oxygen to the alcohol, so between every other pair of
holes around the top, i cut out a small triangle from the top edge (making
3 triangles).  this provided some excellent ventilation.

anyway, you set the burner (trangia or other) on a level spot and light it.
 take your cylinder and place over/around the burner.  put pot on top.
boils water just as fast as the westwind/msr combo.  for storage, i unhook
the flaps of the cylinder and wrap it around my fuel bottle, securing with
a rubber band or hair elastic.  this keeps it from being crumpled, and
maintains a nice 'spring' in the flashing for a snug fit when interlocking
the flaps to form the cylinder.  

can't seem to get my kitchen scale to register a weight, but i think it's
about an ounce.  together, windscreen, stove, and empty pint fuel bottle
weigh 5oz.

about fuel efficiency.  i hiked a month on the AT last fall, mailing myself
some fuel, buying at other times.  i always had way too much fuel, but
then, towns are closer there.  this was the first time i'd used an alcohol
stove for an extended trip.  for one person, 16 oz lasted about 6-7 days
with two cooked meals (simple meals - boil, add stuff) a day.  if all
you're doing is boiling 2 cups of water once a day, i'd say you could get
two weeks out of 18 oz. (that's 1 pint plus the 2 oz in the trangia burner). 

i am expecting to carry 16 oz for two people on the thru this year, cooking
one meal a day and a hot drink in the morning if we want.  i should get 6
days out of that.  in lone pine, i'll carry out a quart to get to VVR.  i
expect to find something to burn at every stop, either at a hardware store,
grocery store, or bum some paint thinner from the motel.


mike
ke kaahawe, AT92  TYT94  PCT99!
mhAT92@tidepool.com
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