[pct-l] Alcohol and Other stoves

["Tom Simon" <simontom@cgocable.net>]

Hi Greg,
Thanks for the info you posted regarding the appearance of soot as an
indicator of incomplete combustion. It makes good sense. If you get time,
let me know what you think about the following.
I have been doing experiments with different Alcohol over the past month or
more. I have tried to be consistent with the amount of water I tried to boil
(3 cups), and with the starting temperature of the water (50 degrees f. as
many streams are at high altitude).
My conclusion, reached solely because of the amount of fuel it takes to boil
water, not the amount of time - On hike of over 6 days long, an Alcohol
Stove will save a person about a half pound in weight and save on listening
to a noisy stove.
1) I compare my Whisperlite Shakerjet that weighs in at only .75 lb. while a
Homemade Alcohol stove about .25 lb. ignoring the weight of a fuel
container. Therefor you can carry your Alcohol Stove and fuel for about 6
days for just the weight of a White Gas stove. 2) A half pound of Alcohol
will cook approximately ten to twelve meals on the "Tuna Can"  Mayer-
Robinson stove. See http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lscholte/jmstove.htm. It
seems to be the most efficient stove.
Tidbits of information that makers of the Tuna Can stove might be interested
in is that you can make it twice as light by using Aluminum cans but you
will need a different way to join cans. Secondly, as you mentioned about the
fuel mixture, I had already fashioned a separate band of aluminum that fits
around the can and is slid up or down to adjust the air mixture.

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