Review: Lightweight Alcohol Stoves for Backpacking

Text by Art Simon

December 2006 Update

When I first tested these stoves three years ago, information on alcohol stoves was hard to come by. Backpacker or Outside magazine were the main sources of information on hiking gear, and might mention one alcohol stove in a review of stoves if at all. I took it on my self to buy all the alcohol stoves that sounded interesting, try them out, and sell the ones I didn't like on ebay. (Hey, everybody should have a hobby.)

Little did I realize that 2003 was the beginning of a Cambrian explosion in ultralight alcohol camping stoves. I tried to stay on top of it for a while, but I have to admit there are many stoves out there I haven't tried. Backpacking Light's review of the etowah solid fuel/alcohol stove lists 21 commercially available competitors!

After reviewing the stoves, I came to the conclusion that there are two classes of lightweight alcohol stoves: those that are based on Trangia burners and those that aren't. No new models that I'm aware seem to challenge the Trangias. I prefer the Trangia based stoves for one reason: they don't require you to measure fuel. Trangias have a screw on cap that allows you to save unburned fuel after you've snuffed out the stove. While some of the other stoves may be lighter or burn (slightly) hotter, none of them can store unburned or left over fuel in the stove. This means you must measure just the right amount of fuel each time you use the stove. My top recommendations are still two Trangia based stoves: the Clikstand and the Westwind. The Westwind is significantly cheaper, but the Clikstand is perfectly suited to my needs. Of course, your needs may be different than mine.

I still love hiking with my alcohol stove. It's simple, safe, cheap, small, light, quiet, eco-friendly and reliable. What else could you ask of a stove? Virtually any alcohol stove will serve solo hikers (or couples) well in above freezing weather. For the typical weekend backpack, there's no real reason to add more butane or propane canisters to the landfill, or to introduce more petrochemicals into the environment by burning white gas.

The advantages of alcohol stoves

While alcohol stoves may be unfamiliar to Americans, they have some significant strengths. Alcohol burns well in an unpressurized burner, so alcohol stoves are often stone-simple--sometimes little more than a cup to hold fuel. This lack of complexity means that there is virtually nothing that can go wrong. In Roland Mueser's book Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail, Mueser did a survey of stoves used by thru-hikers and found that alcohol was the only stove type with a zero percent failure rate. The simplicity of an alcohol stove also means that constructing one is well within the means of anyone who can follow directions. There are numerous plans for homebuilt alcohol stoves using materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill: soda cans, mint tins, and tuna cans are commonly used.

Alcohol, unlike white gas, butane and propane, is not a petroleum by-product and is less damaging to the environment. Alcohol is often used for marine stoves as it is considered the safest stove fuel for use in confined areas. Alcohol vapor is relatively light compared to the vapor of petroleum fuels, and is less likely to concentrate and create a hazard. Alcohol stoves don't flare up as often as white gas stoves. Unpressurized alcohol stoves are quiet and don't intrude on the wilderness experience the way pressurized stoves can. Both the price of alcohol stoves and fuel compares favorably to other fuels. The lack of complexity in construction means that alcohol stoves are often the lightest available and some homemade stoves weigh less than half an ounce!

The disadvantages of alcohol stoves

Like all stoves, alcohol stoves require care in handling. The fuel cup is open, so if the stove is knocked over, burning alcohol can spill out. The most common forms of alcohol fuel are poisonous, and like all stove fuels, should be handled with respect. Alcohol stoves have blue flames that can be difficult to see in direct sun light. Never add alcohol to a stove that is already burning! Since it can be tough to tell if the stove is lit, it's a good practice to add fuel from the fuel bottle to a second container, like the stove's cap first, and then from the cap to the stove. This minimizes the possibility of a flame path directly from the fuel bottle to an already lit stove. Alcohol doesn't vaporize well in freezing temperatures, so for best performance in cold weather, the stove should be heated. Trangia sells a winter attachment for Trangia alcohol stoves that places a cup of alcohol under the stove. It may seem surprising to heat a stove with what is in effect another stove, but it is a simple and effective technique.

The biggest downside to unpressurized alcohol stoves is that they only produce about half the heat output of a white gas, butane or propane stove. This means cooking times are slower and you need to carry more fuel. Since most of my hikes are 1 or 2 night solo weekend trips this wasn't a big concern for me. I enjoy the quiet simplicity of alcohol stoves and don't mind the longer boiling times. People who hike in larger groups, melt snow for water or just generally get impatient would probably be happier with a different style of stove.

Finding Fuel for an Alcohol Stove in the US

In my experience, alcohol stove fuel is actually the easiest stove fuel to come by in the US. You just have to know where to look. My favorite alcohol for stoves is the automotive fuel line de-icer Heet. It is pure methanol, burns clean with little soot and is commonly available from automotive parts stores. Prices range from around a buck and a half for the 12 ounce bottle to as little as 80 cents each in quantity or on sale. According to the Heet website, it is available from Wal-Mart, AutoZone, Murray's, Menard's, Meijer's, Kmart, NAPA, Walgreen's, Pep Boys, ShopKo, Ace Hardware, True Value Hardware, Mills, Fleet Farm, Target, Carquest, O'Reilly's, Fred Meyer, and Blain's.

The plastic Heet bottles have snap off caps that aren't convenient to reseal. It's a good idea to carry a different fuel bottle when hiking. Alcohol can be stored in a variety of containers, but not untreated aluminum fuel bottles like the ones sold by MSR. I use a Trangia fuel bottle with a nice safety valve, but Nalgene, Sigg, and Optimus all sell appropriate fuel bottles. I find that my 500ml (about 16oz.) Trangia bottle holds enough fuel for two people for a three night hike--probably longer if you don't drink as much tea as I do. Buying an expensive fuel bottle is by no means a necessity, many people just recycle plastic household bottles.

Why not a White Gas or Butane Canister stove?

I used both white gas stoves (a Coleman and MSR whisperlite) and butane canister stoves (Gaz "Bluet" and Primus) before I made my first alcohol stove. My white gas stoves gave me trouble: jamming, clogging and pump failures weren't unusual. I was generally able to fix the stoves in the field (I always carried both the MSR stove and pump maintenance kits), but it was a bother. I also didn't like the soot that covered the stoves after they were pre heated, nor the weight and complexity.

I was happier with butane canister stoves, but I didn't like the way canister stoves lose power as the cartridge is emptied. I had a couple frustrating experiences with nearly empty cartridges in cold weather. I also didn't like the cost and disposal problems of the cartridges themselves. In their credit, I never had a single failure with either the Gaz or Primus butane cartridge stoves.

How the stoves in this review were chosen and tested

For this review I've concentrated on the stoves of interest to me: small, compact and light alcohol stoves suitable for solo, "ultralight" backpack trips. That's not to say that there aren't some excellent larger alcohol stoves available. Those made by Trangia are far and away the most common. The hard to find Sigg Traveller, Optimus "Purple Flame" and Optimus Trapper were as good if not better than the Trangia stoves, though none of these are still in production. All are excellent stoves, but they are too heavy to be my first choice. All of the stoves I review here are small, light, unpressurized and currently available for sale new (with the exception of the homemade stove of course). There are links to some other interesting alcohol stoves at the bottom of the page.

I tested the time and amount of fuel each stove took to boil 16 oz of water. I tested the stoves in my kitchen; boiling times in colder and windier conditions would be longer. I used my .9 liter evernew titanium pot to hold the water, except for the mini-trangia which has its own pot. I did not "pre-heat" the stoves any longer than was necessary to place the pot on the stove without putting the flame out. I used a graduated cylinder marked in milliliters to measure the amount of alcohol in the stove before and after it had boiled water. For reference, 30ml is approximately one ounce.

Trangia Mini Trangia 28-T

The Mini Trangia is more than just a stove, it is a complete cookset with stove, stand/windscreen, .8 liter pot, Teflon fry pan/lid, pot holder and the same bulletproof burner used in all Trangia stoves. The burner includes a "simmer ring" for adjusting the flame as well as a screw on lid. The burner, stand and pot holder pack up inside the cookset and make a neat package. There is a included plastic cover to protect the Teflon finish of the lid/fry pan. The pot holder is definitely on the cheap side, but it's serviceable and light. The published weight for the set with no fuel is 11.5 ounces. The whole package is a bargain for less than $30. The Mini Trangia would be a good choice for someone who was purchasing their first stove and cookset and wanted to keep within a tight budget. I bought my Mini Trangia at REI.

The pot support doesn't do a very good job as a windbreak, so I recommend making or buying a windscreen like the one sold by MSR for their white gas stoves. In theory, it's not a bad idea to place small circular piece of foil under the stove to act as a heat reflector as well, but I never do. Alcohol stove performance decreases in freezing temperatures, and there is no room under the Mini Trangia stand for a candle or pre-heater to heat the stove in cold weather. The stove stand nests nicely in the included cookset, but it isn't collapsible so it may not fit inside other cooksets as well. The Mini Trangia is most attractive if you are interested in using the complete set, but less desirable if you are just looking for a stove and stand.

I found the set to be a pleasure to use. It packed well in my backpack. The cookset is the perfect size for a solo hiker. The lid snaps onto the pot for packing, but when using the lid to cover the stove while cooking, it is easier to place it upside down. There is a circular indentation to keep the lid centered on the pot. You can use this as a sort of plate warmer--it will keep food warm while you boil water underneath. I never use the included simmer ring for simmering, but it's handy for extinguishing the stove when your done. Left over fuel can be left in the fuel cup, as there is a matching screw on cap with a rubber washer. Just make sure the stove is cool before screwing it back on. The cup doesn't hold much fuel--you'll need a separate fuel bottle unless you are just using the stove for one meal on a day hike. The screw-on cap is also handy for adding fuel to the stove.

Liberty Mountain Westwind

Technically, the Westwind isn't really a stove, but a stand/pot support for Trangia burners. It's not a Trangia product, and isn't shown in Trangia catalogs. The Westwind stove was marketed for many years by MSR, but is now distributed by Liberty Mountain. The stand by itself sells for around $13 or for around $20 it can be purchased as a set with a Trangia burner. With a burner the published weight is 6.6 ounces. I bought just the stand since I already owned the Mini Trangia. The store where I bought mine no longer carries them, but a quick search turned up numerous on-line sources: greatoutdoorsdepot.com, campman.com , moosineer.com, hike-advice.com, Hit the Trail, thru-hiker.com as well as directly from Liberty Mountain.

The Westwind operates pretty much the same as the Mini Trangia, but it collapses more conveniently and it's a bit lighter. The stand is three pieces of aluminum that fit together to form a triangle. The stand and burner easily fit with my Evernew titanium pot in the pot's nylon bag. Both the stand and burner have a solid feel that makes me think it would still fire up after being tossed off a cliff. There is just enough room to place a tea candle as preheater under the stove in cold weather. A MSR windscreen fits perfectly around the westwind.

The Westwind has a mixed reputation. It's a popular stove for AT thru-hikers, but owners of larger and/or more sophisticated alcohol stoves often consider it a second class product. People who like this stove love its elemental simplicity. I love the quote of Chip Rawlins in "The Complete Walker IV": If stoves were poems this one would be haiku. Personally, I think it's great. Until the arrival of the new Clikstand stove, this had been my first choice for solo trips less than a week in length.

Simon Stove

The Taiwanese Simon Stove (no relation!) is almost completely unknown in the United States but is occasionally seen in Europe. I first came across one on ebay. It has an immediate gadget appeal as it's small, shiny and folds up into a slick vinyl carrying case. The stove has an appealing appearance, but getting real information on this stove in English was difficult. There was one webpage that described the Simon stove as part of a ultra-compact hot drink set specifically designed for mountain biking. Other than that, the most information I could come across on the internet was in German. From what I could understand from machine translations, the stove has the reputation for burning hot and using an above average amount of fuel.

I ordered my Simon Stove from Granger's Camping World in Australia. Granger's sell the stove for $36.95 Australian which works out to a very reasonable $24.00 US. Economy air shipping (which took 2 1/2 weeks to reach me in San Francisco) was an equally reasonable $5.50 US. Published weight for the stove is 8 and a half ounces. The stove cup is taller than the trangia, around three times the trangia's height. It sits in a clever stainless steel cage with pot supports that swivel out. Packed up in the vinyl bag, it's compact and rattles a bit.

The stove I received had a typo on the prominent sticker. It read "SIMON STONE" instead of stove. The one in the picture on the Granger's website has the typo as well, so apparently it's not uncommon. Otherwise, the stove seemed to be a quality product. Instead of holes on the top like the Trangia stoves, the Simon stove has holes on the side. It takes a minute or so of pre-heating before the holes "catch". If you put a pot on too soon, the stove goes out. The lid to the Simon Stove fits loosely, which makes it convienant for extinguishing the stove, but unlike the Trangia, there is no screw on cap that can securely close the stove. Any remaining alcohol should be emptied before the stove is transported. My stove seemed to contain a trace amount of oil, possilby left over from the manufacturing process. The stove flared a bit until the oil was burned off. The stainless steel construction seems to retain heat longer than the Trangias. Once when I put the stove out with a 1/8 inch or so of fuel remaining in the cup, the alcohol had evaporated by the time the stove had cooled enough to handle it. This along with the pre-heating will significantly increase the amount of fuel that one would use on the trail.

Home Made Soda Can Stove

There are many different variations on the homemade soda can stove, but LaMar Kirby's plan for a soda can stove is a classic of simplicity and economy. Not only does it work, but anyone who can follow directions can easily build one. Soda Can stoves are very popular with Applachian Trail thru-hikers. Here's a quote from the 2003 Applachian Trail Hiker Survey While many hikers start the trail with standard backpacking stoves, most switch over to the pop can style alcohol stoves. They are light, easy to make, and fuel is readily available along the Trail.. 57% of the hikers surveyed used a home-made soda can stove .

I tried building a Westwind style pot support for my soda can stove, but it actually decreased the stove's performance. The stove used fuel at about a 50% faster rate. My guess was that the reflected heat caused the stove to lose fuel, maybe as evaporation. The increased fuel consumption didn't seem to increase the heat output though, so instead I use the stove with a bent coat hangar stand as described in LaMar Kirby's instructions.

The stove is light and low to the ground. In my experience you need to use extra caution in using this stove. I once had a bit of alcohol dribble off the side of the stove when I was filling it and burn on the top of a picnic table. If I had set the stove on a flammable surface it could have been a real problem. If you would like to see the epitome of the soda can stove elevated to become a work of art, search ebay for alcohol stoves sold by the seller hiknakd.

3 Dollar Fondue Set Stove

While surfing through the online catalog at Granger's Camping World I came across an interesting alcohol stove that was unlike any other I'd seen. It was being sold for $4.95 Australian which works out to around $3 US. The stove appeared to me to be a variation on the soda can stove, with a few added features. It arrived in an unmarked plastic bag with no instructions. It is 3 1/2" in diameter, constructed from lightweight, stamped aluminum with a one inch diameter opening on the top, and six 1/4 inch oblong holes surrounding it. On the interior is a screen, with some spongy, presumably non-flammable material underneath. The oblong holes can be opened or closed with the attached arm, much like the vents on a barbeque. There is another cap with an arm that can be placed loosely on the top to extinguish the stove.

A couple astute readers pointed out that this is commonly used as a the heating element in a fondue set. If you look closely, you can make the stove out as part of this $40 fondue set. Given that it's not intended to be a backpacking stove, it's not surprising that it doesn't really compare well with the other stoves in this review. Like the soda can stove, it needs some sort of pot support. And again like the soda can stove, there is no easy way to save unburned alcohol. The real weakness of this stove, though, is that it's heat output is unacceptably low. It would be interesting to modify a soda can stove with the variable vent holes and extinguishing cap that this fondue heater has.

Brasslite Turbo 2

The Brasslite Turbo 2 is a very intriguing stove. Its designer, Aaron Rosenbloom, has worked in commercial jewelry design and it shows--this stove is a jewel. The designer has gone through several revisions of the stove before introducing the "Turbo" models. My Turbo 2 has now been superceded by the Turbo II-D which is a double wall design meant to improve flame control. When the stove arrived, it seemed as though the box must have been empty. The brass construction exudes quality, yet it is exceptionally light. It's also very compact--it's about as big around as a trangia burner, and little over twice the height (with the built in pot support). And there is an even smaller brasslite stovecalled the Turbo F! It must be miniscule indeed. While it doesn't have the indestructible impression of the Trangia (you could probably damage it by stepping on it for instance), it's only a fraction of the Trangia's weight.

The brasslite has an integrated wire screen pot support. This was the only pot support that didn't like my pot. My evernew titanium 0.9 liter pot has a warped bottom (from melting snow without "priming" the pot with a little water) and it wobbled a bit on the brasslite. The stove has one central opening, and then a ring of holes on the sides that can be closed with a rotating sleeve to allow simmering. There is a built in priming pan under the stove for warming it in cold weather. Like all the other stoves except the Trangia, there is no easy way to save unburned alcohol. For my tests I found I could extinguish the stove by closing the side vents, placing a spoon over the central opening and blowing the stove out. The manufacturer recommends letting any extra alcohol burn off, and sells a fuel bottle that allows precise measuring to avoid using excess fuel.

This stove needs a little care to use properly. Operating the rotating sleeve is a little tricky--the sleeve gets hot and the lightweight of the stove means it's easy to tip. One would also need to pay close attention to dispensing fuel so that none is wasted. The payoff for this extra attention is a flexible and reliable stove with extremely low weight.

Etowah II Stove

The etowah stove is another stove that has developed a bit of a following amoung Appalachian trail thru-hikers. I was less than wowed by the one I bought three years ago so Paul at Etowah Outfitters sent me the new Etowah 2 stove. The new version seems to fit together a bit better, but appears virtually identical to the original stove. It performed differently than the earlier Etowah though, in that it burned both hotter and quieter. It comes with an folded aluminum windscreen, pot support, stuff sack, and a 4 oz nalgene bottle for measuring fuel. The actual burner is a small can with a couple of pieces of absorbent cotton material on the inside. To add fuel, you open the can and pour alcohol in. Then you place the can in the pot support and place the two metal bars in an X shape on top. You then place about third of an ounce of alcohol in the windscreen and light it to pre-heat the stove. This will heat the inner burner and eventually ignite it.

The Etowah is still my least favorite alcohol stove--it's too fussy for my tastes. I made several tests before I felt I got things right. This stove likes a lot of fuel. It burns very hot initially, and then the flame weakens as the amount of fuel decreases. My first test with 30ml of fuel was disappointing, as the stove settled into a very low flame just as the water was about to boil. Using more fuel decreased boil times noticeably. The absorbent cotton material in the burner itself made measuring the actual amount of fuel used impossible. Any unburned alcohol stays in the cotton and eventually evaporates--there is no easy way to recover unburned alcohol. This is especially a disadvantage with this stove since it prefers a full fuel level.

The pot support was the most stable of any stove in the test, but it retains heat very well. You'll want to allow the stove to cool 5 or 10 minutes before handling it. Since the lid of the burner needs to be removed to add fuel, and the pot supports stay hot, you can't easily add fuel and re-light the stove once its gone out. For someone who constantly likes to reheat tea in the evening like myself, this makes the stove a frustrating choice. That's not to say the stove wouldn't be a good choice for other people looking for a low cost, lightweight stove with an integral windscreen and super stable pot support.

Paul sent me an email describing an alternative method of using the stove: "[with the Etowah 2] the instructions changed to include a faster, no hassle burn for those just wanting to heat water which doesn't use the ecomomizer burner at all; just place the bars on the outer burner, put the amount of fuel in the outer burner and light( takes as little as .6 oz.). Try this, these are the changes which where recommended to us by the Backpackinglight review, April 04, by Doug Johnson ( he was right about the two personalities of the stove)."

Clikstand S-1

Like the Liberty Mountain Westwind, the Clikstand isn't actually a stove, but a stand designed for the Trangia burner. It can also accomidate home-made alcohol and esbit stoves. It's designer, Scott Reiner, sought to obtain the performance of the full size Trangia stoves in a lightwieght and compact stove. The Westwind is the natural comparison to the Clikstand. They are similar in weight, but the Clikstand is made of stainless steel, as opposed to the Westwind's aluminum construction. In addition to the three "legs" that form the stand, there is also a snap-in support for the burner that gives the Clikstand its name. When assembled, it forms a unique rounded triangle shape much like the rotors on a wankel engine. On the sides are protruding supports for an optional ($14.95) windscreen.

The Clikstand is significantly more expensive than the Westwind, so the immediate question is "is it worth it?" In my opinion, the answer is yes. In my tests the Clikstand had a significantly faster boil time and still used approximately the same amount of fuel. More importantly, the Clikstand promises better performance in the field. The stove is designed to use wind to its advantage when coupled with the matching windscreen, like the larger Trangia models. While I haven't had the bad fortune to use the stove in really challenging conditions, it has served me well on a number of backcountry trips. On a recent trip it lit and boiled a pint of water quickly even though the temperature was in the high thirties (F) and the stove had been left outside all night.

Assembly is more complicated than the Westwind, and the protruding windscreen tabs can poke your hands. There is no room under the stove to use a candle to preheat the stove in cold conditions. The top of the pot support showed some minor discoloration after a couple of uses, but nothing like the Etowah. The stainless steel construction also retains more heat than aluminum, but it hasn't proved to be a problem. The stand and windscreen store neatly inside my evernew .9 liter pot, and my warped pot sat as securely on the Clikstand as any other stove. The Clikstand is my new favorite alcohol stove. I like it's easy, no-fuss Trangia burner, small size and well thought out design.

Etowah solid fuel/alcohol stove

Etowah also makes a solid fuel stove than can also burn alcohol. It has a small burner, much like the Etowah II, but even smaller. The small fuel capacity is an issue, as the stove struggled with my test. You fill the small burner with about 16ml of alcohol, add another five or so to the base and light it. That combination was just barely able to boil 16 oz. of water under the ideal conditions of my kitchen. In the field, I wouldn't count on this stove to boil much more than 8 oz. of water. The first time I used the stove, I didn't get the cap of the inner burner completely seated, but a subsequent test with the burner cap securely on didn't alter the boil time.

My irregularly dented pot didn't like the circular pot stand (much like the circular pot stand on the Brasslite.) Unlike the larger Etowah, this stand doesn't hold that much heat, so you can disassemble the stove without a prolonged cooling off period. It also burns quietly. The lid of the small burner darkened with the first burn. It's a neat package, with a small sack, windscreen but no fuel bottle. It's a much better performer with solid fuel. On 1/2 tablet of Liberty Mountain solid fuel, I boiled 16 oz of water in 5 minutes & 55 seconds. I also got better performance by using it as a stand for my soda can stove, though not as good as the bent hangar stand. It probably makes sense to treat this as primarily a solid fuel stove that can burn alcohol in a pinch. In the company of dedicated alcohol stoves, it was a lackluster performer.

Other interesting and untested alcohol stoves

The Hike N' Light stove has overcome its humble, homemade beginnings and now is a full-fledged commercially available stove. It uses a recycled film canister and is somewhat larger, heavier and burns hotter than the typical soda can stove. In fact, one test of the stove complained that the flames burn too high for smaller cooksets, and that the stove is better suited to larger pots and groups of people.

The Pitorch Travel Stove is apparently a Japanese alcohol stove that packs up in its own cookset, somewhat like the Mini Trangia. Super Shioshio's room has some good pictures of the Pitorch Travel Stove as does this japanese website. It appears you can buy the Pitorch Travel Stove online at www.sakaiya.com. That is, if you can read Japanese. I can't.

Antigravity gear sells a $12 soda can stove with side mounted holes much like the Simon Stove. They say it takes "over 22 steps taken to prepare and assemble this alcohol stove using special tools, jigs, and assembly techniques" including the use of "high temperature epoxy to seal the pressure chamber". They claim it boils "2 cups of water in 5 minutes on less than 1 ounce of fuel" and that "16 fl. oz. of fuel will provide enough cooking time for a 5 day hike."

Mini Bull Design sells a range of soda can style stoves. The ISO model is claimed to boil a pint of water in 3 1/2 minutes and weighs less than an ounce. Interestly, it is designed to burn isopropyl ("rubbing") alcohol.

The ThermoJet MicroLite stove looks like a soda can stove, but's its maker claims a unique combustion chamber/windscreen that "is designed with engineered metering ports that precisely control the amount of air that reaches the fuel" improve it's performance over conventional alcohol stoves. It also has an external simmer control. Claimed weight for the stove is 2 1/2 oz, and the maker claims 16oz of water boil in 3 min 45sec using only 15ml of fuel. I was skeptical, but there may be something to these claims as the stove was recently picked as a 2004 Backpacking Light Staff Pick. Will Rietveld, cooking and hydration systems section editor said "This stove is fuel efficient, wind-resistant, and reliable. I have used it above 12,000 feet in breezy/windy conditions on many occasions. The ThermoJet is as easy to use as a canister stove, perhaps easier, because it comes with good wind protection." It sells for $39.95.

The Svea Military Stove and Cookset is often seen on ebay advertised as a "Swedish" military stove. It includes a Trangia like burner, cookset and flask-shaped stove stand/case. There is a similar Trangia version that was apparently used by the Finnish army. Both typically sell for less than $15 (sometimes a LOT less) for the complete set in used (ex-military?) condition. At over 2 pounds, this stove is too heavy for what is essentially a solo stove and cookset. Recent downsizing in the military in Scandinavia mean there are lot of these on the market.

Alcohol Stove Links

• Dave's 48 gram (1.7 oz) Esbit beer can kitchen
• Zen Alcohol Stoves has about 100 links with information on every aspect of alcohol stoves. There are some pretty interesting plans for DIY stoves here.
• Six Moon Designs has a page called Komplete Individual Simple Stoves - KISS with an interesting system of describing the different types of alcohol stoves: open flame, open jet and closed jet
• Super Shioshio's Room Alcohol Stove Collection has an impressive collection of photos of alcohol stoves.
• Wings: the home-made stove archives has plans for a large variety of built-it-yourself alcohol stoves.
• Hot, Light and Cheap a Backpacker article on the homemade "cat" stove and "Deluxe Quantum Stove Windscreen".
• Here's a $15 lab burner that could probably work as a backpack stove. (thanks to James Steele for this link)
• Kouichi Yamazaki has an impressive collection of stoves.
• Sgt. Rock's Hiking H.Q. has a very good stove comparison that measures the boiling time, weight and fuel efficency of a number of stoves.
• Classic Camp Stoves has an informative forum on stoves.
• The Stove Collector is another page with an impressive collection of information on stoves of all types.
• The Stove Collector's Discussion Board
• ultralight-hiking.com has a page on Trangia alcohol stoves.
• K's Parking is another Japanese site with some good photos of a variety of stoves.
• Yet another Japanese stove collection
• One more Japanese stove collection

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