The poor man's ultra-light dual-fuel backpacking stove by Rick Brannan Issue #124

Here is the link to Backwoods Home Magazine for the instructions on how to make your own camp stove.

The poor man's ultra-light dual-fuel backpacking stove by Rick Brannan Issue #124

Homemade camp stove vs. Survival Stove

Today I created a homemade lightweight camping stove.

I took two Foster's beer cans and cut the bottoms off. I then took the bottom of one and drilled several holes around the outer edge, plus 5 holes in the center. I then placed a small amount of attic insulation in the bottom can. Next I put the bottom with holes drilled into it inside the other. I filled the can with HEET which is a fuel line deicer, and extremely combustible.

I got this idea originally from a web site called www.itstactical.com. I then saw how to make it in the latest issue of Backwoods Home magazine (July/August 2010). I decided to test this stove against a small pocket / survival stove I bought from REI for about $10. It's called an Esbit Pocket stove (see below). It was about 8:00 p.m., and 85 degrees out when I did this comparison. The humidity was typical of Georgia for this time of year (which means A Lot!!!). There was no wind, and the weather was quite mild.

 Now to put the two to a test. I filled the beer can stove with the HEET and placed a tin cup filled with 2 cups of cold water on it to see how long it would take to reach a rolling boil.

It took a total of 10 minutes and 46 seconds for the water to come to a rolling boil. The stove continued to burn itself out after about a total of 15 minutes.

Next up was the Esbit Pocket Stove. This compact little stove is made in Germany, and uses solid fuel cubes as fuel. I placed another 2 cups of cold water in the tin cup, and began the test again. The packaging states that this unit will bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in under 8 minutes. Sadly my high expectation were dashed. after 11 minutes all I achieved were small bubbles at the bottom of the tin.

Needless to say the homemade beer can stove won the competition. Both units cost less than $15, and both are lightweight, compact, and easy to use. I may carry both when I go hiking next. I think the Esbit would have reached a rolling boil if I had used two fuel cubes at once, or if I was only trying to purify 1 cup. I still like the unit, and I don't think you can beat the price. But the homemade stove will be much more fun for you to make. One it's always good to challenge yourself. Two it's even more of a challenge to make one after drinking 2 Foster's oil cans!!! If you have any questions feel free to ask.

The Ides of March...

Well this month has been a good month. Winston was in his second karate tournament. It was the ICMA 2010 Tournament. Winston is a red belt now, and competed at a higher level. I am proud to say he came in first place in both forms and sparring!!! I am a very proud father.

Today Winston and I made some vinegar/baking soda bombs in water bottles. VERY COOL!!! It makes a very loud BOOM, and it was just fun blowing stuff up with Winston.

Update...

Well it's been a while, so I guess I'll update this site again. To start I had gastric bypass surgery on April 13th of this year. To date I've lost 85 lbs.!!!!!!! This time last year I was 420 lbs., and just before the surgery I weighed in at 410 lbs. As of today I'm 325 lbs. I have dropped from a 54" waist to a 46" waist. None of my clothes fit, and I gave my beautiful wife all my pants to take to the Goodwill. I feel like a whole new person. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I feel great!

With all this weight loss I can finally do things that I struggled to do before. On Saturday me and the family went hiking for the second time in a week. I was able to do the entire 5 mile hike without having to stop and rest my back, knees, ankles, or feet. I love it!

I'm really looking forward to getting back into backpacking, hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities that I had trouble doing, or was unable to do before. If anyone is interested in joining me on any of these just let me know. I'm always up for a new challenge.

My Review of Esbit Pocket Stove

Originally submitted at REI

Ideal for your home or auto emergency kit, this pocket-size stove folds down to a small, compact size.

Esbit Pocket Stove

Good deal.

By SunDevil98 from Winder, GA on 6/27/2010

 

3out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Stable, Compact, Lightweight, Durable

Cons: Doesn't Do What it Says

Best Uses: Backpacking, Hiking, Car Camping

Describe Yourself: Military/Law Enforcement

Thsi is a nice lightweight backpacking or survival stove. It's extremely compact, and appears to be very durable. My biggest complaint is that it did not do what the package claimed. The box claims the unit will bring 1 pint (2 cups) of water to a rolling boil in under 8 minutes. I tried this out on my back poarch today. after 11 minutes the fuel tab was almost gone and was losing heat. I had the water in a tin backpacking cup, and the most it did was a series of light bubbles at the bottom of the cup. I never saw a rolling boil.I think if I had used two tabs of fuel I might have gotten the rolling boil, but that kind of defeats the purpose to me as a backpacking or survival stove. If your water is already clean then this would be perfect to cook with, but without two or fuel tabs you're out of luck for purifying. I would still recommend this product due to its sturdy, lightweight design, and a cost of only $10!!! Plus, the fuel tabs can be used in a survival situation to start a fire. Had it brought the 2 cups of water to a rolling boil I would have rated it 5 out of 5 stars, but as it is I only give it 3.

Begining of trial.

Tags: Using Product

End of trial @ 11 mins plus.

Tags: Using Product

(legalese)