Homemade Gear & Gadgets

[ScoutDad]

ScoutDad, how about an alcohol stove. My buddy and I usually take along a white gas stove, but I'm going to be taking my son on his first hiking trip at the end of May (unfortunately, not to I.R. this time) and we built a lightweight alcohol stove. I figured it would be a cool father/son project and it would be something we could actually make use of. On top of that, it weighs A LOT less than the Coleman white gas stove my buddy and I drag along. It didn't take too long to make and it seems to work pretty well. There are a lot of links to alcohol stoves on the internet if you do a Google search. I researched quite a few designs and websites before deciding on the one I wanted to build. This is the one we chose: http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/stoveinstruct.html.....

Alcohol stoves are great! I built one similar to the one in the above link...the scouts were amazed at how lightweight and efficient they are...and NO moving parts!

[head2north]

We have a local outdoors/paddling guru in our area and those who attended the recent Midwest
Mountaineering Outdoors Expo might recognize the name - Cliff Jacobsen.

I attended one of his seminars at our public library a few years ago and the man is full of
backcountry tricks and ideas. Anyways, unless you can catch him at a presentation, he has
several books on the market thay you can purchase or find at a library.

[Dryrot]

I have a friend who had a "20 foot belt." He looped 20' of parachute cord, or something smaller, back and forth through snap buckles to make a serviceable belt, and it served as emergency rope. Can't remember the details, but anyone reading this could probably make their own design.

[ScoutDad]

I always wear a nylon web BDU belt with a slip tension buckle. If my hip belt breaks, I can use the BDU belt as a substitute.

[PatrickBDunlap]

I created an alcohol stove with a wind screen and a pot snuggie. The pot snuggie was made from reflective material with fiberglass insulation inside the folds. I will continue the cooking process after you have boiled your water with the alcohol stove. If you are not in a hurry, a liter of water takes about 6 minutes to boil and the snuggie will keep the water very hot for about 20 - 40 minutes depending on the outside temp. Great for noodles.

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2340/1 ... 912842.jpg

[Don_P]

I made a similar pot cozy out of an old closed-cell sleeping pad. Only difference is I used gorilla glue (and duct tape) to make the fit really secure. I have found a good cozy is key to going with freezer-bag cooking-type meals.

[Backpacker534]

Patrick,

What did you use to make your windscreen? Was it a piece of heat/cooling duct? When you're done with it, does it just roll up a bit and fit inside your cooking pot? I made an alcohol stove (this model: http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/stoveinstruct.html ) from a beer can and used it on a hiking trip last year with my son. I definitely think I need a windscreen because my burn times at home (with the same amount of fuel) were about 30-40 minutes when I tested it and, only 15-20 minutes in the field.

[Backpacker534]

ScoutDad,

It looks like you made the same choice for an alcohol stove as me. How do you like it?

[PatrickBDunlap]

Patrick,

What did you use to make your windscreen? Was it a piece of heat/cooling duct? When you're done with it, does it just roll up a bit and fit inside your cooking pot? I made an alcohol stove (this model: http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/stoveinstruct.html ) from a beer can and used it on a hiking trip last year with my son. I definitely think I need a windscreen because my burn times at home (with the same amount of fuel) were about 30-40 minutes when I tested it and, only 15-20 minutes in the field.

I used aluminum flashing rectangles with the ends folded twice to make interlocking lips. This way I can add or remove sections as needed for the size of the pot. I also a lite pot lid as the base to reflect heat up. Figure that I am not just keeping the wind out but making a reflective screen to get as much of the heat into the pot. The sections also allow me to add "test" sections it with cuts for pot handles, shorter sections to decrease the circumference for smaller pots, etc.

I have read of a LOT of people playing with alcohol stoves because, face it, its fun. My next "fun" is I want to make a heat exchanger for my pot. I am also going to try getting a can of BBQ grill, high heat, black paint and paint the bottom of an old pot and check boiling times before and after to see if I can get some extra btus that way. One of the things I did try and seem to work was I put a heat exchanger INSIDE the pot. Basically the idea being that you are conducting heat on the metal of the pot, the heat exchanger is inside the pot touching the metal, and the heat transfers more into the pot creating a greater hot surface to heat the water. Would not want to do it with cooking other then just heating water.

[PatrickBDunlap]

Here's how it looks with a backpack attached.

I really like that thing, it would be uber handy. I think I'll look into making something like that. Thanks for sharing!

Yeah, I like it too. I was thinking of taking a second lighter hammock and strap it under my sleeping hammock for gear but if I don't do that then I might do the backpack hanger. You put a rain fly or trash bag over it for rain?

[Backpacker534]

Patrick,

I usually just leave my pack on the tree until I'm ready to go to sleep and then I put it in the vestibule of the tent. Although, I have left it on the hanger overnight a couple times. If it looks like rain I just close it up, cinch everything down and then put my waterproof pack cover on and hope it stays dry.

[Backpacker534]

I think I'm going to start experimenting with some windscreen designs. Of course, it's like many other things, if you research the topic you find all kinds of designs, theories and opinions on the topic. So, the best thing is to experiment and find what works best for you and the gear you use.

[JonG]

I made and now use a "Cat' alcohol stove. My cooking consists of boiling water and my stove does that well. I use 5 mil aluminum for the windscreen which I wrap around my fuel bottle and secure it with a paper clip while on the trail. The aluminum I get from scraps at work... if anyone wants a chunk let me know...just pay the postage.The 5 mil is heavy enough to endure some abuse, but still very light. The piece I use is still serviceable after about 5 years of use, though I try to be careful with it. It does have sharp edges, so they should be sanded.

[laqtis]

Long before Anti-gravity gear started selling them, I constructed a pouch made out of heat reflective duct wrap material that you slip a ziplock bag into for cook/re hydration. Pretty handy. It helps things get done quicker and it keeps you from handling a hot plastic bag when trying to eat yer food. Just a little material, some duct tape and some of those sticky strips Velcro to seal the top.

[larrysheldon]

I love the backpack hanger. I made one already, can't wait to try it!