Isle Royale Forums

I got a lot of information from these boards, so I thought I might share something I found.

It's the Stever Stove. You can read about it on this forum thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431851

The stove weighs less than an ounce, but is very durable. It is an alcohol stove and is a refined version of a "cat food can" stove. You can use denatured alcohol in it (weighs less than water), or Heet (some kind of gas line anti-freeze, I believe). You can boil 2 liters of water in somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes. That time is subject to weather conditions, as well as the shape of your pot, and the materials of its construction. The link above shows a lot of people performing tests of the stoves performance.

Maybe the best part here, is that the stove is only $9, shipped to CONUS. Shipping to foreign nations costs more.

The main disadvantages to this stove, from what I can tell, are that you have to have a stable surface for it to rest on, and you need to use a windscreen. You don't want that stove tipping over because the flame is mostly invisible in daylight (if burning a clean fuel, like denatured alcohol - other fuels are posssible). Using a windscreen with thise stove is fairly imperative to it functioing efficiently. Wind and breezes will tend to greatly affect the performance of the stove.

I bought a Jet Boil Flash for $99 at REI. In comparing these things, I would imagine the Flash is a little faster to boil due to its baffling and wind blocking. It is significantly heavier though. I come in at over 2 lbs for the stove, and 1 big can of fuel. The Stever stove weighs less than an ounce, but of course you should add in the weight of whatever windscreen you use. The fuel is light, but is not weightless. You need a container for it, and also you need to calculate your fuel needs depending on the length of your trip...the longer the trip, the heavier the fuel. I still think, without actually doing any math, that the Stever stove, with fuel and a windscreen is easily less than half the weight of the Jet Boil Flash. That thread I posted is long, but I am sure there are people on there that have calculated fuel requirements and weights. I will be reading it myself, just to see.

I'm not sure you can go wrong for $9, shipped.

A number of this type of stove are discussed on the Zen Stoves site. The issue isn't the burner; it's the windscreen. In anything less than a dead clock calm an alcohol stove needs a really good windscreen. The Zen Stoves site also has directions on making various windscreens. My brother has tried his hand at making a couple that roll up and go in a plastic storage tube along with the burner and fuel bottle.

Thanks for the link to Zen Stoves. It looks like there is a lot of good information on there.

I'm curious what the all up weight would be for say a week, boiling only for meals (stove + windscreen + fuel + bottle). My MSR Microrocket with an 8 oz canister is 15 oz (more than enough for 1 person for a week), and I've used it in 30mph winds without a dedicated windscreen. A 4 oz canister saves about 5 oz. Only thing I don't like is the partial canisters, cause I keep asking myself "Is there enough left in here?"

the solution I have found for partials is to weigh the new canasters and write the "new" weight on the bottom. Then you can weigh them again and see how much is actually left, so an 8oz fuel can weighs ~12oz so when it weighs 4oz it is empty and 8oz it is half full. Hope this helps.

My $0.02: keep the Jetboil and go with it. I just used it last week on the island for myself and my wife with zero problems and very little fuel weight (one can was more than enough to cook six hot meals for two people, plus hot drinks in the evening. Sure, it weights more than the alcohol stove, but the whole thing is self-contained, cooking pot included. Once you factor in the fuel, windscreen, cooking pot/pan, I bet you will come out at the same weight, plus you don't have to deal with a separate fuel bottle, cookpot and stove taking up extra space.

Lucky Chicken wrote:the solution I have found for partials is to weigh the new canasters and write the "new" weight on the bottom. Then you can weigh them again and see how much is actually left, so an 8oz fuel can weighs ~12oz so when it weighs 4oz it is empty and 8oz it is half full. Hope this helps.

Good suggestion, I do weigh them when in question. It's the "I need about 3 oz and this one has about 3 oz left--should I take it, or be safe and take a new one?" question that drives me nuts (although my wife will say nuttier).

Ingo wrote: Good suggestion, I do weigh them when in question. It's the "I need about 3 oz and this one has about 3 oz left--should I take it, or be safe and take a new one?" question that drives me nuts (although my wife will say nuttier).

That's always been my million dollar question also. I've always just saved the partials for weekenders around home and always taken full to the island.

I've recently bought a small ultralight weight twig stove that ill be carrying for a back up from now on so that will help also for me.

Tightlines01 wrote: I've recently bought a small ultralight weight twig stove that ill be carrying for a back up from now on so that will help also for me.

Just be aware that any wood burning is going really dirty your pots. Whenever we use a twig stove, we carry the whole cook kit (stove & pot) in double plastic bags. Other than that, I think they're great. You can simmer stuff for a half hour with no concern for the weight of the fuel you're burning.

The left over white ashes form the twig stove mixed with a small amount of water will clean your pots and stove like new.

Hello
I was reading your post and I can tell you in 40-50 degree weather on Isle Royale, I can get 26 boils plus on a single new small fuel can with the Jet boil. We take 3 people and there is alot of coffee and hot chocolate, and ususally 3 dehydrated meals a day. Once I use it on a trip it gets tagged for local camping trips or ice fishing.

zims wrote:Hello
I can get 26 boils plus on a single new small fuel can with the Jet boil. We take 3 people and there is alot of coffee and hot chocolate, and ususally 3 dehydrated meals a day.

If you don't mind, how much water were you boiling at a time? I assume you are talking about the 4oz size fuel canister?

Hi John I boil the 2 cups that a jet boil will hold. According to REI, the jet boil brand fuel is 4 season canisters and they assured me it should make no difference the temperature outside. (unless its freezing of course) When I asked them if I was corerct on boils I get they said that is the normal for a 4 oz. canister, 26 boils, filling jet boil to the line inside.

zims wrote:Hi John I boil the 2 cups that a jet boil will hold. According to REI, the jet boil brand fuel is 4 season canisters and they assured me it should make no difference the temperature outside. (unless its freezing of course) When I asked them if I was corerct on boils I get they said that is the normal for a 4 oz. canister, 26 boils, filling jet boil to the line inside.

Thanks, it is good to get "real world" use stats for fuel. I was debating between the 8oz vs the 4oz cannister for my trip. I will take the 8oz as it will probably be a bit cooler than the summer.

Today I sent the lodge a suggestion that the stores at RH & Windigo should carry fuel alcohol and sell it by the oz, like they sell white gasoline. Don't everyone do it at once but over the next couple of months and maybe we could make those little ultralight alcohol stoves a bit more practical by having fuel available.