Monkey Boy Meths Burner For The Crusader Cooker

[monkey boy]

I saw this idea back in October at one of the BCUK Sussex meets, Monkey Boy showed me the burner, hence the title of this post, like many i think he wanted a better more economical way to use the Crusader Burner unit than using Green Heat or Hexi blocks.

The idea is incredibly simple and i really don't know why i never thought of it myself, now I've made no secret over the years about how carp the Crusader Cooker unit is and this fact is even backed up by the guy who designed it i believe?, but when I'm out and about and don't want to take a Trangia, Hobo stove or even have a small fire, i do use my Crusader Cooker unit, after all I'm not cooking anything on it, I'm just warming up some water that I've bought from home for a cup of tea or coffee, but in the colder months stuff like Green Heat just doesn't cut the mustard, i know some of the stove guys will say it never cuts the mustard, that's their choice, but i choose to use it.

This little burner unit though is so simple and so effective it's unreal and best of all, it's made from junk, the burner as you will see from the picture is a small Vaseline Lip Balm tin, which is filled with glass fibre loft insulation which in turn is kept in place by the wire mesh from a cheapo tea strainer, the whole thing weighs less than a gnats privates and sits in the burner tray of the Crusader cooker a treat, which coincidentally is where it lives when stored as well, as it's low enough to not interfere with the bottom of the metal mug when it's all packed away.

I cant store meths/alcohol in the burner though as the tin was prone to forming a vacuum, so i had to pierce a small hole in the lid in order to get it off, I've noticed the newer tins have a better design, so the hole is not necessary.

In use i filled the burner with meths so it was just starting to pool on the surface of the fibreglass, lit it and then put the mug, containing 500ml of cold water on the unit and put the lid on and in not too long a time the water was at a rolling boil, with fuel left in the burner.

I don't know how long it took to boil, as i don't work by the clock when I'm cooking or warming things up when I'm out and about, I've always worked to the ethos of "it's done when it's done", after all whats the rush, you are out there to enjoy yourself, there are just too many variables to consider when cooking outdoors, so i don't bother considering them.

So thanks to Monkey Boy for sharing the idea with me, personally i think it's brilliant

your more than welcome, I am so glad you have made this little stove and got to try it out, its perfect for the crusader kit. you will find that the more you use it the better it will work and burn longer. that has made my day knowing that someone likes and will be using my idea, enjoy a brew for me

monkey boy

 

[spandit]

Now you've taught Kepis how to make a stove, someone try and tell him how to carve a spoon properly... fed up of seeing his monstrosities on here

 

[Kepis]

Now you've taught Kepis how to make a stove, someone try and tell him how to carve a spoon properly... fed up of seeing his monstrosities on here

thats your job

 

[ateallthepies]

Nice idea and the mesh makes it look very neat!

I do have one idea which is to incorporate a nipple and silicone fuel line like Tinney and others do with their stoves to a remote fuel bottle? This is good as you can refuel the stove mid burn without taking your pot off if you are doing a long cook and also with a bit of trial and error you can use less fuel to cook with as you only need to squeeze enough fuel through to the stove and when the flame dies add a bit more and the rest stays in the fuel bottle ready for next time.

Steve.

 

[spandit]

thats your job

We'll have to start with teaching you some swearing. Let's make a start in the New Year

 

[Kepis]

We'll have to start with teaching you some swearing. Let's make a start in the New Year

Deal .

 

[Chiseller]

I can feel a snuff tin conversion coming on guess I need a crusaders kit first though...

 

[Kepis]

guess I need a crusaders kit first though...

get it on the Christmas list pronto

 

[Claudiasboris]

I tried this with an old Kiwi polish tin which works equally well.

Claudiasboris

 

[Kepis]

I tried this with an old Kiwi polish tin which works equally well.

Claudiasboris

Magic, ive just realised i used the last old tea strainer, time to hit the pound shop again

 

[spandit]

Does the crusader stove fit a Dutch metal cup (as I think that's what I have)?

 

[Shewie]

I tried this with an old Kiwi polish tin which works equally well.

Claudiasboris

I wonder if the snap closure of the lid will hold well enough for a pressurized version?

 

[Hugo]

I like it a lot, good for old monkey boy for showing this in the first place.
Mind you I'm not sure why you strapping lads want lip balm in the first place.

 

[Andy BB]

Nice idea and the mesh makes it look very neat!

I do have one idea which is to incorporate a nipple and silicone fuel line like Tinney and others do with their stoves to a remote fuel bottle? This is good as you can refuel the stove mid burn without taking your pot off if you are doing a long cook and also with a bit of trial and error you can use less fuel to cook with as you only need to squeeze enough fuel through to the stove and when the flame dies add a bit more and the rest stays in the fuel bottle ready for next time.

Steve.

I got one of Tinny's (minibull Design) mini-stoves (called a survival stove or summat) with a carbon felt wick and remote feed. you can either use it with a bird-feeder for automatic refuelling on the go, or with a squeeze bottle and feed in as needed. I've used this with the Crusader set-up and it works brilliantly - probably with the bird-feeder and 8oz bottle would burn for four or more hours! I've seen someone on youtube who filled the burner circle with carbon felt, drilled a hole in the crusader burner circle and fed in a tube which connected to a remote bottle feed, which also seemed to work well.

I also have a larger minibull version (M4) which I've used with the Swiss Army Trangia stove instead of the trangia/svea burner, again with the remote bird-feeder at the last meet. Boiled up a nice beef stew for several hours (actually 3 and a bit hours) without having to lift a finger!

 

[Kepis]

I like it a lot, good for old monkey boy for showing this in the first place.
.

Cheers Hugo

Mind you I'm not sure why you strapping lads want lip balm in the first place.

You need to speak to your dancing girls

 

[Kepis]

I wonder if the snap closure of the lid will hold well enough for a pressurized version?

Ummmm, definate trip to the pound shop needed i feel

 

[Shewie]

I also have a larger minibull version (M4) which I've used with the Swiss Army Trangia stove instead of the trangia/svea burner, again with the remote bird-feeder at the last meet. Boiled up a nice beef stew for several hours (actually 3 and a bit hours) without having to lift a finger!

That's the next one on my list I think Andy, I've been really happy with the Bios but the mini Atomic is something else. I like the idea of a remote feed alky stove though, for the bigger meals they make real sense.

 

[Elines]

I got one of Tinny's (minibull Design) mini-stoves (called a survival stove or summat) with a carbon felt wick and remote feed. you can either use it with a bird-feeder for automatic refuelling on the go, or with a squeeze bottle and feed in as needed. I've used this with the Crusader set-up and it works brilliantly - probably with the bird-feeder and 8oz bottle would burn for four or more hours! I've seen someone on youtube who filled the burner circle with carbon felt, drilled a hole in the crusader burner circle and fed in a tube which connected to a remote bottle feed, which also seemed to work well.

I also have a larger minibull version (M4) which I've used with the Swiss Army Trangia stove instead of the trangia/svea burner, again with the remote bird-feeder at the last meet. Boiled up a nice beef stew for several hours (actually 3 and a bit hours) without having to lift a finger!

Any chance of a link to pictures so thickos like me can understand what the different variations are

 

[Kepis]

Does the crusader stove fit a Dutch metal cup (as I think that's what I have)?

Yep, the dutch cup is smaller than the Crusader mug so it will fit the cooker unit a treat, both of the boys here have Dutch cups and use them with a shared Crusader cooker unit

 

[Andy BB]

Any chance of a link to pictures so thickos like me can understand what the different variations are

for Minibull Design stuff, have a browse round his website - https://www.minibulldesign.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=91&idcategory=5

The M4 burner is under the CAB Stove sections, the birdfeeder is under accessories as "SS Remote". There are loads of videos on youtube - many by Tinny (the owner of Minibull Designs) - well worth a watch. It looks as if the survival stove isn't being made any more - probably why I got it cheaply! His stuff isn't cheap, but its beautifully made and will last a lifetime. And shipping to the UK is only about $5, pretty much regardless of order. The squeezy bottles are labelled under accessories as fuel bottles - I got a couple of 8oz ones.

Re the crusader burner, in the middle of the bottom is a circle where you're supposed to place your hexi block or fuel gel. this has a raised lip to keep the stuff inside. A guy on youtube just drilled a hole through this and fed a tube through, connected up to a squeezy fuel bottle if I remember correctly. He filled the circle with carbon felt, which absorbs the meths and acts as a wick. His design was a bit iffy, because he wasn't using silicon tube, and if I was going down that route I'd use a nipple in the hole (again you can get these from Minibull design for about $1 each) and a length of silicon tube which is much more heat resistant.