Minimalist cooker concept

[Extreme Pilgrim]

I, for many years, used to use hexamine blocks with the cooking pot supported by 3-4 tent pegs. This, I found, saved me from carrying any excess weight and was wondering if anybody had tried something similar with meths stoves. I am looking at purchasing a Trangia meths stove and thought that by digging out a hollow in the ground and placing the cooking pot on either pegs or suspending it from above would allow me to continue cooking in a similar vein to that which I had in the past. I was looking a something larger (the Caldera inferno) but find it hard to justify the extra weight and space.

 

[born2roam]

Yep,

have tried a trangia with a pot suspended on a branch and/or similar. Fiddling with distance and creating a windshield but perfectly doable.

Rarely take tent pegs with me so normally I improvise on that part too.... wether cooking on a fire, esbit or alcohol. Try it with a DIY alcy burner like a penny stove or pepsi or "YACCS" (Yet Another Coke Can Stove): Google away...or just 'splurge' on a good trangia or other alcy stove ;-)

Grtz Johan

 

[Asa Samuel]

If you take a trangia and put three nails in the middle chamber they become pot stands, the results can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYy2kg5yAiI
And here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPJAtz2Pvrk&feature=related

No affiliation but that guy's channel is basically all about meths stoves, there are loads of home made and commercial stoves all with boil tests and times on there.

 

[Paul_B]

BPL UK do evernew titanium meths stove and have a trivet too. It is like the trangia burner but 32g and two rings of jets so faster. Can be used on own supporting the pot. Although this blocks one set of jets so is slower like the trangia is. The trivet is summat like 20g and sits on top so it allows both jet rings to be used.

Tough too.

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/page99.asp

This link has all their non wood burning stoves. The last and third from last are the two bits of kit I meant. Although I'm tempted by that hexamine stove. 10g it is in Ti. Never used hex fuel so interested in how it behaves.

 

[RM27]

Sorry to hijack the topic but anyone got one of these things for sale? not specificaly the branded version but homemade one etc

 

[Extreme Pilgrim]

If you take a trangia and put three nails in the middle chamber they become pot stands, the results can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYy2kg5yAiI
And here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPJAtz2Pvrk&feature=related

No affiliation but that guy's channel is basically all about meths stoves, there are loads of home made and commercial stoves all with boil tests and times on there.

Thanks, thats the sort of thing is was on about. My pegs have been stuck in the ground before when used with Hexy but that is do-able as well. Cheers.

 

[hanzo]

I use a homemade wood gas stove. Inside, I usually have either a soda can stove or a small trangia. Also inside, I have some hardware cloth, which is basically metal mesh that fits almost around the top of my wood gas stove. It becomes the pot stand with am opening enough to add more fuel. The wood gas stove works with the alcohol stove inside or outside.

Normally, I don't use the alcohol stove. It's just for backup. A handful of twigs gives a good 20-30 minutes or burn time. That's enough to boil water or cook a quick meal.

 

[ged]

If you don't want to carry a lot of weight for a pot support then a piece of thin flexible steel wire is probably the lightest option. Make a tripod out of sticks and hang the pot from the steel wire. I use stainless steel wire of about 0.5mm diameter (I actually use it for marking straight lines around fifty feet long when boat building, not for hanging pots). It weighs practically nothing and has a thousand other uses. PM me your address and I'll send you a bit.

TBH I don't rate meths stoves in bad weather, but I guess you know all about that. It's a great fuel priming my petrol/paraffin stoves though, and for starting fires generally. I had good sucess with a meths burner in an Aldi stainless steel drainer, got the whole thing glowing bright red. The feedback of heat from the hot stainless boots the alcohol vapour production (alarmingly, some would say). But that's quite a lot of weight just for a pot support.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

I did the same for a long time too.

except I always used a Meths burner from a Trangia.

I made depression with my boot heal 2-3" deep, 4 " wide. placed the burner in, and lit it, then placed 2 tent pegs (steel) across the top.

downside: Trangia burners are brass so therefore, relatively heavy for lightweight gear.
positive: Meths very low flame light (good for concealed camping), Meths has not the poisonous fumes or sticky soot that Hexi's have.
also trangia stores meths inside it...but not much.

I now use a Pepsi can stove, with an US Army aluminum mug stand, which weigh hardly anything and take up little space compared to steel pegs and brass Trangia burner!
on this sit's my crusader cup.

one more thing:
Meths has other uses, as a cleaner, to harden skin pror to hikes, and it evaporates fast if spilt.

you can't add Meths to a fire the same way you can with hexi.

 

[Shewie]

one more thing:
Meths has other uses, as a cleaner, to harden skin pror to hikes, and it evaporates fast if spilt.

.

Not heard that one before Richard, how does one do it, is it a long process before the trip starts ?

 

[Miyagi]

one more thing:
Meths has other uses, as a cleaner, to harden skin pror to hikes, and it evaporates fast if spilt.

Not heard that one before Richard, how does one do it, is it a long process before the trip starts ?

I haven't tried this myself but I've heard of it, (and vinegar?) my hard skinned feet are the result of lots of walking and also years of barefoot training on Tatami and wooden floors.

My grandfather used to wash his hands and face in a brine solution when he boxed as a young man.

Liam

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

It is an old school, technique, suggested to scouts/hikers for some years. It's probably considered dangerous nowerdays.


but Meths is similar to Alcohol in principle and is ususally sold as a cleaning fluid.
I remember the cleaners at school liberally wiping tables with it! lol (it removes permanent marker!)

I've used it to clean my hands before eating food.
I read an article where an Australian soldier used to clean the smellier parts of his body, after an army exercise, and because it evaporates fast it feels cold, which is nice in a hot/dry environment.
I would perhaps not use it on broken skin, that would hurt! and I'm not sure if Meths is safe to clean wounds with (chemically speaking).
Alcohol has long been used to sterilise things not sure if Meths is safe to do the same? anyone know?

 

[mousey]

Methylated spirits (or denatured alcohol) is ethanol or pure 'grain' alcohol, however to be exempt from alcohol taxes (which would make it a little expensive to use as a fuel) other chemicals are added. Traditionally one of the chemicals was Methanol, which is toxic and if consumed can cause blindness or death - Hence the name Methylated spirits. There have been a variety of different chemicals added to denatured alcohol to make it un-drinkable and therefore cheaply available for industrial purposes, and these vary in toxicity. I believe it's law it has to be dyed - as many of the additional chemicals are colourless.

Probably not very wise to use in a surgial/medical capacity. - or to drink.

But if your gonna die anyway....

 

[sapper1]

Have a look at the vargo decagon stove.I can recommend them.

 

[ocean1975]

Here's something i have tried.

 

[JonathanD]

A Whitebox stove is about as minimalist as you can get. No stand needed, just put your pot or mug directly on top.

 

[sapper1]

I thought about a whitebox stove(still am) but settled for the decagon as it fits into my pot along with a folding spork,windsheild , mug and a couple of instant coffees.I can get a firesteel in there too.
Can I do the same with a whitebox?I know the come in 2 sizes and would probably only need the short one.
There is too much kit about and I find I NEED it all.

Can I do the same with a whitebox?
This is a genuine question,just read it back and thought it sounded a bit shirty.It's not meant to be.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

here is possibly the most basic there is, an Esbit.

here is my very light US stove, and coke can stove. The Crusader cup fits it if you whack it hard enough

(by the way the hose brick was found a few feet away )

 

[JonathanD]

Sapper. The Whitebox is much smaller than a Decagon and is a much better performer IMHO. I can get all of the above you named plus Whitebox in a small titanium mug. Go for the larger version too.

 

[andybysea]

Have to go with JonathonD on this white box is much better than decagon(i have both) it burn's more intensely,brings to boil quicker, is taller but doesnt have that wide base,both dont burn for very long though,the tatonka ss ones are very good if you want long burn times but are much heavier.