Minimalist cooker concept
- Thread starter Extreme Pilgrim
- Start date
Meths and surgical spirits (surgical alcohol/rubbing alcohol) are basically the same thing, at least in the UK. That is they're both ethyl alcohol with something (usually methyl alcohol) added to denature it so that it's undrinkable. In the USA they tend to use isopropyl alcohol (IPA, de-icer, whatever) as rubbing alcohol instead of meths. IPA is undrinkable anyway, so it doesn't need denaturing.
From the point of view of emergency treatment for cleaning a wound I wouldn't hesitate to use meths or IPA instead of surgical alcohol if that was all I had, although I always have a little bottle of surgical alcohol in my FAK. For long term use such as hardening skin, for walking, playing the guitar etc., I'd be reluctant to use something which wasn't intended for use on the skin. All these products are highly flammable, and a meths flame can be difficult to see, so care is needed. There have been terrible fires in operating theatres involving surgical alcohol.
Products sold as surgical alcohol will be guaranteed free of carcinogenic contaminants such as traces of benzine. Products sold for use as fuels might not be. Years ago when I worked with explosives we used alcohols a lot as solvents and for cleaning. My boss used to buy the alcohols. There was 95% ethanol and 99.9% ethanol, and he preferred the 95%. The 99.9% was distilled from benzine, and so it was dangerously toxic, but the 95% was distilled from brewed products and it was (allegedly!) drinkable. At least it had duty on it courtesy of Customs & Excise, which the 99.9% didn't. I never did find out if he was actually drinking the stuff, and I never tried it myself.
Not trying to play devils advocate, but a minibull stove (red bull can stove) is about a quarter to a third of the weight of a white box stove, and if it is a side burner, you do not need a pot support, so end up with a stove weighing as little as 7g.
If it is a well made minibull stove, it will burn for at least 14-15 minutes, and will burn easily as well as a whitebox stove.
To put 7g into context, that is the same weight as an empty ultralight supermarket carrier bag. Even if you choose to use a chicken wire pot stand of 10-12cm wide for example (for added stability), you still end up with a sub 20g stove combo.
If it is a well made minibull stove, it will burn for at least 14-15 minutes, and will burn easily as well as a whitebox stove.
To put 7g into context, that is the same weight as an empty ultralight supermarket carrier bag. Even if you choose to use a chicken wire pot stand of 10-12cm wide for example (for added stability), you still end up with a sub 20g stove combo.
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Whats wrong with still using the hexi cooker? self contained, carries its fuel. How much does an empty cooker weigh? Seems a lot of flaffing about with tent pegs etc when the hexi does it all? I've made a few little meths stoves and they are great fun to play with but prefer a standard Trangia burner with simmer ring, you get a better boil/simmer time than with home made stoves normally; That said I prefer a real Trangia setup full stop but then I'm not a gramme weenie and am old fashioned
This is my idea of a minimalist brew setup :tapedshut
This is my idea of a minimalist brew setup :tapedshut
Anyone ever tried to use 3 nailsin a Trangia stove (in the meths liquid that is). There's a vid on Youtube somewhere.
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