Notkocher vs Chafing Gel?

[spandit]

Does anyone know what the actual fuel used in the Swiss Notkocher gel stoves is? Just got one of the volcano stoves and tried using it with twigs, with limited success (did get a brew in the end but with a lot of fuss and mess). I know the chafing gel tins are only designed for keeping food warm and not for cooking but are they that different from the Notkocher? They're certainly cheaper

 

[Gray]

Yes they are different, experimented with this last year. Notkotcher burns hotter but can't be used indoors as the fumes seem to be toxic. I accidentally got a gobfull and nearly passed out messing about with them in the kitchen.
In the cold months while camping, I set My alarm for 5am and stick a tin of 2.5hr chaffing gel in my Kelly kettle in the porch of my tent. When I get up at 7am, tent is toastie and I've got water for a brew and a strip wash in the tent, it's that warm. I wouldn't do that with a notkocher, you wouldn't wake up. Chaffing gel from Costco works out about 47p a tin.

 

[spandit]

No Costco near to me but they're cheap enough on eBay. Might be worth a punt although perhaps hexi would be a better bet in the SAVS

 

[Gray]

What's that other solid fuel you can get....Trioxysomething or other. Hexy's quite sooty compared to the gel, tried some of that Green Heat gel fuel, absolute crap

 

[tartanferret]

I imagine it would be similar to Greenheat?

 

[Gray]

I imagine it would be similar to Greenheat?
View attachment 13166

Sorry no offence, just my opinion

 

[spandit]

Greenheat seems quite expensive for what it is. Portable, though. I'd rather use hand sanitiser in a pot

 

[andybysea]

Green heat and Chafing gel is not very good from my experiannce,the Boss(wife) got me a load of chafing gel and to be honest after trying to heat with it i found it does what its designed to keep stuff warm not hot! now i use what ive got left of it to help start a fire if my tinder is damp. Same really for green heat bought it as a alternative for hexi,but again find it only warms gone back to hexi.

 

[andybysea]

If you pm me you addy i will send you some green heat and chafing gel(samples sachets and a tin) so you can try and see what you think.I find the tatonka meths burner works a treat in my swiss volcano stove,i boil the water in the bottle cork very loose in the top it boil really quite quick,bit fiddly getting the tatonka in but ive got ET long alien fingers so can manage it.

 

[tartanferret]

Sorry no offence, just my opinion

No offence taken mate, you must have posted whist i was looking for the pic

 

[Gray]

It's always the way, I'm good at putting my size 9s in it

 

[rik_uk3]

I found Sterno to burn as well as the original gel
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-x-Ster...5?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item20c7794c07 just over a quid a can.

 

[spandit]

I found Sterno to burn as well as the original gel

Does the original gel work for you, though, Rik?

 

[ged]

Does anyone know what the actual fuel used in the Swiss Notkocher gel stoves is? Just got one of the volcano stoves and tried using it with twigs, with limited success (did get a brew in the end but with a lot of fuss and mess). I know the chafing gel tins are only designed for keeping food warm and not for cooking but are they that different from the Notkocher? They're certainly cheaper

When I use my Ghillie kettle (I use it a lot!), if the twigs aren't as dry as I'd like I use a squirt of meths to get them to light easier.

No messing about, the fire goes very quickly, and the great bulk of the fuel is still the wood. I always keep at least a small (30ml) bottle of meths handy for fire lighting.

The bottle is one of the wife's discarded contact lens solution bottles, they're great for aiming a little jet of meths.

 

[spandit]

Swiss volcano stove isn't so easy to feed as a Ghillie Kettle which is why I'm looking at other options. We've got a big Kelly Kettle here (which doesn't have the whistle like yours) but it's a bit bulky for one person and I don't want to spend £50 on an M-Kettle or F1

 

[belzeebob23]

Hi Spandit

I use chafin gel to heat my tent which its great for and have used it to make an expressio which I found worked, small amount of water and a slow brew.
As far as heating a Volcano think you'll be their all day waiting for it to boil due to the volume of water. I would use the method that Ged suggested .
If you send addy I can send down a tin of gel to try if you like.

Bob

 

[belzeebob23]

Hey Spandit

1 tin Chafin gel wing its way to you. (by courier) sneaked it in with works stuff.
Should be with you sometime tomorrow.

Bob

 

[spandit]

Very kind of you, Bob!

 

[spandit]

Tried a tin out today with the SAT - took a while to heat my lunch (a boil in the bag curry) but was hot enough for hot chocolate. Could have left it going for longer but the dogs kept jumping over the stove and didn't trust them to miss every time

 

[belzeebob23]

Cheers for the update. not quite what you where looking for but good for starting a fire in the volcano

bob