Introduction
In Part II of this article I address the premise: If I chose the lightest stove in each category and used it as efficiently as I could, how would the cooking system carry weights compare for different usage levels and trip lengths?
In Part I of this article I assembled six different cooking systems (white gas, remote canister, top-mount canister, integrated canister, alcohol, and fuel tab) to be compared for fuel efficiency and carry weight. Then I tested the cooking systems under controlled conditions so the data would be as comparable as possible.
My goal was to answer the following questions:
- What is the real carry weight of stove plus fuel for different cooking systems?
- How do I calculate the amount of fuel I need for a trip?
- How much does fuel efficiency make up for stove weight on a longer trip?
- What is the comparative cost for stove plus fuel?
- Considering the fuel cost, which cooking system is the most economical and weight efficient?
Now in Part II of this article, I get down to the real “meat” of the issue. The questions posed above are difficult to answer completely, and for all situations. There are many variables involved, and the answers depend on the type and length of trip you are taking and local conditions. No matter. This project provides a lot of insight into the issues, and will increase your understanding of how the weight and efficiency of different cooking systems compare, how they affect the weight you carry on your back, and how they affect your wallet. In this article you will find information to help you choose the cooking system(s) that meets your needs, and dial in the amount of fuel that you actually need to take on your trips.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- Estimating Fuel Consumption under Field Conditions
- Highlands
- Lowlands
- Table 3: Estimated Fuel Consumption to Boil 1 Pint of Water
- Highlights:
- Fuel Mileage
- Table 4: Calculated Fuel Mileage for Highland and Lowland Conditions
- Highlights:
- Table 5: Highland Conditions - Calculated Fuel Mileage (cooking days/container) for Eight Usage Levels
- Table 6: Lowland Conditions - Calculated Fuel Mileage (cooking days/container) for Eight Usage Levels
- Highlights:
- Stove + Fuel Carry Weights for Different Trip Lengths
- Table 7: Scenario 1 - Initial Stove + Fuel Carry Weights for Two People Sharing One Stove.
- Highlights:
- Table 8: Scenario 2 - Initial Stove + Fuel Carry Weights For a Solo Hiker.
- Highlights:
- Some key points from this discussion:
- Stove and Fuel Costs
- Table 9: Comparative Stove and Fuel Costs
- Highlights:
- Discussion
- Variables
- Windscreen Selection
- White Gas Stoves
- Canister Stoves
- Fuel Tab Stoves
- Alcohol Stoves
- Decisions, Decisions
- Acknowledgements
# WORDS: 5391
# PHOTOS: 2
# TABLES: 7
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Discussion
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The easy recommendation is this:
However much fuel you would need for a summer trip, for a winter snow trip, double it.
–B.G.–
> However much fuel you would need for a summer trip, for a winter snow trip, double it.
+1
Cheers
Thanks for the fast responses, but I am not sure I understand the logic for doubling.
This is my thought process so far; doubling it seems fine and all but I find that I drink a lot more ambient temp water than I heat for hot drinks and cooking food. In the summer I boil at least 1.25-1.5L per person per day. But for drinking on the trail and in the evening I would want to have around 3L total per day. This means I have a total of 4.25-4.5 L of water required. I was under the impression that the energy required to melt snow is similar to the energy required to heat ambient water to boiling. So if this is the case, would I need 3 times the amount of fuel that would be used on a summer trip, where snow melting is not required. Thanks for your help!
Mike
Yes Michael in some circumstances treble it. however if you put snow in your water bottle and put the bottle inside your coat as you walk you can melt some snow by body heat whilst moving. Thats good if you are too hot not so good if you are fighting for warmth.
> I am not sure I understand the logic for doubling.
Very simple. It takes a certain amount of energy (=fuel) to heat water from typical creek temperature to boiling point. It turns out it takes about the same amount of energy to heat cold snow up and melt it to give water around 'creek temperature'. Hence the recommendation to double.
This suggests a huge fuel saving if you can dig down to running water. You betcha!
Cheers
Oh, yes. When cross country skiers are out for a long trip in the springtime, they have all sorts of tricks to be able to grab liquid water out of a stream, so that they don't have to melt snow.
A good one is to attach a length of wire or cord from the bottom end of your ski pole, and then to attach that to the neck of your water bottle. Then you edge up next to the stream bank and try to dip that into the water. If you screw up, either you get an unexpected bath, or you will lose the water bottle.
You can load a thin layer of snow into a clean black garbage bag, and leave that out in the sun on a big rock. You come back later, and you have a part of a bag of liquid water that tastes slightly like plastic.
–B.G.–
Bob, that is exactly what I do. When snow camping, I take a large new black garbage bag. The first thing I do when setting up camp is to fill it about 1/2 full and lay it on a hill side with one of the lower corners at the low end. The next day I pinch just a tad off that corner. Enough for the water to trickle out. I dig a well and set my pot or nalgene under the trickle. Once full, boil for food or drink away. Refill the bag as necessary. This works like a charm!
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