Alcohol stoves – down to what temp will they typically work?

EJ,
I've used mine at 9F last winter with no problems. Here's the tip: keep the fuel warm–above it's 57F (aprox) flash point. I do this by keeping the alcohol in 2 bottles. A platy for bulk storage–(little Nipper with the the BPL adjustable spout) in the pack, and a 2 oz oval type bottle I keep in my shirt pocket. This keeps the fuel very warm and easy to light in cold weather. You need to light it quickly–before it cools and your stove (Pepsi can open-jet is my favorite) will work fine. Also a wind screen and a reflector (foil) below the stove is a must for better performance.
Steve

PS http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/platypus-lil-nipper-spout-caps.html

Keeping some alcohol close to your body is a great idea.

But typically what are the lowest temperatures in which you would trust an alcohol stove? It would probably be useful for boiling water for a meal or a drink in colder weather but I don't think it would have enough BTUs for melting snow and might be very difficult to operate effectively in very windy conditions (even with a wind screen).

I'm totally new to alcohol stoves and looking forward to trying mine (a MiniBullDesigns BIOS, which is supposed to burn very hot) in the field, but concerned about relying on it for winter use.

it is reliable year round depending on region. Like stated above it is all about warmth of fuel… The Bios is a nice stove and you should get a good return from it…although it may take more to prime it over some of the other stoves.
I would not hesitate taking my MBD stove with me anytime of the year.
Tommy

Tommy,

Which MDB do you have? Does it require less priming and how long does it take to boil a pint of water?

Only priming BIOS requires is wetting the external wick with alcohol and then lighting. You wait about 10 seconds for the wick to heat up the alcohol in the center and push it out the vents – and then you can place your pot on top. I got the BIOS mainly for the hot flame and supposedly quicker boil times (haven't checked performance myself yet).

I was looking for the hottest quickest boiling easy to use MDB I could find.

Do you know another alcohol stove that better meets this criteria?

Also which model stove would you use for simmering?

I believe MBD has one set in which a simmering stove nests in a hotter larger stove.

Almost forgot to mention – I will be using this stove with the Trek 900 and sometimes (with guests) with the Trek 1400. Not super narrow but not very wide either – the Trek 900 is 5 inches in diameter, and the 1400 is 5 3/4 inches in diameter.

I have a Trek 3, An Atomic, an Elite and an Iso fly.

The Iso fly is great for sauces and simmering, but can't boil water to save it's life…it is slow, but you can save unused fuel.

The Trek is a set on top stove and works fine, but I find with the Heni pot I made it is a bit tipsy…It works the same as your BIOS

The one I use the most is my Atomic. adjustable post stand and an angle set of jets to work perfect for any size pot. I bought the Iso fly and went back to the atomic. I feel with the Pots you are using a BIOS will do well, but in cold weather it will take alittle more priming fuel on the wick to get it primed. I think the Bios is a great stove and should serve you well.

I would test it by filling up your pot with a set amount of water and set it on the stove. then bump, step around, and jump to test stability. the bigger the pot the worse it will be.

Tommy

How wide is the flame ring from your Atomic?

How much fuel will it hold?

How fast will it boil?

What is the weight of the stove and of the potstand?

The Atomic will hold about 2oz of fuel and will run about a half hour on a full tank. I usually bring 1.5 cups of water to boil with about an oz of fuel… It takes about 6-8mins to boil

the flame is centered on the bottle so it works well for little and large pots.

As for weight, I forget the total on it. the potstand is super light aluminum and adds little to no weight. my kitchen with empty fuel bottles and small bag to keep it in is only 12oz. I could go lighter but I like to have my salt and pepper.

Tommy

just got back from VT 2niter on the LT and headin out again this weekend for some snowshoeing. I know alcohol stoves arent the most efficient in cold weather. But it worked fine in the teens with just normal aluminum foil wind shield and reflector pad underneath. There was no wind, so that may have helped but have used similar in past. Burns more fuel no doubt.

Also my 3L Platty & a 1L water bottle froze solid like blocks of ice overnite in the teens, so I had no choice but to fire up the stove in the morning, and melted ~1-2L of snow quickly to make a little water and placed the 1L bottle inside my cookpot to melt the ice block inside rather quickly. Not too shabby for an alcohol stove!

Though I'm planning to buy a much heavier traditional winter stove for future-gotta cut down on how many risks or sooner or later I'll get burned.

I agree with the folks here. keep your alcohol warm (this just helps by making lighting easier) and you may need a priming pan (even if your model doesn't require priming. The key is to get your stove warmed up as quick as possible, its all about heat loss due to the colder temp. You will probably need a little more fuel, but with some planning, it is easy to use a alcohol stove in cold weather.

What material is best for the bottom reflector pad and how large should it be? Thick aluminum foil? Should it be large enough in diameter to go past your wind screen?