The PERFECT alc stove for 2 on the AT

I would advise taking two. One which will run vigorously for water boiling and colder weather running. The other for gentler heat for frying and simmering.

The combo which works for me is a sideburner pepsican stove and a vargo decagon.

Get a good windshield too.

Your answer will depend on what type of cooking you are doing and if you're boiling water, how much water you need.

My cooking style is mostly freezer bag cooking, so I only boil water with my stove. When I'm going to be cooking for 2, I take my minibulldesign Mini-Sith. It requires no potstand and pairs well with a small ti pot(.9L or 1.3L).

> I need to get the dirt on THE BEST option.

You haven't defined what YOU want out of the stove. So there is no answer which doesn't involve all sorts of preconceived ideas and biases from other people – and everyone has different biases.

Doesn't exist. End of story.

Cheers

I would go with the Etowah Outfitters stove it has a big fuel capacity and will boil 1.5-2 liters. Hands down the most reliable alcohol stove I've used. It is a little heavy though 4 oz or so but I really like it.

Ed, although not on your list, I would recommend the Caldera Cone by Trail Designs and available at the BPL store. I previously used the Vargo Triad and was disappointed by how slow it was and the quantity of fuel used…I almost gave up on the alcohol stove idea. But the Caldera is super efficient, using only 15 ml of fuel to boil 2 C of water. This is an important consideration as alcohol is the least efficient of all the fuel choices and hence you will pay a weight penalty because you will have to carry more of it. For short trips I'll use alcohol; for longer trips I'll take an LP gas canister stove. The canisters tend to be universally available, or you can UPS ground ship them to your resupply points. Hope this helps.

“Please advise: Make, model, reason, options, other, etc.”

Brawny’s complete AT and PCT hike was done w/ her alcy stove— which inspired me: http://www.trailquest.net/BRcookset.html
Refer to the stove only. Basically, it’s the pepsi can stove. I got one made by Rainmaker before he quit selling them. I use the stove in the pics only. I found the cut-up-can pot holder absorbs too much heat. I was able to increase my boil times 10% by using a wire mesh pot support.

w/ 5-1/2” wide 3.5C aluminum pot & lid, 2C 60F H20, 0.75oz alcy give 5.0 minutes to boil and 2 more minutes of rolling boil. Pot is 1” above stove (distance makes a difference).

I also have the white box. I got the same results as gossamer gear http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/White_Box_Stove.html
I do not take it very often though because:
1. It’s slightly heavier (even taking into account no pot holder needed)
2. Brawny stove uses more stable pot stand
3. too long to prime (I’m not in the mood for gimmicks to speed this up—for safety and simplicity reasons)

One of my best tests to make sure there’s no fiddle factor w/ an alcy stove is thus: If it can light easily at 0F, then you have a dependable backcountry stove. Most acly stoves fail this test. The above referenced two— do not. I have even melted snow w/ the above stoves.

Anyway, my recommendation is to make a soda can stove (Brawny style).

-Barry

I would recommend looking at the Trangia. Especially for two people. There is nothing better than having the ability to snuff and cap – this has been a great fuel and frustration saver for me. It is also nice to be able to use the stove in cold temps without wasting fuel for priming. Another feature I enjoy is the ability to simmer.