Do tealight stoves actually work in the field?

[Theron Rohr]

I'm fascinated by the simplicity of the tealight stove but a bit worried about its power output. I've tested it out at home and am impressed with the results here in balmy LA. But I'm a little concerned that at 8000' it might not have the output necessary to boil 12oz of water without continuous refilling. Anyone have field experience with one of these?

[Theron Rohr]

Surely somebody uses these things?

Or is this whole thing an April Fools joke and I didn't get the memo :)

[John Davis]

I used it in blowy conditions to boil around 12 oz of water, no problem. In perfect conditions, it'll do a pint on 0.5oz (the 'filled to the top' volume) but at the altitude and with the wind, it still did 12 oz…. I was on Whitney…..

[Jason Klass]

Theron,
They do, but they're not the most powerful. They work better under mild conditions and for smaller quantities of water (16 oz. or less). I've also found that they work better at higher elevations where the boiling point of water is lower. A lot of people at sea level have reported to me that they can't get a boil of 2 cups on one fill.

[Lynn Tramper]

"A lot of people at sea level have reported to me that they can't get a boil of 2 cups on one fill."

Correct, and that's without any wind…so I've never bothered to field test them.

[Theron Rohr]

Thanks for the info everyone. It definitely sounds like it's worth trying out on my next trip. I suppose the tealight itself is nearly weightless anyway so I can always bring backup!

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