>> Man, alcohol stoves are a joke. They are for hobos and emergencies, mostly.
Both good uses for them, yes.
But iffy for backpacking? Tell that to ultralight long distance hikers on the AT and PCT, where alcohol stoves are the predominant form of cooking.
Why is that?
1. They are simple with respect to engineering, design, and operation. There is an aesthetic appeal to that.
2. They use, generally, recycled materials. There is an ethical appeal to that.
3. You can make your own. There are financial, and self-esteem benefits to that.
4. Fuel is more readily available for resupply en route (trail towns) than white gas or canister fuel because you can buy it at drug stores, gas stations, grocers, convenience stores, etc.
5. It takes about 3-4 minutes for a canister stove to boil a pint of cold water. It takes 5-8 minutes for alcohol. If you’re heating more than a pint at a time then the differences go up. That’s why EtOH stoves are good for ultralight cooking systems, and why those coming from a background of using gas are often frustrated with them.
As for solid fuel, these are also a popular choice among thru hikers interested in an ultralight cooking system where great quantities of water boiled are not required. Frustration comes when expecting your cooking style to be transferable from gas to EtOH or solid fuel. It takes 8-10 minutes for a solid fuel tablet to boil a pint of cold water.
EtOH and soilid fuel stoves require a windscreen to eke out good performance.
Here are a few resources to help folks become better educated about EtOH systems here:
- Alcohol Stoves Review Summary
- Performance Comparison Testing of Lightweight Alcohol Stoves
- Comparative Fuel Efficiency and Carry Weight for Six Lightweight Backpacking Cooking Systems: Part I, Assembling Comparable Cooking Systems and Test Data
- Comparative Fuel Efficiency and Carry Weight for Six Lightweight Backpacking Cooking Systems: Part II, Calculating Fuel Usage, Carry Weight Analysis, and Cost/Efficiency Considerations
The latter two articles will be extremely insightful for anyone looking to compare the performance of alcohol vs. solid fuel vs. canister in the context of lightweight cooking systems and styles.
Are EtOH / solid fuel stoves the end-all? Well, no. Do they have a place? You bet. They just need to be used in the proper context of a compatible cooking style and cooking gear system.
