Micro XUL Alcohol Stove & Pot

Does the 1.9-ounce weight include the pot lid, fuel bottle, and lighter?

You might try a 16-ounce aluminum beer bottle instead of the can. I find the aluminum bottle to be a little tougher and resistant to collapse.

–B.G.–

The 1.9 oz includes the pot, pot lid, stove, windscreen & base sheet. A 4 oz fuel bottle adds .8 oz.

Who makes 16 beer bottles? I'd like to try one.

I am holding a 16-ounce aluminum bottle of Miller Lite. I will not make any claims about the beer. The advantage of your can is that the top opening is wide. The advantage of the bottle is that the screw cap can be screwed back on, so you don't need a separate lid piece.

–B.G.–

Just got back from buying a Coors Light 16 oz beer bottle.

Coors Light 16 oz beer bottle with cap = 26.7 grams.
Foster's 25 oz can 25.8 g + 2.6 g Al lid = 28.4 grams.
20 oz can 14.5 g + 1.4 g Al lid = 15.9 grams.

So the 20 oz can and lid weigh 10.8 grams less than the 16 oz bottle and cap.

On the other hand, I carry two 20 oz plastic water bottles, which weigh 40.1 grams each. So a total capacity of 40 oz for 80.2 grams. Three of the 16 oz aluminum bottles would weigh less at 80.1 grams, with a larger capacity of 48 oz. And the aluminum bottles can be used to heat water, so I can leave the Foster's or 20 oz can at home.

I use the freezer bag method of cooking, so I don't mind the smaller opening of the 16 oz bottles.

So I'll be switching from two plastic bottles to three aluminum bottles. Thanks for the tip.

Love your set-up David.

Any tips on how to go about the conical windscreen?

Have you had the chance to use it much since you went with the 16oz bottle?

I'm currently sourcing similar bottles here in Japan. I've found a few that are all about 24grams and just over 400ml (about 14 fl oz).

A Ti caldera cone would be awesome for this. Would need a beer band or fiberglass wick or similar, but I have a feeling that most of these sorts of cans are around the same diameter, just the height varies slightly, so one cone would work for many of them, the user just adjusts the height themselves with the beer band or wick. Just saying Trail Designs :-)

As my daughter and I sat at Obrycki's in the Baltimore airport on Friday waiting through yet another delay on the way to NYC, I saw a young woman drinking a Bud light in an Al bottle. I had just watched a video on how to make a camp stove the day before and needed a few bottles. I ended up not only getting that one, but 5 others a waitress collected for me! I am surprised how much thicker they are than cans. My daughter had room for them in her backpack, so ended up carrying them for me the rest of the trip :)

Also, there were 2 other young women at another table who wanted to know what I wanted them for, so I told them about a YouTube video that had how to make the stoves. Not only were they interested, they goggled it and watched is as they ate. Amazing how you can find a backpacker anywhere.

Hey Adam,

I use the apps at Zen Stoves to design the windscreen:

http://zenstoves.net/PotStands-Conical.htm#ConeTemplates

Then I draw it on paper and cut it out for a template. To make a prototype I trace the template onto aluminum flashing, which I then cut with scissors and an industrial hole punch (Nieko from Amazon = $25). I test the prototype with numerous timed burns. If it's a good design I then fabricate it from .004" stainless steel shim stock or .005" titanium foil. If it's not a good design, I start over again.

I have used the aluminum bottles on one camping trip so far. They worked well.

Petra,

There is a YouTube video on how to make alcohol stoves from Al bottles? I'll have to look for that.

Excellent David, thanks for the link. Your design process sounds logical, I'll try do the same over the next few months. Plenty of overnight hiking to be done for tests.

One of the major problems with using a beer bottle for a cook pot is that it requires a very narrow flame. You don't want to be sending half of the flames up the side. There are a few alcohol burners that will keep the flame small. The one in your photo shows one easy enough to make.

Although I have some aluminum bottle pots, I would love to see one wide and light.

–B.G.–

Definitely a good point Bob.

I'm shooting for esbit (I'm trying to promote safer stoves for Scouts…way too many accidents happen with alcohol, though I do personally like it for many reasons). I'll probably build a BGET. I've also got one of Flat Cat Gear's new alpha prototype esbit stoves on the way, hopefully that does a good dob of focusing. I was also thinking of trying a BGET/gram cracker style stove but tailored a bit more for 4gram tablets…less surface area exposed in order to slow the burn rate further.

I still have a Sgt Rock Ion Stove (MYOG) at home that I might dig out to try too out of interest. With big pots its very slow, but it could work well with this. If its too broad, its an easy candidate design for making narrower, I'll just build another with a smaller hole.