(Almost) Absolute Lightest Alcohol Kit to Boil 6 oz Water Twice?

[David Gardner]

#1:  7.5 fl oz soda can, Ti stand, Ti windscreen, tea candle aluminum burner with ceramic wool, aluminum foil “lid,” 120 mL/4 fl oz fuel bottle (net 95 gm/3.2 oz). Boils 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) of 50*F water, outdoors in mildly breezy 50*F air, in 7:30 minutes using 13 gm fuel, so you can get 7 cups of instant coffee with this kit.

1.48 oz

#2:  7.5 fl oz soda can, Ti stand, Ti windscreen, “full size” resealable aluminum burner with ceramic wool, silicon lip guard, aluminum foil “lid”. Burner holds 35 gm fuel. Boils 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) 50*F water, outdoors in mildly breezy 50*F air, in 8:07 minutes using 15 gm fuel, so you can get two boils out of this kit without using a separate fuel bottle – good for a weekend trip with instant coffee for two mornings.

1.53 oz

Both kits:

+ .09 silicon lip guard

+ .06 folding spoon

[Steve M]

Nice setup— and no toxic chemical gunk, smoke (or stink) that you would otherwise get with Esbit.

 

[David Gardner]

Thanks Steve.

Just the toxic methanol vapors and CO2.

Edit: I got the times reversed. #1 took 8:07 minutes, #2 took 7:30 minutes.

[Kevin Babione]

Nice – you burning denatured alcohol or Everclear?  I switched to Everclear about 5 years ago and didn’t notice a difference in boil times.  I do feel better about carrying it and, occasionally, spilling it on my hands.  I’ve also used it, without the “fear” I used to have with denatured alcohol, to get sap off my hands.

[Steve M]

Kevin I too prefer Everclear (190 proof) as my fuel of choice. Dual purpose is also a nice bonus.  If one has a very rough day on the trail, a shot of fuel (+water+zipfizz) makes it a little better. :-)

[David Gardner]

In California, with the exception of scientifically pure reagent ethyl alcohol, you can’t get anything with ethanol in it that’s more than 151 proof (75%) alcohol. So it doesn’t make a good fuel.

With a special federal permit I could obtain scientifically pure reagent ethyl alcohol, but most people can’t get it so any tests and development done with it don’t carry over into the real world, and it’s more than $50 a gallon, so I don’t bother.

As for denatured alcohol, I’m using up the last little bit I have from before it was banned here in CA as of January 1, 2019. But even the Klean Strip “Green” denatured alcohol had some methanol and petrochemicals in it, so it’s always been strictly an outdoor fuel. And almost everywhere I like to go in CA banned alcohol stoves years ago anyway.

The future is propane canisters.

[Kevin Babione]

Pennsylvania has crazy laws around Everclear 100…You need to apply for a permit to buy it and in the permit you certify that you are purchasing it for purposes other than drinking it in any form or dilution!  You also have to specify the specific “State Store” (we’re in the dark ages here where you can only buy hard alcohol in stores owned and run by the state government) where you’ll be buying it.  They keep your permit on file and dig it out and attach the receipt from each purchase to it.  Happily a 750 ml bottle lasts me a long time backpacking.

[todd]

Love it David!  These tiny boil kits are useful.

[MJ H]

(we’re in the dark ages here where you can only buy hard alcohol in stores owned and run by the state government)

Local distilleries can ship to your house via FedEx and at least one sells from their own drive-thru shop. No Everclear, but if you just want booze, and are willing to pay for a higher-end product that is domestic and isn’t bourbon, you don’t even need to get out of your car.

[David Gardner]

Working on an idea to eliminate that pesky 0.1 oz stand…

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Wrap a wick around the outside of the bottom of the can.  Soak it in alcohol and light it.  Dan did something like this: Ring of Fire I think

[MJ H]

Tent stakes (dual use) through a hole in the windscreen to hold the pot?

[David Gardner]

Jon, did a bit of searching on the Internet but don’t see the connection. Does the Ring of Fire eliminate the stand?

MJH, good idea.

I’m thinking of a windscreen that grips the can and holds it above the burner at different heights, to accommodate different fuels and burners.

[Kevin Babione]

While you’re tinkering, how light can you go for a 16 ounce boil?  I don’t need to be able to drink/eat from the pot, but some of my dinners take a full pint of boiling water.  I don’t need hot drinks, but if I could get a 2 ounce setup (including fuel for 3-4 pints of water) I’d be very happy!

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

re you go

 

[Kevin Babione]

@Jon – I like it!  I looked on your website and didn’t see the “Ring of Fire” or the Heineken pot offered for sale.  I have a couple of questions for you with this:

• Your Heineken pot seemed short to boil a full pint – will it do a full 16 ounces without boiling over?
• Do you need a windscreen – if so how high should it be and how much larger than the Ring of Fire?
• What do you do for a lid for your Heineken pot?
• If there’s a full pint in the pot how do you lift it when it’s done boiling?
• Is that a wick in the Ring of Fire – if so what’s it made of and does it ever need to be replaced?
• Could I burn Everclear 100 (200 proof) instead of Isopropyl alcohol in the Ring of Fire?
• All in – what’s the total weight (including the stove, pot, lid, windscreen, fuel bottle, and stuff sack)?

Thanks again for your help – I appreciate it and would like to have a much lighter option than my  Sterno Inferno setup I usually use.

[David Gardner]

Kevin, here you go:

Pot holds 16 fl oz with 3/4” freeboard, Ti “gripper” windscreen, aluminum foil lid, silicon lip guard – 1.28 oz

#1: Alcohol – tea candle burner with ceramic wool wick, 4 fl oz fuel bottle = 1.95 oz

#2: Alcohol – full size aluminum screw top burner with ceramic wool, 4 fl oz fuel bottle = 2.46 oz 

#3: Esbit – 1.30 oz

They would be lighter with a tall skinny beverage can but efficiency suffers.

Waiting for sealant to cure before trying some boil tests.

 

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

@Kevin – not my design, Dan’s.  Reach out to him with your questions.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

@David – no inlet ports to the bottom of the windscreen?  How does the stove get oxygen?

 

[Kevin Babione]

@Jon – Figures – I got my Sterno Inferno from Dan.  I’ll email him – I hope he hasn’t completely retired yet or perhaps has some of his testers lying around.

@David – Have anything that boils a full 16 ounces?  A number of my Packit Gourmet meals need that much boiling water and I don’t want to do two boils for one meal.

[David Gardner]

@Jon: The holes are…um…er…on the back. Well, actually, I haven’t punched them yet. I made that windscreen to use with a canister stove and it didn’t need holes for that. I’ll punch them out before I do the boil tests.

[David Gardner]

@Kevin: That was a typo, which has hopefully been successfully edited. I made that can to meet your request. It holds 16 fluid ounces with 3/4″ of freeboard.

[Kevin Babione]

@David – Thank you…A typo is easy to fix and I had to go back and reread the post because I was afraid I misread it.  PM me with with a price that includes:

• 16+ ounce pot
• Windscreen (with O2 holes please ;) )
• Tea candle burner
• Esbit tray
• Pot stand that would work with either the tea burner or the esbit (you were missing that in the top photo)
• Shipping & Handling

I can make a lid (unless you just want to throw it in) and I won’t be drinking from it so I don’t need the lip guard.  I also have more fuel bottles around than I know what to do with.

Thanks!

[David Gardner]

8 fl oz bottle on left = .38 oz

4 fl oz bottle on right = .48 oz

Switch to bigger bottle and shave 0.1 oz off weights

#1 = 1.85 oz

#2 = 2.36 oz

[David Gardner]

Kevin: PM sent. There is no separate pot stand. The “gripper” windscreen holds the can at whatever height you choose, so it can be set at different heights to accommodate Esbits, different size alcohol burners, wood, and canister stoves.

[Author]

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