Help with cook kit – trying to move to alcohol

[Matthew / BPL]

You can scrape off a little bit of Esbit into dust which will light more easily with a lighter/matches.

[Brian Goode]

Why not just a lighter?

[Zack Freije]

Matthew: Thank you, I’ll try that.

 

Brian:

Because the lighter didn’t work. When I tried to light the stove using the lighter (no windscreen), the wind immediately blew out the stove flame.

When I tried to light the stove using the lighter with the windscreen in place, I burned my hand a couple times without successfully lighting the stove.

 

[Brian Goode]

I hVe used a stick dipped in denatured alcohol before and lit that with a lighter.

[Zack Freije]

I think I’ll just plan to swap one of my fire starting options for waterproof matches. Any recommendations for a good match?

[HiLight]

Zack – Some photos of how you had things set up would probably help the stove gurus sort it out. Glad you finally got it going. Having a dead stove would not be fun.

[Zack Freije]

[Matthew / BPL]

Brian has a good answer with the twig/pine needle dipped in alcohol. I like that idea more than a waterproof match. It’s one less thing to carry or run out of. I tend to try and cook in a sheltered spot so wind isn’t a problem (yes I have a windscreen, a Caldera Cone).

@hilight – Zach post this a few pages ago. I noted the windscreen looked too tight

[Matthew / BPL]

Ah. Zach posted some new photos. The windscreen still looks far too tight. You want more like a 3/8″ gap all the way around. Maybe 1/4″.

[Zack Freije]

The cone system is tight to the pot, but has a little more gap at the base.

Dan at Zelph makes a kit for the toaks pot with a vertical windscreen that’s tight to the pot, but it also has more vent holes than mine does.

 

[Zack Freije]

I did end up having to open the windscreen up to get it to work with the alcohol stove. The windscreen has an adjustable diameter.

For the esbit dry baking, I kept the windscreen tight to the pot with no trouble.

[Zack Freije]

[Matthew / BPL]

Zelph is venting exhaust with those upper slots in the last photo. I think that’s the difference. You need somewhere for the exhaust to go in order to have intake at the bottom. Interesting that you got Esbit to work with a tight windscreen but I think you were learning about the tight windscreen with alcohol when you said:

“Also, with the windscreen tight to the pot, the stove kept going out. I think it was starved for oxygen or potentially it was being blown out through the holes in the windscreen? After I had the windscreen bigger ( not tight to the pot) it worked to boil my water.”

[Zack Freije]

Oh! That makes sense. Good to know.

[Mole J]

Starlyte user for 6 years here.

To light it easier if having trouble, place a very small piece of absorbant dry matter ( leaf, grass,duff,TP etc.) on the gauze, add a drop of alcohol and light.   Try it.

 

For Esbit, I carry a 5 or 10 ml dropper bottle of alcohol, and add a couple drops to a fuel block before lighting.  Instant and hassle free.

 

HTH

 

And yes. Windshield is too tight. ;)

[Matthew / BPL]

Just thinking out loud: I bet a drop or two on top of the rim of the modified modified Starlyte burner might ignite easily and then light the burner.

[DAN-Y/FANCEE FEEST]

Place fuel into Starlyte, turn it upside down and lite with bic lighter. Freshly filled stove will lite easily.

[Zack Freije]

Thanks!

[Stormin]

I am producing the Stormin Stove Systems in the Uk. burning Methylated spirit/ethanol/alcohol.Based around a cone design and a simple circular windshield.Both systems are in two halves, upper and lower windshield parts. Made from tensile aluminium and are custom made to fit any pot/pan or mug in the backpacking market.These windshields will store inside the pot they are made for.The stove is made from a 50 mm soda can and has a capacity of 35 ml.It is a wick stove and burns for 18 minutes on 30 ml of fuel.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=302105954832&alt=web

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=302109228115&alt=web

I also produce a simmer ring for the stove to suit different pot sizes.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=302103568130&alt=web

And also a basplate reflector to complete the package.These come in three sizes also.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=302116536628&alt=web

If I am breaking any rules I apologise.

PM me for any info.

 

 

 

[Author]

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