Hey Alain,
Sterno may prove to be more stable than you think. Experiment with it some before going to the field, I've dropped a lit match in the can and had it go out before I got ignition. That's not to say there's no place for it on a weekend outing, just know the limitations. As several have already said, it takes forever to boil water over a can of Sterno, but , it is a cheap, easy pot-warmer that's relatively safe, clean, and easy to handle. As to it's use as a firestarter, yeah, it makes a good firestarter, but for the weight/volume/number of fires started/ease of handling, I MUCH prefer cotton balls with a hint of vaseline.

Troy

P.S. How's the Hennessy?