I've only ever used alcohol stoves to boil water, and for that they are great. Slow, but very quiet.

For those unable to manufacture their own stoves, let me suggest these products:

http://www.antigravitygear.com/

You can get a stove and windscreen for $12. While each unit is handmade, they are utterly top-notch quality.

This particular design does not require a pot stand, as the pot rests directly on the burner. The burner will easily support a standard cinder block and then some, so don't ask me if the pot can crush the burner. It can't.

I use alcohol stoves almost exclusively for hiking and backpacking. They do require a windscreen for optimal efficiency, but many types come with windscreens built-in.

For example, the larger Trangia sets include beautiful aluminum windscreens that are more like large bowls with appropriate holes.

http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/sea...rchterm=trangia

One can also get a really inexpensive mess kit by searching for surplus Swedish Trangia mess kits. I don't think the burners in these kits are necessarily made by Trangia, but they are of similar quality and with the integrated windscreen of the kit are very efficient. These are my kits for the car trunk and for the house.

http://www.will.copeland.btinternet.co.uk/SA_Trangia.htm

In terms of overall efficiency, for long trips the weight of fuel puts alcohol stoves second to Esbit stoves, and both are less efficient than wood stoves for long hauls.

However... You can console yourself that if you dilute the methanol, you can also use it as an antiseptic. And if you use Everclear, you can take a nip of your stove fuel while you're waiting for your water to boil.

Bear