When big game hunting in the fall I usually leave in the dark, stay out in the bush all day and do not return to camp until after dark. I often sit a stand in the morning and evening and still hunt or scout during the middle of the day; this is easier on my aging body, lets me get closer to nature and allows me more time in game country.

I like to have something hot to drink with my lunch and have been trying a couple methods to heat water with. I want an easy, covert way to bring 500ml (16oz) of water to a boil because sometimes I use local untreated river/lake water.

I started with a small campfire but it was noisy collecting the wood and I thought the smoke may scare game. I then tried my Snow Peak Giga canister stove, worked great but it was noisy and the canister was bulky to carry in my daypack. I used an Ezbit type solid fuel stove for a couple years but disliked the fishy smell and got tired of the goo on the bottom of my containers. So this year I tested some alcohol fueled stoves with mixed results.

I first tested GreenHeat Gel which I bought from Workwear Canada. I did not have a proper burner plate so I formed a cup from an aluminum military windscreen and hung my thin walled SS Billy Can from a lashed branch.

The setup can be seen below.


I also tested the GreenHeat at home in my garage using a folding tin stove, tinfoil burner plate and GSI cup with a lid.

I found the GreenHeat easy to use and it lit quickly but one packet did not have the heat to bring the water to a boil, it was OK as I had used potable water from camp. The hot chocolate I made that day taste great and helped warm me up to go back in the treestand. Two GreenHeat packets would have got the water boiling for sure.

I then moved on to liquid fuel alcohol stoves, but I will have to post those results later as tomorrow is an early work day and I am beat.

A terrific stove comparison website is Zen Stoves , lots of quality information.

Mike