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#212991 - 12/14/10 04:07 AM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Hikin_Jim]
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
Thanks guys

We have the MSR and all other kinds of small stoves but I haven't given them much thought because of the kind of use I need them for.

If I was camping, I would just depend on my brother who brings the kitchen sink ( almost literally LOL ). Last time we camped, he brought THREE barbeque setups AND a dual stove with 25 pound propane canister. Yup, he fills the Suburban in such a way I have to e-mail GMC to beef up their suspension. LOL

Anyways. That is family camping in our own cars. But when we travel to other cities, I like to have two setups to choose from. One is this refillable butane stove, and the other is an electric kettle plus an iron. I need help finding an iron that allows you to put it upside down , and use the handle as a base. You can then use it for cooking noodles or something. I have seen it once but don't remember where.

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#212997 - 12/14/10 06:37 AM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Chisel]
dweste Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 2463
Loc: Central California
For your urban travel, consider adding one or more wide-mouth thermos bottles. Add hot water and whatever ingredients you want to cook [noodles, instant soup] to a thermos, close it up and wait [minimum time will vary with size of thermos], and you can wind up with reasonably hot and cooked stuff. I use a travel mug type thermos to cook pasta or oatmeal all the time, even when camping; fill it and forget it until I want to eat.

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#212999 - 12/14/10 07:34 AM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: dweste]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
A long time ago I switched to alcohol stoves from primarily using MSR white gas type and propane canister models. I still own a Svea white gas stove which I absolutely love, but alway wind up useing the alcohol stoves due to the ease of use, availabity and cost of fuel. Not to mention you can make one on the spot with soda cans, cat food cans, etc. The only thing simpler would be a homemade "rocket" stick can or hobo stove. FWIW, if your only need is to reheat food and heat water for tea/coffee, for pure urban traveling I'd stick with sterno.

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#213010 - 12/14/10 02:51 PM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Chisel]
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
Great idea dweste. I have to try it.
Maybe I can help it by wrapping the mug in a towel.

All right. I will forget about the upside down iron.
Maybe an electric kettle plus dweste idea will solve the electric cookset issue for air travel.

Regarding car and bus travel
I have a few sternos but will hesitate to take them in a bus luggage. No one will check, but I don't feel comfortable as it may leak or worse ( in summer heat ). But I can still take it on camping trips in our cars.

I love the esbit concept (safer than liquid fuel) but good solid fuel isn't availabe. And I have little idea how practical it is for cooking. Has anyone here tried it ? Any positive or negative thoughts ?

The solid fuel available around me is sold as barbeque starter type. During use it produces a cloud of soot and leaves some residue . I don't feel it safe enough as a cooking fuel. But we use it to start the coals anyway.

I May have to order Esbit fuel online.

Wait an minute !

Has anyone tried merging an Esbit stove with coals ?

You put 2 or 3 coals in the Esbit stove, drop a tiny solid BBQ starter on them ( or a vaselene/cotton ball) . Start the fire, when it near dies, the coals have just started. Put the pot and start cooking. You may need a better wind screen in this case, but it may work.

Fuel is VERY safe for car or bus travel.
Anyone tried that ?

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#213019 - 12/14/10 04:15 PM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Chisel]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Esbit works well for elementary cooking - boiling water and the like. It does have the advantage of being relatively safe to carry around and store long term. Esbit does well as a fire starter. Disadvantage is that it will deposit soot on your cooking container, but it washes off relatively easily. I use mine with a small titanium holder and an aluminum foil windscreen, a critical item in most outdoor weather. You can also buy an Esbit "stove" but it is needlessly heavy and bulky.

It is available for REI and other on line retailers, about 50 cents per tablet. Most local outdoor retailers in my neck of the woods carry it as well. Surface shipping only.
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#213023 - 12/14/10 04:27 PM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Chisel]
MostlyHarmless Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 06/03/09
Posts: 982
Loc: Norway
Originally Posted By: Chisel

Has anyone tried merging an Esbit stove with coals ?


No - but two things immediately springs to mind:

a) yes, I think it should work. If it's too slow, blow more air into it (add more oxygen).

b) you need to be careful having enough ventilation. Coals make lots and lots of CO, which will kill you if not careful.

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#213031 - 12/14/10 08:28 PM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: LED]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: LED
A long time ago I switched to alcohol stoves from primarily using MSR white gas type and propane canister models... alway wind up useing the alcohol stoves due to the ease of use, availabity and cost of fuel.
If I may ask, where are you getting your alcohol fuel and what are you paying for it? At Home Depot, I can get a gallon of SLX (not the best brand, I realize that) denatured alcohol for around $15.00. At Walmart, I can get a gallon of Coleman Fuel for around $9.00. I'd love to get alcohol fuel for as cheap as I can get Coleman fuel. Do you have a good source?

HJ
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#213065 - 12/15/10 12:58 AM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Hikin_Jim]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
Right now I'm using Klean Strip Green Denatured from Home Depot at around $6 a quart. Or you can get the regular Klean Strip for $15 a gallon. Definitely more $$ than coleman white gas ($9 vs. $15-$24 per gallon). I go with the quart sizes cause they're perfect for my usual 3-4 day trips.

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#213092 - 12/15/10 04:35 PM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Chisel]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Rats. I thought you might have figured out a deal.

HJ
_________________________
Adventures In Stoving

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#213103 - 12/15/10 08:04 PM Re: Butane gas stoves [Re: Hikin_Jim]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Considering the joules per gallon of white gas versus alcohol, I'd stay with white gas.

That said, like many others, my truck/GHB stove is a MSR Pocket Rocket. Great stove, fairly simple but it does require a specific fuel -- carrying extra stuff is what trucks are for.
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Okay, what’s your point??

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