[cdt-l] An alcohol stove for two

[Alistair and Gail Des Moulins]

Gail and I used a Fat Pika alcohol stove during our 5 months on the CDT this 
year. See http://pbase.com/image/72011334/original for a photo of our stove 
and stand in Wyoming's Great Basin.
We used an MSR XGK white gas stove on our 6 month thru hike of the PCT in 
2003.
On the CDT on most days we had hot cereal and a hot drink for breakfast and 
cooked a meal and a hot drink for supper. We used between 5 and 6 ounces of 
fuel per day depending on water temperature and other factors. Each meal and 
drink usually was 4 + cups of water. The stove would easily handle boiling 6 
cups of water and on a couple of nights we used it to melt snow but that 
requires almost double the fuel (and that's, of course, true for any stove).
On the PCT with the MSR we could get 10 to 11 days cooking from a litre (35 
oz) of white gas.
On the CDT we did two 12 day sections without resupply (East Glacier to 
Lincoln, and Dubois to Atlantic City, yes we are not fast hikers and we 
wanted to have spare days in the Winds). On these 2 sections we carried six 
12 oz bottles of HEET.
For these 12 day loads the weight of six bottles of HEET and the Fat Pika 
stove exceeded the weight of the MSR stove, screen + stove parts + 12 days 
of white gas that we would have carried had we had the MSR. After 3 or 4 
days the weight of systems would have been about the same and after that the 
Alcohol system total weight is less than the corresponding MSR system 
weight.
Prior to our CDT trip I did tests of fuel usage and boil times using the Fat 
Pika and the MSR. The Fat Pika used nearly double the volume of fuel 
compared to the MSR. The boil times of the Fat Pika were faster than the 
MSR. Also water boiled faster using a larger diameter pot - so if you  take 
a 2 litre capacity pot, an 8" diameter pot will require less fuel than a 7" 
diameter one.
I realised we'd be carrying a larger total weight of stove and fuel on a few 
days on the trip if we used the Fat Pika instead of the MSR but generally 
we'd be carrying less weight than the MSR.
On balance, although our MSR had served us very well on the PCT, I decided 
to take the Fat Pika on the CDT because we'd not even have to worry about 
blocked jets, failing pump washers and leaking 'O' rings.
On the CDT we found HEET was available at almost all town stops, white gas 
was not so available and was usually in gallon containers when we saw it.
On the PCT with the MSR, we'd usually find a 'hiker can' of white gas in 
towns. If not we'd buy a gallon and leave the rest for following hikers. 
With only about 20 hikers going each way a year on the CDT this system would 
not work so well and I think you'd end up buying a lot more gallons of white 
gas.

For more details on the Fat Pika stove see 
http://users.sisqtel.net/losthiker/pikastove/

Alistair


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karen Somers" <kborski at yahoo.com>
To: <cdt-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, December 25, 2006 8:48 PM
Subject: [cdt-l] An alcohol stove for two


> Ginny wrote:
>
> "We never had to carry more than one
> full 20 oz Pepsi bottle for the two of us."
>
>
> This brings up a topic that I am have a question
> about......I'm looking for a two-person alcohol stove.
> My past attempts to find an alcohol stove that will
> cook a pot of food for two hikers were unsuccessful.
> We've tried several different al. stove designs, but
> it takes too much fuel to get a one liter plus pot of
> water boiling.  So, my husband and I have always used
> white gas when we are cooking for two.  It just proves
> more economical all the way around.  However, we heard
> that there was a new al. stove built for two (rumor at
> the ADZ party).  Ginny and others, what alcohol stove
> design do you use for two people?
>
> Nocona
>
>
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