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From: <gpwecho_at_juno.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 14:26:39 -0600
Anyone have experience with a light-weight stove that uses only
UN-pressurized denatured alcohol for fuel ?  I saw an ad recently and the
picture got my attention with a nice blue fire-flame ring, but with no
other info.    I'm thinking this might be a neat little package unless
you have to haul a 55 gal drum of fuel for support.    Probably useless
in any kind of wind I bet.   Any first-hand knowledge out there on what a
stove like this is capable of ?  ....good for a long weekend trip as
backup for rainy-day cooking ? ....good for anything ?   .........Thanks
.......Peyton (Louisiana)
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From: <Qajaq303_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:59:37 EST
Peyton Wrote:
Anyone have experience with a light-weight stove that uses only
UN-pressurized denatured alcohol for fuel ? 

I believe you are probably talking about the Triangia alcohol stove.
I have used this stove exclusively for a few years now.
I use it for kayaking/camping and also for canoe/camping in the BWCAW.
I'll never use anything else. It has a few limitations, but they are
outweighed by all the 
good points. 
Ease of use, no moving parts, no cleaning, no pumping, no smelly fuel.
Some people claim they are a big user of fuel, I can go 3-4 days easily on a
pint of alcohol.
On longer trips I take a quart container and a small 11oz bottle just in case.
I usually eat pretty simple and just need to boil water for most of my meals.
It works better in the wind, just line up the holes in the wind screen and
it'll boil water in a few minutes.
O bye the way, it's very quiet.
It's not as a rule very fast, but as you get used to using it, that's no big
deal.
It also doesn't have a lot of choice for flame adjustment, but after you've
used it a few times you can make it simmer.
A lot of my friends now use one after listening to my incessant non-stop
bragging about how simple and quiet it is to use.
A friend of mine first alerted me to the benefits of this great stove (thanks
Don).
Like I said I'm sold on this stove. I use the large size when I'm part of a
couple and the mid size for my solo stove.
Either one packs fairly small and I can get my entire kitchen kit inside the
small stove except of course for the fuel bottle.
That includes two one quart bowls, a 16 oz cup, fork/spoon/knife and a bottle
of matches.
You can read more about this stove at   http://www.paddlers.com/index.html  
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Triangia or Rutabaga, just a very
satisfied customer.
Rob
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From: Julio MacWilliams <juliom_at_cisco.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 17:12:57 -0800 (PST)
I once used an alcohol stove, a Swedish brand very popular
in Europe, as it comes with a bunch of pots and utensils the
pack with the stove in very little space.

It took me 45 minutes to bring 1 liter of water to boil, while
with my butane stove I would take me less than 10.

I suspect that the BTU of alcohol is very low.

- Julio

> 
> Anyone have experience with a light-weight stove that uses only
> UN-pressurized denatured alcohol for fuel ?  I saw an ad recently and the
> picture got my attention with a nice blue fire-flame ring, but with no
> other info.    I'm thinking this might be a neat little package unless
> you have to haul a 55 gal drum of fuel for support.    Probably useless
> in any kind of wind I bet.   Any first-hand knowledge out there on what a
> stove like this is capable of ?  ....good for a long weekend trip as
> backup for rainy-day cooking ? ....good for anything ?   .........Thanks
> .......Peyton (Louisiana)
> ___________________________________________________________________
> You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
> Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
> or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
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> 
> 

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From: asaarto <asaarto_at_lpt.fi>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 20:06:04 +0200
Yup. An other happy customer here. Used Trangia four years.

Dear Paddlewisenheimers: if you are using this kind of stove, turn 
the small holes of the bottom part to the wind, it helps to make the 
air go through the stove - ventilation helps boiling the water faster. 
The pan is meant to be covering the kettle and the stove to save 
energy, and DO NOT POUR ALCOHOL TO HOT STOVE WHEN 
REFILLING IT! Let it cool a bit. There is also a small cap with 
adjustable part, meant for controlling the flames: it covers the 
alcohol container. I can cook rice 20 mins and make later a pot of 
hot coffee with one full container. 

Never any problems, but I might ask you pay attention to not to set 
the stove on dry moss. We did it last summer and somehow we 
set the moss on fire (well, the place was not carefully thought: dry 
moss on a high cliff and of course, direct and sudden gusts of wind 
from the sea)! What a smell...a little extra flavour to our texmex 
food...

Always camping on high cliffs and enjoying the sights when 
possible...

Ari - Finland

The Land of Traditional Scandinavian Skinny-Dipping (TM)
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From: <wanewman_at_uswest.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 00:29:03 -0500
Yes Patrick!  And.....don't forget that as far as I know no one has done the
towering inferno remake with the Trangia.  I watched my parents stove light the
picnic table on fire, while mine slowly died due to clogged jets.  As you know my
housemate Sarah is a MSR devotee, and she will likely flame me as a heritic.  She
has explained to me that if you take it apart  and clean it hundreds of times a
year and replace the o-rings etc. on regular maintenace schedule the odds that it
will fail or explode and kill you are greatly reduced.

Anyone out there have any exploding MSR tales of terror?

Patrick Maun wrote:

> A slow reply. I have been out of town for two weeks (and came back to
> 1200 emails). I was one persuaded by Robs non-stop rattling on about
> this stove and got one. I love it so far. Sure, it is slower than an
> Whisperlight (was there ever a so blatant misnomer?), but we're out
> kayaking, what's the big hurry?
>
> Like any stove, the Trangia takes a few outings to master the quirks
> (of course, remember learning how to prime a Whisperlight?), but
> after that it is trouble free. The only thing that can go wrong is
> some sand clogging up the intake holes. I was just sick of *always*
> having to service my MSR out in the field, getting covered in smelly
> gas, and listening to the roar of the whisper. Not to mention, the
> no-stick pots that came with my Trangia are really really really cool.
>
> -Patrick
>
> >45 minutes seems a bit long based on my experience.  Usually I am just cooking
> >up half liter to one liter for a quick one to two person one-pot meal, but my
> >experience is that it takes about 10 minutes with the Trangia vs. 5 with that
> >ever so popular jet engine the MSR Whisper-light?  It is a little slower and
> >cooler, but it is not a big deal.  I usually light the stove when I hit the
> >shore (set up an lighting the stove takes a few seconds), and by the
> >time I set
> >up my tent water is ready for dinner.  I have not really pulled out the stop
> >watch, but if it was taking long enough to be a problem I might have bothered
> >to time it " don't forget a watched pot never boils!".
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From: <dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 10:57:05 -0400
|Anyone out there have any exploding MSR tales of terror?

Hmmmm, well since the MSR Whisperlite International itself did not explode,
I'm not sure I'm correctly answering the question, but this is Paddlewise.
8-)

A few years ago I went hiking on the Bartrum Trail from Franklin, NC, USA
to Wayah Bald.  About a 10 mile hike with 3000 feet of elevation change.  I
had checked the weather and it said a bit of rain in the morning but
clearing by midday.  As I started out, solo! Oh No!, it was not raining but
as I gained altitude it started raining.  After about an hour or so it was
either raining or raining harder.  So much for the forecast.  This area of
North Carolina, qualifies as a rainforest.  A few mile to the south east of
the trail is the rainiest point in the Eastern US.  Can't believe it gets
more rain than some places in Florida but that is my understanding.

With the rain I had a choice to just enjoy the water or put on a rubber
military surplus poncho and sweat.  I choose the rain.  As I got higher I
got colder.  I was ok until I stopped to take a break every 55 minutes.
Then I would start the shakes.  Ruh Roh Scubby.  I would drink and eat even
though I did not really wont anything.  At first, as long as I was moving,
I was warm.  So I would move on.  After a few hours I was shivering even
when moving, not badly but enough so that I had to make some decisions.  I
could stop and setup camp.  NOT!  Or I could put on the RubberSweatSuit or
I could break out the wool.  With wool I would be warm but when I did get
to camp my warm clothes would be wet.  And then I would be miserable.
Soooo, thinking since I'm already miserable, I'll save the woollies for
camp and put on the RSS.  RSS did help when I was moving but I still would
shiver at break time.  Kinda interesting to watch your reactions when you
know you are a hyperthermic.....  8-)

Eventually I reach a point where I can setup camp.  I pitched my tarp in
some tall rhonedendrums and finally got into my wool army surplus trousers
and shirt.  1950 issue believe it or not!  $10 each!  Ahhhh, was I
comfortable!  Very nice and cozzy.  Oh, yes TheStove.

I hooked up my WhisperliteI but as it was getting dark, I lit my little
candle lantern. Hmmm, no place to hang it near the stove so I'll just place
it hear at my feet.  Lets get this stove going so I can boil some water to
heat my MRE entree and get some hot coffee.!  Pump Pump Pump...  Light the
stove.  Ah HA!  Its roaring now!  Why do they call this thing a
Whisperlite.  It sure ain't whispering.  Sounds like a jet is flying over
my camp!  Phhht!
Grrrrrrr.  $%^&*() stinking stove went out.  Why did it do that?  Cool!
Look at that ExpandingGrayCloud moving out in a perfect circle with the
stove being the center point.  Its almost to my lantern.  HELLO!  THATS NOT
A GOOD THING DUMMY!  I move my head back just as the ExpandingGrayCloud met
my candle lantern at which point they had a disagreement and a large FLASH
erupted right in front of me.  As the EGC changed into the MiniFireBall and
floated up through bushes I wondered if I really really really wanted a hot
meal.  After all, MREs are already cooked.  I did not really NEED any hot
coffee.  And I'm really feeling rather flush at the moment.  Kinda a bit on
the hot side.  Actually, I think I'm sweating.  Wow!  I don't think my
heart has worked this hard all day long.  Shoot, I think I need a change of
clothing!
After a few moments I did get the stove working without anymore
pyrotechnics.  I boiled my water to heat my entree.  Use same water for
coffee.  Finished the other goodies in the MRE and was a very happy, warm,
contented King O' The Mountain, errr, Bald.

Does this qualify as a ExplodingStove?

Hope this helps.
Dan McCarty

PS. Polyester causes horrible burns because it melts to your skin, keeping
the heat in.  Cotton/Wool will just burn but it does not do the same damage
as "plastic" clothes.  My understanding is the US Navy got away from poly
clothes in the 70's and moved to denim for their shipboard work clothes to
decrease burn severity.  Can any of you ExNavy people verify this?







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From: <dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 12:35:24 -0400
|You should not use the water that you heat the mre's in for coffie.
|The coating on the mre pouches is semi toxic.  If you remove the food from
|the pouch and heat it in a pot all is well.

I only heat the entree packet, which if memory serves is foil. My
understanding of MRE use is to heat in the bag.  Either through the
heaters, which I have never used, microwave, or boil.  If the entree
package is toxic for the boiled water what about the food inside?

Yes, I did say microwave.  Apparently the new Humvees have microwave ovens
for the troops.  Makes sense to me.  But if you think about it, its really
amazing.  US troops are deployed with cooking technology that is beyond the
means of most of the people on the planet.

I use a cheap, small coffee percolator pot from WallyWorld, likely
Aluminium, to boil my water.  When camp cooking, I don't prepare anything
that requires more than hot water.  To complicated.  Boil water with entree
pouch.  Eat food in pouch.  Use water for coffee.  Put left over packaging
into large container MRE pouch to pack out.  Repack pot and Whisperlite.
Done.

Later....
Dan McCarty



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From: Mark Zen <canoeist_at_netbox.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 11:15:02 -0600 (MDT)
On Mon, 12 Apr 1999 dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com wrote:
[snip]

> Does this qualify as a ExplodingStove?

yes ;-)
 
> Hope this helps.
> Dan McCarty
> 
> PS. Polyester causes horrible burns because it melts to your skin, keeping
> the heat in.  Cotton/Wool will just burn but it does not do the same damage
> as "plastic" clothes.  My understanding is the US Navy got away from poly
> clothes in the 70's and moved to denim for their shipboard work clothes to
> decrease burn severity.  Can any of you ExNavy people verify this?

if i tell ya, i'd have to kill you afterwards ;-) yes, this is true, they
also "outlawed" several types of dress shoes after the "stark" accident.

mark

#------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com----http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark ----
#
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#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~
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From: <dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] alcohol stove ?
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 15:28:36 -0400
|The inside of the pouch is not coated.  The outside is.  We were taught
|to discard the heating water.  I've eaten far more mre's than I ever
|wanted to.  A week on those things will bind you up more than 10 lbs of
|cheese.  I actually liked the old C rations better.  Except for "Ham and
|M-F's"  The fruit cocktail in the mre's is very good when moistened with
|7 UP instead of water.  But the C rat canned peaches were all we could eat
|when it got over 100 degrees F.  The canned chedder chese and John Wayne
|crackers were good too.  A pinch of C4 would cook the C's in thier own can
|and the box burned good too.  The spoon was sturdy enough to dig a fox
|hole.  Meals Ready to Eat.  That's three lies.
|Hooray for tobasco sause.
|73  Gary

I have no doubt what so ever that my liking of MREs is due to the fact that
I can CHOOSE to eat them as opposed to HAVING to eat them.

8-)

Isn't there a Ham and M-F MRE?  I have avoided that entree so far and
intended to keep it that way. I think the "binding action" comes in handy,
so to speak when in the woods.  I think this was a design point for the
MREs.

I'll have to dig up a past issue of Invention and Technology( I think it
was that magazine) that had a story on the history of food in the US
military.  Very interesting.  From the WWI E rations, WWII C rations and
todays MREs.  I'll have to dig into the boiling water
pouch issue.  The materials in the MREs have changed quite a bit even since
I last bought some.

Later...
Dan McCarty


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From: James Lofton <n5yyx_at_etsc.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] C rations/MRE(was alcohol stove ?)
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 14:22:14 -0700
dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com wrote:
>SNIP< 
>  I actually liked the old C rations better.  Except for "Ham and
> |M-F's"  
> |Hooray for tobasco sause.
> |73  Gary

I HAD to for years, and now I choose to(both C and MRE). Love them all!

I take that back, I'll trade you all my date pudding for them eggs, ham, 
and water added. Yummy!!

Dito on the tabasco sauce.

James
> 
>

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