72 Hour BOB Cooking

[Harm]

Its that time again - restocking and inventorying the 72 Hour Kit for the Family. Now once I'm closer to done (are we ever?) I'll post what we've done for our family for a 72 Hour Kit. In the meantime I wanted to address just one element of it.

Cooking?

Being in Arizona there is always concern about fires, especially once you climb further north into the pines. Additionally there is cause for concern if you are bugging out that you might be seen or discovered etc. So I'm looking for a packable stove that would be usable in those circumstances. I'm not looking to rock a 7 course dinner, but boil some water, etc. Been looking at ones that run off Propane Canisters since I already have dozens stored to use for my Lanterns and being able to heat with them would be great. But what are your thoughts? Anyone have any experience?

Here's what I'm thinking:

http://www.rei.com/product/846334/biolite-wood-burning-campstove

http://www.rei.com/product/791308/jetboil-flash-cooking-system

http://www.rei.com/product/660163/msr-pocket-rocket-backpacking-stove#specsTab

http://www.rei.com/product/813621/jetboil-sol-titanium-stove#specsTab

[NoGreaterLove]

my advice would be stay out of pine country. All 4 million desert rats will go there. It will be chaos

[cache]

I have a "grasshopper" made by Primus it uses same tanks that fit my Primus lantern and is really handy.
Also, Google and check out the"Firebox stoves" They are small, burn sticks etc. I have the nano and am really impressed how well it performs.
Another option, check out the super cat alcohol stove.

[Durango]

I only use alcohol stoves any more. They are super lightweight and efficient (I can cook a meal w/ 2 tbs of denatured alcohol). What's more they are extremely cheap and fun to make. Check out this web site for some ideas: http://zenstoves.net/

[Harm]

As I do live in the desert in a quiet suburb with no visible value I do not foresee having to abandon my home at any point. But in an attempt to be provident and well prepared I'm attempting to consider all options. Further any abandoning would come AFTER subsisting through our current water supply which is enough for 30 days. Not as much as I'd like but shy of a cistern it will have to do.

[NoGreaterLove]

my friend bought a septic tank, buried it, built a pressure pump for it, concreted over it. Might be a great AZ water source if you can get away with it.

[Harm]

Digging in my property is an issue i picked the part of arizona that the ground is harder than cement :confused: Desert Calichi. No fun. But I may be able to hide a cistern, looking at sizes now.

[NoGreaterLove]

I have had my share of water, pick, shovel on my old property in Waddell. Know what you are talking about.

[ZDMZ]

I used an alcohol stove on the last 50 miler I went on and it worked great. They do have their limitations but if all you want to do is boil water it is probably one of the easiest to use.
Also, no smoke or smell from an alcohol stove.

[WolfBrother]

..
..
Cooking?

Being in Arizona there is always concern about fires, especially once you climb further north into the pines. Additionally there is cause for concern if you are bugging out that you might be seen or discovered etc. So I'm looking for a packable stove that would be usable in those circumstances. I'm not looking to rock a 7 course dinner, but boil some water, etc.
..
..
..

Here's what I'm thinking:
http://www.rei.com/product/846334/biolite-wood-burning-campstove
(http://www.rei.com/product/846334/biolite-wood-burning-campstove)

I like the idea of the biolite being able to charge cell phone etc.

Understand the worry about fire but that can be remediated by care location selection and preparation.

This http://emberlit.com/en/emberlit-stove-stainless-steel
comes apart into 5 flat pieces - as long as you have sticks around you're good. This will leave your canisters for your lanterns.

Just a thought

WB

[PhoenixRising]

For alcohol stoves, do you just use rubbing alcohol from the drug store?

[WolfBrother]

For alcohol stoves, do you just use rubbing alcohol from the drug store?

I did a test of
70 and 90% isopropyl alcohol purchased from Walgreens.
denatured alcohol (ethyl alcohol) also purchased from Walgreens.
denatured alcohol (ethyl alcohol) purchased from the paint section of a local Lowes
Everclear (ethyl alcohol) purchased from a local package store.

My test platform was a Trangia West Wind stove set ( like this http://www.backcountrygear.com/westwind-stove-set.html#.U6HUG7GZj-E)
and the small pot with lid set from my Boy Scout individual cookset.

For my first test:
I poured in 3 cups of water and weighed the pot with water.
I filled the burner with the lower % isopropryl alcohol
lit the burner, took a beginning temperature of the water, noted the time, put the pot with lid on the stove
took water temp every 15 minutes.

For the subsequent tests:
I did the same as the first test with these two differences.
1. Different alcohol each time.
2. Made sure the pot weighed the same at the start each time.

My results -
isopropryl alcohol - no go - the 70% test was stopped after 30 minutes - no pot boil and temp level leveled out at about 190 F. The 90% pot boil at 35 minutes.
drug store denatured alcohol - a go if you do not have anything better. Pot boil - 20+ minutes
paint section denatured alcohol and Everclear - essentially identical results - by far the best fuel I tested. Pot was boiling at 15 minutes.

Generally the water temp started out 74 to 76 degrees. Boiling is 212

There are others who tout various automotive alcohol based fuel additives as being better. I don't know, didn't test them.

What I do - for my BOB etc - all fuel is Everclear. If it leaks and gets on the food - it's still edible. Denatured alcohol is deliberately made poisonous so it can be sold without a Federal alcohol tax stamp.

For base camping where the fuel is stored in a separate container from the food. Paint section denatured alcohol.

Alcohol stove output suffers at very cold temps. You need an insulating layer between the burner and the snow/very cold ground.

[cache]

WolfBrother, Your research is old news. Optimal alcohol stove performance may be obtained with the super-cat stove, using denatured alcohol (from a hardware/paint store). With a small circular windscreen I can boil a pint of tap water in 4 minutes. The Super-cat stove is the easiest to make, weighs the least and needs no pot stand. If you go to super-cat stove website there is abundance of information regarding, construction, fuels and use. Also interesting web references are Zen Stoves and Penny stove. Add 3 bags of Mountain House food, instant oatmeal and Top Ramin, and you have a gourmet a 72 hour kit in your car.

[mgriffith]

I have used my military issue canteen stove for decades. Always works if you have a supply of the hexamine bars for fuel. The pictures show how to carry them with one canteen. I carry two canteens and split up the cup and stove because they fit tight and tend to get stuck together. Easy and cheap, hard to beat,

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[PhoenixRising]

Wolfbrother, thank you for taking the time to do your research.


WolfBrother, Your research is old news.
Not very classy, cache. :001_07:

[WolfBrother]

WolfBrother, Your research is old news. Optimal alcohol stove performance may be obtained with the super-cat stove, using denatured alcohol (from a hardware/paint store). With a small circular windscreen I can boil a pint of tap water in 4 minutes. The Super-cat stove is the easiest to make, weighs the least and needs no pot stand. If you go to super-cat stove website there is abundance of information regarding, construction, fuels and use. Also interesting web references are Zen Stoves and Penny stove. Add 3 bags of Mountain House food, instant oatmeal and Top Ramin, and you have a gourmet a 72 hour kit in your car.

cache - the question I was answering was from PhoenixRising. The question was "For alcohol stoves, do you just use rubbing alcohol from the drug store?".

I answered it by showing, based on a test I did, the differences I found in the various alcohols commonly available.

Instead of simply saying "use this ...... ", I provided a basis for why I was saying "use this ......".

I do appreciate the information concerning the super-cat.

[Wasatch Rebel]

Its that time again - restocking and inventorying the 72 Hour Kit for the Family. Now once I'm closer to done (are we ever?) I'll post what we've done for our family for a 72 Hour Kit. In the meantime I wanted to address just one element of it.

Cooking?

Being in Arizona there is always concern about fires, especially once you climb further north into the pines. Additionally there is cause for concern if you are bugging out that you might be seen or discovered etc. So I'm looking for a packable stove that would be usable in those circumstances. I'm not looking to rock a 7 course dinner, but boil some water, etc. Been looking at ones that run off Propane Canisters since I already have dozens stored to use for my Lanterns and being able to heat with them would be great. But what are your thoughts? Anyone have any experience?

Here's what I'm thinking:

http://www.rei.com/product/846334/biolite-wood-burning-campstove

http://www.rei.com/product/791308/jetboil-flash-cooking-system

http://www.rei.com/product/660163/msr-pocket-rocket-backpacking-stove#specsTab

http://www.rei.com/product/813621/jetboil-sol-titanium-stove#specsTab


I have the MSR pocket rocket and am very pleased with it for backpacking.

[DMGNUT]

I have used my military issue canteen stove for decades. Always works if you have a supply of the hexamine bars for fuel. The pictures show how to carry them with one canteen. I carry two canteens and split up the cup and stove because they fit tight and tend to get stuck together. Easy and cheap, hard to beat,

1113

1112

Hey Mark, I agree and even bought a case of the old trioxane fuel bars... but if anyone decides to go that route (trioxane over the hexamine bars), be aware the reason the military moved away from the trioxane bars was that when they burn, they give off cyanide gas... it's very minimal, and no problem if you're in a ventilated area and cover the food you're cooking, but just be aware...