Home made small stove for backpacking/emergencies

[samclem]

Disclaimer: This project involves the use of sharp blades, sharp metals, flammable fuel and FIRE. No one should attempt this project, it is DANGEROUS.
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Cool Little Miniature Stove! Video

This video describes a quickly made small stove fashioned from aluminum cans. I thought it was pretty cool. A little more research indicated there are a wide variety of these stoves (though the one described in the video is the simplest and looks pretty effective). These "microstoves" are all the rage among ultra-light backpackers.

It might be handy for emergency use at home during an extended blackout, too. It will boil up to 2 cups of water (requires about 3 TBS of fuel to do this), and could probably heat a big can of stew for 2-3 folks. I'd guess the fuel for a stove like this is also more likely to be available than propane or Coleman fuel when a hurricane is coming to town.

Notes:
--If you use HEET as the fuel (like shown in the video), use the stuff in the yellow bottle. The stuff in the red bottle is made from isopropyl alcohol and is not recommended.

-- Denatured alcohol from the hardware store will also work, and is fairly cheap. It will also burn Everclear--not so cheap, but might be handy as a "dual-use" substance.

-- Don't burn gasoline, Coleman fuel, or other anything else like it in a stove of this type. You go boom.
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[calmloki]

Disclaimer: This project involves the use of sharp blades, sharp metals, flammable fuel and FIRE. No one should attempt this project, it is DANGEROUS.
*************************************************
Cool Little Miniature Bomb! Video

This video describes a quickly made small stove fashioned from aluminum cans. I thought it was pretty cool. A little more research indicated there are a wide variety of these stoves (though the one described in the video is the simplest and looks pretty effective). These "microstoves" are all the rage among ultra-light backpackers.

.....burn gasoline, Coleman fuel, or other anything else like it in a stove of this type. You go boom.
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Alternate title provided by me and your description and caution shamelessly altered. You're welcome. No thanks are necessary. i like "you go boom".

 

[Lakewood90712]

Uh , looks cool , but buying a few cans of sterno is easier and can be stored for emergency use for decades. Wonder why they used a rootbeer can instead of real beer ?. Drinking the beer during assembly should be a required part of the project.

 

[HFWR]

Drinking the beer during assembly should be a required part of the project.

Followed by "Here, hold my beer, and watch this..."

 

[figner]

I have a couple of these I've made - they're really cool! Sterno might be better for an in-home emergency stash, but you can't beat how lightweight these are for backpacking (where every ounce counts). Definitely gotta watch them carefully while lit though. The flames are hard to see in daylight.