65 votes
Accepted

Why aren't there any electric stoves that can be used for cooking where you can't build a fire?

Comparing hydrocarbons with batteries As Olin Lathrop wrote, the big problem is energy density: hydrocarbon fuels simply offer a huge amount of energy per unit mass, compared to any current battery ...
Pont's user avatar
  • 3,752
25 votes

Why aren't there any electric stoves that can be used for cooking where you can't build a fire?

There are no electric backcountry stoves because there aren't long enough extension cords. Seriously, where do you propose to get the energy from? Batteries of current technology don't have the same ...
Olin Lathrop's user avatar
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23 votes

How do you refill your alcohol stove while it's burning?

I'm going with "it's too dangerous, so don't do it". I have two manufactured alcohol stoves, and both contain warnings against refill while hot. That being said, my answer is "You don't". Pictured (...
Andrew Jay's user avatar
  • 2,333
17 votes

How do you refill your alcohol stove while it's burning?

You don't, adding liquid fuel to stove with a live flame is never recommended. Related meta post Do we want a post notice for questions where people are using equipment in ways that are clearly ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
17 votes

What type of fires/stove can I use in Germany?

Official Fireplaces / "Grillplätze" I think the only legal option you have is to find / plan your hike along "official fireplaces". These are specially prepared places with solid ...
fgysin's user avatar
  • 13k
13 votes

What type of fires/stove can I use in Germany?

I am from Austria and can confidently talk about the situation here, but most of it will carry over to Germany, as we are culturally quite close. As to what most people would do when hiking: for day ...
phipsgabler's user avatar
  • 1,529
12 votes
Accepted

Using "unusual" liquid fuels in a multi-fuel stove

There are a couple of reasons why you can't use alcohol or acetone: A petrol/gasoline/kerosene/diesel etc. stove needs the fuel to be vapourised, under pressure and mixed with air for it to burn (...
Chris H's user avatar
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10 votes
Accepted

What are the different names for and sources of alcohol for my stove?

There are four common types of stove alcohol: methanol, ethanol, denatured alcohol, and isopropanol. You can usually find them in hardware stores and (but not always) in camping stores. You can also ...
Martin F's user avatar
  • 4,107
9 votes

Why do some prefer methane to cook food

I've never heard of a methane stove for camping but I can give some justification as to why you would not want to use it. Since methane has a much higher vapor pressure at room temperature than e.g. ...
guenthmonstr's user avatar
9 votes

Why aren't there any electric stoves that can be used for cooking where you can't build a fire?

Battery powered stoves and ovens are available, but they don't get as hot as a regular oven. They are designed to plug into a car's 12V outlet, so they need a car battery, which is impractical for ...
Karen's user avatar
  • 4,229
8 votes
Accepted

Camping stove with plane allowed fuel

The short answer is "not really". At least within the US, liquids with an alcohol content of 70% or greater are not permitted in checked bags or carry-on, and those are the most likely of ...
requiem's user avatar
  • 8,438
8 votes
Accepted

Is it possible to buy gas cartridges on a Sunday in Reykjavik?

I Googled and found there is a least one store (top return) that is open daily from 9AM to 5PM. It also offers 24/7 pickup and drop off of rental supplies. So yes you can get gas cartridges on a ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

Can you boil water on top of Everest?

The short answer to your question is yes you can get a stove to light and cook your egg on the top of Everest if you really wanted to do it. Backpacking stoves are pressurized All of the backpacking ...
Erik's user avatar
  • 9,648
7 votes
Accepted

When building a penny stove how do you keep the cans from splitting?

From http://www.instructables.com/id/Alcohol-Can-penny-stove/ We now need to crimp the edge of the base can so it fits inside the top can, with your pliers go around the edge of the can, grip ...
Loduwijk's user avatar
  • 3,536
7 votes

Is there a standard way of marking cooking alcohol containers?

The answer is to not use a repurposed water bottle. Further, use completely different types of containers for fuel and water so you can't mix them up. Back in the day (the 1970's) when white gas ...
Jon Custer's user avatar
  • 2,174
7 votes

How do you refill your alcohol stove while it's burning?

This is dangerous And the most dangerous thing about it - is that it gives the appearance of not being dangerous. Don't refill a lit alcohol stove without being aware that it could become a fireball ...
Stian's user avatar
  • 935
7 votes

Can I use a glass mason jar or an empty tin can as a DIY cooking pot?

Glass labware is borosilicate glass, commonly known as pyrex. Glass cookware is often also borosilicate, but the name "pyrex" is also used for tempered glass products, at least in the USA. ...
Chris H's user avatar
  • 26.4k
6 votes

Why aren't there any electric stoves that can be used for cooking where you can't build a fire?

As others have pointed out, the major problem with electrical heating methods is that they require a lot of energy, and current battery technology is a long way off being able to hold that energy in a ...
Joe Lee-Moyet's user avatar
6 votes

How many gallons of water can you boil with one isobutane cannister?

1 oz of isobutane will boil about 1.8 L (about .475 gallons) of water, for a Whisperliite Universal Stove
Clay Nichols's user avatar
  • 1,434
6 votes

Can you boil water on top of Everest?

For butane/isobutane/propane canisters, the stove design, affecting the temperature in the canister or liquid feed pipe, and the boiling point of the gas mixture would matter. At very low temperatures ...
nsandersen's user avatar
6 votes

What can I add to alcohol to make the flame visible?

You can try a non chemical way to add visibility to an almost invisible flame: a small metal net layer on top of the flame that the flame will go through and after just a few seconds will be ...
Edoardo's user avatar
  • 161
6 votes

Is there a standard way of marking cooking alcohol containers?

The "Standard" would be to only use containers specifically designed and marked for the type of fuel it is holding. There are a number of reasons; safety, legal and physical to not repurpose used ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
6 votes

What kind of material was used to make traditional stove jacks?

I was at the Remington Carriage Museum last night and was noticing the stove jack on an old covered wagon that was heated by a wood stove. It was made out of a large square piece of sheet metal. As ...
ShemSeger's user avatar
  • 53.5k
6 votes

What's the smallest (and simplest) practical DIY wood-burning back-/bike-packing stove?

smallest [ ... ] practical DIY wood-burning back-/bike-packing stove? A scaled version of the "Nimble Will Little Dandy" stove: https://nimblewillnomad.com/little-dandy-stove/ For ...
GoodInTent's user avatar
5 votes

Is the ACE 1 Ultra-Clean Biomass Cookstove too good to be true?

I used a "rocket stove" on a long wilderness survival trip. That stove was also heavy and very efficient in burning "found wood." It made good sense for a fixed camp. In my opinion it would be far too ...
Buck Nelson's user avatar
5 votes

Refillable camping stoves for use in the UK

I know very well the Polish LPG small butane/propane cylinders that Polish use for their camping stoves and gas lanterns. They are unique because they are small and they are legally refillable by ...
Fernando's user avatar
5 votes

How do I light a spirit (ethanol) stove when it's cold?

As Dan explained, you need to heat the liquid above the flash point. He suggested ether, which has a flash point below -40C. Buy a bottle of automobile starter fluid, it contains a large fraction of ...
guest's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes

How to get a top-mount cooking burner for 20 lb propane tank?

As mentioned a few places here already, mounting a cooking surface directly to 20lb LPG container is going to be a stability problem. If you shop for a Turkey Fryer you should find something that ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

How are canvas tents made to be fire retardant?

They are treated with chemicals to be fire retardent. Fire retardant canvas tarps are treated with substances that lessen flammability. They are not exactly resistant to flames. When fire comes in ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar

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