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 canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 6:27 PM
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Not sure how long these have been available, but grabbed the last one at MEC today for 30$
A jug of methyl hydrate and its good to go. No parts, no maintenance really.
We will use this as an emergency back up or light summer duty type use or ultralight backcountry trips. It only weights 1 ounce / 28 grams made from Titanium with foldable legs and pot support. I think its a great little addition 
Claims - boils 2 cups of water in 6 minutes
burn time 20 minutes
My findings - boiled 2 cups in just under 7 minutes, no windscreen, during calm eve (9C)
- actual burn time = 20 minutes
I'll do some actual field tests soon.
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 6:55 PM
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| I did a quick search and some people are having issues with getting it started and getting full flame. Not here, I did spill a bit on the outside of the stove made for bigger initial start up, but quickly reduced to a proper full flame all around. Ready to use in 20 seconds. |
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Van, BC
Canada
2800 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 6:57 PM
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Great to see some 'field' testing. I've had my eye on that in MEC for a little while and wondered how it would work. Question: when you're taking it backpacking, what are you going to use to carry the methyl hydrate?
-Ryan
Edit: oh yes, what are you going to use for a windscreen in the future? |
Edited by - Ryan.in.yaletown on 01/23/2011 7:01 PM |
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Outward Bound author of the Seinfeld Thread, who builds his own snowshoes
Troy, MT
USA
3125 Posts |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:04 PM
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Ryan, I use these.
I have one that I use for lamp oil for the Tiki torches and never had a leak yet. I should get around 4-5 fills or 80-100 minutes
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Edited by - Aqua Terra on 01/23/2011 7:07 PM |
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Van, BC
Canada
2800 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:05 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Aqua Terra
Ryan, I use these.
I have one that I use for lamp oil for the Tiki torches and never had a leak yet.
Gotya. No spillage on pouring?
[Ryan
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:09 PM
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its a bit hard to fill the dent on the stove,as it takes a bit to seap into the small hole. I'd pour it into the lid of the bottle and then dribble it in slowly.
I did spill and likely helped me prime the stove as most of the exteriour case had a blue flame going for a bit. It burned slowly and controllably, and does not flare up like white gas. |
Edited by - Aqua Terra on 01/23/2011 7:12 PM |
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681 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:11 PM
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| Use a 750 heiniken beer can and you will save the weight of the pot, unless you plan to chef it up out there why take it just for emergencies as extra weight. |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:16 PM
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| Now we're talking, bring a beer, consume, then cut the top off and use for a pot and make dinner. |
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north van, bc
Canada
940 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:32 PM
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I had some problems starting mine the first time. after a few trys it seemed to work. but I haven't played with it much since. I was hoping to use it as a summer stove but now in winter I take the MSR. I'll play with it again next summer
It would be a great little backup if it used white gas. kind of a pain to carry 2 fuel bottles as well. |
Edited by - smac on 01/23/2011 7:34 PM |
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opinionated-stove huggin'-fleece wearin'-arse burnin' hill virgin
Here
Canada
4642 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 7:32 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ryan.in.yaletown
Question: when you're taking it backpacking, what are you going to use to carry the methyl hydrate?
Brasslite Alcohol Stove Fuel Bottle
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Poco, BC
Canada
405 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 8:18 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ryan.in.yaletown
quote:
Originally posted by Aqua Terra
Ryan, I use these.
I have one that I use for lamp oil for the Tiki torches and never had a leak yet.
Gotya. No spillage on pouring?
[Ryan
i use a pop can stove that i made for about 10cents... it's the same thing. i will make one for people for $29.99. save a penny and the tax buying through me. i'll even pay the shipping.
seriously though, i don't recommend that bottle for transporting the fuel - mine started to leak badly after a few weeks... actually, both sizes i bought and tried did.
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663 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 8:26 PM
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Nalgene bottles will harden, craze and crack over time with methyl hydrate fuel. (Ask me how I know...) In colder weather you need to deliberately spill some fuel over and under the stove to get it warm enough to burn properly. Other than that it works great for the weight and size. Great for light solo use. One freezedry meal and a cuppa at night, coffee and oatmeal early. Takes a LOT longer to boil than a real stove. I really like mine for appropriate usage, just don't think of it as a substitute for a real stove.
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 8:33 PM
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hmm... kerosene or lamp oil never made this or my other bottle leak over 4 years or kicking the crap out of it?? Maybe methyl hydrate wekens the lid more?
Yeah people have been making the stove from popcans for decades.. the nifty little fold up legs and the overall much more sturdiness from titanium is much better though. It aint gonna crush down like low grade aluminum.
For 30$ its an acceptable risk, no doubt. had it beeen priced over 50$ I likely would have skipped it. |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 8:58 PM
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Spunky just pointed out, that we heve an actual gear review forum, I never knew!
I'll post my future findings in there also. |
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663 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 9:03 PM
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Alcohols are an entirely different chemical family than hydrocarbons. I can definitely state that Nalgene IS adversely affected by methyl hydrate. Not over a weekend trip trip, but a few months either in storage or cumulative trips will harden, craze and crack Nalgene. A standard aluminum fuel bottle is fine.
Nalgene website has an interactive compatibility chart that states HDPE bottles are fine with methyl hydrate, AKA methanol 100%, but mine DID fail. It's kind of fun if you have a geeky side: http://nalgenelab.nalgenunc.com/techdata/chemical/index.asp
Many aliphatic alcohols do affect HDPE, maybe commercial grade methanol is not particularly pure, I don't know.
But I do have one fewer 500 ml widemouth Nalgene bottle than I used to! And I don't carry methanol in Nalgene anymore... |
Edited by - alexcanuck on 01/23/2011 9:06 PM |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 9:11 PM
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Good to know, this is the type of feedback that is lacking in the gear wiki, maybe alot of people are not aware of this section (as I was) at all?
Jim? can it be linked to home or active topics? |
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Dewdney, BC
Canada
473 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 9:40 PM
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A couple of suggestions -- 5 hr energy drink bottles are pretty sturdy , are not affected by methyl hydrate , and hold the right amount to fill the stove .
The main problem with burning methyl hydrate is the large amount of water vapour produced ; this condenses on the bottom of the pot and drips into the stove eventually diluting the fuel . I found that painting the pot bottoms with flat black VHT enamel considerably shortens the time required to heat the contents .
Wulf |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 9:56 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Wulf2
A couple of suggestions -- 5 hr energy drink bottles are pretty sturdy , are not affected by methyl hydrate , and hold the right amount to fill the stove .
The main problem with burning methyl hydrate is the large amount of water vapour produced ; this condenses on the bottom of the pot and drips into the stove eventually diluting the fuel . I found that painting the pot bottoms with flat black VHT enamel considerably shortens the time required to heat the contents .
Wulf
And just more valuable input, awesome. I do find that the new dark grey pots we are using, seem to transfer heat into the contents much better.
Hey Wulf, time to play summit beers this year? I got a couple of good ones  The cabin doing OK? |
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663 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 10:14 PM
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This is interesting! I just checked the bottle the methyl hydrate comes in: HDPE. I checked my Nalgene bottles: HDPE. Yet a Nalgene bottle I had crazed and cracked after a few months of methyl hydrate. It was rather old, and retired from olive oil duty for camping. Did the oil affect the plastic, and then the methyl hydrate finished the job? Was it just the age of the bottle? That chemical compatibility chart does show some oils as having an effect on HDPE, so I'm starting to think the methyl hydrate was not really the culprit, and a new Nalgene is fine to use with methyl hydrate.
BTW, the best way to dispense is to loosen the cap, tilt the bottle a bit off upside down and squeeze to cause a thin stream to flow. Much more controllable than pouring.
Caution! Alcohol flame is almost invisible in daylight. Easy to have a few drips catch fire and not see them. |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6793 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2011 : 10:28 PM
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Well I'll give this 2$ bottle a shot inside a ziploc..
True about the flame in day light.
My RC planes run on methanol alcohol and (up to 30%) nitro methane. Its a potent mix that can produce 2 HP per cubich inch. I've seen crashes were the remains melted, as the fuel tank caught fire. No visible flame until you see black smoke from burning plastic and other components.
My large 1/3 scales run regular pump gasoline.
Large RC jet turbines run on kerosene, which can produce wild fireballs and black smoke on impact, usually caused by vapourizing/igniting the on board fuel during high speed impacts. |
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Review! VARGO Titanium Triad "popcan" stove
