Must be true then. You can also run a car for a hundred miles on just water, baking soda, and an old C cell battery.
And you can drill a hole in an iPhone to insert the headphone jack, no problem. (If you didn't see that one, it's hilarious. Hundreds did it then complained.) So, you didn't actually SEE it. Try running alcohol in an 8R yourself.
@monkeyboy Alcohol has been tried with 8Rs and 123s, and it could be nice, epsecially if one has a free and good supply of alcohol. But the results have never been good with off the shelf versions. With enough modifications to the jet and burner it might work, but alcohol is such an inferior fuel (an opinion of course) there is little reason to do so -- except for the $h1ts and grins. We have all been there. I suspect those who report success, probably added some alcohol to a tank that still had gasoline or Coleman fuel in it and that blend worked for a while.
I have at least 20 Coleman fuel or kerosene stoves and like them all, but I would disagree about the inferiority of alcohol. I also love my Trangias and for several years when I backpack I mostly grab a 27 series Trangia. You can't beat the total reliability and the superior fuel handling qualities. If you spill a bit if it isn't in the food you can ignore it. The fuel is available nearly everywhere in small and large town USA and around the world, as reported by others. I don't give a hoot about the slower cook times as I am not in the woods to hurry, and for a slower cook the simmering skills on a Trangia are easily learned. This winter I tested my Trangias down to 14° F and they did just fine in lighting and cooking. The biggest downside is also the biggest upside. The Trangias are so completely simple that you get very little thrill in their operation. And in a wind they are as good as any ever invented. But, for fun at home, I love to play with the pressure stoves. And my camper is well stocked with Colemans: 425, 413, and 502.
I figured that would get a reaction; some things you just cannot joke about, but it is worth a try once in a while. But consider this: How many times does someone find a Trangia Arctic kit configured to cook with an Optimus or Primus stove, then toss out that perfectly good kerosene stove, and replace it with a brass cup to burn alcohol. On the other hand, there are probably a dozen discussions (at least) of how to use the kit with a real stove. Now, why is that? Hell, even the Swedish Army appears to have abandonded the alcohol stove, and they have nothing better to do than wait forever for hot water (just kidding, and I have Swedish grandparents so by those rules it is ok.) I am only pointing out the facts. I happen to like alcohol and alcohol stoves, both in moderation of course. The stoves are fine, but the fuel is indeed inferior.
I see the problem not as one of alcohol as fuel in an alcohol-burning stove, but alcohol as fuel in a petrol- or keroburner. My own experience with alky pressure burners has been less than happy (spiritbranners on brass classics) but always fine with true alcohol stoves, especially the Trangia.
Trangias (and similar unpressurized alcohol stoves) are great. An army could do much worse than to issue one to every soldier. A backpacker could do much worse than to take one on a trip. Their simplicity is their strength. I think their main weakness is probably with melting snow. On any trip where that is the only source of water, you will want a stove that can do it fast. Otherwise heat is lost from the pot at a significant rate, and the stove is hard-pressed to keep up. (I've run into this problem trying to use a Svea 123 as a winter stove.) A lot of fuel and time is consumed in this exercise. On a climb, more time spent melting snow equals less water consumed by the climber, equals greater chance of hypothermia and/or AMS. One of the specialized snow-melting machines is a much better choice under these conditions. Does this mean that most gasoline and kero stoves are overkill on most kinds of trips (except for fuel availability)? Well, that at least is an arguable point. (I still enjoy using my gasoline and kerosene stoves.) ....Arch
One given volume of alcohol has less total energy than one given volume of gasoline (which is a very vage term for dozens of different hydrocarbons) That means alcohol will heat less water and burn for less time than gasoline will. Also alcohol weighs substantially more, and most importantly...alcohol is always more expensive than gasoline. (It's also an intoxicating drug
I just add a little bit of 100% isopropyl alcohol to kerosene to help it burn hotter, keep my wick cleaner, and if any moisture is in the kerosene or font it helps with that. It also helps deodorize kerosene. Alcohol is very expensive I think I will just stick with Crown in my Coleman and Jet A in my kerosene heater.
I got interested in stoves because of alcohol stoves ( the beercan type). I ordered one from Tinny and was so excited about such a small stove cooking a meal. When it arrived I filled a pan with cold water from the tap. Put meths in the stove. Lit it and waited for it to bloom then put the pan on. It went out! Tried again, same thing. Eventually ( with a lot less water and a lot smaller pan!), it stayed in. Great I thought! watched it with interest. All alcohol used and the water varely warm! I was titally disgusted and thought 'what a con'!! Unlike a lot of people these days, I didnt give up but went to the interent and started to learn. I have learnt a lot about stoves/fuel/ the chemistry of burning etc. Now I can boil/fry/ bake on that same stove. It kindled my interest in all types of stoves. It taught me about the fact that all to iften we just 'throw heat/ energy' at the problem rather then make things more effecient. I love all types of stoves. They are all different with different charactoristics. Bit like us lot really lol. Alan
@salan3 I got a Mini Bull Design stove. Not too impressed. I made a few after that. I like the simple cat can stove style. I can bake also. Simmer ring makes the difference. Have you seen this guys stoves? tetkoba's Alcohol Stove Addict
He has made some great ones and not so good ones. But all were good for learning. I think it's a bit like 'roarers or silent' or kero or petrol lol. We all have our favs. You can learn a lot though when you have to use every ounce.
I have an Origo alcohol two burner on my sailboat. Love it. It is unpressurized. In the event of a fire water can be used to put it out. I don't know why modern boats come with propane. Just look up a youtube of a boat blowing up with a 20 lb propane cylinder. It happens every year somewhere. A small mistake can be fatal when you use a gas that's heavier than air and the bilge is a collection container for that escaped gas. So the whole system needs to be sealed and there is no tolerance for error. Give me alcohol any day. I also have a gravity fed Punker that I leave in the dock box so we can cook at the marina picnic table using the same fuel as the Origo. The Punkers are fun to use and burn fairly hot. As I said earlier, I am not an alcohol snob, but I recognize some situations where it is my preferred fuel. As for cost, my cheapest source is $10 US for a gallon of alcohol and my cheapest camp fuel is the Crown at Walmart for $7.50. Not a great difference. Of course my pump K1 kerosene is only $3 a gallon these days. The fuel costs are insignificant compared to the ebay bill.
@BradB Compare btu per gallon and the cost difference changes greatly. IIRC alcohol is 14K, CF is 25, kerosene is 35K.
@snwcmpr , I understand the energy density differences, but in the quantities I burn fuel the cost is not an issue. Now, if I had to buy isobutane canisters my hobby would get significantly more expensive! I have never kept track, but I doubt I use a couple gallons a year of either Coleman gas or alcohol. Probably a gallon of kerosene. And I make coffee twice a day and usually soup for lunch. Maybe on average 4-5 days a week.
