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I cant say they are the best, there are to many possible needs for one stove to fill. As long as you understand the limitations of the pop can stove you should find they will be suitable for most north American environments.
You must have a wind screen, a lack of a wind screen can result in the thing not working at all and make an easy task in to a real pain. I find that the majority of my experimenting with the construction of the stoves has been in making a suitable windscreen. If the wind screen is to small it makes the stove blaze like mad, if its to large it makes the stove fizzle out. I also found that insulation the stove from the ground helps greatly. The stove relies on the heat of the flame heating the pop can to the point the alcohol is forced out of the burner holes as a vapor, if something is stealing the heat from the can it will effect this cycle.
There are some great advantages to the stove though, you can burn alcohol in the form of 190 proof pure grain so your fuel can be drank or used to sterilize things.
There is no pressure to the stove so no need to pressurize dangerous gas or fuel.
Its extremely light and efficient, taking no more then a shot glass fuel of fuel for most tasks.
Its cheap and can be made at home.
It doesn't work well in high wind or the extreme cold, unless you take the time to build a suitable windscreen.
Here is my back packing setup
Stove
![]()
windscreen and pot holder base
![]()
Metal rods to set the pot on made from coat hanger and adjustable for hight in the wind screen
![]()
The unit together minus the pot
![]()
The wall mart grease pot (Cheap) that just happens to fit perfect.
![]()
All together roaring boil, half a shot of alcohol and about 3minutes
![]()
You must have a wind screen, a lack of a wind screen can result in the thing not working at all and make an easy task in to a real pain. I find that the majority of my experimenting with the construction of the stoves has been in making a suitable windscreen. If the wind screen is to small it makes the stove blaze like mad, if its to large it makes the stove fizzle out. I also found that insulation the stove from the ground helps greatly. The stove relies on the heat of the flame heating the pop can to the point the alcohol is forced out of the burner holes as a vapor, if something is stealing the heat from the can it will effect this cycle.
There are some great advantages to the stove though, you can burn alcohol in the form of 190 proof pure grain so your fuel can be drank or used to sterilize things.
There is no pressure to the stove so no need to pressurize dangerous gas or fuel.
Its extremely light and efficient, taking no more then a shot glass fuel of fuel for most tasks.
Its cheap and can be made at home.
It doesn't work well in high wind or the extreme cold, unless you take the time to build a suitable windscreen.
Here is my back packing setup
Stove
windscreen and pot holder base
Metal rods to set the pot on made from coat hanger and adjustable for hight in the wind screen
The unit together minus the pot
The wall mart grease pot (Cheap) that just happens to fit perfect.
All together roaring boil, half a shot of alcohol and about 3minutes
