Great advice on alcohol stoves. You are spot on in regards to using only denatured alcohol in regards to toxic fumes. Here in Australia, the fuel is methylated spirits. I use a Trangia cook set in a caravan (camper in the USA) Alcohol stoves & solid fuel tab stoves need a windscreen as you said. Thank you for sharing.
I find that the simmer ring that comes with the Trangia is great to snuff out the lit stove. It also gives you the ability to "adjust" the size of your cooking flame a little bit. My local walmart has stopped carrying denatured alcohal. It's been replaced with a different solvent made for paint.
@@WayPointSurvival The simmer ring for the fancy feast alcohol stove will give you better flame control. Let the stove get hot on full power first before putting the simmer ring on, or it will snuff out. This stove does not need a pot stand. :) You'll love this little stove. :) There's tons of videos on this fancy feast stove.
👍🙏Thank you sir. Chief Kirk channel mentioned your channel on one of his videos and that’s how I found your channel. Normally, I’d ask my daddy about this stuff. At least now I won’t blow myself up. A lot of people are lost without people like you to help us. Daddy always had the answers to my questions and I could always count on him. RIP Daddy.🙏😭😢 Thank you for helping us daddy-less daughters out here!! 🤗💞🤗
Nice, thanks for putting this video together. Have not used an alcohol stove before but have the Vargo on the way and wanted to learn a little more about it. I usually use a Snow Peak isobutane stove but I think this will be a nice addition to the gear.
Your trangia is the swedish military version, sometimes known as a 3 crowns, the civilian version is smaller, and you can get a simmer ring lid to control the flame
Right now, (September 2022) Self Reliance Outfitters has their alcohol stove on sale for $10. Has twice the alcohol capacity of most of the stoves you reviewed, and includes a stand for pots, as well as a cover to snuff out the flame. That cover has a hinged opening, so can be used to regulate the flame, as well as snuff it. I got mine through Shawn at Corporal’s Corner, who highly recommended your channel.
I recently made my very own alcohol stove out of a bean dip can and mesh paperclip holder. Just tested it out today and it works real well. It fits inside a GSI stainless steel cup and the fuel is in a small candle fragrance bottle. I may look for something that would prevent any evaporation. I like that titanium one, it's plenty compact and fuel tablets could be used on it as well. I'm going to look for some denatured alcohol because I noticed a lot of soot after using the isopropyl alcohol. Thanks for the information!
Thanks for the information I bought heet yellow bottle Because I was making my own stove but I just ordered the Rucas HD alcohol Stove and I would like to only use the right gas so I’m thankful I stumbled into your video I will throw the other gas away
Add a pinch of table salt to your alcohol bottle and shake well to dissolve the salt so it gives the flame a very slight yellow color making it a little bit easier to see in daylight!
The stoves and burners I make will work in sub-zero (F), will simmer and bake (wick type) and I can recover the unused alcohol. Some will burn isopropyl cleanly. I suggest you check out Hiram Cook’s channel as there are better options. I use 3/4 oz to boil 16.9 oz (1/2 liter) of water in less than 6 minutes. I will agree that they are wind sensitive.
The lasagna meal is pretty good. I have a beef stew in my cabinet that is from '17, I want to see how it tastes in ten years. I started out camping with Sterno to heat things, the same idea as an alcohol stove, they blow out very easily. I sat for a half an hour or forty five minutes trying to heat chili on Sterno that blew out, I felt pretty foolish.😅
Redcamp stove comes with a pot stand. You can use either of the HEETS if you only boil water. Looking for a stove that I can burn used motor oil in it (mostly for heating). Not the HUGE ones you see on the tube and not the kind you have to put it inside a wood burning or similar stove. NO WELDING! Suggestion: Pour a bottle of HEET in your gas tank. Let any residual evaporate. Mark the bottle for ounces and refill with another kind of safe alcohol. Make sure you mark the bottle appropriately. Those bottles are excellent for transporting fuel.
Great video, again. Always very well presented. I'm surprised about the yellow HEET though. I thought it was OK to use the yellow bottle. I can't see how it could be worse than Esbit tabs, which you showed and didn't say anything about the fumes or chemicals.
HEET is 99% methanol. SLX is up to 60% methanol, plus up to 5% even worse aromatics. HEET is fine fuel, either red or yellow. Yellow requires 20% more, because methanol has fewer calories per unit. Red deposits soot on your pots. SLX *_STINKS!_* They all are poisonous if ingested, yellow HEET and SLX are poisonous if absorbed thru the skin. All are okay as fuel.
@@WayPointSurvival you shouldn't breathe the "fumes" of burning wood. Let's get real. You drove to where you went with a vehicle that was powered by one of the worst fuels GASOLINE and there are gasoline camping stove. Everything you cook with is dangerous around children, or dumb adults.
@@xenaguy01 ah you're right - I reviewed the yellow HEET safety sheets & it is indeed 99% methanol. I guess @WayPointSurvival is advising against that 1% proprietary mix of additives we will never know what we are burning. and I agree @paulgray1699, there are probably way more sources of toxic fumes to worry about in this world!
I have several folding windscreens - but they weigh a bit. Some sticks and foil can do it, but it can be a bit of a pain, and shifting winds can be a problem. The best solution I have found (and have never seen on youtube) for using an alcohol stove (which works pretty well in sandy or soft soil, but is a non-starter on rock) is to dig a pit - a simple cat hole, maybe ten inches in diameter and ten inches deep - mound up the dirt that comes out on the side of the incoming prevailing wind . . . you're cup, bottle or pot will be pretty stable, your flame will be well sheltered, and after you are done you backfill the hole with the dirt that came out and, voila! Leave no trace behind. Thanks for the vid - I have made some penny stoves, and have some trangia's, but hadn't seen the Vargo before I like the dual fuel capability, as I have Esbit cubes in all my kits. A little pricey, but now that I have all sorts of home-built junk, maybe it's finally time to spend a few dollars on the "good stuff". Aloha, friend.
@@WayPointSurvival Yup, I figure - I have a trowel in the pack anyway (for those cat holes that you don't cook in), so I save the weight of the wind shield. Great content, keep 'em coming!! ; - )
Thanks for the comparison. That’s a cool little titanium stove . The dual fuel makes it a great piece of equipment. I’ll have to say the Trangia looked like it was burning cleaner after they primed up . Have other brands but got an original Trangia when I ordered components I was missing for my Swedish mess kit. Have a great day
For Bug Out Bag I would use pure ethanol. More expensive than denatured alcohol but less toxic. Spilling Everclear grain alcohol in your pack will not contaminate your food. Plus, grain alcohol will not go bad and is multi-purpose: fuel, beverage, antiseptic, and solvent.
Never use any alcohol directly on a wound! Alcohol kills living cells. Wash the surrounding skin with alcohol, but not over or in the wound. Clean the wound with purified water.
@@xenaguy01 Purified water or lukewarm soapy water if available is also another good option if not a little more effective as long as you dilute it and use a soft cloth or towel to gently clean the wound fully.
I would say make sure to burn all the galvanizing off the wire fence to that's no good for anyone.very cool I haven't messed with them that much just a couple I made trying them out.
Very true. The galvanizing was burned off a long time ago on my little stove. However, a lot of people don't know about that issue. I usually bring it up on my other videos but failed to do so on this one, so thanks for mentioning it!
The alcohol stoves I consider the best ones are CHS or capillary sort of, with inner holes from the flames comes out. 1. They throw the flames to the center of the pot giving direction to the flames not to go to the sides and all over, and so losing heet and fuel. 2. For the structure and design, they provide pressure to the combustion, so they provide solid strong flames with solid direction instead of giving a loose flame that the wind takes the heet off. Nevertheless a good wind shield like one of those aluminum foldable wind breakers are indispensable to use alcohol stoves and in my opinion ANY tipe of stoves. They also work as pot stand if we drill holes in tha walls cimetrically, at the same heigth, to put throgh, from side to side, parallel in railways structure, 2 long grill needles and use them to stand any pot at difrent levels.
I use the yellow heat all the time, I don’t lean over it and I don’t think the fumes would get in my water when I boil it and always use a lid when cooking.
With winter coming on here in Canada, this would not be a good option. I personally don't like them much, but I can see where they could come in useful.
The best bottle I tired to carry ANY kind of liquids it's is the LISTERINE bottles. 1. They come with childproof caps, so they won't get open and leak into the pack. 2. That cap it's useful to measure the amount of alcohol we pour into the stove, and so we can control and save the fuel that we use. 3. They are tough, long lasting, and for it's shape they are packable 4. They come in different sices so if we need to carry more sort of liquids than others (olive oil, fuel, 😏whisky😉) or if we make short or long term trips, we can control the amount of any kind, sort and amount.
I also use those bottles and think they are the best and don't leak. And yes the cap is a good measuring device. BTW , I have made several simmer rings for the Vargo stove using the 7.5 once soda can tops. The pull tab holes work great to cut down the flame and still generate heat to keep the stove going. The Vargo wind screen works good, too.
I found you video on Alcohol Stoves, I enjoyed it. I was always wondering about use Heet in the stove. Thanks for clarifying issues of using Heet. Can you use charcoal lighter fluid for fuel?
I'm sure you could use charcoal lighter for fluid if you wished. However, I'm not sure if that would impart a strange taste or not to the food. You'd have to test it to find out. Also, it might be a little too volatile to use so I would definitely be careful in the testing process.
Wished you had demonstrated how to make a 2 soda can stove. I know you were just showing the different kinds available, but I've seen so many variations of how to make them. One with an old penny in the middle.
it's all toxic none of it has "dangerous fumes" as he seems to indicate - you don't want any of it on your skin or to drink it all of it is toxic just like your gas canister or a poorly burning wood fire
Before refueling your cooker make sure that it has no naked flame before opening your metho. Put your finger into the well of the cooker,to test there is no flame. If you have poured it and it goes up. Do not throw the bottle, If there are flames inside the bottle. Put the lid on it and do it up tight, The flame will go out.
I would never put my finger inside the stove. Always hold your hand 6 to 8" above it and you'll be able to feel the heat. Otherwise, you could burn yourself. The other ideas are OK though.
I’m looking to buy one & needing all the info good or bad to make a choice. I’d like to see someone prime it with a small cupped piece of aluminum foil underneath it using a couple of drops of fuel burning. I’ve done that to speed up the bloom on my burners. Maybe covering the fuel fill hole for it to build pressure for an intense burner & better fuel economy? Just a thought
@@WayPointSurvival I’m really interested in one and researching a-lot & looking for a great price bcuz I’ve got 1/2 dozen or more DIY & paid for alchy stove-burners with maybe 2 that are just right for real cooking with simmer option & a fast boiler. I’m liking the lite weight, size & fuel efficiency of them. I thought my DIY Sargent Rock ion stove was small, lightweight w/ simmering mode was great and fuel efficient but I can’t justify the price of these right now? They might worth the investment a OCD X-Mas present to myself lol 😂
Do a video on the Gen 2 5 inch fire box with trangia stove or other alcohol stoves I'll bet you two to one is a good portion of them will fit in there if you got all the pieces for the firebox but it's a multi-function stove the firebox can handle wood wood pellets charcoal Elizabeth fuel liquid fuel transia handles it and it can also handle the gas handles it off do a video on that one that would be interesting have a blessed day my friend God bless
Late to the party, but enjoying your videos that I've finally found! Curious - the Trangia stove you are showing, is that an actual military surplus Trangia? I ask because it seems a little larger than the new one I bought online a couple of years ago, and doesn't seem to have the simmer/snuffer lid that you can use to help control the heat and put out the flame when you're finished using it, without risking heat damage to the O-ring that the actual lid has. I think the original military Trangia's didn't come with the simmer lid.
It looked like the Trangia was burning the hottest at the end there and from a heat point of view would be the better option as it would boil water quicker. Also, how would these go with using hand sanitizer or even vodka, whiskey or some other drinkable alcohol that is flammable? For a SHTF situation where the actual alcohol used for them is hard/impossible to come by, why would you burn good drinkable alcohol!
The peak flame temperature of ethanol is 1,920 degrees Celsius (3,488 degrees Fahrenheit), while the peak flame temperature of methanol is 1,870 degrees Celsius (3,398 degrees Fahrenheit). So close to the same it has no significant effect on cook or boil time. The most difficult part of using backpack alcohol stoves is the simmer or slow cook, not taking a few minutes more to boil.
*(EDIT:so i did more research, turns out we were both right: One variation of HEET is methanol, the yellow bottle, the red is isopropyl )* So the information about HEET in this video is unfortunately inaccurate. HEET is isopropyl alcohol 99.9% which is clean burning and safe. Who ever told you it is methanol is misinformed. *HEET Safety data sheet:* images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/f4/f4794402-84bb-4620-a5d2-8d7e079c99e7.pdf Now on that safety data you might see all the scary warning and health advisories which of course is the same as plain old Isopropyl alcohol. *Isoprophyl Alcohol safety data sheet:* www.labchem.com/tools/msds/msds/LC15750.pdf Or if you really want to be paranoid just look at the *safety data sheet of sand and gravel.* www.lehighhanson.com/docs/default-source/safety-data-sheets/sds-sand-gravel.pdf?sfvrsn=d3da3bd0_4 Guess that counts out all trips to the beach.... The only counter argument here that is reasonable is HEET contains Xylene. Which is toxic, but mildly so, especially in such minimal quantities .0002%. So while it may be entirely reasonable for you to say you don't trust it, and just don't want to risk it, fair enough. However it would be objectively wrong in inaccurate to describe conclusively that it is dangerous to burn as you did in this video. No offense, I like your channel overall, I'm just a stickler for details and science.
Thank you so much for adding this to the comments. Your research is duly noted and appreciated and I will make proper statements accordingly in future videos.
Neither of you pucks need to be giving advice about HEET as fuel for alcohol stoves ! HEET in the yellow bottle is almost pure Methanol . HEET in the red bottle is almost pure Isopropyl alcohol . Methanol is a clean burning fuel for stoves & is used to "de-nature" ethanol so it can't be drunk ! Isopropyl can only burn cleanly in stoves designed to burn it ! It's slack-jawed mouth breathers like you that add to the confusion !
@@hotmessgear9069 Sounds like you got brain issues from burning something. Must be why you are emotional, attacking and insulting others while contributing nothing productive, shame. Your unscientific hillybilly wisdom isn't helpful, but you will serve as an example on the contrast of people; those who care about science and research, and the shoot from the hip fools who go around insulting others and giving bad advice.
@@WayPointSurvival _"None of it is meant for human consumption."_ Of course not. But don't steer people away from burning HEET and toward SLX because of "poison.". SLX is equally dangerous. "Denatured" essentially means "poisoned." Feds don't want us drinking *_ANY_* alcohol unless we've paid liquor taxes on it.
It's incorrect to say you can't control the temperature on a spirit burner. The Trangia has a simmer ring, so you CAN control the heat output to a certain degree. Obviously, you can also move the pan closer, or further away from the heat to control cooking times :)
Yep and also the BRASSLITE with a simmer adjustment that’s been around for a while! Or just use a cozy to save fuel when food’s warmed up and they (VARGO) are designed for fuel recovery plenty of videos showing “how to”! Not everyone BOILS water and call it cooking.
Oh . I see the Vargo that you provided a link for has a much bigger hole in the center . Do you know why , is it as good , better ? Thanks ahead ... Gubs
I believe it is an updated version of the one that I have. It is probably better from what I have read. I think that the larger hole in the center would allow for quicker filling and less spilling.
No. White gas is basically an unleaded, very pure form of gasoline, it's not alcohol. You should not, of course, ever use any form of gasoline in an alcohol stove as it will explode. Thanks for the question, my friend!
I am sure you figured this out by now but, the moment you dribble a wee bit of denatured alcohol out of your fuel container it washes away and renders useless your permanent marker markings on the side of your container.
I have been using alcohol stoves most of my 60 plus years of camping. I have Trangias , White box , Toaks, Evernews and assorted others including the Pop Can ones I have made. The following is my opinion and mine only about Vargo alcohol stoves. The ones I tossed in the back drawer are the Vargo's. I wouldn't even give them to a friend. Yes , I purchased and tried everyone they have. I prefer a twig fire over them. There is a new company in Australia called Goshawk who has the alcohol stoves. I had to try one of their Siphon Alcohol Stove , Steampunk EDDY-X from them , it was on sale. ( They have an assortment of others ) It's Brass and can be used where a Trangia would be used. The advantage of the Goshawk is that it blooms in 12 sec with Ethanol and 15 sec with Methanol , not minutes. Here in Florida it took almost 30 days to get it , has to go thru Customs.
You can also use it in biodiesel for our nation you need methanol to put in the used vegetable oil along with lye to make methoxide you put all that in use cooking oil do what you're supposed to do with it but it sit for a few days and you got about you but as far as cooking absolutely not
The other 10% is mostly water. Water doesn't burn so well. Even the best fuel (Everclear) absorbs water from the atmosphere so it won't burn clean for long.
2:11 Sorry, but this point is bogus. 1) On a long-distance trek, you learn quickly how much alcohol to use, within a couple of ml. So after the first couple of days, there won't be any appreciable amount of fuel leftover. 2) You can always snuff the flame at any time. Just put a cup or can over it. Or toss a bandana over it. (Damp is better, but not necessary.) 3) Unburned alcohol can always be reclaimed, unless you use a wicking stove that retains fuel in the wicking. In that case, you store your wick stove inside a zip-loc baggie. That'll keep the leftover fuel from evaporating. With a non-wick burner, just pour unused fuel back into the bottle after it cools a bit. Sorry again, more comments after your reply: 8:00 Si-i-igh. HEET bad, SLX good! MSDS!!! Yes, the MSDSfor "yellow" HEET says 99% pure methanol. Methanol is poisonous, either by ingestion or absorption. As for "red" HEET, that's 99% pure isopropanol. Recognize that? It's what they sell in drugstores as "rubbing alcohol." Or "hard surface disinfectant." It's safe to rub on your skin. True, you can't drink it, but its nomore dangerous than hand sanitizer. Speaking of hand sanitizer, what do think it's made from? Now, let's move on to the MSDS for SLX. Have you actually read that one? For KLEEN STRIP, the one you show, it says _"Ethyl Alcohol - (the kind in booze) 30-60%.- _"Methyl Alcohol - 30-60%!"_ Wait a minute! Isn't that the same stuff that's in *yellow" HEET? And up to 60 % of your "KLEEN burning" fuel is the exact same deadly poison? Wow, let's see what else is in your kleen fuel. Methylated Ketones - 0-5%. Other Petroleum distillates - 0-2%. Acetone - 0-1%. Those don't sound good either. Better stick to 190 Proof Ever clear at $25.00 per fifth. Listen, ALL alcohol is poisonous. *_DON'T DRINK IT!_* If you spill on your hand, rinse it off with water, don't let it dry on your skin. At least, blow on it to hasten evaporation. If it leaks in your pack, it will evaporate rapidly, leaving no residue. If it spills into your food, why are you carrying fuel with food? Oh, and the alcohol will evaporate from food just like from clothing, with no residue. Alcohol fumes? Poison. Don't breathe. Don't open/use in an enclosed area (tent, tiny shelter). Otherwise, treat all alcohols the same. Biggest drawback of iso (red) HEET (rubbing alcohol)? Soot. Burns with a yellow, sooty flame. Biggest drawback of methyl (yellow) HEET (straight methanol)? 20% less heat per volume of fuel than SLX or Isopropyl, so you need more to do the same job. Biggest drawback of SLX? Stinks! You do generally good videos, but don't recommend or diss any product without researching it better (i.e. SLX MSDS). 10:50 Remind me again why you put lines on your fuel bottle? Apparently you don't use them when filling your alcohol burners. VARGO says 1.5 FL oz, no more, no less. Use your markings.
The youtubers that use heet in the alcholstoves should be aware of this, because others may make that really bad mistake. Like in this video while testing out alcohol stoves: th-cam.com/video/pexDNx5LtdM/w-d-xo.html
😲...REALLY...!!! Yellow bottle HEET is toxic...? Everybody uses Methanol because it provides a short flame that only touches tha bottom of the pot instead of the rest of alcohols that reaches upper, and so we loose heet, flame, fuel, etc. What tipe of alcohol is that one that you suggest generically speaking...? Not methanol, not alcohol... Which one is it...?
@@WayPointSurvival I suppose. I started with rubbing alcohol, but I thought it was the reason for the soot and wild flames. This does the same thing so I built a windscreen to try and calm the flames around the bush pot I just built. Any other advice?
Just be very careful. Coleman fuel is basically unleaded gasoline and so it's very flammable and potentially explosive. Probably the best thing to do to control the soot is to rub a bar of soap around the bottom of the pan and then when you're done cooking just use a little water and it'll wash it right off. It's an old boy scout trick. I find that denatured alcohol works best and is made for stoves. You can find it in the paint section at most paint stores.
Thanks for knowing the difference of Sweden and Switzerland when it comes to where Trangia is from says your Swedish fan living in Orlando, FL.
You're welcome, my friend! I really like Swedish gear. My Mountain Rucksack 71 has been with me for a long time.
Great advice on alcohol stoves. You are spot on in regards to using only denatured alcohol in regards to toxic fumes. Here in Australia, the fuel is methylated spirits. I use a Trangia cook set in a caravan (camper in the USA) Alcohol stoves & solid fuel tab stoves need a windscreen as you said. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome!
I find that the simmer ring that comes with the Trangia is great to snuff out the lit stove. It also gives you the ability to "adjust" the size of your cooking flame a little bit. My local walmart has stopped carrying denatured alcohal. It's been replaced with a different solvent made for paint.
Excellent comment! Too bad that Walmart doesn't carry the denatured alcohol anymore, but I'm sure you can find it at a local paint store.
@@WayPointSurvival Home Depot actually carries the large can 😀. My Walmart had only carried the smaller can.
@@DravinD81 Well, at least you won't run out of fuel for a while :)
@@WayPointSurvival It's also cheaper in the long run. I just keep two cans of it with the cans of Coleman fuel for my camping/emergency stove.
@@WayPointSurvival The simmer ring for the fancy feast alcohol stove will give you better flame control. Let the stove get hot on full power first before putting the simmer ring on, or it will snuff out. This stove does not need a pot stand. :) You'll love this little stove. :) There's tons of videos on this fancy feast stove.
👍🙏Thank you sir. Chief Kirk channel mentioned your channel on one of his videos and that’s how I found your channel. Normally, I’d ask my daddy about this stuff. At least now I won’t blow myself up. A lot of people are lost without people like you to help us. Daddy always had the answers to my questions and I could always count on him. RIP Daddy.🙏😭😢 Thank you for helping us daddy-less daughters out here!! 🤗💞🤗
Thank you so much! Glad I can be of service. Anytime I can help or answer a question, just let me know.
Nice, thanks for putting this video together. Have not used an alcohol stove before but have the Vargo on the way and wanted to learn a little more about it. I usually use a Snow Peak isobutane stove but I think this will be a nice addition to the gear.
You're most welcome! Thanks for watching the video and I'm glad that you found it useful.
Your trangia is the swedish military version, sometimes known as a 3 crowns, the civilian version is smaller, and you can get a simmer ring lid to control the flame
Thanks for the info!
Lots of fun building these as well. Thank you for posting. Blessings from Ontario Canada!
Thank you for watching.
Outstanding , informative , WELL presented video . Well done !!
Thank you, my friend!
Thank you for an nother awesome viedo James keep up the awesome work
You're welcome, Jack! Have a great day!
Awesome informative video. Thanks for all your hard work. Keep it up and I'll see you on the next video
Thank you, my friend!
Funny thing, I was looking for this video yesterday because I needed to know about the best fuel to use for the Trangia to not soot up.
Excellent! Glad I could help!
I use a MSR bottle to carry my fuel in. It has a hole in the "top" side were you can just "drizzle" the fuel out
I like the MSR bottles as well. Very well made containers!
Right now, (September 2022) Self Reliance Outfitters has their alcohol stove on sale for $10. Has twice the alcohol capacity of most of the stoves you reviewed, and includes a stand for pots, as well as a cover to snuff out the flame. That cover has a hinged opening, so can be used to regulate the flame, as well as snuff it. I got mine through Shawn at Corporal’s Corner, who highly recommended your channel.
Thanks for watching. I have quite a bit of gear from them as well. I really appreciate Shawn and his recommendation!
I recently made my very own alcohol stove out of a bean dip can and mesh paperclip holder. Just tested it out today and it works real well. It fits inside a GSI stainless steel cup and the fuel is in a small candle fragrance bottle. I may look for something that would prevent any evaporation. I like that titanium one, it's plenty compact and fuel tablets could be used on it as well. I'm going to look for some denatured alcohol because I noticed a lot of soot after using the isopropyl alcohol. Thanks for the information!
Thank you for watching and commenting. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you for alot of really great information, I'm planning a trip across the AT and I think I'm gonna use the newer vargo stove
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed the video and found it to be very helpful! Have a great trip on the AT!
Thanks for the information I bought heet yellow bottle Because I was making my own stove but I just ordered the Rucas HD alcohol Stove and I would like to only use the right gas so I’m thankful I stumbled into your video I will throw the other gas away
Glad you liked the video and found it helpful!
Add a pinch of table salt to your alcohol bottle and shake well to dissolve the salt so it gives the flame a very slight yellow color making it a little bit easier to see in daylight!
Great idea!
Thanks for the great info James.
I really like that dual fuel stove and how you made that pot stand for the soda can stove
You're welcome! And Thanks!
The stoves and burners I make will work in sub-zero (F), will simmer and bake (wick type) and I can recover the unused alcohol. Some will burn isopropyl cleanly. I suggest you check out Hiram Cook’s channel as there are better options. I use 3/4 oz to boil 16.9 oz (1/2 liter) of water in less than 6 minutes. I will agree that they are wind sensitive.
Excellent! Thanks for the info and for watching and commenting!
The lasagna meal is pretty good. I have a beef stew in my cabinet that is from '17, I want to see how it tastes in ten years. I started out camping with Sterno to heat things, the same idea as an alcohol stove, they blow out very easily. I sat for a half an hour or forty five minutes trying to heat chili on Sterno that blew out, I felt pretty foolish.😅
The trangia's price and reliability and prefueled make it my preferred backpacking stove. It does need stove brackets though.
Yes, they are a great stove.
Redcamp stove comes with a pot stand.
You can use either of the HEETS if you only boil water.
Looking for a stove that I can burn used motor oil in it (mostly for heating). Not the HUGE ones you see on the tube and not the kind you have to put it inside a wood burning or similar stove. NO WELDING!
Suggestion:
Pour a bottle of HEET in your gas tank. Let any residual evaporate.
Mark the bottle for ounces and refill with another kind of safe alcohol. Make sure you mark the bottle appropriately.
Those bottles are excellent for transporting fuel.
Thanks for watching!
Great video, again. Always very well presented.
I'm surprised about the yellow HEET though. I thought it was OK to use the yellow bottle. I can't see how it could be worse than Esbit tabs, which you showed and didn't say anything about the fumes or chemicals.
Yes, actually you shouldn't breathe the fumes from any of the tablets. Good comment!
HEET is 99% methanol. SLX is up to 60% methanol, plus up to 5% even worse aromatics. HEET is fine fuel, either red or yellow. Yellow requires 20% more, because methanol has fewer calories per unit. Red deposits soot on your pots. SLX *_STINKS!_* They all are poisonous if ingested, yellow HEET and SLX are poisonous if absorbed thru the skin. All are okay as fuel.
@@WayPointSurvival you shouldn't breathe the "fumes" of burning wood. Let's get real. You drove to where you went with a vehicle that was powered by one of the worst fuels GASOLINE and there are gasoline camping stove. Everything you cook with is dangerous around children, or dumb adults.
@@xenaguy01 ah you're right - I reviewed the yellow HEET safety sheets & it is indeed 99% methanol. I guess @WayPointSurvival is advising against that 1% proprietary mix of additives we will never know what we are burning. and I agree @paulgray1699, there are probably way more sources of toxic fumes to worry about in this world!
I have several folding windscreens - but they weigh a bit. Some sticks and foil can do it, but it can be a bit of a pain, and shifting winds can be a problem. The best solution I have found (and have never seen on youtube) for using an alcohol stove (which works pretty well in sandy or soft soil, but is a non-starter on rock) is to dig a pit - a simple cat hole, maybe ten inches in diameter and ten inches deep - mound up the dirt that comes out on the side of the incoming prevailing wind . . . you're cup, bottle or pot will be pretty stable, your flame will be well sheltered, and after you are done you backfill the hole with the dirt that came out and, voila! Leave no trace behind.
Thanks for the vid - I have made some penny stoves, and have some trangia's, but hadn't seen the Vargo before I like the dual fuel capability, as I have Esbit cubes in all my kits. A little pricey, but now that I have all sorts of home-built junk, maybe it's finally time to spend a few dollars on the "good stuff". Aloha, friend.
That's a really great idea with digging the hole in the ground for your stove. Also glad that you're enjoying the other content.
@@WayPointSurvival Yup, I figure - I have a trowel in the pack anyway (for those cat holes that you don't cook in), so I save the weight of the wind shield. Great content, keep 'em coming!! ; - )
Thanks for the comparison. That’s a cool little titanium stove . The dual fuel makes it a great piece of equipment. I’ll have to say the Trangia looked like it was burning cleaner after they primed up . Have other brands but got an original Trangia when I ordered components I was missing for my Swedish mess kit. Have a great day
Thank you so much. Yes, the Trangia does work better when fully primed and burning at full power.
Would methylated spirits be a good alcohol to use.
Freshly squeezed dandelion juice makes a great substitute for alcohol.
Thanks for watching. That's a new one.
I like that lil one you have. The con I have is the soot from the Trangia.
Yes. Soot is always so messy.
Thank you! Got my butt chewed for explaining to a certain popular bushcrafter why they shouldn't use heat a few years back.
Yes, it's amazing how so many people know so little about some of the stoves and the alcohol that they use.
For Bug Out Bag I would use pure ethanol. More expensive than denatured alcohol but less toxic. Spilling Everclear grain alcohol in your pack will not contaminate your food. Plus, grain alcohol will not go bad and is multi-purpose: fuel, beverage, antiseptic, and solvent.
Good idea!
Never use any alcohol directly on a wound! Alcohol kills living cells. Wash the surrounding skin with alcohol, but not over or in the wound. Clean the wound with purified water.
@@xenaguy01 Purified water or lukewarm soapy water if available is also another good option if not a little more effective as long as you dilute it and use a soft cloth or towel to gently clean the wound fully.
Is EverClear seutty?
I have no idea if Everclear burns sooty or not. Never used it.
Ótimo vídeo Parabéns 👍
Thank you! Very informative
Thanks!
I would say make sure to burn all the galvanizing off the wire fence to that's no good for anyone.very cool I haven't messed with them that much just a couple I made trying them out.
Very true. The galvanizing was burned off a long time ago on my little stove. However, a lot of people don't know about that issue. I usually bring it up on my other videos but failed to do so on this one, so thanks for mentioning it!
The alcohol stoves I consider the best ones are CHS or capillary sort of, with inner holes from the flames comes out.
1. They throw the flames to the center of the pot giving direction to the flames not to go to the sides and all over, and so losing heet and fuel.
2. For the structure and design, they provide pressure to the combustion, so they provide solid strong flames with solid direction instead of giving a loose flame that the wind takes the heet off.
Nevertheless a good wind shield like one of those aluminum foldable wind breakers are indispensable to use alcohol stoves and in my opinion ANY tipe of stoves. They also work as pot stand if we drill holes in tha walls cimetrically, at the same heigth, to put throgh, from side to side, parallel in railways structure, 2 long grill needles and use them to stand any pot at difrent levels.
Thanks for watching!
@@WayPointSurvival NOT AT ALL... Sorry for my English, I wasn't born with it... 🙋🏻♂️...Hi Martin from Argentina by the way...🇦🇷
Great video!
Thanks!
Very good tips and advice I have a Tomshoo Titanium alcohol stove I use it at night only. Good video thanks for sharing God bless you ..
You're welcome and thank you, brother. God bless!
Great over view James. I'll stick to my wood stove. Going below freezing here tonight
I prefer wood stoves usually as well. But every once in a while the little clean-burning alcohol stove takes a trip with me....
@@WayPointSurvival Nice to have. The fuel never goes off so I might pick one up in the winter sales
I use the yellow heat all the time, I don’t lean over it and I don’t think the fumes would get in my water when I boil it and always use a lid when cooking.
Just be careful with it and remember that it's toxic.
Great video. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing. Where are you located James? I’m here in WV and enjoy you diy and general knowledge format
Thank you. I'm located in Southern Ohio.
good advice.
Thanks!
With winter coming on here in Canada, this would not be a good option.
I personally don't like them much, but I can see where they could come in useful.
Thank you for watching.
The best bottle I tired to carry ANY kind of liquids it's is the LISTERINE bottles.
1. They come with childproof caps, so they won't get open and leak into the pack.
2. That cap it's useful to measure the amount of alcohol we pour into the stove, and so we can control and save the fuel that we use.
3. They are tough, long lasting, and for it's shape they are packable
4. They come in different sices so if we need to carry more sort of liquids than others (olive oil, fuel, 😏whisky😉) or if we make short or long term trips, we can control the amount of any kind, sort and amount.
Great idea!
I also use those bottles and think they are the best and don't leak. And yes the cap is a good measuring device. BTW , I have made several simmer rings for the Vargo stove using the 7.5 once soda can tops. The pull tab holes work great to cut down the flame and still generate heat to keep the stove going. The Vargo wind screen works good, too.
@@WayPointSurvival lmk
James, thanks for sharing, great review, God bless brother !
Thank you, my friend! God bless you too!
I found you video on Alcohol Stoves, I enjoyed it. I was always wondering about use Heet in the stove. Thanks for clarifying issues of using Heet. Can you use charcoal lighter fluid for fuel?
I'm sure you could use charcoal lighter for fluid if you wished. However, I'm not sure if that would impart a strange taste or not to the food. You'd have to test it to find out. Also, it might be a little too volatile to use so I would definitely be careful in the testing process.
Thanks for the video; check out the Titanium Toaks Siphon Alcohol Stove as it blooms quickly, easily snuffs, and can reclaim unused alcohol.
Excellent. Thanks for watching and for the suggestion.
Wished you had demonstrated how to make a 2 soda can stove. I know you were just showing the different kinds available, but I've seen so many variations of how to make them. One with an old penny in the middle.
Thanks. There are already so many how to videos on it already I didn't think that I needed to make another one on the same subject.
Great video brother. I did not know that the Heat fuel was toxic. Thanks for the info.
You're welcome, brother!
SLX is also toxic. HEET is 99% methanol, SLX is up to 60% methanol.
it's all toxic none of it has "dangerous fumes" as he seems to indicate - you don't want any of it on your skin or to drink it all of it is toxic just like your gas canister or a poorly burning wood fire
Before refueling your cooker make sure that it has no naked flame before opening your metho.
Put your finger into the well of the cooker,to test there is no flame.
If you have poured it and it goes up.
Do not throw the bottle,
If there are flames inside the bottle.
Put the lid on it and do it up tight,
The flame will go out.
I would never put my finger inside the stove. Always hold your hand 6 to 8" above it and you'll be able to feel the heat. Otherwise, you could burn yourself. The other ideas are OK though.
I’m looking to buy one & needing all the info good or bad to make a choice. I’d like to see someone prime it with a small cupped piece of aluminum foil underneath it using a couple of drops of fuel burning.
I’ve done that to speed up the bloom on my burners. Maybe covering the fuel fill hole for it to build pressure for an intense burner & better fuel economy? Just a thought
Yes, priming works well also. Thanks for watching.
@@WayPointSurvival
I’m really interested in one and researching a-lot & looking for a great price bcuz I’ve got 1/2 dozen or more DIY & paid for alchy stove-burners with maybe 2 that are just right for real cooking with simmer option & a fast boiler. I’m liking the lite weight, size & fuel efficiency of them. I thought my DIY Sargent Rock ion stove was small, lightweight w/ simmering mode was great and fuel efficient but I can’t justify the price of these right now? They might worth the investment a OCD X-Mas present to myself lol 😂
Do a video on the Gen 2 5 inch fire box with trangia stove or other alcohol stoves I'll bet you two to one is a good portion of them will fit in there if you got all the pieces for the firebox but it's a multi-function stove the firebox can handle wood wood pellets charcoal Elizabeth fuel liquid fuel transia handles it and it can also handle the gas handles it off do a video on that one that would be interesting have a blessed day my friend God bless
Thanks for the suggestion. God bless you too.
Late to the party, but enjoying your videos that I've finally found!
Curious - the Trangia stove you are showing, is that an actual military surplus Trangia? I ask because it seems a little larger than the new one I bought online a couple of years ago, and doesn't seem to have the simmer/snuffer lid that you can use to help control the heat and put out the flame when you're finished using it, without risking heat damage to the O-ring that the actual lid has. I think the original military Trangia's didn't come with the simmer lid.
Yes, it is an old military surplus Trangia. Thank you for watching and for your question.
It looked like the Trangia was burning the hottest at the end there and from a heat point of view would be the better option as it would boil water quicker. Also, how would these go with using hand sanitizer or even vodka, whiskey or some other drinkable alcohol that is flammable? For a SHTF situation where the actual alcohol used for them is hard/impossible to come by, why would you burn good drinkable alcohol!
Thanks for watching!
The peak flame temperature of ethanol is 1,920 degrees Celsius (3,488 degrees Fahrenheit), while the peak flame temperature of methanol is 1,870 degrees Celsius (3,398 degrees Fahrenheit).
So close to the same it has no significant effect on cook or boil time.
The most difficult part of using backpack alcohol stoves is the simmer or slow cook, not taking a few minutes more to boil.
Good points! Thanks.
@@WayPointSurvival Always happy to help.
*(EDIT:so i did more research, turns out we were both right: One variation of HEET is methanol, the yellow bottle, the red is isopropyl )* So the information about HEET in this video is unfortunately inaccurate. HEET is isopropyl alcohol 99.9% which is clean burning and safe. Who ever told you it is methanol is misinformed. *HEET Safety data sheet:* images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/f4/f4794402-84bb-4620-a5d2-8d7e079c99e7.pdf
Now on that safety data you might see all the scary warning and health advisories which of course is the same as plain old Isopropyl alcohol. *Isoprophyl Alcohol safety data sheet:* www.labchem.com/tools/msds/msds/LC15750.pdf Or if you really want to be paranoid just look at the *safety data sheet of sand and gravel.* www.lehighhanson.com/docs/default-source/safety-data-sheets/sds-sand-gravel.pdf?sfvrsn=d3da3bd0_4 Guess that counts out all trips to the beach....
The only counter argument here that is reasonable is HEET contains Xylene. Which is toxic, but mildly so, especially in such minimal quantities .0002%. So while it may be entirely reasonable for you to say you don't trust it, and just don't want to risk it, fair enough. However it would be objectively wrong in inaccurate to describe conclusively that it is dangerous to burn as you did in this video.
No offense, I like your channel overall, I'm just a stickler for details and science.
Thank you so much for adding this to the comments. Your research is duly noted and appreciated and I will make proper statements accordingly in future videos.
Neither of you pucks need to be giving advice about HEET as fuel for alcohol stoves ! HEET in the yellow bottle is almost pure Methanol . HEET in the red bottle is almost pure Isopropyl alcohol . Methanol is a clean burning fuel for stoves & is used to "de-nature" ethanol so it can't be drunk ! Isopropyl can only burn cleanly in stoves designed to burn it ! It's slack-jawed mouth breathers like you that add to the confusion !
@@hotmessgear9069 Sounds like you got brain issues from burning something. Must be why you are emotional, attacking and insulting others while contributing nothing productive, shame.
Your unscientific hillybilly wisdom isn't helpful, but you will serve as an example on the contrast of people; those who care about science and research, and the shoot from the hip fools who go around insulting others and giving bad advice.
@@-Zevin-
You my kinda people. Facts first. And give better than gets. Thanks for science lesson, professor Zevin
ToPe Mesmo Parabéns
Thanks!
Denatured alcohol has methanol in it, that's how it's denatured it. Heet is Methanol too
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Exactly! SLX is just as toxic as HEET. HEET is 99% methanol, SLX is up to 60% methanol. Either will poison you if absorbed thru the skin.
@@xenaguy01 It's not so much the alcohol as it is the additives for your fuel lines. Obviously none of it is meant for human consumption.
@@WayPointSurvival
_"None of it is meant for human consumption."_
Of course not. But don't steer people away from burning HEET and toward SLX because of "poison.". SLX is equally dangerous. "Denatured" essentially means "poisoned." Feds don't want us drinking *_ANY_* alcohol unless we've paid liquor taxes on it.
Well, denaturated alcohol does contain methanol. Just in smaller quantities than yellow HEET.
Thanks for watching and for the info.
👍👍🇧🇷 Parabéns Ótimo
Obrigado!
It's incorrect to say you can't control the temperature on a spirit burner. The Trangia has a simmer ring, so you CAN control the heat output to a certain degree. Obviously, you can also move the pan closer, or further away from the heat to control cooking times :)
Yes, you can do those things but they are never as effective as using a gas stove for instance.
Yep and also the BRASSLITE with a simmer adjustment that’s been around for a while! Or just use a cozy to save fuel when food’s warmed up and they (VARGO) are designed for fuel recovery plenty of videos showing “how to”! Not everyone BOILS water and call it cooking.
A little tip for you: add a pinch of salt to your alcohol fuel and it will give it an orange color which will make it visible in daylight.
Yes, I have heard that. Thank you for reminding me and for posting in the comments.
Oh . I see the Vargo that you provided a link for has a much bigger hole in the center . Do you know why , is it as good , better ? Thanks ahead ... Gubs
I believe it is an updated version of the one that I have. It is probably better from what I have read. I think that the larger hole in the center would allow for quicker filling and less spilling.
@@WayPointSurvival
Exactly right.
is it the same as white alcohol ? we use to use when we camped back in the old days. I remember my Dad buying white gas for our camp stove and lantern
No. White gas is basically an unleaded, very pure form of gasoline, it's not alcohol. You should not, of course, ever use any form of gasoline in an alcohol stove as it will explode. Thanks for the question, my friend!
@@WayPointSurvival thank you for the answer. I guess there isn a difference between the two....I look for your next video.
You're welcome!
I am sure you figured this out by now but, the moment you dribble a wee bit of denatured alcohol out of your fuel container it washes away and renders useless your permanent marker markings on the side of your container.
Indeed. I try very hard to make sure that that doesn't happen. Thanks for watching.
I am still looking for a multi fuel stove that I can use alcohol and wood or possibly wood pellets. Have you found anything like this?
Check out the Firebox Nano...it might just be what you're looking for.
Looks like i will need a nano and alcohol stove. 2 stoves carried as one kit.
I have been using alcohol stoves most of my 60 plus years of camping. I have Trangias , White box , Toaks, Evernews and assorted others including the Pop Can ones I have made.
The following is my opinion and mine only about Vargo alcohol stoves. The ones I tossed in the back drawer are the Vargo's. I wouldn't even give them to a friend. Yes , I purchased and tried everyone they have. I prefer a twig fire over them.
There is a new company in Australia called Goshawk who has the alcohol stoves. I had to try one of their Siphon Alcohol Stove , Steampunk EDDY-X from them , it was on sale. ( They have an assortment of others ) It's Brass and can be used where a Trangia would be used. The advantage of the Goshawk is that it blooms in 12 sec with Ethanol and 15 sec with Methanol , not minutes. Here in Florida it took almost 30 days to get it , has to go thru Customs.
Excellent. There are indeed some great designs out there!
You can also use it in biodiesel for our nation you need methanol to put in the used vegetable oil along with lye to make methoxide you put all that in use cooking oil do what you're supposed to do with it but it sit for a few days and you got about you but as far as cooking absolutely not
Interesting! Thanks for watching!
I am finding using 90% isoprop alcohol, my stove wont burn as well. whats up?
I'm not sure, it might have to do with the temperature etc. That should work okay.
The other 10% is mostly water. Water doesn't burn so well. Even the best fuel (Everclear) absorbs water from the atmosphere so it won't burn clean for long.
2:11 Sorry, but this point is bogus. 1) On a long-distance trek, you learn quickly how much alcohol to use, within a couple of ml. So after the first couple of days, there won't be any appreciable amount of fuel leftover.
2) You can always snuff the flame at any time. Just put a cup or can over it. Or toss a bandana over it. (Damp is better, but not necessary.)
3) Unburned alcohol can always be reclaimed, unless you use a wicking stove that retains fuel in the wicking. In that case, you store your wick stove inside a zip-loc baggie. That'll keep the leftover fuel from evaporating. With a non-wick burner, just pour unused fuel back into the bottle after it cools a bit.
Sorry again, more comments after your reply:
8:00 Si-i-igh. HEET bad, SLX good! MSDS!!!
Yes, the MSDSfor "yellow" HEET says 99% pure methanol. Methanol is poisonous, either by ingestion or absorption. As for "red" HEET, that's 99% pure isopropanol. Recognize that? It's what they sell in drugstores as "rubbing alcohol." Or "hard surface disinfectant." It's safe to rub on your skin. True, you can't drink it, but its nomore dangerous than hand sanitizer. Speaking of hand sanitizer, what do think it's made from?
Now, let's move on to the MSDS for SLX. Have you actually read that one? For KLEEN STRIP, the one you show, it says
_"Ethyl Alcohol - (the kind in booze) 30-60%.-
_"Methyl Alcohol - 30-60%!"_
Wait a minute! Isn't that the same stuff that's in *yellow" HEET? And up to 60 % of your "KLEEN burning" fuel is the exact same deadly poison? Wow, let's see what else is in your kleen fuel.
Methylated Ketones - 0-5%.
Other Petroleum distillates - 0-2%.
Acetone - 0-1%.
Those don't sound good either. Better stick to 190 Proof Ever clear at $25.00 per fifth.
Listen, ALL alcohol is poisonous. *_DON'T DRINK IT!_* If you spill on your hand, rinse it off with water, don't let it dry on your skin. At least, blow on it to hasten evaporation. If it leaks in your pack, it will evaporate rapidly, leaving no residue. If it spills into your food, why are you carrying fuel with food? Oh, and the alcohol will evaporate from food just like from clothing, with no residue. Alcohol fumes? Poison. Don't breathe. Don't open/use in an enclosed area (tent, tiny shelter). Otherwise, treat all alcohols the same.
Biggest drawback of iso (red) HEET (rubbing alcohol)? Soot. Burns with a yellow, sooty flame.
Biggest drawback of methyl (yellow) HEET (straight methanol)? 20% less heat per volume of fuel than SLX or Isopropyl, so you need more to do the same job. Biggest drawback of SLX? Stinks!
You do generally good videos, but don't recommend or diss any product without researching it better (i.e. SLX MSDS).
10:50 Remind me again why you put lines on your fuel bottle? Apparently you don't use them when filling your alcohol burners.
VARGO says 1.5 FL oz, no more, no less. Use your markings.
Good point. Thanks for adding this to the comments.
Nice video bro thumb up. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Add a little bit of salt to the alcohol Tobe able to see it in daylight.
Yes indeed. Thanks for watching.
No hot beverage?
Not today, my friend!
I like that little alcohol stove. How much are they?@@WayPointSurvival
About $35 on Amazon.
@@WayPointSurvival Thank you
You're welcome!
The youtubers that use heet in the alcholstoves should be aware of this, because others may make that really bad mistake. Like in this video while testing out alcohol stoves: th-cam.com/video/pexDNx5LtdM/w-d-xo.html
That's why I made the statement about that type of alcohol in my video as well.
Looks like you couldn't use a really small pot on thatTriad stove.
Yes, you could it's actually quite small.
😲...REALLY...!!! Yellow bottle HEET is toxic...? Everybody uses Methanol because it provides a short flame that only touches tha bottom of the pot instead of the rest of alcohols that reaches upper, and so we loose heet, flame, fuel, etc. What tipe of alcohol is that one that you suggest generically speaking...? Not methanol, not alcohol... Which one is it...?
Denatured alcohol. It's made for stoves.
Vodka works.
I'm sure it would as the alcohol content is quite high.
I have a gallon of Coleman camp fuel.
Are you planning on trying to use it in your alcohol stove?
@@WayPointSurvival I am using it in a Trangia stove.
Do you mean the trangia multi fuel stove?
@@WayPointSurvival I suppose. I started with rubbing alcohol, but I thought it was the reason for the soot and wild flames. This does the same thing so I built a windscreen to try and calm the flames around the bush pot I just built. Any other advice?
Just be very careful. Coleman fuel is basically unleaded gasoline and so it's very flammable and potentially explosive. Probably the best thing to do to control the soot is to rub a bar of soap around the bottom of the pan and then when you're done cooking just use a little water and it'll wash it right off. It's an old boy scout trick. I find that denatured alcohol works best and is made for stoves. You can find it in the paint section at most paint stores.
add a public comment...
add a public reply...
We watch your videos for learning and info but if it's inaccurate we can always find other sources. Facts before cash, brother. Keep it real.