Ok folks, keep in mind I'm not married anymore so I can get away with stupid stuff like this. I may have sent the stove link to some, but if not, it's here: Summers' coming...
http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html
It would take you two weeks to comprehend the physics of the above site. For every endeavor there is perfectionism.
This is one of those "mcGyver" curiosity-things. I have spent a lot of time in the dripping-ass wet Catskill forests on various freezing cold April fishing trips, and definitely appreciate a good heat source.
The Catskill river-mist is legendary. Men have gone insane attempting to stay warm in it. When you have been standing waist deep in 50 degree water all day, you don't want to wait for a hot meal. Propane has been a favorite, because it burns hot and is clean, but its' expensive as hell, unless you lug a 5 gallon plus bulk tank, which really sucks. And it's a bomb...
You definitely feel like a tourist with this stuff. These stoves will boil a quart of water in 5 minutes.... sweet! (Just don't knock it over, but the flame is not as insane like gasoline) Keep in mind, I own two propane stoves and one Coleman.
Coleman fuel is fine, cheap, but sooty and not as hot. And you have to pump and prime... The coolest thing about this stove is it weighs nothing, fits in my cofee mug. Just dump in the fuel and light it. Takes a few minutes to pressurize.
The physics of it is fascinating. A copper penny is the "regulator". I know what you are thinking: A can of sterno doesn't heat worth shit. Just try frying a dinner on that... I made this stove in 5 minutes flat. Nowhere near perfect. Check out the cranking heat jets!!
I do have to get some Grain alcohol because the Heet makes me smell like a burnt match. (2.09 at Auto Zone) Just stay upwind... So here's a cool Three-day bike touring stove, or emergency Obama-meltdown/ nuclear war stove. The best, cleanest fuel is Everclear Ethanol.
Heet is Methyl Ethanol... The whole thing fits in my curb-found stainless coffee cup that says "Eat Sleep Ride". I mean how geek is that? This was initially mentioned to me by a kid who rode cross country. Her Boyfriend was an engineering major.
At first I scoffed in favor of my trusty but sooty MSR Whisperlite. But I had to buy a "rehab kit" for it... The combination hobo wood-stove/alcohol stove on the site is also cool as hell.
I may kick this up a notch with wood pellets for a commercial wood stove. Hmmm.. Save those pine cones too! That's nothing new, but efficient, no need for a huge fire... I'm also thinking a fatwood/hardwood/charcoal mixture would rock too...
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