Alcohol as a fuel, and as a liquid evaporates

without flamible residue, or harmfull

residues.

Alcohol is indeed flamable, as are all stove

Fuels, if it were not flameable it could not be used in a cooking stove.

Many reviews write off Alcohol stoves as just

trinkets and useless, for anything but fondue.

Alcohol stoves burn from 425 to 475 degrees

depending on fuel, cookware, and the distant

between the stove, and cookware, but more on that later.

there are many Alcohol stoves, from the, trangia, to,soda pop Stoves listed on Ebay.

then there is comercialy built Alcohol Stoves like the Hike-N-lite, the simon stove, and the etowah, all fine stoves with their own properties, and burn a little hotter than the typical pepsi stove, which also means faster fuel consumption.

there is gelled Alcohol stoves like the Eco

Stove, magic heat, ans sterno stoves, but

these are limited to the amount of cans of gelled fuel one wants to carry both in and out of the wild.

The main reason to choose one, is enviormentaly freindly, unlike white gas or Karosene., foolproof, and easy to use, no cannisters of propane to walk out.  Most open top stoves, one Fills up to half way up, with denatured Alcohol, the light the Alcohol, that soon will blossom forth into a nice blue Flame.  No explosions, Deadly fumes, or soot, like one Finds  with Gasoline, Kerosene, butane, or propane.  most are small best suited for a backpacking stove, the prefered stove for both Appalachian, and pacific Crest trails.

denatured Alcohol can be found at most paint stores, and wal mart, or "Heet" a fuel line deicer Alcohol at, most Automotive Stores.

Everclear, and booze over 140 proof.

of these fuels Denatured Alcohol is prefered

as it leaves no tast or smell in Your cooking,

and does not soot up your pots.

one inovative ebay dealer surferchef makes a neet alcohol Stove for rubbing Alcohol, You fill the cup half way up and simly lite the Alcohol.

there is also the Pressurized closed stove,

like pinboy50, and maxxrondesigns sell that burns slightly faster than the open top Stove, to light you driblle a teaspoon of alcohol

on the top after you screw in the top, lite the alcohol which preheats the stove, and lites the alcohol sealed inside.

much closer to the Benzine gasoline stove, but not soot, and dirty pots.

For Mother Earth Alcohol is better for Her Beautifull Planet, but You must decide which type of Stove is Best, but Alcohol stoves, are usualy a cheaper foolproof Investment.

no Pumping and work at most altitudes, and weather conditions.

However,and the BIG however is that Alcohol stoves are rather finnicky at freezing tempratures.

Rule number 1 is below 40 degrees a winscreen is a MUST!, this can even be made out of aluminum foil folded into itself by 4 times, large enought to cover your stove and at least 1 side of your cooking pot or pan.

A windscreen is also a good Idea at any temprature.

read on.

this can be overcome,by cupping the stove with your hands for a couple of minutes, and placing on a small peice of fleece big enough only for the stove, felt works just as well.

one must be carefull not to burn the ground pad.

a freind burns the stove with paper , then when it cools down just a bit fills it and lites the stove, but this is too tricky for most.

Another freind from the PC Trail uses a Magnifying glass to start his open top pepsi stove, He says this warms the alchohol on

very cold days, I can verify it does work

below freezing temps.

cupping the stove works best with a ground pad, at freezing temps.

another thing I do is get a metal screw lid

from a glass jar slightly  larger than my stove, I use a jar lid from a Pickle jar of

the famous V brand of Pickles.

I place this on a peice of felt of the same size

and dribble a half teaspoon of alcohol, inside the lid and lite this with my prefilled stove in it, then when the flames just about die out, lite my stove.

burning Alcohol is hard to see in direct sunlight, so shade your stove when lighting this way.

from 43 degrees upword alcohol stove can't be beat for their practicality.

NEVER try to relight a hot stove, this is a must.

many ebay Alcohol stove dealers and sellers

have a lot of information in their listings

pinboy50 even has a video listed in his that will show you how to build an alcohol stove.

Remember always use a Windscreen, AND

your cooking Combination of stove, and cookware has a whole lot to do with cooking time. aluminum cooks faster than

Steel, Titanium is faster than steel, and as

fast as Anodized Aluminum, cast Iron will make it very Slooow

so consider what you are asking of you're stove

Good Camping

Sam