A gear review of of the alcohol stove from Bottlestoves.com
Note: Bottlestoves.com provided the stove for my review
Alcohol stoves are being used by not only long distance hikers, but increasingly more weekend backpackers.
The lightness, ease of use and simplicity makes the stove an attractive choice for many people who just want to heat up a simple meal and perhaps a cup of water for tea.
As more people turn to alcohol stoves, people are looking for something to purchase that is perhaps a bit more durable (but still light) than a Pepsi Can or a Fancy Feast alcohol stove. Though not overly difficult to make, sometimes people would rather just purchase something that can work right out out of the box with no futz factor AND does not cost as much as a Vargo stove.
Enter Bottlestoves.com alcohol stove.
Machine tooled and using recycled aluminum bottles, the stove is sturdy, though heavier than the stoves mentioned above ( 1 oz), it is still light compared to other stove types. The fact that no pot stand is needed equals out the playing field a bit vs. a Pepsi-can type stove.
This stove is a little slow to prime compared to a Fancy Feast type stove, but it does put out the heat once it gets going! Two cups of water in about 6-7 minutes.
My own preference for an alcohol stove is the Fancy Feast type (easy to make, sturdy enough for a solo pot and light), but I can see the appeal of this type of stove for larger pots (did I mention this stove was sturdy?) and people who want a more durable feel to their equipment. The fact that this stove also hold 2 oz of fuel make it an ideal alcohol to longer boils, too. At only $8, it is quite the bargain considering the workmanship of the stove.
PCO Bottle Stoves
OVERALL: A dirtbagger like me prefers the simplicity of a Fancy Feast type stove. However, if I wanted something more durable and/or using a bigger cooking pot and needed the larger fuel load, it is a stove I’ll consider bringing.
Also check out this article I wrote for the pros and cons of alcohol and other stoves