Comments on: White Box Alcohol Stove: An 18-Year-Overdue Review

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:10:55 +0000

In reply to Mel Church. Alas not a good option Out West

By: Mel Church

Mel Church — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:25:46 +0000

I always used homemade alcohol stoves on long A.T. hikes. Simple to use and quiet. Fuel available wherever I hiked and I always knew how much I had left. If I were to do another thru hike in the east that is what I would carry again.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:43:40 +0000

In reply to Chumly. I do miss alchie stoves simplicity many times.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:41:46 +0000

In reply to K C. Ha! Definitely the same era.

By: Chumly

Chumly — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:36:23 +0000

I use a Toaks with the main parts of a Sterno Inferno stove stand, which make it a secondary combustion stove, and is it ever an inferno! 2 C water attain a roiling boil on less than 5 ml of alcohol…but then the burn bans, sigh.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:31:54 +0000

In reply to K C. Ha! Definitely same era

By: K C

K C — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:22:53 +0000

Nice!
Reading the article made me remember my long ago “esbit” phase.

By: Dean

Dean — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:48:46 +0000

In reply to Garret the Onion. I have a vargo and a couple other alcohol stove. The vargo is by far the worst preforming.

By: Paul Mags

Paul Mags — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:47:44 +0000

In reply to Garret the Onion.

I did have one very cold and rainy day and two nights in New Hampshire last fall, and I was able to heat up dinner. The WB stove does have side burners, unlike the Vargo stove… at least I think? I’m not much of a stove nerd so take that with a grain of salt!

Edit: It looks like the DECAGON ALCOHOL STOVE has a side burner, but other Vargo models do not…. Again, I am far from a stove nerd. I mean, I did use the same stove for how many years ?!?! 😀

By: Garret the Onion

Garret the Onion — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:56:21 +0000

Mags, have you used either of these in cold wet conditions like the Brooks range? I brought the Vargo titanium alcohol stove to the Brooks Range and simply could not get the flame to bloom there. (After the trip I brought it home and it worked fine in controlled conditions. I didn’t even imagine it was possible for a parts-less stove to not work like this.) I was with a buddy and used his cat food can stove instead. But like you I just want to set the pot on the stove without a stand.