Hi, I am curious what alcohol stove is the best for a Heineken pot? Looking for one that would work great in 3 season temps, and be low in weight and doesn't take a lot of alcohol (<.5 ounces?) to boil 2 cups of water. Thank you in advance, Josh.

I don't have any experience with beer pots but many people use theirs with the caldera system. Very effecient and not to expensive.

I use Super Cat style made from upside down SPAM can (fits bottom of pot nicely). Seems to take right at 1/2 oz in ideal conditions. I rarely need 2 C though. I'm usually doing 1-1.5 C. Used it at 12,200' in the low 40s.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=57486

beer can pots suffer some efficiency losses due to their narrow bases and reflective surface (shiny aluminum reflects IR radiation). Painting the bottom black seems to make a measurable improvement (I haven't done it yet myself, but there was a whole thread regarding that subject recently).

BM

I use a super cat stove made from a cat food can. Is this basically what you are using, Michael? Pros are that it is cheap and easy and nests well into the pot with room for the alcohol, windscreen and lighter all in one can. The con is that I think efficiency is hurt by the fact that it is a side burner with a narrow pot.

Super cat with wide pot (51/2 ") 4min 40; SC with Heini pot 7 min 30. flames run up the side of the pot and efficiency is lost. It works though and is easy if you don't mind using quite a lot of alcohol.
CS with heini pot used as a chimney stove with a hardware cloth stand brings boil time back to 4.20

Edited by PDA123 on 02/09/2012 17:00:05 MST.

Can't say enough about how easy, durable, and amazing the Trail Designs system is. I would have sex with it, if I could. (joking, kinda?)

Overall, a great system. I've had mine for two years and have used in all types of weather in the NE. Beat the living hell out of it, and it keeps on ticking. Great customer service as well.

Give it a look see.

http://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-cone-system

+1 in caldera cone

Ben,
I could not find a cat food can in Kroger or Walmart that fit the bottom nicely so I use a SPAM can upside down. It has a slight taper on the bottom, which fits the concave portion of the Heineken can perfectly. Yes, I put everything but the windscreen inside the can.

I might try using it as a chimney stove. Just never wanted to carry a stand and it has been plenty efficient for me. FYI, slower burning stoves are more efficient (to a point). 7-9 minutes seems to be about the sweet spot for efficiency.

FWIW, if someone is using a tall, skinny pot that is NOT a beer can, I would not use a super cat. You still get lots of heat transfer from the supposedly wasted flames going up the sides. It's the very thin AL wall that allows that. Using Ti or thicker walls will result in much more wasted heat.

I use a stove made out of a mini-red bull can (seen here http://zenstoves.net/ChimneyStove.htm) with a homemade pot stand out of hardware cloth
and it works great with my Heiney pot. 2 cups boil no problem in like 6 minutes.

@ Mark,
can you explain your comment? I am 13 years old and want to be a thru-hiker!