# Go bag stoves



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Since today is a chilly and rainy day I got out the kits and did my checkovers. Out of curiosity I decided to run a test of my cooking system. Here are the details of the experiment that was run in my attached garage: outside temperature 34 degrees F, humidity 100%, elevation approximately 300 to 400 feet above sea level. Test vessel is a gsi cup that fits perfectly with a nalgene bottle and has a lid. The small backpacking pot holds appx 2 cups of water. The test is to measure rolling boil time. I allowed the test pot to come to room temperature before re testing with water from the tap. Both stoves are currently in my ghb.

Stove 1: off brand rocket stove that uses isobutane/propane canisters. This stove brought 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in 3.5 minutes. 

Stove 2: a cheap soda can alchohol burner. Capable of running off of several fuel sources. I used 91% isopropyl for this test. This stove brought 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in 14 minutes. 

Please feel free to add to this post with your own data. We should all try to find a good stove for our packs and having a data source with actual test results could help us all in finding a great stove for our packs.

Here are some pics:


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

IMHO just as led head lamps just about made lanterns obsolete, the small butane stoves just about made all the other backpack stoves obsolete.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

When I worked at the steel plant, I made SS reflectors for my lanterns. They also put out a fair amount of heat. 

thanks for the info on the stoves. I'll have to dig mine out and see if they actually perform as advertised. I prefer the cube, dry fuel blocks.


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

I like the EmberLit stove, because it's small, flat, light, and I don't have to carry fuel. I haven't timed the rate at which it boils water, but it sure doesn't take up much room in the GHB.


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

Those rocket stoves are good for backpackers,but then you are married to the fuel type they use. Cans can't be refilled and one can't check the fuel level. This year I'm going to get the Optimus hiker plus stove. It's a bit heavy but its multi fuel,will burn almost anything.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

My small, compact, simple, basically free stove is one that has boiled many a cup of tea and pots of soup while winter camping in Colorado. A large tuna can with tightly coiled strips of corrugated cardboard wound up inside. Insert a few wicks for easier starting. Fill with melted paraffin or melted old candles. Let harden. Voila! Carry it in a ziplock bag as it will blacken whatever the burned part touches. Each one of our BOBs has one.

I have a compact butane stove in the bigger kitchen/cooking tote that would go in the car. But for our BOBs on foot, the little tuna stoves are fine.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I had a hard time finding a small stove that uses an individual propane cylinder, but I finally did. Its an off brand. But it will use the same cylinders as my small grill. Good to keep in a vehicle and the cylinders are three to four dollars for two and a little easier to find. I have to pick one up later today.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I really want to get a wood burning stove! This is the one I have been looking at: http://www.solostove.com/solo-stove/

It's pricy for what it is but also very convenient. It can run off of wood or my soda can stove will fit inside it on the grate. Plus it all nests together in the gsi cup which saves space.


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

I've been using Trangia metho stoves and Jetboil gas (propane?) bushwalking stoves for years. All good with different strengths and weaknesses. 

But of late I'm thinking of reducing weight even more by getting an EmberLit or similar (that Solostove looks nice as well). The down side to them is you have to collect twigs, no big deal a lot of the time but if above the tree line in horizontal sleet that might be an issue.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> I really want to get a wood burning stove! This is the one I have been looking at: The #1 Compact Wood Burning Stove | Backpacking, Camping, Survival
> 
> It's pricy for what it is but also very convenient. It can run off of wood or my soda can stove will fit inside it on the grate. Plus it all nests together in the gsi cup which saves space.


Ark,
We've got the SoloStoves and they work great, I can get water boiling in a few minutes using twigs and small pieces of wood found on the ground. I usually start it with a cotton ball or two soaked in vaseline. Works great.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

graynomad said:


> I've been using Trangia metho stoves and Jetboil gas (propane?) bushwalking stoves for years. All good with different strengths and weaknesses.
> 
> But of late I'm thinking of reducing weight even more by getting an EmberLit or similar (that Solostove looks nice as well). The down side to them is you have to collect twigs, no big deal a lot of the time but if above the tree line in horizontal sleet that might be an issue.


The fuel source works for me since I'm surrounded by timber. Plus I will never find myself above the treeline while using my get home kit. If it is raining and I don't have access to dry twigs to run the stove I can use the alchohol burner soda can inside of it.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Ark,
> We've got the SoloStoves and they work great, I can get water boiling in a few minutes using twigs and small pieces of wood found on the ground. I usually start it with a cotton ball or two soaked in vaseline. Works great.


Thanks for the insight. I'm gonna order this thing. Just curious, what cooking pot are you using with it?


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## bgreed (Feb 26, 2014)

I guess my thought is a go bag is to get you to your back up location. Cooking is a sure way for someone to find you either by smell or by light. No stove in my BOB. I use life boat rations jerky and the like.


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## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

I must be old school.For a BOB stove I still use the folding sterno stoves and pack a couple cans of fuel,the gelatin type,not the liquid (can't think of the brand name at the minute),but 6 hrs burn time,easy lighting,don't leak,buy it by the case at Sam's club.

We've used them for years for smaller stuff when camping.


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

bgreed said:


> I guess my thought is a go bag is to get you to your back up location. Cooking is a sure way for someone to find you either by smell or by light. No stove in my BOB. I use life boat rations jerky and the like.


Yep, for a few days there's no need to cook anything and the weight can be used for more food.


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## Derma-Redi (Aug 23, 2014)

I have one of these as well. They are excellent at containing and forcing a small space of direct heat which does speed heating times up a bit. Feather light is an understatement!


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Hot food and drink during extreme cold is a must to fight hypothermia. Jerky and power bars are fine during warm weather, but when it gets cold out, you need warm food to help you survive.


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## ready85 (Jan 2, 2015)

I found a fold up, sticks and twigs type stove on mtdoutdoorandsurvival.com, however they also have some of the fuel based stoves as well. Stoves are not something I have addressed in my planning yet, any insight I could get on what type to throw in the bag would be great!!!!


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## Hawaii Volcano Squad (Sep 25, 2013)

sparkyprep said:


> I like the EmberLit stove, because it's small, flat, light, and I don't have to carry fuel. I haven't timed the rate at which it boils water, but it sure doesn't take up much room in the GHB.
> 
> View attachment 9149
> 
> View attachment 9150


I got the Titanium version of the Emberlit. Very lightweight. They are Gen 2 now.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> My small, compact, simple, basically free stove is one that has boiled many a cup of tea and pots of soup while winter camping in Colorado. A large tuna can with tightly coiled strips of corrugated cardboard wound up inside. Insert a few wicks for easier starting. Fill with melted paraffin or melted old candles. Let harden. Voila! Carry it in a ziplock bag as it will blacken whatever the burned part touches. Each one of our BOBs has one.


I like these, too. These sucrets-sized ones burn for about a half hour, are light, small, and handy. I add a Vaseline soaked piece of cotton to the center in addition to the wick, and it will start with just a spark even in wind.
View attachment 9174


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

It depends on your comfort level really. Do you really need a stove to boil water? No, if you've got a pot and know how to build a fire you can boil water, which will sanitize the water just fine. Thing is a fire does tent to give away your position so it might not be the best for OPSEC reasons. A small backpacking stove will need some kind of fuel however. So rather than finding fuel around you, one has to carry it. However with many backpacking stoves you can control the heat, they don't glow as much, and burn cleaner with little smoke to betray your position. Also depends on what you're going to use it for. Do you need to melt snow or boil water to get to your BOL or is it warm enough and you have some water filters? Just like everything it depends on your location, needs, and ability level.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

I use an Esbit stove that can burn alcohol, fuel tabs, or twigs. This is a high quality stove for $35 and includes a cup and 32 oz pot that all fits together into a solid carrying unit with a mesh bag to reduce rattles. 2 cups of water take about 10 minutes to boil so not the fastest stove around but the metal is thick and sturdy and the finish has held up well to the flame. At 15 ozs the weight works for me and there is enough room inside it for the alcohol burner, a handful of fuel tabs, and my spices and coffee.
http://www.amazon.com/Esbit-CS985HA...F8&qid=1420335590&sr=8-3&keywords=esbit+stove


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Got my hands on a solo stove set. I am very impressed with it. It came with its own stainless 30oz pot but for the purpose of testing I used the same gsi cup that I did the other tests with. I used a handful of pecan twigs that were in the woodpile. The boil time was 8.5 minutes at 60 degrees F outside temp. I wonder if I could have sped that up if I had fed it more wood, time will tell. So far so good.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> Got my hands on a solo stove set. I am very impressed with it. It came with its own stainless 30oz pot but for the purpose of testing I used the same gsi cup that I did the other tests with. I used a handful of pecan twigs that were in the woodpile. The boil time was 8.5 minutes at 60 degrees F outside temp. I wonder if I could have sped that up if I had fed it more wood, time will tell. So far so good.


You'll like the Solo Stove. Try the cottonball soaked in vaseline to start your twigs. It speeds up the process a bit. A can of soup will be ready to eat in about half that time if you don't like it burning hot. Good purchase.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> Got my hands on a solo stove set. I am very impressed with it. It came with its own stainless 30oz pot but for the purpose of testing I used the same gsi cup that I did the other tests with. I used a handful of pecan twigs that were in the woodpile. The boil time was 8.5 minutes at 60 degrees F outside temp. I wonder if I could have sped that up if I had fed it more wood, time will tell. So far so good.


Would be interested in knowing how well it works. How much better than just a small fire on the ground under a free standing stove or the Emberlit type?


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Tennessee said:


> Would be interested in knowing how well it works. How much better than just a small fire on the ground under a free standing stove or the Emberlit type?


Don't have or want the EmberLit. But I should test the boil time against a ground fire. Good idea! I will say that so far the solo seems real efficient with its gasification ability. Just the coals were enough to cook a hot dog. And the base stayed cool to the touch. More experiment to come. I want to test the soda can in this setup to see if the boil time is reduced. I also have a esbit that has yet to be tested. Results to follow within a couple weeks.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I don't have the alcohol stove but I'm sure it's going to be like the Esbit solid fuel stove (which doesn't really need the stove). There is no odor attract other people. Inside a closed space is ok with Esbit fuel cubes, they're non-toxic. Since my second test on how long it take to boil water (8 minutes for 1 cup with one cube), I added a couple of piece of tin can with a folded lip that can be added if it's windy out. The Esbit fuel cube burnt for almost 15 minutes. Oh, some people put the fuel on a little scrap of tin foil for easy clean up, especially for trioxane.


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