All in one: A mess tin containing an alcohol stove, foldable windshield, bottle of alcohol and a pack of instant noodles, all ready for cooking outdoors.
Control over fire meant everything to human evolution.
The blaze provided warmth in freezing nighttime temperatures, allowing early hominids to spread to subtropical regions.
The smoke and flames kept nocturnal predators away, giving humanity the blessing of a good night’s sleep.
Wood and bone spear tips could be fire-hardened, and even flint was heated over fires so that it would flake more finely when struck, producing sharper edges.
Most critically, the control of fire enhanced nutrient intake exponentially.
Lighted alcohol stove with a simmer ring over the opening to control the size of the flame.
Cooking meat softens it to make the absorption of protein and fat more efficient.
Cooking plant matter breaks down cellulose and starches that would otherwise be difficult for the human gastrointestinal tract to digest.
This means that when venturing into the wilderness, your ability to start a fire for self-preservation is based on knowledge from your prehistoric roots.
We have made significant progress, to the point where modern-day hikers would appear as magicians to their ancestors who had to start a fire.
Because of the need to travel light while hiking, some hikers and even overnight campers carry alcohol stoves. Other types of stoves may be heavier, while firewood is unreliable in tropical woods because of the frequent rain.
It takes a bit of practise to learn how much alcohol to pour into this stove for your cooking needs.
An alcohol stove weighs only about 100gm and every 100ml of alcohol you carry will give you 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time.
Alcohol at 95% purity is a favourite because it is cheaply available in pharmacies. Typically, they come in 500ml or 1,000ml bottles, so depending on how much you need on a hike, carry some in a small plastic bottle.
An alcohol stove can be reused indefinitely, and because of its simplicity, it is nearly fail-proof. There are no moving parts and it is maintenance-free.
There is no chance of pipe leakages or valve failures like with butane gas stoves. If boiling water spills out onto the stove, the fire will still keep on burning. How much fuel is left is visible.
You can set it up in seconds and after you are done cooking, just wait for the stove to cool down and return it to your backpack without any need to wash it.
This alcohol stove complete with a foldable windshield weighs less than 100gm and is easy to carry on a hike.
Like using any other stove outdoors, remember to make a small clearing so that the stove is not near anything that can catch fire.
Pour an appropriate amount of alcohol into the burner (how much to add comes with experience, so practise at home before using it outdoors), light it up and start cooking.
Many alcohol stoves come with a simmer ring to reduce the size of the stove’s opening and control the flame.
Some models need to be primed, meaning that the stove needs to heat up first for pressure to build up inside the stove and cause the flames to shoot out in jets. This makes the flames hotter, so you can cook more efficiently.
In the tropics, an alcohol stove will be primed in under a minute.
Like using any stove in the woods, the wind is the enemy, so plan how to place the stove to keep it out of the wind or carry a foldable windshield if your backpack space and carry-weight limit allow it.
Never leave a stove unattended while it is burning. Never add alcohol to a burning stove; you might create a fireball!
In broad daylight, the flames of an alcohol stove are nearly invisible, so be careful not to burn yourself.
Make sure your stove is sitting on a firm, flat surface before lighting up, and obviously, don’t leave your alcohol bottle near the stove.
It is wonderful to find a spot on your hiking trail with a good view to settle down and spend a few minutes boiling water for your beverage and fixing a hot meal.
It is not suitable for cooking large meals, so plan for something like instant noodles, oatmeal, or canned food. Don’t try to pan-fry a steak on an alcohol stove.
