Pepsi Can Stove (They really work)

[Weekender]

Just made my first pepsi can stove yesterday... http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsistove.shtml

It works really well. Two tablespoons of denatured alcohol burn around 10 minutes and the stove weighs almost nothing. I have added three tent stakes for a pot stand and some foil under the stove for fire protection and around the stove inside the stakes as a wind screen. I'll have to do some testing to see how quickly it'll boil water. I took it into our scout meeting last night and fired it up. The scouts loved it. We will probably have a project night where we have all the scouts make one and then use them on a future campout.

 

[Mike Long]

Yep, I love my pepsi can stove. I've spent several hundred dollars on backpacking stoves and now I'm using a pepsi can. Go figure.

 

We built some at a meeting last Oct. and the boys loved it. Plan for doing it on at least two meetings though.

 

I used the same plan that you did and mine will boil 2 cups of water in about 6 minutes with a total burn time of 11 minutes. Be sure to use a wind screen too.

[dan]

What is denatured alcohol? Where do you purchase it? What type of containers does it come in?

[Weekender]

I don't know how it is produced but it is sold in hardware stores in cans like paint thinner. It's usually labeled as a shellac remover as well as denatured alcohol. Just ask your helpful hardware guy, he/she will know where they keep it. I paid $3.59 (US) for, I think, a 32oz can.

 

The reason to use this is that it has most of the impurities removed and therefore burns very clean. There is no soot to clean from the bottom of your pot when you're done. Rubbing alcohol will burn but will soot your pots pretty badly.

 

I filled my stove up to just below the burner holes the other day and got almost exactly 15 minutes of burn time. I probably used 3 oz of fuel.

[Mike Long]

Walmart carries it too. Denatured alchohol can be carried safely in old soda bottle type containers too. No need to carry the heavy metal can you bought it in. If you use soda bottles BE VERY CAREFUL there is always the chance that someone would reach for that all too familiar feeling bottle in the middle of the night for a drink. My suggestion would be to use a container that DOESN'T feel like a refreshment in the dark. Not only that, denatured alchohol is clear.

[k9gold-scout]

I made these stoves at a troop meeting seversl years ago; the scouts liked them and they did try to use them but they don't hold up backpacking, not enough heat to cook a full meal. They are good for a meeting project. They remind me of the sterno stove I used when I was a scout.

[Mike Long]

It depends entirely on what you are cooking and how many people you are cooking for. If all you need to do is boil water for one or two people it does the job quite well. You want to make eggs and sausage for the patrol then don't use the pepsi can stove. For me at least this design worked lighyears better than sterno.

 

Thus far I've used mine in conditions ranging from 10 degrees and windy to 85 and calm without any problems cooking anything I tried.

[TomBeeb]

I am intrigued! This sounds like a great idea I would like to show my troop.

 

Weekender mentioned "filling to just below the burner holes", Where would I get the information on how to properly set up the can.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

[TomBeeb]

Reviewed the thread again and noticed the link. However, I could not edit my reply. I got "not authorized to edit this message" and "not a valid account" messages. I noticed someone else on another thread who mentioned the same problem. - Any suggestions???

[Davej775]

I'm Dave Jacobs an ASM in DE and new to responding. Been reading for about a year when I discovered the site. About the stove.. insulation between the walls? Isn't that where the fuel goes to get to the little burner holes? It looks like a great activity for a meeting or two. Thanks! dave J!

[Mike Long]

Hi Tom and Dave,

 

Welcome to the boards.

 

The edit function must still have some bugs. Email the admin and let them know.

 

I personally don't use the insulation but I know many who do. They tell me the stove heats quicker and gets to full heat sooner. I'm happy with performance as is. In answer to your question, yes. You are exactly right.

[Weekender]

Just a quick word of warning while this thread is still fairly fresh.

 

A friend of mine filled his stove with coleman fuel. He did not have any major problems other than blackening of his pan but I have read that you should not use anything other than denatured alcohol as other fuels can cause the stove to somehow over-pressurize and rupture. I have no first-hand experience with this but I figure better safe than sorry.

[Mike Long]

They burn too hot for the thin aluminum and meltdown. Plus the vapors are much more volatile.(This message has been edited by Mike Long)

[acbrendler]

Amazing. I came here to find out if Sterno was a legal fuel for Boy Scouts, and I see that someone is using Coleman Fuel in a Pepsi Can Stove. Yikes! That's white GAS! Somehow I don't think that's a very good idea.

[jray]

I've been using these aluminum can stoves for a few years now, and there are a few things I've learned.

 

1) You can use ethanol (ie, Everclear), or 'denatured' alcohol (that's ethanol which has been 'denatured' with methanol, ie made non-drinkable so it is exempt from federal taxes), or rubbing alcohol (as long as there is no more than 30% water and no other ingredients such as Witch-hazel). When using rubbing alcohol it will take longer to boil a given amount of water, and the can will quite often need to be emptied of water before refueling, but it does work in a fix. Note: I always use Everclear when possible since any leakage inside the cookware where I store it would not require me to wash the utensils prior to use, and in a real pinch I could add an ounce or so to 4-5 ounces of filtered water if I didn't really trust my filter or the water source. Obviously taking Everclear to a scouting event is, at best, bad form

 

 

2) Not all can stove designs are created equal. Although the simple two piece stove works, it is not as efficiant as the three piece stove which is somewhat harder to build.

 

3) You must also build a snuff ring and a simmering ring if you intend to use the stove in the same manner as a compact white gas stove. ie you can't turn it down or off, so you must snuff it out to save fuel, and either build a ring that snuffs out two thirds of the holes, or moves the pot further away from the flame, to allow the simmering of food the former saves more fuel.

 

4) Never ever use a fuel other than alcohol!!! These stoves do not use a pressurized fuel system, and rely on fuel atomization via high speed evaporation when the fuel boils (yes, boils)!!! You don't want to boil white gas, period!!! Note: I did not use nearly enough exclamation points to make this point clear. Use alcohol, period!!!

 

 

Here's a good link for the various 'Pepsi can' stove designs that are available (some of them are gone now):

 

http://www.fallingwater.com/pct2000/gear/KissStove.asp

 

My favorite is a the Scott Henderson stove with a modified version of the stand used for the Scouter stove.

 

BTW, sometimes the Esbit stove is the way to go. ie, you're on a through hike and don't think you'll need a stove, but you might. Has anyone used one of these? They work well for the size.

http://www.monmouth.com/%7Emconnick/esbit.htm

(This message has been edited by jray)