Hello all,
I recently won a contest where one of the items was a Pepsi can alcohol stove. The only problem is I have no instructions on how to use it. I have never used one before, prefering to use my SVEA 123R when hiking. Any help is appreciated.
Trekking Trav
For a standard size stove (diameter of a Pepsi can), add one ounce denatured alcohol and carefully light with a match at the large opening.
Other designs work different. If there’s not a large opening but instead a couple small holes in an otherwise closed top, put a couple drops of alcohol there and light. Some also have a primer base, again, a tiny amount of alcohol there to prime.
Do NOT use white gas, auto gas, etc., as it can blow up. Alcohol only. This is available in hardware stores (used as shellac thinner). Rubbing alcohol doesn’t work as it has more water.
AsABat
I use a pepsi can stove as well. I made it myself which is why it probably takes a little while to get going. AsABat is right, priming with alcohol on the rim can help it get going, but when it does get going it is so sweet. The pressure of the gasses in the wall make it look like a gas hob on a kitchen stove.
Just a side note, the actual reason i replied to this thread. I didn’t want the hassle of making/carrying a pot stand so added a pretty cool built in pot stand. Get four 8d nails (not galvanised) and cut off the nail heads. Measure first as what you going for is to mount the nails on top of the pepsi stove, about 3/8" from each edge. Glue them to the can using J.B Weld or any high heat tolerence glue/epoxy. Glue the other two nails in the same fashion but perpendicular to the ones you’ve already put on there. This means you can put a pot right on the stove. The pot will sit approx 1/4" to 3/8" off the can. I also made a small windscreen out of some old alu flashing, which curls up nicely to fit inside my pot.
I hope that makes sense. If not please tell me and i’ll post a picture on my photo site host. It works really well for me, maybe it will work for others too.
Cheers
P.S Has anyone else tried this?
Cheers
Cheers, I too wanted to make a sturdy pot stand…So here is my invention. I took 2 sections of metal coat hangar wire (approx. 10 in long) and bent each of them in the middle approx 55 degrees. Then on the 2 ends I bent them down from about 2 inches in creating legs. So now you should have 2 little stands that sit on top of your stove that extend 4 arms out from the center that your pot sits on. Easier to make than to explain, but very convenient. Give it a try. If anyone needs more info. on soda can stoves let me know & I’ll try to help. I make my own and love using them.
Jolly
Jolly Man
nice to have some instructions for stands…i’ll hafta think about that some more…i always just set our pot right on top of the stove…only had one “close call” where the pan tipped (but for a small, one-person pot i can’t see that happening)…i like the design (a la ‘hatman’ and ‘happy feet’) which has the LARGE opening at the top with the ‘pinhole pricks’ around the top/side rim…to “force” quicker heating with a smaller hole at the top can be dangerous…our dear friend ‘cannoli’ was badly burned and hospitalized in '03 when his stove (small opening design)exploded…he healed up okay and was soon back out on the trail, but was afterwards known as ‘FLAMING cannoli’!..one little funny side note on this incident (just to show you how a thru-hiker’s mind often works) : when ‘cheddar’ told us of this accident, in his delivery of the news he excitedly slurred the words, “cannoli’s stove exploded!”…and i, just having hobbled in to the shelter on two tired and aching feet, heard the exclamation as “cannoli’s TOE exploded!” LOL!..(didn’t seem that far-fetched to me!)
maw-ee