Alcohol

The alcohol stove is the most commonly used stove in the ultralight trekking scene, and there are good reasons for this:

Pro

  • Alcohol is readily and cheaply available in Europe & the USA, whether as denatured alcohol, hand sanitizer or automotive cleaner
  • Stove can easily be built yourself from cans
  • Stove weighs only a few grams

Con

  • Difficult to use with some burners at temperatures < 5°C
  • If the burner tips over, the burning alcohol spills into nature
  • Fuel has a low energy density compared to gas/petrol

Using alcohol at low temperatures requires knowledge and efficient stoves.

With the following MYOG Groove Stove can stove I personally had no problems down to 0°C. At lower temperatures, the distance between the can and the pot must be increased with a separate pot stand.

With this MYOG model I was unable to detect any notable problems down to -14°C. At lower temperatures, however, gas or petrol should be considered.

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