Has anyone heard of the soda can alcohol stoves. Very easy to make and very easy to use. Will boil 2 qrts H2O in about 6 mins. All you need is 2 soda/ beer cans, some fiberglass insulation, razor blade/ or sharp knife, pin/ tack. Cut the bottoms of cans off so they are equal in height. About 2-3 inches. Decide which one is going to be the top and set aside. Now take insulation and place it in the bottom ( it doesnt need to be packed tight but you want enough to fill the can bottom) now take the can bottom you set aside= this will be your stove top. Put this can inside the other piece you filled with the insulation and push together until they stop. Now use pin to poke 4-5 small holes into the bottom of the rounded part of the can. (these will be your filler holes) now poke 16 equally spaced holes into the outer edge of the can (the part that is angled away from the can) now pour about 1/4 cup of "HEET" or other denatured alcohol into the center of the stove top. (the 4-5 holes you poked into the rounded part of the can bottom that is now the stove top. pour slowly, it will take a few seconds to drip into the stove) Now just light the stove and once it gets hot the alcohol will vaporize and you will get jets of flame coming out the holes you poked into the sides of the can. Presto, a great little stove that weights next to nothing, and costs vitually nothing to make. Takes about 5 mins to construct after you gather the materials. Try it , you will not be disapointed. Just in case. If you make this, it is at your own risk. I take no responibility for anything. ONCE AGAIN, MAKE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

This made me laugh...hmm, another reason to get a truck Also like the "rip the stove out of the wall and drag it outside" option too. But there are lots of ways to use just a regular open flame to cook basically anything, as I'm sure you guys know. That's probably what I'd end up doing. Flint ftw!

You beat me to it! You can cook in a simple hole in the ground, but a cardboard box wrapped in tin foil works too. I did this a few times when I was in Boy Scouts. It isn't a long term solution, but it will work in a jam. I also tinkered with solar cooking, but it is too much of a hassle to set up and properly adjust for me to rely on it for anything more than showing that it is possible.

Rev. R. Farrier

Just go out back and fire up a camp fire

I have cooked burgers on a flat rock. I used to camp alot and would always forget something important you learn to make due with what you have. I have also made utensils for instance you carve a piece of wood to the shape of a spoon add one hot coal and keep it burning to the desired depth. Scrape it out with a pocket knife and there ya go. When I was a kid I had a "camp stove" made out of a coffee can. I used to cook on that thing all the time takes very little wood too.

It would not be a big deal for me I have been cooking on the ground for awhile. I have even cooked on a flat rock. I do have a lil coleman white gas stove but its more trouble than its worth. I also have dutch ovens,cast iron skillets and a ol tin coffee percolator.


ETA: When I was a kid I used to a coffee can stove and would cook myself breakfast all the time outside. You would be surprised how little fuel you need for something like that.

This post has been edited by BadKarma: October 27th 2009 11:34 PM

I have 2 of these already made. They are pretty strong too, once you get them together. They work fine. only takes about 1oz of alcohol to bring about a quart of water to a boil.




I like the coffee can Ho-Bo stoves a lot, very efficient.

There is A LOT of how to videos on youtube about them both. You just have to weed threw some BS ones.