Stoves - metho or kero?
Martin Olmos
Any recommendations on stoves? I would usually do short weekend hikes,
in mild/cool climates.
Thanks.
Bruce Blackshaw
mol...@ozemail.com.au (Martin Olmos) wrote:
I'm extremely happy with my Whisperlite International, which takes
shellite, petrol or kero. Cost about $140 as I recall. A bit on the
expensive side but have never regreted it. Boils water quickly!
Bruce Blackshaw "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain
Mincom Pty Ltd what he cannot lose" - Jim Elliott
Brisbane Australia bru...@mincom.com +61 7 33033297 http://www.mincom.com
Steve Newby
Martin Olmos wrote:
>
> Any recommendations on stoves? I would usually do short weekend hikes,
> in mild/cool climates.
First let me get my own bias out of the way...
I use a MSR International. This is a "white spirit" or "shellite" stove.
it is light, robust and folds up to a manageable package.
It is almost controllable for heat and is one of the most efficient ,
especially in cold high (alpine) conditions.
But I hate the smell of the fuel (unburnt). The initial flare up when
warming up/starting could be dangerous if cooking in a tent.
Like all the shellite stoves it is expensive!
This only matters when buying... after you have it this is history.
I have only ever converted one metho (Trangia) user to MSR.
On the day of judgement the lord will divide us into two groups...
MSR users and Trangia users! (smokers and non-smokers may qualify as
sub goups)
Metho stoves are usually easer to start and not sonoisy.
(the presure in the MSR makes it hiss)
Meto stoves need fewer parts and no pump to presurise
them. They are less prone to dirty fuel problems. They come in neat
packages with pots and pans...:-)
They are usually on or off. They are not as hot (fast) as shellite stoves
and can be dfficult to light in very cold conditions (add a bit of
water).
Some shellite stoves have an alternate jet to let them use kero.
This is a messy fuel. Stay away if possible. (Petrol can usually be used
as well). The International has a fuel filter on the pickup pipe...
a great idea for that final filter. Dirty fuel kills the shellite type
presurised stoves. The small one litre bottles of shellite are available
in outdoor shops and some petrol stations and hardware stores.
Metho is available more easilly. IMO bulk fuels have more "dirt"
problems.
The only mention I would make on pure kero stoves (and lights for that
matter) is they are things to hate and dispise.. you need metho to start
them and they clog up. When going they are sort of just OK.
They are a last resort device. Places using kero stink! it get into
everywhere.
Caution:
All fuels are hydrocarbons and are possible cancer causing agents.
BE CAREFULL with them. They are also inflamible. Huts, tents and people
burn all too easilly, BE CAREFULL.
ps.
Many catalogues now give comparative burning times by fuel and times for
boiling a set (litre) volume of water. This is usefull in comparing the
efficiency of various units.
eg.
--------------------------------------------------------------
| Stove | FUEL | Time (Mins) | Water boiled |
| | | boil 1 L * | on 1 L Fuel { |
--------------------------------------------------------------
| MSR Wisperlite | Shellite | 3.6 | 68 |
| MSR Internation.| Shelite | 3.8 | 65 |
| MSR X G/K II | Shellite | 3.4 | 66 |
| MSR X G/K II | Kero | 5.1 | 45 |
| Trangia 25-1 | Metho | 12.6 | 38 |
--------------------------------------------------------------
* Ave time to boil 1 litre water at sea level
{ Amount of water boiled by 1 litre of fuel
Table info is from an old Wildsports Catalogue.
..how much more wilderness destroyed before it is decided that we have
as much "progress" and population as the continent can comfortably bear?
P.Pallin - Never Really Lost.
Steve Newby, Softway Pty Ltd, P.O.Box 305,Strawberry Hills, 2012
Australia
ste...@sw.oz.au Ph:+61 2 6982322 Fax:+61 2 6999174
http://www.softway.com.au/
Ken Fraser
Martin Olmos wrote:
>
> Any recommendations on stoves? I would usually do short weekend hikes,
> in mild/cool climates.
> Thanks.
I've had a bit of trouble with stoves in the past with both use in cold weather
and taking them overseas.
In Queensland it can get well below zero, once -7 at Sundown Nat Park and the
resealable gas stove just didn't work.
Gas would be ok for most short walks, the canisters are light and easy to carry as
well most of the stoves break down into smaller bits.
Shellite stoves are good for extended trips and work in any conditions, some are
more noisy than others. Most airlines now will not let you take fuel bottles on
bord
Most shellite stoves require some kind of work on them to keep them running.
I use a MSR XGK on most trips now. They are foolproof and burn anything. They are
like a small reactor that nuke water and food if your not carefull. They have 2
speeds, nuke it and off. It takes a bit of time to learn how to cook with them.
Basically it's the best stove I have bought.
Most of the MSR stoves require you to carefully preheat the stove first or you
will have a fireball on your hands.
For most occasions I would stick with a tiny gas stove that uses a resealable gas
canister.
Ken
S.Inkson
I FOUND THE TRANGIA METHO TYPE AND ESPECIALLY THE DISPOSABLE GAS
CANNISTER TYPE THAT KEN MENTIONED ARE A DEAD LOSS AT ANY ALTITUDE ABOVE
SEA LEVEL. i.e. it took half an hour once to boil a billy of water with
the cannister type at only 1000 metres.
Jason Moore
mol...@ozemail.com.au (Martin Olmos) wrote:
>Any recommendations on stoves? I would usually do short weekend hikes,
>in mild/cool climates.
>Thanks.
MMMM.....this is a thread that appears every few years....and causes
much religious debate....BUT:
If it is too cold metho is not real good (trust me I've had a Trangia
for 17 years and I've used it extensively in the Snowies....)....BUT
it does simmer well, is less messy, less smelly.....and fuel is easily
available.........but it is relatively slow.......
Shellite/kero etc stoves like the MSR are pretty good - they have a
high heat output, melt snow like buggery!, easy to light in cold, but
don't simmer well (IMHO).....also I don't like the way they pack
up....my Trangia all fits together in one little round (well it used
to be round!!!!) package which doesn't bulge in the wrong places in my
pack.......
In the final equation an MSR type of stove with a good cook set is
probably better in most cases....
jason
***************************************************************************
Telemark Spark!
0 Jason Moore
/__ us...@iinet.net.au
(\ Perth - Australia
___/_/__,_,
NO FEAR HERE!
***************************************************************************
David Noble
Ken Fraser wrote:
>
> Martin Olmos wrote:
> >
> > Any recommendations on stoves? I would usually do short weekend hikes,
> > in mild/cool climates.
>
> canister.
>
much better as long as you can get canisters. Gas is much quicker to
light to full heat. The new propane/butane mixes that are available seem
to work fine in cool conditions in Tasmania and in the NSW Alps whilst
ski touring - eg melting snow etc. The trick is to keep the stove off
the snow - ie place it on a bit of sleeping mat foam or a plastic plate
and keep it out of the wind - ie cook inside the tent, and if you cook
inside the annex - make it draught proof by putting snow in any gaps.
Gas stoves are also much more regulatable for simmering. Also ensure
that you have a stove for every two people - otherwise it does take a
while to boil a billy compared to a thermonuclear device (MSR stove -
BTW - Very most of the people I know with these stoves have had problems
with them at one time or another (or actually at most times!!)).
--
David Noble
Email to- dno...@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dnoble/
Brett Watson
Steve Newby (ste...@sw.oz.au) wrote:
:
: On the day of judgement the lord will divide us into two groups...
: MSR users and Trangia users! (smokers and non-smokers may qualify as
: sub goups)
Its interesting that in the USA MSR markets Trangia stoves. I figure
they do that because they want to have at least one stove in their
product line that is reliable :-) Trangia stoves have an elegant
simplicity, while the MSR stoves are full of parts which are prone
to failure. Nevertheless, it is a heap quicker and easier to cook for
a group with shellite stoves than with metho.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brett Watson, wat...@elec.uq.edu.au |
Dept of Electrical and Computer Eng | "Veni, Vidi, Joculi"
University of Queensland, Australia | - "I came, I saw, I juggled."
Geoff Stevens
Steve Newby wrote:
>
> Some shellite stoves have an alternate jet to let them use kero.
> This is a messy fuel. Stay away if possible. (Petrol can usually be used
> as well). The International has a fuel filter on the pickup pipe...
> a great idea for that final filter. Dirty fuel kills the shellite type
> presurised stoves.
CAUTION
Do not use leaded petrol in MSR International: the line will clog and
it is very difficult to clear.
Peter Gordon
I have a Tarangia stove with the gas option and an old kero burning
Optimus No 69, so probably qualify to give an opinion on metho
versus kero. The Tarangia, when using metho or gas is more convinient
and comes as a well integrated set of bowls and kettle. I use it
on short easy trips where weight and reliability are not high
priorities. The Optimus is used when the going gets difficult.
(eg cold, altitude, duration of trip). The jet is large enough
to be cleaned with a pricker, the pump is reliable and there is
nothing much else to fail. I use fire paste to pre heat it so
don't carry metho.
Steve's comments about the smell of kero are justified. All
fuel stoves leak slightly and care is needed to keep the stove
away from food sleeping bag etc. However what Steve ommitted was
the relative flamability of kero and shellite. Unless you are
totally stupid, kero is not a hazard. Shellite is highly flamable
and vapourizes more readily. Anybody who remembers when electricity
was not common outside the major centres will agree with this.
Lighting was either obtained by kero burning Tilly lamps or
petrol burning Coleman lamps. Many houses were burnt down by
the Coleman lamps but the Tilly lamps were ususlly regarded
as less convient but safe. Kero refrigrators also burnt down
many houses but this was caused by poor maintenance of the
chimney. It was the soot build up which caused the fires.
Peter Gordon
rkla...@alpha2.curtin.edu.au
In Article <31C11A...@vision.net.au>
"S.Inkson" <s...@vision.net.au> writes:
>I FOUND THE TRANGIA METHO TYPE AND ESPECIALLY THE DISPOSABLE GAS
>CANNISTER TYPE THAT KEN MENTIONED ARE A DEAD LOSS AT ANY ALTITUDE ABOVE
>SEA LEVEL. i.e. it took half an hour once to boil a billy of water with
>the cannister type at only 1000 metres.
Can't say I've ever had any problems with a Metho stove at
altitude (at least at 1500 metres). I also have a friend of a
friend who ended up in hospital for a week or so after an MSR
decided to spontaneously combust while it was being lit. With
Metho stoves, short of pouring the metho over yourself and
lighting it, there is not much that can go wrong.
Joshua Boyd
rkla...@cc.curtin.edu.au
or
joshu...@dsto.defence.gov.au
Rohan Grant
My tuppeny 'orth:
I really appreciate the simplicity / reliability of our Trangia. I've never
missed a meal let alone been injured by it. (Which is not to say that I
haven't lost the hairs on the back of my knuckles from trying to throw a spark
from a knackered cigarette lighter into cold metho in the fuel cell. Just
part of the joy of bush walking at altitude in cold Tasmanian conditions:)
I've not found it any slower to get a meal into me than others who have
arrived at huts at the same time as me, either. This is hardly an apples v.
apples comparison however as I don't know what they were trying to cook let
alone what volume they were trying to heat. Then again part of the fun of
walking is preselcting meals that pile the carbohydrates in for least effort
and best flavour, n'est pas?
The other thing that really stood out in this situation was the silence of
our Trangia compared to gas stoves. Being able to conduct a quiet
conversation or just sit and quietly contemplate the joys of a great day out
doors is something I appreciate very much at the end of a day's bushwalking.
I find the roar of the gas stoves intrusive, but I can understand others might
equally well consider it reassuring.
Hope these aesthetic considerations help you in your choice.
Cheers,
============================================================================
(c) Rohan Grant, 1994 e-mail: Rohan...@pacit.tas.gov.au
"'O, yes, yes, in there,' said Toad impatiently. 'I'd have said anything in
there. You're so eloquent, dear Badger, and so moving, and so convincing,
and put all your points so frightfully well - you can do what you like with
me in there, and you know it. But I've been searching my mind since, and
going over things in it, and I find that I'm not a bit sorry or repentant
really, so it's no earthly good saying I am; now is it?'"
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
============================================================================
Bob Chambers
In <4q2bqm$k...@falcon.pacit.tas.gov.au> Rohan...@pacit.tas.gov.au
>In article <4q27bn$g...@info.curtin.edu.au>, rkla...@alpha2.curtin.edu.au
wrote:
>>In Article <31C11A...@vision.net.au>
>>"S.Inkson" <s...@vision.net.au> writes:
>>>I FOUND THE TRANGIA METHO TYPE AND ESPECIALLY THE DISPOSABLE GAS
>>>CANNISTER TYPE THAT KEN MENTIONED ARE A DEAD LOSS AT ANY ALTITUDE ABOVE
>>>SEA LEVEL. i.e. it took half an hour once to boil a billy of water with
>>>the cannister type at only 1000 metres.
>>
>> Can't say I've ever had any problems with a Metho stove at
>>altitude (at least at 1500 metres). I also have a friend of a
>>friend who ended up in hospital for a week or so after an MSR
>>decided to spontaneously combust while it was being lit. With
>>Metho stoves, short of pouring the metho over yourself and
>>lighting it, there is not much that can go wrong.
>>
....We've been in the alpine regions of SW Tas since 1981, on two and three
week trips. We've used shellite stove Optimus 8R and smaller with some success,
but the shellite was always a worry because of flares, and difficult in windy
locations - in windy palces, the safety valves used to go off, jetting flames
about. The changeover from Paddy's A/wall tents to Macpacs in the mid eighties
meant comfort and a desire to do some some cooking (partly) inside.
We're not too keen on being incinerated by shellite flares (which were
frequent) so we've changed to Trangias - cooking in the Olympus vestibule
quite frequently is now a lot safer and lighting is no problem at 1200 m,
with a cigarette lighter. Pans are big enough to cook for up to 5. We
_always_ take 2 stoves in case someone sits or jumps down hard on one of the
packs. It's also handy to have a second stove to make the custard or "boil
the greens" :-) or make a cuppa with five or six people.
There are tales (urban myths?) of tent "inners" burning and leaving the fly
intact and of the whole lot burning - not much shelter from a set of poles
and a waterproof floor.
The only downside is that you need to carry about a litre each for 12 days
and proportions of that amount for less time, which I think is about 50%
more than for shellite....... but we're still alive and can regulate the
amount of heat available!
Anyone measured the actual fuel quantities used by a Trangia?
MY 2p
--
Bob Chambers Voice: 61 2 449 9112 FAX: 61 2 9988 3580
b...@chase.apana.org.au
John Hollow
>Metho stoves are usually easer to start and not sonoisy.
>(the presure in the MSR makes it hiss)
>Meto stoves need fewer parts and no pump to presurise
>them. They are less prone to dirty fuel problems. They come in neat
>packages with pots and pans...:-)
>They are usually on or off. They are not as hot (fast) as shellite stoves
>and can be dfficult to light in very cold conditions (add a bit of
*******************************************************
>water).
*******
Huh?
Perhaps what Steve means is the following.
Trangia suggest adding water to metho fuel (10 to 15% from memory)
to reduce/stop sooting (blackening outside of cooking pot).
In my experience, this certainly reduces the sooting a lot, but it makes
it very hard to light in cold conditions (say less than 0 C) i.e. adding
water reduces soot, but increases difficulty of lighting.
CURE: if you add water to reduce soot, also add a small ball of cotton
wool into the burner fuel. When lighting, ensure that part of the cotton
wool protrudes above the liquid surface, thereby acting as a wick. Apply
lighted match to cotton wool - gives easy lighting down to at least
-20 C (my experiments of fuel & burner pre-cooled in home freezer!).
--John Hollow, Telstra Research Labs,
PO Box 249, Rosebank MDC, Clayton, Vic, Australia 3169
j.ho...@trl.telstra.com.au FAX: +613 9253-6144 (03)9253-6144
X400: g=john s=hollow ou=trl o=telecom prmd=telecom006 admd=telememo c=au
LEHAM1
I have a Camping Gaz stove which uses Butane/Propane mixtures, and I used
it on the Overland Track in Tassie in February and didn't have any
problems. I haven't used it in snow so I can't say how that will work. I
found it to be quite (very) fast but the problem is gas availability (it
should be found in places like disposals stores). I'm planning on going
to Flinders Island and I wouldn't expect to find luxuries like camping
gas on an island with a population of not much over 1000 people, and
taking gas on a plane is banned, so I'm looking at buying a
petrol/shellite stove like an MSR Whisperlite International. I have been
visiting camping shops over the past week and I have also looked at
Coleman petrol/shellite stoves, but I see them as more bulky, although
supposedly they don't need priming like MSR stoves do.
Leo Hamulczyk
LEH...@student.monash.edu.au = LEH...@phs01.cc.monash.edu.au
John Hollow
>Shellite/kero etc stoves like the MSR are pretty good - they have a
>high heat output, melt snow like buggery!, easy to light in cold, but
*********************
>don't simmer well (IMHO).....also I don't like the way they pack
>up....my Trangia all fits together in one little round (well it used
Are you implying that Trangias are hard to light in the cold?
I don't think they are - see my earlier post on the subject.
Alex Satrapa
In article <4qbae4$5...@newsserver.trl.OZ.AU> John Hollow,
hol...@brahma.trl.OZ.AU writes:
>In <4prf1k$9...@opera.iinet.net.au> us...@iinet.net.au (Jason Moore) writes:
>
>>Shellite/kero etc stoves like the MSR are pretty good - they have a
>>high heat output, melt snow like buggery!, easy to light in cold, but
> *********************
>>don't simmer well (IMHO).....also I don't like the way they pack
>>up....my Trangia all fits together in one little round (well it used
>
>
>Are you implying that Trangias are hard to light in the cold?
>I don't think they are - see my earlier post on the subject.
>
>--John Hollow, Telstra Research Labs
I use a Trangia and a butane cartridge stove. I also have the
butane/propane
attachment for the Trangia. If I'm not concerned about packing fast and
getting
on the trail, I'll use metho (for the whole camp) otherwise I'll pack the
gas
cannisters. With the extra stove, we have a practical kitchen, allowing
gourmet
meals to be prepared in any conditions - wet/dry, hot/cold.
I've used metho and gas in the snow, and found that gas was much easier to
light. I'll try out John's tip (with the cotton wool wick) this year -
snow
camp planned with friends some time in the next two or three months.
Thanks John!
BTW - my personal opinion is that the Trangia is better than the MSR. I
cannot
stand the smell of burning/burnt shellite, and if I spill metho on my
tent or
Gore Tex, it cleans it. However, spill shellite on nylon or Gore Tex - I
don't
want to try it, I've seen what petrol does to nylon tents.
Has anyone out there had experience with spilling shellite on tents/wet
weather
gear?
Regards,
-Alex
plim@ix.net.au@ix.net.au
In <31C1A7...@sw.oz.au>, Steve Newby <ste...@sw.oz.au> writes:
>Martin Olmos wrote:
>First let me get my own bias out of the way...
>I use a MSR International. This is a "white spirit" or "shellite" stove.
>it is light, robust and folds up to a manageable package.
Paddy Pallin is advertising a "SIGG Fire-Jet"; have you heard anything about them, ie good/bad? They are similar to the Internationale in that they can use shellite and kero, but also do petrol, and is cheaper. I don't mind cheaper, but don't want a cheap dud either...
Cheers,
Poe
Paul Racki
pl...@ix.net.au@ix.net.au wrote:
>
> Paddy Pallin is advertising a "SIGG Fire-Jet";
> have you heard anything about them, ie good/bad?
> They are similar to the Internationale in that
> they can use she
>
When it was time to upgrade my Metho burning Trangia,
I went for the SIGG fire-jet over the MSR.
Because it looked like a more robust compact unit,
in comparison to the MSR stoves.
It has served us well so far,
comments from MSR owners meet out on the field
where that the SIGG has better simmer control.
If you do get one don't lose the very fine cleaning wire!
Steve Newby
pl...@ix.net.au@ix.net.au wrote:
> Paddy Pallin is advertising a "SIGG Fire-Jet"; have you heard anything about them, ie good/bad? They are similar to the Internationale in that
they can use she
>
> Poe
--
Yes! My friend who is a self proclaimed gear freek got one (need it to
bring his stove collection up to date).
He likes the way it folds up into a round package. and says it works as
well as the MSR (ordinary type). I don't know that he has done watter
boil tests etc .. and I expect to see it running in anger on our first
ski trip (soon?).
He said it is lighter but when I held one in each hand (MSR that is)
it was hard to pick ..so it must be close.
ps. He had it on an MSR bottle... (they are interchangeable)
Ask me again when its been our a few years and had a couple of pasta
dinners spilt over it.. not to mention some fine dirt etc.
pps. Greg the gear freek also is experiencd in spilling shellite in his
pack.. (now you see why I walk with him... he is like a lightening rod)
The fluid only removes the waterproofing.. the basic fabric seems OK.
Next time we intend to air out the contents.. stuff them back in the
pack .. fill the fuel bottle with proofing stuff and leave the top loose.
Then jump up and down for a few hours and see if we can put everything
back to normal. :-)
ppps.
Bushwalking .... (for our American sandbagers) ...
The Trees and plant life in Australia (outside the cultivated areas) is
called "BUSH".
So any tramping (NZ) hiking (rest) or 'walking' through said native
landscape (deserts may be an expection ???) are referred to as...
"bushwalking'.
If you want to bring time, dificulty or climate into it. you get ...
short/long bushwalks.
easy/hard bushwalks
wet/dry/hot/cold bushwalks.
get the idea. ???
also to fully understand Australans I recommend you look up the word...
'sarcasm' or 'drole' in your dictionary.
Steven.
Grantley Day
Yes this is a point of religion. I have an MSR G/K (gasoline/kerosine)
that I bought oh... 1979 or so? and it still choofs nicely, though looking
a bit battered. A big advantage is that it's really efficient - that means
less time cooking or boiling, and less fuel to carry. Also, burning petrol
is a money-saver: last time I filled a tank, I spent US22c (!) on gas
instead of $5 on shellite, and I don't need to throw away a butane
container each time. Also, MSR (the company) are pretty cool: I don't know
how the others compare, but it was nice to discover last month that I
could exchange the expired pump for $25 without purchasing a whole new
stove. MSR also rebuild the pumps for $12 or so. The downsides include:
noisy (tho the Whisperlite is better), doesn't simmer (ditto), too
dangerous for inside a tent.
plim@ix.net.au@ix.net.au
>pl...@ix.net.au@ix.net.au wrote:
>When it was time to upgrade my Metho burning Trangia,
>I went for the SIGG fire-jet over the MSR.
>Because it looked like a more robust compact unit,
>in comparison to the MSR stoves.
>
>It has served us well so far,
>comments from MSR owners meet out on the field
>where that the SIGG has better simmer control.
Good to see that something cheaper is better than the more expensive unit. :)
>If you do get one don't lose the very fine cleaning wire!
Thanks for the tip; I've since seen what seems like a good idea, where the shellite/petrol stove is filled with fuel, then a bit put into a depression on top and lit, whereby the heat expands the fuel in the stove. This provides the heat to vapourise the fuel, which is then lit as it exits the jet on top. It was called an Optimus <sp?>. I wonder if anyone has used one.
Cheers,
Poe
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pl...@ix.net.au
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Gordon
>In <31CDD1...@vccbapg6.telstra.com.au>, Paul Racki <pra...@vccbapg6.telstra.com.au> writes:
>>pl...@ix.net.au@ix.net.au wrote:
>>When it was time to upgrade my Metho burning Trangia,
>>I went for the SIGG fire-jet over the MSR.
>>Because it looked like a more robust compact unit,
>>in comparison to the MSR stoves.
>>
>>It has served us well so far,
>>comments from MSR owners meet out on the field
>>where that the SIGG has better simmer control.
>Good to see that something cheaper is better than the more expensive unit. :)
>>If you do get one don't lose the very fine cleaning wire!
>Thanks for the tip; I've since seen what seems like a good idea, where the
>shellite/petrol stove is filled with fuel, then a bit put into a depression
>on top and lit, whereby the heat expands the fuel in the stove. This provides
>the heat to vapourise the fuel, which is then lit as it exits the jet on top.
>It was called an Optimus <sp?>. I wonder if anyone has used one.
>Cheers,
>Poe
Is this a troll? I'll answer it seriously. Optimus have been making
stoves since before MSR were even heard about. They are well
engineered any work well. You may know them by the name of SEVA,
which was a marketing name of Optimus in the 1970's.
Peter Gordon
Steve Newby
>
> >If you do get one don't lose the very fine cleaning wire!
>
> Thanks for the tip; I've since seen what seems like a good idea, where the shellite/petrol stove is filled with fuel, then a bit put into a
depression on top a.....
>
> Cheers,
> Poe
Poe.
This .. heating the fuel is the same in all the shellite/kerro etc
stoves.
Often the fuel supply pipe runs past the flame to get pre-heated.
To get them going you let out a bit of fuel ... light it and it burns,
heating the fuel pipe enough to get the whole thing started.
The pump is only to supply the fuel and to avoid preasurising the main
tank (something that the more primative types still do).
It is that point when the burning fuel has heated he fuel pipe enough to
vaporise the fuel in it that the famous flare up .. that these stove
are notorious for ... and which burns down tents.. occurs.
Once they settle down they are usually OK. The smell only comes when they
get turned off and you smell the raw vaporised fuel.
For example the MSR staves have their "depression" at the bottom .. a
sort of cup so theat the flame heats the whole stove above it. Some
models also have a fibreglass wick to help the fuel burn.. sort of like
putting the cottonwool in the Trangia metho trick.
--
Poe Lim
>pl...@ix.net.au@ix.net.au writes:
>>the heat to vapourise the fuel, which is then lit as it exits the jet on top.
>>It was called an Optimus <sp?>. I wonder if anyone has used one.
>Is this a troll? I'll answer it seriously. Optimus have been making
>stoves since before MSR were even heard about. They are well
>engineered any work well. You may know them by the name of SEVA,
>which was a marketing name of Optimus in the 1970's.
So I gather, from the vintage of the unit, but I can't find it listed in any of my catalogues, hence the query. Do you by any chance know of a supplier, as it seems relatively compact when compared to the MSR unit.
Peter Gordon
pl...@ix.net.au (Poe Lim) writes:
>Cheers,
>Poe
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>pl...@ix.net.au
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poe,
Below is a post I saved. I have not tried to contact the company
so can't give any opinion on them. (I use an Optimus No 69 which
burns kero. Other people mention 8R 71 71L 80 but have seen no
mention of the No 69.)
Peter Gordon
From: Mark Forsyth <mfor...@ozonline.com.au>
Newsgroups: aus.bushwalking
Subject: Re: SVEA 123 (Optimus) stove spare parts
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 19:21:41 GMT
Organization: Australia OnLine
>
> Hi
>
> I wonder if anyone could advise me what company, preferably in Australia,
> might stock parts for the SVEA 123 stove. I'm having some leakage problems
in
> the pressure relief valve so I think I need a new cap
>
> Bill Blair
Bill,
You might give T.W. Sands here in Melbourne a try. They carry all
sorts of bits and pieces for all sorts of liquid burning things. ie. Stoves,
Lamps, Heaters...etc.
Mark Forsyth
mfor...@ozonline.com.au