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Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board
Re: Zip stove
Posted By: Karl Coplan In Response To: Re: Zip stove (Liz Leedham)
Date: Wednesday, 7 April 1999, at 3:34 p.m.
I got one for Christmas (after reading about it on the Paddlewise list and hinting shamelessly).
So far I have used it on three overnight XC ski trips. I love the thing. It os really lightweight. You do not need to lug fuel into the woods with you. I like the idea of using local materials for fire instead of refined fossil fuels.
Best of all, it is really quiet, much better than the MSR stove I usually pack, which sounds like a G-IV on takeoff.
It is true that you need a _lot_ of twigs to keep it running. But one good dead tree branch was plenty for dinner + breakfast the following morning. I used a jackknife (carefully) to split 2" branches into smaller pieces that burn better and are easier to break to fit into the stove.
It is also true that you must feed the thing constantly. It will eat up a stoveload of twigs in about 2-3 minutes.
But once it is going, even damp wood will burn just fine. I had no problem using twigs that had been lying in the snow. And the heat was certainly sufficient, even in temperatures in the teens and 20s.
I dont know about battery longevity. One rechargeably alkaline was plenty for two meals worth. Also, once the thing is cranked up, youn can turn off the fan and let the thing run off its natural draft, at some loss in BTUs (but increase in fuel life).
As a final bonus, your clothes end up with that smokey, "been camping" smell afterwards!
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