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	<title>Gear reviews &#8211; Hike for Purpose</title>
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	<title>Gear reviews &#8211; Hike for Purpose</title>
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	<item>
		<title>Altra Lone Peak</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/altra-lone-peak/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:07:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3775</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[As so many hikers, the search for the perfect shoe or boot is a topic that comes up pretty much every season. For years I have been sticking to the Salomon Speedcross line, but sadly my blister free streak ended with them on the South Downs Way last year. As one of the standard options for many overseas hikers, I was also intrigued with Altra for their zero drop, and the fact that they have a very wide toe box. Enter the Altra Lone Peak 9&#8217;s for my new hiking shoe. Here is my review after walking the Camino Ingles, and Camino Fisterra back to back. Which is combined around 210 kilometers. A bunch of day hikes around my area, and the Tutzinger Hütte up the Benediktenwand. Journey to the Altra&#8217;s Wide toe box You rarely see a toe box this spacious in standard hiking boots or trail runners. It’s designed to let your feet splay naturally, a difference you feel the moment you slip them on. They are significantly wider than Salomons, and they also beat out models like Decathlon’s TR2. It’s easy to see why people become Altra loyalists; other brands just feel suffocating by comparison. My feet aren&#8217;t exceptionally wide, which is why I stuck with Salomons—notoriously narrow shoes—for so long. However, after a few months of wearing barefoot shoes in my daily life, my feet naturally began to spread out. My footwear evolution over the last decade has been a journey: I started with heavy, Category B Meindl boots for daily use, moved to a few pairs of Meindl Saharas, and then burned through four consecutive pairs of Salomon Speedcross. But during that last Salomon cycle, I introduced barefoot shoes into my daily routine. Within months, the shift was noticeable. The Salomons began feeling increasingly cramped in the toe box, and their 10mm drop started to feel awkward. The ultimate breaking point was hiking the South Downs Way, which left me with a couple off blisters. That was the final nail in the coffin, as I rarely get those. I switched to Altras, and I don&#8217;t see myself going back anytime soon. Excellent grip with Vibram soles The Vibram outer soles are a real upgrade to what I had for quite a couple of pairs of shoes already, with the home brands of Salomon and Kiprun, the Vibram stands out a solid performer, and with more grip then many other options. It features a trail running grip, which means you will have more grip on gravel, soil, and forest roads. They are only a bit weirdly tailed out, which I first guessed was a design choice, and a point of wear. Apparently it is supposed to offer you more grip on the descent, and absorb some of the impact. I don&#8217;t know if that is the exact case, since I hike in them, and don&#8217;t trail run. Looking around this does tend to help users though. So its a nice bonus that does not offer any downsides. On the terrain I encountered in Spain, and the ascent and descent onto the Benediktenwand (1.800 meters), I enjoyed the excellent grip, and was overall very happy with them. Zero drop Zero drop is new to me, and has an adjustment period to it. What you do that is different than what you usually do, is that you do not heal strike so much as compared to higher drop shoes, in fact if you do, you will get punished for it immediately. With a shock that travels up to your knees. I encourage everyone that is thinking off zero drop, to first try walking around in day to day life in barefoot shoes. Try that for a couple of months, and then slowly start thinking about Zero Drop shoes. This is exactly what I did. Some people go hardcore when it comes to barefoot, and they even consider the Altra&#8217;s to not be &#8220;good&#8221; enough. In my opinion though complete barefoot shoes with hiking is going to be a tough thing to train too. And walking on perfectly even asfalt was also not part of the original design plans for the feet. I think Altra struck a good balance in the Lone Peak series, and has something for people in all camps. Breath-ability vs. Waterproofing I will always choose for shoes and boots without Gore-Tex, due to me being a sweaty person, also while hiking. Yes, your feet will get wet, but thanks to the minimal material they dry out faster. And are lighter in general. If you know yourself to be a sweater, than I recommend to stay away from Gore-Tex shoes and boots. When that is not the case, and you have good experiences in the past with Gore-Tex. Than you do you. Durability &#38; Build Quality As pretty much all trailrunners, these are looking like only lasting a hiking season for me. So around 6 months with my hiking. The Camino Ingles took its toll on them, as this was a lot of asphalt walking. I think with some more forest or paths you can make them last a while longer. But the reality of many European trails is, sadly, that your also gonna be spending some time on roads. Around 500 km in total I&#8217;m expecting to get out of them. With every shoe I ever owned, the front wears off the fastest with me. Since I walk a lot of the front of my feet. Or the ball. Your experience may differ. For 150 euro&#8217;s I think the build quality is good, and this is a step up from for example the TR2&#8217;s from Kiprun. The vibram soles are probably a large part of the price difference. They are around the same price as the Salomons, and this is just the price for this type by one of the brand names. If you know off any more budget friendly alternatives, make sure to share it down in the comments! I recommend the Altra Lone Peaks, and will return to the brand in the future. Give them a try if you can in a local store, or order them over Amazon to get them delivered to your door. As always, walk around for a couple hours indoors with them at the end off the day. With your hiking socks, to get a feel for them before you go out. Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As so many hikers, the search for the perfect shoe or boot is a topic that comes up pretty much every season. For years I have been sticking to the Salomon Speedcross line, but sadly my blister free streak ended with them on the South Downs Way last year. As one of the standard options for many overseas hikers, I was also intrigued with Altra for their zero drop, and the fact that they have a…</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/altra-lone-peak/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Forclaz MT100 hiking poles</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/forclaz-mt100-hiking-poles/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:14:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3774</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[As basic as a hiking pole can get, asides from a stick you pick up, the Forclaz MT100 poles are a great first hiking pole to try out if you are on the fence with using poles. Here are all the features, and how they performed for me. I love hiking poles, and everybody that is still debating, I always encourage to try some out. The next up or down hill part, will not seem so daunting anymore for your knees armed with some poles. And you can use them to literally pull and push yourself up a mountain. Even with flat or easy terrain, they can help keep your pace, and make sure all the blood does not sink into your hands and make them swell up. All in all, hiking with poles is cooler, and you won&#8217;t find me without anymore. Decathlon home brand and price Forclaz is the &#8220;home&#8221; brand of Decathlon, and is a solid budget performer in many cases, oftentimes a bit heavier or more basic than pro grade gear. But you get a lot for your money. For the price, which at the time of writing this review, is only €6,99 for 1 pole, its basically a no brainer for anybody looking to try out a hiking pole or poles for their next hike. I even got lucky, and found 1 of these on the train tracks at the German Austrian border while on vacation in Garmisch. So after using the single pole for a bit, I decided to just get a second one for my Camino Ingles and Fisterra thru hikes in April of 2026. Since my Leki&#8217;s wore out and started collapsing during hikes. Features The features of the MT100&#8217;s are basic, and give you everything you need, and nothing more. If you are a tall dude or like to go higher than 120 cm for your hiking poles, then you will have to look elsewhere, with my 1.88 m, the poles are fine, and I have them set for 120 cm all the time. If you can, try them out in your local Decathlon, and ideally have them set so your elbow is resting at 90 degrees when standing the pole right next to you. Weight The weight is pretty light, and therefore great for longer journeys, or when trying to keep the backpack light. With just 408 gram for the set of poles, or 204 grams for one. (14.39 ounces) Pack size Collapsed down they measure in at 54 cm, and can extend out to a max of 120 cm as mentioned. They fit inside easily in my MacPac 65 liter backpack. And should still fit in ok to round about 45 liter backpacks I suspect. Adjusting and locking system Often seen on basic hiking poles like these, is the simple and therefore quite fast and easy to use system of locking pins that lock the pole into place at the desired size. You get 4 sizes to choose from and starts at 105 cm, and ends with 120cm. Play around with it on different terrain and it should show itself what works best for you. Although less flexible and less specific than the other locking or adjustestment systems you find on other poles, I actually prefer it in many situations. Less to go wrong with a simple system like this. And it means that it is also faster to deploy. Something I find myself doing a lot when doing hikes like the Camino de Santiago. Where stowing and deploying the hiking sticks take place I think at least 5 times a day. When always hiking in the bush, or untouched nature like you have in other places in the world, this will be less of an issue. Grip The grip of these is basic, but comfortable, don&#8217;t expect any fancy handles for this price point. But they are comfortable. The wrist system is limited to a piece of rope, if you like having your wrist straps a bit more padded and comfortable then I suggest looking at a bit more expensive models of hiking poles. For what it is its fine, I tend to not use the wrist strap system in any case, and find it more bothersome than helpful in a lot of cases. But this is also personal preference. Conclusion If you are on the fence about hiking poles, and want to try them out for cheap before deciding to spring on a nice set, than this is the hiking pole for you. Try them out, see if you like the rhythm and movement of hiking with poles, wear them out. Then invest in some nice ones. Check them out at your local Decathlon in the hiking section, or order them online via the Decathlon website. Happy hiking and Hike for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As basic as a hiking pole can get, asides from a stick you pick up, the Forclaz MT100 poles are a great first hiking pole to try out if you are on the fence with using poles. Here are all the features, and how they performed for me. I love hiking poles, and everybody that is still debating, I always encourage to try some out. The next up or down hill part, will not seem so daunting anymore…</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/forclaz-mt100-hiking-poles/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 review</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/3fulgear-lanshan-2/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:14:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3646</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[An affordable tent option that has sparked my interest as well as many other hikers, is the Lanshan 2 and the Lanshan 2 Pro options. Here is my review on the Lanshan 2, with 3 season inner, after the South Downs Way. I had this tent laying around for a bit after finally wearing out my Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2, after many faithful nights camping since around a decade, it was finally ready to retire. For single outings I had an alternative already in the MSR Hubba NX, however, since this is a one person tent, my wife and I couldn&#8217;t fit. Enter the Lanshan 2. For its price, its an excellent tent that I can highly recommend for anybody that&#8217;s looking for a trekking pole tent that does not break the bank. With a bit of practice and tips you can get it tightly setup. And with some proper British rain and wind on the South Downs Way, it did not let us down once, and even became our little home away from home. Specific model: Lanshan 2, 3 season inner Total pack weight: 1195 grams or 2.63 pounds Setting up the Lanshan 2 Setting the Lanshan 2 up properly took a bit of experience, and I highly recommend doing some backyard camping before setting out on a long distance hike. We did a trial camping trip around the area we live in Germany, and at the end of the South Downs Way we had it pitched perfectly everytime. I think the difficulty I had however was mostly due to the Lanshan being my first trekking pole tent, and I had to figure out how to prevent the middle of sagging to much. See the picture below: First thing to do is to take your trekking poles and set them to a 120 cm high, most, if not all trekking poles will have markings on them to help you figure this out. Else, measure and scratch some markings in your poles with your knife for easy reference. Stake out the 4 corners on an angle, leave yourself plenty of slack in the toggles for later. Put your Trekking poles in, and stake out the two guidelines tightly, so that the upper part is not in contact with the inner. It helped in our experience to put your poles in at a slight angle outwards. This turned out to be the biggest fix for the middle sag, as mentioned earlier. Stake out the two guidelines on the outside Go around the tent and tighten the 4 corners Finally, stake out the guidelines to get a tight pitch. It will always sag a little, due to the tent being a Sil Nylon fabric. So adjust in the mornings and/or right before bed. Space inside As mentioned, my wife and I thru-hiked the South Downs Way with this tent in August 2025, and we both fell in love with the tent, mainly due to the space inside which fit both of us with ease, the two exits, and the livability in this tent. I am 1.88 meters, or 6.167979 feet. And my wife is a bit shorter than me. To give you an idea for the room inside. It comes with plenty of room, but strangely only one tiny pocket for you to put stuff in at the head. No other storage organization options are present. But you can always improvise and organize further yourself. Which will be needed to keep everything organised. The two vestibules offered plenty off room for shoes, backpacks and a little landing zone to take off any wet or dirty gear. And there is enough room to cook in should you be pressed. However, to be safe, cooking outdoors is recommended. Especially when using alcohol or white gas stoves. Condensation Any tent is going to have some condensation, especially in northern Europe. The Lanshan is no different. Due to it having an inner tent, and a good airflow, depending on your setup. This is however kept to a minimum. With a small microfiber dishcloth we could get rid of most of the moisture before setting off. In perfect conditions (and world) you of course want to give your tent an hour or two to dry out before you stuff it in the bag. But you do not have that luxury in 90% of cases, especially not a thru hike. Difference within the models: Lanshan 2 &#8211; Lanshan 2 Pro When looking at the different options, you will encounter the regular Lanshan 2, and the Lanshan 2 Pro as options. The difference lies in the fact that the regular Lanshan 2 tent has an inner tent, and the Lanshan 2 Pro is a single walled tent. I am personally not a fan of single walled tents in the climates where I am the most, Northern Europe. Another downside for me is that I am not a fan of having to mess around with sealing all the seams with the Lanshan 2 Pro option. The Lanshan 2 Pro does not come sealed from the factory, and you will have to do this yourself, or pay extra to let it be done by the factory, or get a third party to do it for you. I do not get excited for those tactics, if you do, and prefer single walled tents, then this makes a slightly lighter option that can be a good fit. Upgrades and tips Due to the price, the Lanshan 2 and 1 are popular tents within the hiking community. I encourage you to take a further look on YouTube for all the different mods that people have made to upgrade the tent. For example replacing the plastic hooks for metal Karabiners, or even a part from a different tent company. You can do a lot to this tent to improve the durability and usability, you can always upgrade as you go to further improve the tent to your liking. For the price it sits at, take a look at the Amazon price below, I highly recommend this tent to everybody that wants to try out a trekking pole tent. What is your favorite tent? Let everybody know down in the comments! Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>4–6 minutes 1,015 words An affordable tent option that has sparked my interest as well as many other hikers, is the Lanshan 2 and the Lanshan 2 Pro options. Here is my review on the Lanshan 2, with 3 season inner, after the South Downs Way. I had this tent laying around for a bit after finally wearing out my Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2, after many faithful nights camping…</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/3fulgear-lanshan-2/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Why budget knives rock</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/why-budget-knives-rock/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:49:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3624</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I reviewed a bunch of budget knives over the years, and they are my go to when it comes to day to day tasks and hiking. In this blog post I wanted to share about the differences between expensive or &#8220;grail&#8221; knives, and budget knives. With many things in life I consider myself a collector, knives is something I am passionate about since I got my first knife at 6 from my parents. And have been a collector ever since. I have used pretty much every type of knife, machete, or axe out there. Except for butterfly, auto, or gravity knives, which are banned in the Netherlands. Knives I use for bushcraft, hiking, camping, and everyday tasks. And I have over 40 knives at this point. A small collection to enthousiasts, but a alarming amount for people outside of the hobby. If you do your research and stick to the popular budget knives are not cheap, and can be extremely reliable in use. Make use of excellent materials, and have a rich history. Brands like Mora and Opinel are great examples of this. Beater knives People that have more options for a knife, tend to carry their beater knives most of all. In my opinion these knives deserve more respect and are excellent in their own right. My old Opinel No.9 I carried on both my Camino&#8217;s meant a lot to me, and I was absolutely gutted when I ended up losing it during a hike in Germany this year. Beat up, burned, reshaped and sharpened, it earned an almost permanent place in my backpacking gear. And was pretty much my go to knife for any hike. Actually using expensive knives Every knife you are afraid to use is one you probably outside of your reach to afford. I am not wealthy and therefore tend to go for knives that are for me affordable. The same theory goes for other aspects, like nice watches. If you have a Rolex but are afraid to wear it outside the house, you would have been better of with a Casio or Timex. Same goes for knives, if you don&#8217;t take out your Benchmade to open up a box for fear of getting tape residue on it, you would have been better off with a Spyderco Tenacious. The Boba Fett approach Time made me forget where I first heard off the Boba Fett approach, but it is the philosophy I go by considering my gear. Every scuff, dent, or mark is a badge of honor. And for me that is what sets my budget knives apart from my more expensive knives. I am not afraid to use them. Through use, they get there badges of honor, and that&#8217;s why I also tend to love Carbon Steel options so much. Since they are alive and develop a patina with use. The same can be the case for what are for you affordable expensive knives, if that is a Sebenza, Tenacious, or Opinel. So if you are afraid to actually use your knives, I would suggest getting one of the awesome more budget friendly options out there. And beating and enjoying the hell out of it. Leave a comment with your favorite beater, expensive or budget! Happy hiking and Hiking for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I reviewed a bunch of budget knives over the years, and they are my go to when it comes to day to day tasks and hiking. In this blog post I wanted to share about the differences between expensive or “grail” knives, and budget knives. With many things in life I consider myself a collector, knives is something I am passionate about since I got my first knife at 6 from my parents.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/why-budget-knives-rock/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>How much Knife do you need for hiking?</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/how-much-knife-for-hiking/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:28:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3613</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Many first time hikers will know that a knife would be handy for random tasks when on a hiking trip, but how much knife do you really need and use during (ultra)light hiking? Every book or guide you can read about hiking and backpacking will give the advice to take a (pocket) knife with you, if you&#8217;re anything like me, you have a couple of knives to choose from. I always take a knife with me on any hiking, backpacking, or camping trip. But what kind and size depends highly on where I am going to be and what I am expecting on that specific trip. In Europe, where most of my hiking takes place, the legalities of carrying also make up a big factor in that decision. I therefore do not recommend a specific length or type, but rather that you make it situation-dependent What kind of hiking are you gonna do? With Thru-hiking or completing a long distance hiking trail you will focus a lot on weight, the more weight you carry, the harder your day to day hiking is going to get. Therefore hikers focus so much on how much weight the total pack weight is. A gram or ounce here and there you will not notice on its own, but every little bit or item adds up. If you start to be lax about it, you can end up with more pounds in your backpack then is wise. Therefore take a look at your specific trip, and what you are gonna do. Are you going to be in the back country without civilization for miles, or are you going to be walking the Camino Frances where every couple kilometers your going to be walking through a village? Taking a big Bowie knife would look daft on the Camino, but more appropriate in the middle of Alaska. So take a step back, and look at your trip. Area and surroundings The area and surroundings are a big deciding factor in what knife to bring, for example on a couple of different outings I took different knives. West Highland way &#8211; MAM IbericaCamino Frances &#38; Portuguese &#8211; Opinel No. 9 in carbon steelCanoe trip in Sweden &#8211; Mora Companion and Victorinox Spartan Lets break down my reasons for each trip. West Highland Way During the West Highland Way me and my buddy wild camped for most of it, and lit a couple of fires along the way where appropriate. This would drive me to take a bigger knife for fire prep, however in the UK they have some of the strictest knife laws. I thought I would play it safe and take a legal MAM Iberica S knife which is non locking and short blade length. I ended up regretting taking the smaller knife, but what can you do if you want to follow the law. Camino&#8217;s The Camino de Santiago is not a wilderness hike, I ended up using my Opinel no 9 knife almost entirely for food / lunch prep, and there the shape and size of the Opinel lends itself perfectly for. From anything from putting some liver pâté on crackers, to cutting up a baguette. An Opinel also does not look threatening or &#8220;tactical&#8221; in any way, as to not scare fellow pilgrims or people. Sweden In Sweden wildcamping is allowed and on my trip we rented a canoe and explored several different lakes and islands, where we build a fire everyday, fished, and camped. We used the Canoe to carry all our stuff, but we did have to portage to get from lake to lake in some cases. Therefore weight was still important. Due to having more camp tasks than a Thru hiking trip, I ended up taking a Mora Companion and a Swiss army knife. So I had the Mora for the bigger tasks, and the Victorinox for smaller and more specialized tasks. Everyday cutting tasks for a knife Realistic cutting tasks for a hiking knife in my case are almost always food related, from cutting up a sausage to throw in your soup or trail meal, to cutting open a bag or string. In most cases, I don&#8217;t need a big or fixed blade knife for this. For most of my outings, I prefer to take a Opinel, because they are a great option for using for food prep and woodworking. Tactical knives with jimping and sharp angles are great for EDC (Every Day Carry), but in my opinion not the best on hiking trips. They cut into your hands, cause blisters, or are a bit overkill to whip out in company. So take a look at your trip, the area where you are going to be hiking in, and the legalities involved. And decide accordingly. What knife is your favorite to bring? Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many first time hikers will know that a knife would be handy for random tasks when on a hiking trip, but how much knife do you really need and use during (ultra)light hiking? Every book or guide you can read about hiking and backpacking will give the advice to take a (pocket) knife with you, if you’re anything like me, you have a couple of knives to choose from. I always take a knife with me…</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/how-much-knife-for-hiking/" rel="nofollow">Source</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Loosening a stuck Opinel knife</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/loosening-a-stuck-opinel-knife/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:50:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3603</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Opinel knives can become hard to open or completely stuck and impossible to get out of the handle. This is a common problem and can be resolved easily, without ripping apart your fingernails. Stuck or hard to open Opinel knives can be a pain and annoying, and can sour your experience with a brand new Opinel knife. Worry not, since there are a couple of easy fixes to resolve this problem. Since the handle of the standard line of Opinel knives is made out of beech, olive, or other kind of wood, it absorbs moisture and expands. Therefore closing up the joint between handle and knife blade. This issue I have seen most with brand new Opinel knives, as you use it, this tends to only show up when you got the knife very wet. This problem can show up in both steel types for Opinel knives, Carbon and Inox. Method 1, Oiling First stop on the list to try out is to oil the joint with a bit of cooking oil, I recommend using food safe oil, such as olive or sunflower, if you use an industrial oil and afterwards use it for food prep, you could get sick from it. Simply drop a couple drops in between the handle and knife joint and let it soak in for a few minutes. Afterwards try to open it as normal. With no succes, you can move on to the other methods. Method 2, Drying out Drying out the handle of a Opinel knife will fix this issue 99% of the time, and can be easily done a couple of different ways. The most reliable method you can employ at home is to use the oven in your kitchen, set the temperature in between 50 and 80 degrees Celsius with the fan on (convection), pop in your Opinel, and check back in 20 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how stuck your Opinel was, take it out with an oven glove, and simply let cool on the counter for a few minutes. That should fix this issue for a long time, and the action should be a lot smoother. In the field you can improvise with setting your Opinel on a stone or griddle next to the campfire a good 30 cm away from the flames. Laying it out in direct sunlight, or trying to find another source of heat that does not burn the handle. Give the joint a little (cooking) oil again to keep the action loose after this method. Method 3, Giving it a little tap An old French farmers trick is to smack your Opinel with the tip of the handle against a hard surface, this is probably the most practical in the field when your Opinel is stiff to open, but you still need the knife to perform a cutting task. Open the vibrolock if your Opinel knife has one, grab the handle at the metal end, or where the blade comes out off, and tap against a hard surface on the very end off the handle. Can be a tree stump, picknick table, etc. Watch the YouTube short I made to get a picture of how it works: Further maintenance tips If you are looking for more tips on how to get the best out off your Opinel knives, you can take a look at some off my earlier articles on the subject. I love these knives, and they can a great option for a lightweight and versatile hiking knife. Give them a try if you havent already! Opinel Carbon vs Inox Patina on Opinel knives Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Opinel knives can become hard to open or completely stuck and impossible to get out of the handle. This is a common problem and can be resolved easily, without ripping apart your fingernails. Stuck or hard to open Opinel knives can be a pain and annoying, and can sour your experience with a brand new Opinel knife. Worry not, since there are a couple of easy fixes to resolve this problem.</p>
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		<title>Groove Alcohol stove</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/groove-alcohol-stove/</link>
					<comments>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/groove-alcohol-stove/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2025 11:50:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alcohol Stoves]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3531</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Easy, single can design, and one of the lightest. That&#8217;s the Groove Alcohol stove in a nutshell. Rapid bloom time of only a few seconds and no pot stand required. I like this design, here is how to make one and some points on use. What you will need for this Alcohol stove design is a single 250 ml soda can, could be an Energy drink can, or in my case, a cola can that was kicking around in my parents fridge expired since February. Can also be made with the wider cans, or any sort you like really. The trick behind this stove is that it uses the Capillary effect to draw the alcohol up through the channels you make, resulting in rapid bloom times. Tools you will need are: You can also improvise this stove on the fly with just a Swiss army knife, but for at home, a couple of tools really help out. This design was inspired by multiple people over on YouTube, mostly by the YouTube channels LittleBitWorks &#38; Viscous Landan. Construction of the Groove Alcohol stove This design is easy to build and uses a single can as mentioned, this makes it a cheap stove to build and also does not required the can to be fully intact or closed like some other designs. Any roadside can that is not to damaged could be used, and therefore can also be recycled for free entirely if you keep an eye out for a can. With a few minutes and tinkering you have yourself a dependable and easy to use stove. 1) Cut out the top of the can by scoring a line a few times with a Stanley knife with moderate pressure, and when you start to go through you can punch it and wiggle it out. 2) Make a mark from the bottom of the can at any height you like, I did 3 cm this time. 3) Cut a little above this line with the Stanley knife, and clean up the edge with scissors. 4) Cut 3.5 to 4 cm when placing the top of the can upside down. Again, cut a little above your mark and clean up with scissors. Holding the scissors with your left hand as a righty really helps here btw. The more room in between your top (inner) part is compared to the bottom, the hotter and quicker it will boil and burn. I tend to favor slower boil times with lower heat, because I also like to cook some other stuff than to just boil water. Experiment and see what works best for you. With certain types of fuel and wind, higher designs also flare up a lot more around your pot. A feature I don&#8217;t care for so much, I like the shorter designs for that reason. 5) make grooves in the top piece with your ruler, carefully but forcefully push the ruler all the way the length of the can to make the grooves where this stove gets its name from. I eyeball this part, and do a groove about every CM. Be sure to make the grooves the entire length, and also include the little rim on the very top off the can. Put two fingers behind the can, your ruler or straight edge against the front. And press. 6) Assemble the stove, for an added little trick, insert two little strips off leftover can in between the walls on the bottom. This takes care of a slight issue of leaving a bit of unburnt fuel. Highly depends if you face this issue however, I only had it really be a consistent issue with the first prototype I made. 7) Very important and do not forget, use the push pin to make two little breather holes in the top part of your stove. Without, and your stove will spill over while burning. Don&#8217;t burn yourself. Finished weight: 6 ~7 grams with 250ml can, Using a Groove Alcohol Stove This Alcohol stove design is very easy to use, and probably one of the best to start out with if your coming from another type of stove like canister or white gas. Its a great performer that you put alcohol in, light up, after a second or two put your pot on, and your off to the races. No difficult priming or primer plates needed. And no pot stand needed. This makes it a breezy experience, and with its easy one can design and no complicated steps, its a great starter or finisher stove depending on your liking. There have been solutions out on also making a simmer ring, or even adjustable heat output for this design. And often combine another strip off aluminium from the same or another can that you can slide up and down the outside to control the amount of exposed &#8220;jets&#8221;. I will experiment with this in the future, so keep up to date by following the blog! With different fuels in this stove I noticed a big difference in the aggressiveness of the flame pattern, with the Dutch spiritus I got that is a little dirtier burned a lot less aggressive. Experiment with different fuel types to find the one to your liking. Boil times &#38; Fuel consumption A Groove Alcohol stove is quite thirsty in my experience, and eats up fuel a bit more than other designs. Compared to for example a Open-Jet beer can design, which burns for 14:09 minutes with 20ml of fuel, the Groove design &#8220;eats&#8221; 20 ml of fuel up in the following way. Tests where done with 400ml of water. Red Groove Stove White Groove Stove Boil: 5:16Total burn time: 6:07 Boil: 6:19Total burn time: 7:01 The Red one I ended up cutting back more to see how that would impact it, and ended up being a gap between the lower and upper off 2 cm. The white one ended up being 1.2 cm from the top. And you can see the impact that had in the table above. Where the larger gap had a quicker boil time, but a faster burnout. And the shorter one had a longer boil time and also a longer total burn time. It&#8217;s good to experiment to see what you like best, and works best with your pot. I did all my tests with the Tomshoo 750 ml pot. Noise Its funny to talk about noise with Alcohol stoves, since this is not really an issue. I thought I mention it however since this design in use you can hear more than other Alcohol stoves. Which was surprising to me. Any noise compared to other stove systems is basically non existent however. And the noise is minimal. You can only really hear it when your right next to it. Older designs I started out with cutting the top of the can off as well, this is more hassle than its worth in my opinion. And also results in a less durable design. With the top rim of the can intact, but the inner cut out you end up with a sturdier design that will last longer, and also removes the need for making 2 cuts precise. So I recommend going for the design described in this article. Conclusion I like this design a lot, and I think you will too. If you are curious about why so many hikers like Alcohol stoves than this one is a great one to start out with to see what the fuss is about. No specialty tools or materials needed, and you just need a single can to make this one. So try it out and see how it works for you and your needs. For my favorite Alcohol stoves its still a toss up between the Fancy Feast, Open jet beer can, and this design. Which is yours? Happy hiking and Hike for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Easy, single can design, and one of the lightest. That’s the Groove Alcohol stove in a nutshell. Rapid bloom time of only a few seconds and no pot stand required. I like this design, here is how to make one and some points on use. What you will need for this Alcohol stove design is a single 250 ml soda can, could be an Energy drink can, or in my case, a cola can that was kicking around in my…</p>
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		<title>SuperCat Alcohol Stove</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/supercat-alcohol-stove/</link>
					<comments>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/supercat-alcohol-stove/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:49:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alcohol Stoves]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3485</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[One of the easiest designs for Alcohol stoves you can try out is the SuperCat stove, in this article I cover how to make one and how it performs. What you will need to make this Alcohol stove is the following: This stove is very easy to build and assemble by popular design by John Woods, and that is why it is such a hit for hikers that are curious about alcohol stoves. And preferably have a cat, or somebody in their circle that has a cat. I have got a couple friends and family that have cats, so once in a while I get a delivery of cat food cans for my projects with alcohol stoves. The only specialty tool you will need is to get a hole punch, these you can pick up quite cheaply at a hobby store, DIY stores like Hornbach, OBI, Gamma / Praxis, or Home Depot in America. And many other places. I even seen them in my local supermarket Netto in a seasonal product lineup. If you keep your eye out, or just order one online from Amazon. You can find them very easily. You can do without the hole punch and instead use a church key, knife, or other way of making a hole in soft aluminum. But a hole punch makes for a easy and neat way to get this stove build. Construction of the SuperCat stove First step, open the cat food can and take out the contents. I.e. feed your cat. Second step, take a safety can opener and cut off the top ring of the can. This makes punching the holes easier. Alternatively, you can crimp the little lip on the inside of the can with a pair of pliers to keep the top part intact. Third step, make holes in the stove with the hole punch close to the top. You can be scientific about this, and try out more or less holes. Or to make two rows of holes. I tend to go for a single row with fewer holes for a less aggressive flame pattern. Since I dislike a pot engulfed in flames. In this specific example I go for: I did a total of 12 holes, with about 1.5 cm space in between them. 1 cm from the top rim down. Total weight at the end: 6 grams Using the SuperCat Alcohol stove The SuperCat requires a preheating time, and is therefore at a disadvantage with other Alcohol stove designs. After putting your fuel in the SuperCat, you need to give it around a minute to preheat until you can see the Alcohol start to boil inside the stove. At that point you can pot your pot directly on the stove to begin cooking. Always make sure before lighting it that it is on even ground, and your pot is not at an extreme angle on top. This stove has a risk of tipping over, and due to not having any wicking material inside, if tipped over, it can quickly turn very dangerous. So have your water bottle ready, and think twice before using it in a dry grassy field for example. This stove also works best with wider pots, the Tomshoo 750ml pot for example has the flames licking up on the sides. And makes for less efficient times. As with any Alcohol stove, use a windscreen for best results. Even in a light breeze. I went ahead and also made a smaller SuperCat type stove from a leftover deodorant can I had in my pile, and tested it out as well. You can also make a SuperCat stove using the bottom of aluminium beer bottles, or other containers. Also works for example with Tuna cans. Boil times and fuel efficiency I did three tests with the SuperCat stove which you can see the results from down below in the table. Two tests with my Esbit cook set, and one with my Tomshoo 750ml pot. Esbit being made from aluminium, Tomshoo with Titanium. On all the tests I used 2cl of &#8220;Brennspiritus&#8221;, or alcohol fuel you can easily get here in Germany in any supermarket. Its not as clean burning as Bio-Ethanol or hot as Methanol, but does the job. Stove &#38; Pot Bloom (seconds) Pot on (seconds) Boil time Out at SuperCat with Tomshoo pot 38 54 7:25 8:00 SuperCat with Esbit pot 38 40 5:55 7:10 Tiny SuperCat with Tomshoo pot 44 53 7:10 7:15 *With the Tiny SuperCat I&#8217;m being generous with calling it a boil, but bubbles where starting to get going. For my money, which was nothing but my time since I got the cans for free, and already had the tools. I will stick to other Alcohol stove designs out there. Since I dislike the aggressive flame pattern they have, and they are not suited for smaller diameter pots. Which I like to use for most solo outings or day hikes. The SuperCat stove is also not very windproof, while using a windscreen, I saw huge flareups that rose a good hand width or two over the windscreen and pot. That makes me much less excited for this kind off design compared to others. Like the jetted type stoves, which are way more stable and calm during use. Other Alcohol stoves options You got a lot of choice and options for homemade or DIY Alcohol stoves, and the SuperCat stove design is just scratching the surface of them. I invite you to take a look at my other articles on Alcohol stoves, and encourage you to try out a couple of them to see what works best for your needs. They are all very cheaply made, or using exclusively recycled material that you find next to the trail or in town. For the hiker on a budget, or the hiker that likes to play around with DIY gear they are a great creative outlet. My two favorite Alcohol stoves at the moment are: Fancy Feast Alcohol stove Beer can Alcohol stove &#124; Open Jet Which is yours? If its the SuperCat, feel free to disagree with me down in the comments. Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the easiest designs for Alcohol stoves you can try out is the SuperCat stove, in this article I cover how to make one and how it performs. What you will need to make this Alcohol stove is the following: This stove is very easy to build and assemble by popular design by John Woods, and that is why it is such a hit for hikers that are curious about alcohol stoves.</p>
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		<title>Beer Can Alcohol Stove &#124; Open Jet</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/beer-can-alcohol-stove/</link>
					<comments>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/beer-can-alcohol-stove/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:57:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alcohol Stoves]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3439</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[One stove that I wanted to make and try out for a long time is a DIY open Jet Alcohol Stove made from a single beer can. After many attempts and trial and error, I have found one that is relatively foolproof to make. Design and build This design is not my original idea, and is done a thousand times on the internet. I have picked up a few pointers however that I have not seen before. And I think makes this stove a lot easier to build and use. What you need to replicate my specific design are the following tools and materials: As always, be careful with sharp edges and tools. And your playing with fire. So take care and precautions! Step 1. Get yourself an empty beer or soda can, in a half a liter can. Step 2. Cut the top off the can, which you can do quick and dirty with a Stanley knife. A file, or safety can opener. My particular safety can opener does not work so well, and dents the can all around. Yours can differ. Step 3. Measure and mark 3 CM from the bottom, and 4 CM from the top and draw a line all around the can. Step 4. Cut the lines neatly, or do as I do and rough cut with the Stanley knife a bit over the mark, and fine cut with the scissors. Step 5. Make the center part by cleaning up the leftover inner part. Make one straight edge, measure 4 CM and cut with the Stanley knife next to your ruler. Measure inside the can until a nice fit, and cut off about 1 CM off both ends to make the overlap a bit shorter. Until it measures 17.5 cm in length and 4 cm wide. Stick with a piece of tape to hold. Or if you have a stapler you can use that as well. Step 6. With the hole punch make 4 open holes on the bottom of the inner. With one on the edge of the overlap. Bend over the end pieces of that part to further hold the shape together. Remove or keep the piece of tape, depending on how well it keeps together. Once inside the stove, it will burn off, and hold together due to the fit. Step 7. Crimp the bottom can with the Needle nosed pliers all around. Else fitting the pieces together is a nightmare. Step 8. Assemble the three pieces. Go slow, and use a piece of wood to apply equal pressure. Guide the inner wall as needed into place. Fold over the bottom lip as needed. Step 9. Use the push pin to create the jets all around, more jets is quicker boil times, less jets makes for a more gentle cooker. I space mine around 1 cm apart, and right on the lip of the can. Higher and you can not use a pot stand. Angle the push pin upwards once your through, and make sure you don&#8217;t poke all the way through the inner wall. Step 10. With you V file, make 4 grooves in the upper lip off the stove. This makes sure that the stove does not over pressurize. And spits out fuel when properly going. Step 11. Burn outside and in a controlled environment for the first time. Due to the little piece of tape that&#8217;s still in there your burning a bit of plastic. You do not want to be breathing pretty much any alcohol stove that your burning for the first time. So take precautions. Using an Open Jet Alcohol Stove The design is roughly inspired by a regular Trangia Alcohol stove, and works on the same principle. This DIY version however eliminates the need for a pot stand. And is quite a good chunk lighter, weighing in at 11 grams in total. Boil times and burn With my standard test of 400ml of water from the faucet, and 2 cl of alcohol stove fuel, I managed to get a 50 second to 1:05 bloom, and a boil including the bloom time of 8:29 minutes. Take the bloom time off that figure, and your left with a 7:24 boil time. Not the fastest, but as you can see with a couple tests I ran with similar stoves on the same day, pretty fuel efficient. All tests where run on the same day, and in windy conditions. Stove Type Fuel Type Water Amount Fuel Amount Bloom Time Boil Time Total Time Notes Open Jet 1Red DM Fuel 400 ml 20 ml 1:05 8:29 11:05 Burnout at 11:05 Open Jet 2Red rossman 400 ml 20 ml 1:05 8:49 14:09 Long burn time Capillary Red Bull Stove DM Fuel 400 ml 20 ml – 5:45 7:05 Quick boil but thirsty Open Jet 3 (The blue one) DM Fuel 400 ml 20 ml 0:50 7:31 11:36 Faster boil due to more jet holes Three tests where performed with the Open Jet alcohol stove, the red one I made earlier, and one test with the blue one I made as an example in this article, all tested with the Tomshoo 750 ml pot, and windscreen. Upsides One big upside that I like most about these types of stoves is that the burn is very controlled and clean one you have got it bloomed. With this design you also do not need a pot stand. Simply put your pot on top once bloomed. Due to it being low to the ground it&#8217;s also a very stable stove, and knocking it over while stirring for example is difficult to do. You also only need one can to make it, which I always like for practical reasons and to not have a bunch of material leftover. In Germany where I live, there is also Pfand on the cans, so I&#8217;m &#8220;wasting&#8221; 25 cents with every stove I build. But maybe that&#8217;s my Dutch cheapness coming in. I am therefore always on the lookout on the train station if I spot a can. Which I often do. One man&#8217;s trash is another man&#8217;s treasure. As the saying goes. It&#8217;s also not only a pretty flame pattern to look at, but a very manageable one and controlled. You don&#8217;t have flames shooting up the sides of your pot, and you can still use your pot handle without gloves and burning yourself. A complaint I have with many other alcohol stove designs. Downsides The most obvious downside I see with this stove is that it needs the time to bloom up before use. In practice we are talking about ~one minute however, and their has not been a situation where that would matter one bit on any of my hikes. I have been hungry, but not one minute away from starving to death. Possible downside number two is that it will perform more poorly in colder weather. Due to the fuel needing to be vaporized for the stove to work. More experience with this stove design in winter will be the judge of that however. And if you have already been out with this stove in winter. Then I ask you to share it down below in the comments. When colder temparures hit, I will update this article. I expect however that it will only effect the time to bloom. Conclusion and comparison In conclusion, I like these kind off DIY alcohol stoves, they are a bit more involved to make than other options. But if you have the patience and some tools to make them, they get better with practice. If they take the place of my favorite stove, that is still to be decided. But they can be great fun to make and play around with. What I like most about this beer can alcohol stove concept is that they burn for a long time on 20ml of fuel, with times ranging from 11 minutes, to 14 minutes. And they burn very controlled once you got the pot on. This makes it a great option for a bit more regular cooking, or Trail Meals that require a bit more than just boiling water. For example a Red lentil stew. Take a look at my previous articles about DIY Alcohol stoves to learn more about other designs. 5 popular DIY Alcohol stoves Fancy Feast Mark 3 Which Alcohol stove is your favorite to use? Let me know in the comments! Happy hiking and Hike for Purpose!]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One stove that I wanted to make and try out for a long time is a DIY open Jet Alcohol Stove made from a single beer can. After many attempts and trial and error, I have found one that is relatively foolproof to make. This design is not my original idea, and is done a thousand times on the internet. I have picked up a few pointers however that I have not seen before. And I think makes…</p>
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		<title>Popular DIY Alcohol Stoves</title>
		<link>https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/popular-diy-alcohol-stoves/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:05:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Gear reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alcohol Stoves]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hikeforpurpose.com/?p=3386</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In this article I wanted to compare 5 popular types of Alcohol Stoves, and talk about the upsides and downsides of each of them. Lets light up some stoves! With the five types of alcohol stoves I will focus on my experiences with them and put them to the test, where I measure and talk about the following three focus points: Alcohol stoves tested and discussed in this article: Puck stoveSuperCat stoveFancy Feast stovePenny stoveCapillary (Rift) stove All these stoves are very lightweight, with the lightest coming in at 5 grams (capillary stove). For exact weights for each type of stove you will have to make your own, since there are many variables. Where possible, I added the weights of my stoves in the Ease of Construction talking point. Puck Alcohol stoves Puck alcohol stoves are made popular by several Cone windscreen designs, and often come in a set with them included. They are about as basic a burner as it gets, and can be made easily yourself. Ease of construction All you really have to do is get some carbon felt or fiberglass and put it in an empty vaseline can or similar. Takes all off about 2 minutes to make. And is a step up from a Tealight alcohol stove, while operating on the same principle. You can also forgo the fiberglass and carbon felt and use just the can with fuel in it to operate. This is obviously a risk when knocking it over and spilling, since there is nothing to absorb the fuel. The flame pattern will also be more sporadic without a wick in there. Weight 17 grams Boil times Boil times with the stoves are one of the more variable ones in this test list, and can vary on the size of the can you use, and the distance that your pot sits on. In my testing with a small vaseline can stuffed with carbon felt I could get a boil of 400ml of water in 6:17 seconds. And it burned for a total of 10 minutes on 20ml of fuel. With a different pot stand I could not a boil. So experiment around which works best for you. In the future I plan on making or buying a cone windshield, to see how this performs. Ease of use Due to its low heat output, a puck stove can be used to cook stuff it bit more gently than other stoves on this list. And I used it with some succes to have myself a barbecue for one. For grilling up sausages the heat output is not to hot for example. If your looking for a first introduction to alcohol stoves, this design is about as easy to use as you can get. And requires you to pour your alcohol in, light it up, cover with a pot stand. And your cooking. SuperCat Alcohol stove The SuperCat alcohol stove is a popular design by John Woods, and his very in dept article or pdf on this type of stove is very comprehensive, when your interested I recommend giving it a read. This design is relatively new to me, and can be made very easily and cheaply. With only a single cat food can. Weight 6 grams Ease of construction All you need is a cat food, tuna, or potted meat can and a hole punch to make this stove. empty out the can and give it a clean, squeeze the inner rim of the opening with a pair of pliers, and go around the stove with the hole punch (~6mm) to make this stove. The alcohol sits in this stove also without any material, and is therefore also a spilling hazard. When knocked over, you better have some extra water on hand to keep a forest fire from happening. Boil times Boil time for 400ml of water with 20ml of Bio Ethanol fuel was 6 minutes 30 seconds, which is pretty fast for an alcohol stove. You do need to prime it and give it around 30 seconds for the flames to come out of the holes. So total time is more around 7 minutes to get 400ml of water to a boil. As always, your results may vary, depending on the holes you make, wind, temperature, etc. Ease of use I have tried a couple of different designs and ideas with different results, and this stove can be a bit finicky to get right and use. After lighting the stove, you will need to wait until the alcohol starts to boil or vaporize before putting your pot on. And a cold and wet pot can put it out in my experience. Move to fast with putting your pot on, and you can start again. Another prototype I made from a leftover bottom of a hairspray can worked a bit better, it is sadly also a stove that is very hungry. And could not get in any of my tests 400ml of water to a boil with 20 ml of alcohol. This design is for those reasons not my favorite, and I will continue to toy around with versions of it. But a place in my backpack this stove will not have anytime soon. Do you disagree? Let me know in the comments! I have since writing this article made a dedicated one for the SuperCat Alcohol stove for further reading. Fancy Feast stove For a few years now already, a Fancy Feast stove is my favorite alcohol stove. After testing a bunch of different designs for DIY projects, and commercially available options like the Trangia stove. The Fancy Feast design wins out in almost any test I come up with. Weight 24 grams Ease of construction The idea behind the Fancy Feast stove first originated with Zelph stoves, and the Tomato paste can design came from Hiram Cooks over on YouTube. It is one of the easiest stoves to make for a DIY project, and you can learn how in my previous three articles I did on this design. It comes down to emptying the can, finding some wicking material and cutting the Tomato paste can. The whole process takes around 15 minutes. And does not require a lot of exact measuring or difficult steps. So it can be a fun project for a DIY afternoon. Boil times Boil times are fast with a Fancy Feast, and I can get a pretty reliable boil for 400ml of water within 6 to 7 minutes on 20ml of Bio Ethanol. Which is pretty fast in my tests with these types of alcohol stoves. Ease of use By far my favorite feature for the Fancy Feast type stoves is that it is a joy to use, no difficult priming, no saying a prayer when you put your pot on. And no pot stand needed. Pour some alcohol in, wait a second for the wick to absorb the fuel, light it up and put your pot on. That&#8217;s all there is to it. I used to enjoy fooling around with alcohol stoves that needed to prime a lot more, such as jet or penny can stoves, but I have lost that somewhat over the years. Right now I enjoy the ease and simplicity of the design that is not only my favorite, but many alcohol stove enthousiastst out there. I recommend you try to make this one. And don&#8217;t let the Carbon Felt scare you, this can be had pretty cheaply online, or if you are unable, a cotton wick from an old shirt works just as well. And will last for a lot of use before needing replacing. Penny stove If I can remember correctly, the penny soda can stoves are the first alcohol stoves that I made at ~12 years old. And still holds a place after all those years. Penny stoves have the simple pleasure of being a joy to look at while lit, and form a nice ring of jets from the alcohol vapor, similar to a normal gas stove. Ease of construction Maybe its just me, but building a penny can stove I have screwed up more times than I can count. Mainly due to fitting the two halves of the stove design together. Here is where the slightest rough edge can cause a split. And makes it so that you have to start over again. I therefore do not recommend this as your first alcohol stove design if you are just alcohol stove curious. And not very handy or patient. Others on this list are way easier to construct, and a lot more difficult to screw up than a Penny can stove. The internet is full of tutorials on how to build a penny can stove, I recommend watching a couple YouTube video&#8217;s where a lot of content creators have hours upon hours of video on the subject. And as always, zenstoves.net is a great resource considering all things alcohol stoves. Weight 14 grams Boil times Penny stoves tend to be quite hot, due to their pressurized design. Priming will take the longest, and bringing 400ml of water to the boil I saw at around 5:30 minutes. But in total you will often need a few minutes, and sometimes a few tries, to get the alcohol stove lit. Which also eats away at the boil time in my opinion. Ease of use Penny can stoves are not the easiest to use, and require time to heat up and prime to get burning over the jets. Therefore it is needed to get a primer plate or binding some fiberglass wick around the stove to be able to prime it easily. Once lit you often need a pot stand depending on the design, and you will need to put a penny in the fill port at the top. That is to keep it burning only via the jets, and thus preventing wasted fuel. For an introduction to alcohol stoves, I would steer away from penny stoves or similar stoves that you will need to prime externally. This can turn people off quite quickly, especially coming from canister stoves. Capillary (Groove) stove A recent addition to my testing and playing around with DIY alcohol stoves are Capillary stoves, in its basic form it is one of the easiest stoves to build. And can be used with great succes. With way faster bloom times then closed or open jet designs, the stoves I have build and played around with bloom within 5 seconds of lighting. Check out the dedicated article I made to this stove type: Groove Alcohol stove They are quite a bit thirstier than Fancy Feast stoves in my testing though. And spill easily due to not having a wicking material. Care needs to be taken that your working on a solid base. The upside is that you can snuff them out, and recover any leftover fuel quite easily. Weight 5 grams Ease of construction My first design that I got from the YouTuber Viscous Landan was incredibly easy to put together, and even with minimal effort you can get a functional stove within a few minutes of tinkering. It can also be put together using only 1 soda can (Redbull in my case). Which I like since you don&#8217;t have to waste more. In Germany there is a 25 cent return for every soda can, so my Dutch cheapness shines through in wasting more than I need to. Boil times Boil times are quite fast, at my testing I got a boil on 400ml of water at 6:37, using 20ml of alcohol it burned for a total of 9 minutes. Boil times vary greatly according to my testing with the wind factor and a closed windscreen or partly open. With a fully closed windscreen burning way hotter, at 5:39 a boil, and burning for only a total of 6:53. Flames shoot out all over the place, and even go way above the windscreen. Which is not something I am looking for in...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this article I wanted to compare 5 popular types of Alcohol Stoves, and talk about the upsides and downsides of each of them. Lets light up some stoves! With the five types of alcohol stoves I will focus on my experiences with them and put them to the test, where I measure and talk about the following three focus points: Alcohol stoves tested and discussed in this article…</p>
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