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A little about dry fuel, home-made and factory stoves for it, the history of the issue.
I want to talk about the experience of using pelletized fuel. The main hero of the review will be the legendary Esbit tile, which has not changed much since the Second World War; a similar stove of the British army will be compared to it.
I will also share a simple super-budget homemade version for dry fuel.
As a conclusion, there will be a small fishing photo report using dry fuel tiles.
Why and why exactly dry fuel
I don't go to the mountains, I don't raft down the mountain rivers, and I don't wander into the forest for days-long hunting. But I fish a lot.
Sometimes I like to do it alone, often we visit Seversky Donets with a comrade together. We catch often, but not for a long time - with a maximum of two overnight stays, mostly with one. We practically do not cook in nature, we take snacks of various types of “dry rations” with us.
Only when the wives are traveling with us, or a large company is going to celebrate - options begin with fish soup, shurpa, barbecue, kulesh ... - we make fires, use gas, etc.
And on our fishing trips, only hot drinks are in demand. Sometimes we make boiling water to close sublimates, warm up the stew. Fresh hot tea/coffee in the early morning... when the sun is just breaking through the crowns of trees, and warm water soars in the first rays... Or at the beginning of a cold October night... when the thermometer is stubbornly approaching zero... What could be better?
There is no time to make a fire especially on our semi-sport fishing trips. As a rule, they took thermoses with them, last year they tried dry fuel - they liked it. It turns out simple, inexpensive, trouble-free.
I don't think it makes sense to compare gas, alcohol, kerosene, wood chips or urotropine tablets. Everything has its pros and cons, its own optimal scope.
Dry fuel shows itself well if there are few users - two people or one. Otherwise, it's better to use something else.
The disadvantages of pelletized fuel include the following points:
Relatively low energy. A Kharkov-made tablet weighing 7.5 grams burns for about 8 minutes, but two of these are enough for me to boil 300-400 grams of water at +10 degrees (without a lid).
It is impossible to accurately control the intensity of combustion
The fuel must be protected from moisture.
Domestic tablets smoke dishes (although it is easily washed).
When burning the most accessible to me Severodonetsk or Kharkov tablets, there is sometimes an unpleasant smell.
But I also see advantages:
The tablet burns stably at sub-zero temperatures (I like to use it when I'm fishing from the ice at the Oskol reservoir).
The flame is quite resistant to wind, although it is better, of course, to hide the burner behind a windshield or in some kind of niche.
No smoke is emitted during combustion, no ash remains.
It is convenient to transport and store (I use cases from the soap bubbles toy). Everything is very safe.
It is extremely simple to use (put it on a fire-resistant base - set it on fire with a match, you can put it out at any time).
You can still adjust the power. First, using several tablets at once (they should be ignited at once, and not sequentially). Secondly, in one way or another, changing the distance between the fire and the vessel (the optimal gap is 40-50 mm). Thirdly, the tablets can be placed on the edge, instead of laying them flat (it seems to me that this results in a larger burning area, more intense heat transfer).
The price of domestic material is affordable (I buy mostly Kharkiv fuel for 6.8 hryvnias or about 25 cents for a package weighing 60 grams - includes 8 tablets). They say that German fuel is better, but its price is about an order of magnitude higher.
Sold by us in every hozmage.
These circumstances make dry fuel in demand among the military. It is included in the individual diets of various armies of the world, is used by rescuers, tourists and miners of all stripes ... This is an excellent option to get boiling water or warm up food in small quantities.
Dry fuel serves as a source of heat in laboratories. They run various scientific toys-engines, some wanderers use pills to quickly build a fire. I heard that many villagers prefer to tar chickens on tablets ... I saw images of vintage soldering irons on dry fuel, for example, there is a picture from Esbit.
A few words about Esbit
The company was founded in 1936. This was done by a man named Erich Schumm, who came up with the idea of adding a little paraffin to urotropine (by the way, it was invented by the Russian chemist Alexander Butlerov in the sixties of the 19th century) and arranging it all in the form of tablets. The name was also chosen in accordance with the innovation. Esbit- in fact, this is an abbreviation for "Erich Schumms Brennstoff in Tablettenform" or in our language: "fuel in tablets from Erich Schum."
The invention would be incomplete if some kind of support had not been built for fuel briquettes (Esbit's fuel looks like small blocks). Mr. Noise first made a kind of pencil case with a double casing, the halves of which stood on both sides of the pallet.
Then he modernized the design, which has survived to this day almost in its original form. It was a metal folding box the size of a deck of cards.
This period of formation is tightly savored by the company - the pioneers, after all, this is normal.
On the company's website, on the page describing the history of development, there is a large gap of several years. This is World War II. The fact is that Esbit tiles, together with branded solid fuels, were actively used in the Wehrmacht, both when equipping ordinary Deutsche Soldaten equipment, and for special specialties, for example, front-line doctors.
After the war, the company refocused on builders, tourists and other vacationers. It was even offered to buy products for the home, for the family. As advertising, completely different posters appeared.
Now Esbit supplies the Bundeswehr, in addition to dry fuel and burners for it, it produces: thermoses, camping accessories, piece-by-piece camping utensils and power systems, related accessories ... There is an overview of a lighter with the logo of a German company on the muzzle.
The family-run business from Hamburg is now run by the grandchildren of Erich Schum, who operate under the slogan "Made to Survive" and have earned themselves an excellent reputation.
Here is their website, where you can look at the range of useful gadgets: esbit.de/
Here is their presentation channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUwCvZdvjhMFVkezzOKz7KKw
Burner Esbit Pocket stove MadeToSurvive + British stove + my version for 3 kopecks
I note that at first I saw pictures on the internet and made a stove from improvised materials. Then I decided to buy an original factory product - mainly out of sporting interest. The Esbit pocket folding burner is sold in Ukraine, but, however, it costs quite well: about 12-13 bucks on average (along with a package of fuel).
The cheapest thing I googled was in the fiskars-tools.com.ua/vmchk/Posuda-i-kuxni-ESBIT.html store (where, by the way, I took the Khultafors knife from a recent review). And there were second-hand offers.
In the military-sm.com/ store, which specializes in all sorts of military things, I saw Esbit used stoves for 50 hryvnias (less than $ 2). There, for comparison, I ordered a British army tile similar in spirit, which is sold new, but at a price of about 5.5 bucks.
The tiles were sent by New Mail, in a cardboard box - a day after payment. From Kharkov to Slavyansk, the shipment cost me 37 hryvnias. The burners were abundantly wrapped with stretch film. The English stove had a separate package.
Esbit stove
The baby has very modest dimensions: 98 X 77 X 20 mm. Weighs only 86 grams.
The German burner is made of galvanized steel with a thickness of about half a millimeter. Everything is very reliable and high quality. Stamped perfectly, where necessary - small stiffening ribs are created.
Although this is second-hand, the petals go quite tightly, the rivets and stoppers hold the movable connection perfectly.
There are 3 fixed positions in total: fully closed, fully open, intermediate, thanks to which you can put not only a frying pan, teapot or pot, but also a small mug or cezve. The feeling that the product will fold / decompose somewhere is completely absent.
The teeth on the petals allow the fire to pass to the set dishes from all sides.
On the main platform, a recess was made for a rectangular fuel tablet. The name of the company is embossed on it and it says that the product was made in Germany.
Also on the pallet inside there is an inscription D.R.P.u.Ausl.Patente which means Deutsches Reichs-Patent und Auslndische Patente or "German Patent Office and Foreign Patents". I mean, everything here is kind of very serious.
On the front side, both petals are endowed with a very beautiful logo relief. It also shows that the sashes can be placed both in the extreme and in the intermediate position.
I don't know how old this stove is, but there isn't an ounce of rust anywhere. It was only smoked in places (it was partly, partly I added it in the process of using it).
English military oven
British tiles are sold in the store new, that is, they are “warehousing”, either decommissioned, or reduced by the glorious NATO ensigns. This device is larger than the German one, although the design is similar.
Product dimensions: 120 X 95 X 30 mm, weight - 139 grams.
Thanks to such dimensions, in addition to a tablet of dry fuel, nothing prevents you from throwing a few chips, cones and other husks under the dishes. By the way, Esbit has a model of a more massive tile - with dimensions of 132 X 96 X 39 mm, and even large installations for an Air Force grill, with exactly the same design + grate.
The metal used by the natives is thinner (it looks 30 percent thinner than that of Esbit), which makes everything seem a little noodles. There are stiffening ribs only on top of the leaf-leaves. On the website of the Ukrainian seller it is said that the material of the stove is anodized aluminum, but the piece of iron is magnetized, it must be assumed that this is anodized steel.
Fixing the position of the valves here is a little less clear.
There are also two working positions.
The main joke of the English stove is the presence of a removable frame with a tricky opening.
This opening was conceived for the installation of a British army mug-bowler (made of stainless steel, with a volume of 0.7 liters) Crusader, which, in turn, is clearly connected to the M-58 flask of the British army.
I wanted to get this bowler, but it is not available yet.
My answer is what you know to whom
As I said, first I made my own analogue. In general, there are a lot of options for dry fuel. Many armies order clones of the Esbit furnace. Some manufacturers (including Esbit) also do something similar on a cylinder with an opening on the side, on which a mug / teapot / bowler is placed on top. Esbit has titanium taganka with three legs. The so-called "warmer" is placed in Russian army rations. It is a blister with 3 fuel tablets, a match/matches, a perforated metal plate that needs to be bent in a special way before use - this is a dish holder.
In principle, you can shred any tin can for this business, but I still wanted to stir up an inexpensive stove. The most successful solution seemed to me to be components from drywall systems, namely galvanized connecting elements for assembling profiles. To create a stove, you will need one connector for extending the CD profile along the length and two single-level CD profile connectors (used instead of "crabs" to fasten the profiles at right angles to each other).
There is an interesting point here. When assembling a frame for drywall, you need to choose components with an honest thickness (the thicker the better). But in our case, it makes sense to find an easier (as they say now “deshmansky”) option, since there is plenty of such goodness in our markets.
From single-level connectors, you need to separate the excess.
We drill several inlet holes in the lower part of the main connector.
Then we try on. It is important that there are about 4-5 cm from the tablet to the bottom of the dish - this is the optimal distance for the greatest fuel efficiency.
We twist everything with four 9 mm self-tapping screws with a drill (such as a “flea”).
This is enough to be able to move and stop the sashes in any position, nothing unwinds, contrary to my fears.
It turned out here is such an oven weighing 110 grams. Quite functional. The price came out about 10 hryvnia - or something around 30 cents.
For comparison, here is my first version.
Here, when trimming, I left spiked lugs. The main profile had a more complex section and a greater thickness. And by the way, as a windscreen, I supplemented the design with a plate with an insert (which is used to fix plumbing plastic leads on plasterboard sheathing for subsequent tiling). The design is also working, it stands well on any surfaces, including inclined ones, as it easily sinks into the ground, and on ice. Wind protection was not particularly useful, although the “lipped” one definitely cannot blow out a pill under the plate.
Here they are in the parade:
A small fishing report, where the Esbit tile helped out a lot
The season for catching white fish on the Seversky Donets is slowly departing. The weather deteriorated badly, it rained, it got colder. And the more I want to catch a little more bream. At this time, I switch to morning-afternoon fishing, but this time I was led by delicious barometer indicators. From Friday to Saturday, weather was predicted without precipitation, and most importantly, a sharp increase in the mercury column against the backdrop of low pressure before and after. Therefore, I adjusted the departure so as to get to the peak - I moved to catch from the night. Never regretted.
Big fish started to take as soon as it got dark. At the end of the trip, I was very pleased. During the night I caught seven good bream weighing from 1.2 to 1.8 kg, several good crucian slipped through. I got a test chub weighing 2 kg without 30 grams - a real fighter, bent the feeder-medium into a bagel.
Photos of cute trophies
However, at night and in the morning it was really not hot. The thermometer read +2 degrees at 3 am.
A couple of times I made tea at night, in the morning I dabbled in coffee. He treated drinks to no less fished comrades who were standing in a nearby place.
Thank you for your attention.
Going on a hike, fishing, picnic, especially in treeless areas or mountains, tourists experience certain problems with fuel or fuel for cooking hot food and heating. And sometimes there is simply no physical opportunity to kindle a fire from firewood. This is especially true in the demi-season period, when hot food and heating are simply necessary for a comfortable existence in the bosom of nature. In this case, tourists use various liquid, gaseous and solid fuels based on hydrocarbons. In other words, gasoline or diesel fuel, gas (in bottles) or dry fuel in tablets.
Any liquid fuel gives tourists a lot of trouble. Canisters for him are quite voluminous. And as the liquid fuel is consumed, its volume does not decrease. Although a certain way out may be the packaging of liquid fuel in small containers. Any slightest leak of liquid fuel becomes a disaster. And it’s good if it didn’t happen on products. And besides, a special device is needed to burn liquid fuel - a stove for gasoline or a special stove for diesel fuel. And it has to be carried regardless of whether there is fuel or not.
Gaseous fuel also has its own characteristics. He needs not only a special device for burning, but also special containers for storage. Those. cylinders. Self-packaging of gas into cylinders is impossible, so tourists are forced to buy already packaged gas for quite a lot of money. In addition, there is the problem of recycling already used cylinders. It is unlikely that anyone will agree to carry an empty tin can in order to dispose of it “correctly”. And an empty gas canister is the same empty tin can.
Dry fuel in tablets is almost an ideal option ... Stored in a bag, it is quite calorific as fuel. But - its price just rolls over ... Therefore, I use it either very financially prepared tourists, or as an “extreme case.
Meanwhile, such a very affordable and cheap fuel (fuel) as paraffin (or stearin) remained “behind the scenes”. The same paraffin that is used in household and decorative candles. Its calorific value is at the level of other oil products (25-30 MJ/kg), it is one of the most calorific fuels. So far there has been a problem with using paraffin as a fuel because it was very difficult to ignite it.
In a candle, paraffin burns without problems - put a match to the wick - so it burns. But the physics of burning a candle is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Because paraffin in its pure form does not burn (like gasoline or firewood). Only its vapors burn! Therefore, the wick of the candle actually does not just burn, but starts a chain reaction! First, a microscopic dose of the wick material is burned, which evaporates the microscopic portion of paraffin on the wick. When it burns, it evaporates the next portion of paraffin, which, when burned, evaporates .. and so on ... In general, paraffin cannot be ignited without a wick, and the wick will burn out very quickly and uselessly without paraffin. Here is such a "sweet couple".
But using paraffin as a "dry fuel" is very tempting! Firstly, it is not expensive (35-45 rubles / kg), which is very acceptable for tourist purposes. It is absolutely not in short supply, and is sold at retail and wholesale. At least in the form of candles. Paraffin does not leak (because it is solid at ordinary temperatures), has no unpleasant odor, is absolutely not afraid of water, is very heat-resistant, etc. Perhaps its only drawback is that when burning, it emits a bit too much soot (with a non-optimal combustion mode). But this is a solvable issue. There is only a small problem - to make it burn on its own, and not with a wick, like a candle. The fact is that when paraffin is burned on a wick, heat is released by an order of magnitude less than when the same area of paraffin is burned by itself ... You will boil a couple of cups of water on “candles” for an hour. Therefore, it is tempting to make the entire surface of the paraffin burn. Then a decent dinner can be prepared.
I decided to tackle this problem, and solved it as a result of numerous experiments. (see the forum "camping and emergency paraffin stove")
You can read about all the experiments on the forum, and I will immediately tell you how to make a “tablet” of home-made dry fuel from paraffin. Dry it, of course, only when it does not burn. The melting point of paraffin is in the region of 60-80 degrees, therefore, in the process of burning, paraffin from dry fuel becomes liquid.
So, we need an empty tin can, preferably the largest possible area and as flat as possible. Approximately as from "sprat", the smaller and flatter, the better.
From a piece of foam rubber, we first cut out a “donut” that follows the contours of the can. If the jar is rectangular (preferably round), then the bagel should be rectangular. The bagel, of course, should go inside the jar and so that there are a few millimeters to the edges of the jar.
With the help of sharp scissors on the bagel, we cut out a part of the foam rubber, so that the teeth would form. The fact is that flat foam rubber impregnated with paraffin is just as difficult to ignite as just a flat surface of paraffin. But the protruding parts of the foam rubber light up very willingly. Therefore, the more often and sharper the teeth, the better.
We fill the jar with melted paraffin and lower our bagel into it. With a wooden stick or tweezers, we slightly tuck our crown so that its main part is in the thickness of the molten paraffin, and the teeth are on the surface. But the teeth should also be slightly soaked in paraffin. And now we give our jar of paraffin to cool.
So our dry-liquid fuel for the trip is ready!
In order to use our “tablet”, it is enough to light the tops of the “pyramids” protruding from the paraffin. And in a few minutes, the entire surface of the paraffin will blaze with a hot flame. And it will burn fairly evenly until all the paraffin burns out. The burning rate is about 1 cm per hour. Based on this, you can make "tablets" of various thicknesses for your needs. For morning coffee or dinner. Or night heating.
In my experiments paraffin showed very encouraging results. In particular, a jar with a diameter of 8 cm and a depth of 3 cm (150 ml) burned for about 3-3.5 hours with an even flame. Theoretically, during this time, she "gave out" about 1 kW of thermal energy (3600 KJ), which would be enough to boil about 8-10 liters of water .... You can draw your own conclusions about the calorific value of fuel. How much firewood do you need to boil a bucket of water, and a small tin can ...
Of course, for better utilization of the heat of burning paraffin, you should use a special stove, which will not only allow more efficient use of the heat of burning paraffin, but also protect the dishes from soot. Although it is very easy to wash off with any dishwashing detergent ...
Konstantin Timoshenko.
Good day. I have been interested in making homemade camping stoves for a long time, long before registering on this forum. Probably all these stoves were discussed here, but I will post the accumulated information:
For tourist needs, we have always used a stove like this
Well, it's convenient, now with a 25 liter gas bottle it is a backup way of cooking in the coming difficult winter. But such beautiful stoves, this is not for preppers, you need something to relieve the itching in your hands.
On a camping forum, one person described a portable stove he uses to heat up food on short day trips. According to his description, I made the same for myself.
For this burner, I needed Ethanol gel and a hanger for the false ceiling frame.
Ethanol gel is used for fondue makers. I bought it in a supermarket, where stainless steel dishes are sold.
The overall impression of this stove is not so hot. Yes, the thing is compact, not expensive, ethanol gel lasts for a long time. But it’s hard to cook food on it; rather, it’s a stove for heating food.
Once after reading the Internet, I tried to make an alcohol burner. There is a lot of information about such a burner on the Internet and it was mentioned here. It is not difficult to do, an hour of torment and there is a new toy. A toy because it really is a toy. For its operation, you must also have a syringe (for refilling alcohol) and a bottle of alcohol with you. Since alcohol evaporates easily, it cannot be refilled earlier, so all alcohol must be carried with you in a bottle. And you can’t take a lot of bulky things with you on the road (hike, escape, exodus to another place of residence). So I think this oven is not practical. Moreover, it is made from two beer cans. And they are very thin and, I think, will not last long with regular overheating.
Another variation of the portable heaters I have used is a mixture of a paint can and an Indian candle. I must say right away that I was disappointed with this stove and do not consider it a good option for the main way of cooking, or heating water in difficult conditions.
So, for starters, we take an empty jar of paint or varnish lying around in the household.
From the bottom in the center we punch a lot of holes to ensure the flow of fresh air into the combustion zone.
The fact that the photo turned out to be small and the first tests were not successful, so I increased the number of holes and their size.
From above, I installed three bolts that act as a stand for dishes in which food is cooked.
Well, it's clear from the photo. We lay chips, paper inside, put on bricks to ensure free air flow. We set fire, inflate, look and get upset. Twice I tried to kindle this stove and I never got a long steady burning. It was more like smoldering. When half of the chips smolder, it starts to burn. But the burning time was not enough for me to boil 1-1.5 liters. water. The water was heated to a state of hot, but did not boil.
Therefore, rummaging through the bowels of the Internet, I decided to make myself another version of the stove. The manufacturing process of the stove was approximately the following:
We cut metal squares and cut out all the squiggles according to the paper layout. I tried to cut out all the “patterns” with a grinder, but it didn’t turn out beautifully, so I cut down all the details the old fashioned way with a hammer, chisel and someone’s mother.
Then it is desirable to process all the details on a knife and assemble them into a single structure.
Tests
The overall impression is good. In any case, this option is better than those described above. It is easy to ignite and steady combustion can be achieved. You just need to constantly control the combustion and throw up chips. In parallel with the tests, I was also doing my own business, as a result, my stove died out three times. In general, I did not wait until the water boils, though I took a large pot and poured 2.5 liters of water. So I think in field conditions, in an ordinary pot with a small amount of water, this stove has the right to life.
I still got to the creation of a camping stove on dry fuel. When looking for a possible solution to what this stove should be, I realized that with such fuel, it should be small. and compact. Initially, I planned to make it from a profile for drywall CD. But, unfortunately, neither at home nor friends had a piece left, and buying a three-meter profile for the sake of 25 cm is not reasonable. Digging through the bins of his farm, he found a piece of painted corrugated board from which he decided to make a stove.
So, cut off the strip and make a blank.
Cut to size
And we collect
I made a stove to fit the dimensions of the dry fuel package, but after assembly it turned out that the rivets prevented the fuel box from being pushed in. 
All the same large pot, which is quite difficult to boil on a portable stove, but it will do for the experiment.
As a result of the experiment, three pieces of dry fuel brought 2 liters of water to the brink of boiling. 
After the end of the experiment, I assess the damage caused to the appearance of the stove
As for the general reviews from this stove. Such a design has the right to life. Lightweight, simple, compact, cheap to manufacture. I liked her performance.
Disadvantages: I miscalculated with the dimensions for a box of dry fuel. While the pieces of dry fuel were burning, there was a slight smell from the burnout of paint and zinc. After all, the corrugated board is initially galvanized, and then it is painted. Here, when heated, it begins to stand out into the atmosphere, which is not good for cooking. I think a similar situation would have happened if I had taken a profile for gypsum board, because it is also galvanized. But these shortcomings relate specifically to my sample, but in general the design is good. It was this stove that took its place in my alarming suitcase.
Thank you all for your attention!
Hiking in nature is relevant at any time of the year. Hunting and fishing are a real hobby for many people. And who among us does not like to just wander through the forest or go with his family to a river or lake. This is where heating devices become relevant, on which you can warm a cup of tea or even cook food. Shops today are overflowing with such devices. But why spend extra money when you can make a simple and efficient stove-heater yourself from a piece of drywall profile.
In fact, such stoves or heating pads were first made by the German inventor and businessman Erich Schumm back in the 30s of the last century. He is also credited with the creation of pelletized fuel, which we all know as “dry alcohol”. Stoves like ours were widely used during the Second World War by German soldiers. But what's really surprising is that Esbit still makes them today. Here is a truly simple and ingenious invention that does not lose its relevance today!
Such a homemade product can be attributed to simple and ingenious life hack inventions, which can be made in 5-10 minutes literally from anything. It weighs nothing at all, and does not burden a real tourist at all. The case is designed in such a way that dry fuel and even matches are freely placed in it. Well, why are we praising the product here, let's get down to business.
What is a homemade miracle oven made of
To make such a heater, we need:- Piece of drywall steel profile CD 60x28, length - 25-30 cm;
- Rivets construction for a tin;
- Dry alcohol or other suitable heater.
Let's start making the oven
We mark a piece of drywall profile 10 cm long, and cut it off. The bent ends of the profile shelves will interfere with the movement of the covers, so we also remove them along the first curved risk on the edge. We clean the burrs with sandpaper or a grinding wheel for a grinder.
From the same profile we make covering covers 7 cm long, and also cut off the bent ends of the shelves from them. We mark 2 cm from one of the edges of the lid. Labels must be applied on both profile shelves. We cut through the edge along them and remove it along the very plane.
We bend the end edge of the covers with pliers. On the main profile - the bottom of our stove - we cut off the ends of the ribs in the form of a neat semicircle. We put the covers on the base. The joint in the middle between two profile fragments should be minimal.
Pressing tightly the ends of the covers, we put the stove body on edge, and make holes for the rivets at the four corners. To prevent the ends of the profile from bending during drilling, they can be pressed with pliers.
We insert rivets into the holes and crimp them with special tongs. Everything, the stove-heater is ready, it's time to test.
We insert a tablet of dry alcohol inside, and also we adapt a metal mug from above, adjusting the scope of the covers to its size. We set fire to the fuel, and enjoy pleasant hot drinks. By the way, such a stove is capable of heating half a liter of water from one tablet of dry fuel in just 8-12 minutes!
Additional holes or slots in the bottom, which can be done near the middle, will help improve the operation of the stove. Thanks to them, oxygen will get inside and contribute to the combustion of fuel.
Conclusion
The convenience of such a heater is that it can use various types of fuel - from dry alcohol to gasoline or kerosene. To do this, it is enough to adapt a small container that would fit inside the stove and create sufficient combustion to heat water or food. Otherwise, this device is really reliable and, probably, the most inexpensive help for lovers of outdoor activities.*Pitiful* Others, can I not write about London and not about Kyiv today, huh?
A few weeks of idleness paid off. Forced idleness, as he was preparing to hand over the "city" (did not pass, retake in a month), both part-time jobs were covered (the financial director of the intermediary ran away with money), it was deaf on the stock exchange (the former runaway boss returned to business again and is looking for new suckers to work for thanks ), and no one has yet answered the resume sent to one suitable office (duplicated by a call twice, the first time and asked to send a resume).
I watch old series, I watch programming tutorials, I study Morse code, I read forums of survivalists (who affectionately call themselves "embroiderers"), I watch their own videos, I shake my mustache. In particular, the manufacture of camp stoves on the knee with a penknife using the MacGyver method. There are a lot of models, but, judging by the experiments, not all of them are effective. In particular, just a leaky jar does not fit, I used up two tablets, the water heated up, approached the boil, but did not boil.
So, after some time, after several experiments with cans, I still got an effective "stove" for dry fuel (urotropin, etc.) from a can. Easier of the two.
So, a can of peas or corn (net weight 310 grams). Close to the bottom on the side wall of the jar, make several through holes for traction. From the second can you need a strip of tin. That is, cut off the covers and cut the resulting cylinder anywhere into a sheet of tin. You need exactly half of this sheet. Cut this sheet in half along the long side, fold the half along the same long side. Then bend the folded strip into any shape (I like the triangle) and put it on the bottom of the jar. One of the lids, with a diameter of half a centimeter less than the diameter of the jar, is placed on top. Everything, the "stove" is ready.
Since I don’t have a taganka, I made 4 holes at the top of the jar and skipped the knitting wire. But! The wire should rise above the jar by 2-2.5 centimeters! Otherwise, the fuel will start to smoke and go out. You can do without wire, just keep in mind that the bottom of the heated container should be 2-2.5 centimeters higher than the can. It’s a pity for me to buy taganok and there’s nothing for it, I’ll make it myself.
All! Set fire to a tablet of dry alcohol, put it in the "stove" on the lid. Place the container on top or hang it on something, taking into account the specified distance.
Today's test showed that two-thirds of a stainless steel mug poured with water from the tap (I bought it in Predator a month ago for 100 rubles, the volume is 450 grams) boils for 5 minutes. On one tablet of fuel. Moreover, the tablet did not have time to burn out completely. It would be possible to pour a full mug, but even so, my boiling water splashed out, interfering with combustion.
Of course, a folded strip of tin can be replaced with anything, even a couple of pebbles. You can pierce 4 holes at a height of a quarter of the can from the bottom and pass a wire or a couple of nails (or welding electrodes chipped from grease). You can drive 4 self-tapping screws if you do it at home, and not outdoors. The main thing is that the lid, on which the burning tablet lies, at least rests on something. It’s better to make a taganok in advance, for the rest you can take a penknife or an awl (or a nail!) To nature and find any jar. And, of course, a tablet of dry alcohol.
Beer-soda cans will not work, except perhaps on the very strip of tin. This thin aluminum burns out very quickly, it just crumbles before our eyes.
Experiments continue, I'm trying to make a simple taganok.
Z.Y. Prose is not written, in my head there are only reflections on where to make money. So I'm doing homemade.
And I'll brag too. I found a couple of months ago in a computer store for a miserable 110 rubles a charger for a mobile phone from one AA battery. Looks like this
The step-up microcircuit gives honest more than 5 volts, the AA battery is exhausted in a couple of hours and the mobile phone is really charging. As I understand it, the device lay in the window for ten years, if not more. Of course, there was no mini-USB among the adapters. I cut off the connector from the old cord and wound it (red with red, black with black) instead of some old connector from some ancient mobile phone.