Camp Stoves - Sterno

The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition.” -Dave Barry

The best know of alcohol cooking fuels is a jellied alcohol called Sterno. Two tablespoons of alcohol fuel will boil two cups (1 pint) of water in five minutes under ideal conditions (not windy). The flame is not hot and is best used to warm foods instead of boiling.

One 8 oz. can of Sterno fuel, about the diameter of a can of tuna fish and twice as
high, will allow you to cook six meals if used frugally. A can will last 2.5 hours but can be extinguished and relit for later use. Sterno is frequently used indoors to warm chafing dishes. But as this article notes, even Sterno can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if it is deprived of sufficient oxygen.

Sterno evaporates very easily, even when the lid is securely fastened! It is not a good fuel for long-term storage. If you use Sterno in your 72 hour kit, check it every six months for evaporation.

Sterno is more expensive than gas and liquid fuels but it is extremely convenient, safe (non-spill, not pressurized), and ultra-portable. It works in extreme cold and low pressure (like the top of Mt. Everest) when other stoves fail.

http://zenstoves.net/Sterno.htm

Bottom Line

"If you want the lightest, most compact, most reliable stove on the market, buy a can of Sterno. Yes, it takes 10 to 12 minutes to boil water ... My Sterno stove fits inside a 16-ounce cup. Throw a book of matches and a bandanna into the remaining space in the cup and the whole thing weighs 11 ounces and will serve you on a 6-day hiking trip. What's not to like?" - Kent Forrester