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Don't know if they were called hobo stoves when I was a kid, but I remember simply using a cat food can, rolling cardboard into it (I think) and then adding wax to bind the wick with the cardboard.....basically making a candle of sorts. Then we used a Folgers can and made a stove....it worked. Of course I would hate to pack this around with me.I learned to make a hobo stove in Cub Scouts over 55 years ago. Wonder what they learn nowadays?
honestly, why build when you can buy? The MSR whisperlite international, or the loose-chinese copy is probably the best lightweight stove option on the market. In either case, the stove will burn just about anything you can put in it, I've used my chinese copy with diesel, kero, white gas, butane etc. Vs the whisperlite, the main difference is it's a little more involved to start, but it works just fine once you get it hot.
Here's the chinese copy: Amazon.com : Lixada Portable Multi Fuel Outdoor Backpacking Camping Picnic Stove Oil Gas Furnace : Sports & Outdoors
if you're looking for a heavier (say home-bound) stove option, the Coleman X-Ponent (exponent?) which is another international kero, gas, white gas stove. There are also some really cheap butane burners out there. For home use, this would be my recommendation: Amazon.com : Dingo Compact Camping Burner : Sports & Outdoors
Those butane stoves take fairly cheap butane canisters (it looks like a large canister for refilling lighters or airsoft guns) it doesn't smell, and you can use it indoors without much thought (I would keep a window open if the electricity is out). They produce a good deal of heat and will boil water much faster than electric, and most natural-gas stoves.
There are wood-burning stoves out there, however there's no stove that's designed to burn both wood and liquid/gas fuels. I generally stay away from the wood burning type because I don't like dealing with the ash, or putting a dirty stove into my pack. They also produce a lot of smoke and badly stain most cookware.
Fuel can be the biggest consideration. Then there is how many to cook for, and for how long will you need it. Portable I have the MSR Whisperlite, which also works at home. This works so long as I have fuel for it. For long term I have a RoadPro 12V oven, a couple of deep cell 12V batteries and a Harbor Freight solar panel array to keep the batteries charged. In a long period of overcaste weather I guess I'd be down to cutting down trees, chopping up fences, stored charcoal, .... Again how long will your fuel last ?
Fuel can be the biggest consideration. Then there is how many to cook for, and for how long will you need it. Portable I have the MSR Whisperlite, which also works at home. This works so long as I have fuel for it. For long term I have a RoadPro 12V oven, a couple of deep cell 12V batteries and a Harbor Freight solar panel array to keep the batteries charged. In a long period of overcaste weather I guess I'd be down to cutting down trees, chopping up fences, stored charcoal, .... Again how long will your fuel last ?
So, with those adapters, and a multifuel whisperlite (or similar), you're burning: Isobutane, propane, kero, gasoline, white gas, and butane. If you were a bit creative you could probably get the stove to burn methanol (heet).
So, with those adapters, and a multifuel whisperlite (or similar), you're burning: Isobutane, propane, kero, gasoline, white gas, and butane. If you were a bit creative you could probably get the stove to burn methanol (heet).
Yup multi fuels makes for a good choice. My question still comes down to, 'How much fuel do you store ?', or how long do you think the scenario will last ? Bosnia was over a year, and as I recall someone that was there posted that all the trees, wood in buildings was pretty much depleted before then. How much butane for a meal ? How much kero ? .... Consumables get consumed. How long to you figure you will need to cook, heat water, ... ?'