User Review: White Box Stove

White Box Stove
Above: The current Stove, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed April 22, 2008 by Creaky Knees

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Price Paid: $20

I've been using my little White Box alcohol stove for two years now. I bought it in an attempt to reduce my pack weight and simplify my gear. Mission accomplished!

I've used my stove year round and it performs like a champ. It won't simmer, so if you're a mountain top gourmet chef then this stove probably isn't for you. If you're only interested in boiling water for meals and drinks, then this little stove can't be beat.

I use Litech and Primus tea kettles for efficient boiling. I can easily boil a quart of water with one ounce of denatured alcohol. Even when the temps are in the teens, the wind is forcing its way past the wind screen, and the stove is sitting directly on top of the snow, I've packed the Primus kettle with snow then brought it to a boil on one fuel filling. No small feat!

A quart of boiling water will easily provide me with a hot meal and hot drink. I calculate one ounce of alcohol per meal(it requires less in warmer weather if I'm really trying to scrimp). If having two hot meals a day (breakfast and dinner), I can then safely plan enough fuel for a ten day trip by packing just one 20oz Pepsi bottle of denatured alcohol. The bottle gets lighter during the trip, and weighs next to nothing once empty--unlike metal fuel canisters. It doesn't get any better!

Forget the exact weight, but the stove, windscreen, and reflector weight somewhere less than two ounces. The stove is constructed of thick aluminum, so crushing it could only be accomplished by someone who was really trying hard to do so.

I could ramble on forever about the stove--in fact I've converted a few friends with my rambling, and they love their stoves too! Try the stove. It's likely the best $20 you can spend on hiking gear.

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