Stoves - Pepsi or Whisperlite?

“OK, I'm in the final throes of pulling my gear together for the JMT, and I'm focused on lightening the load. One of my considerations - an alcohol (pepsi) stove, or my trusty old Whisperlite.

My Whisperlite weighs in at 15 oz., and the fuel for the TOTAL trip comes in around 32 oz. That's a total of nearly 3 pounds! In fairness, I should also say that 10-12 oz. of that fuel comes in after 8 days on our re-supply from Snow Nymph.

I know there must be a lot of you who've made your own versions of the Pepsi stove, and you all probably de-evolved from more commercially prepared contrivances. I'd be interested to learn your perspectives. Help! I leave in 4 days!!!”

“esp. if all you're doing is boiling water to add to your food.”

“Whisperlight!

8D”

“If you're solo cooking simple meals I'd bring the Pepsi can stove. Nothing to break and works well for one person.”

“Nothing to break? Have you ever stepped on a Pepsi can?

Take the whisperlite.”

“would be bad for the trip. keep it in your pot when you're not using and don't walk around when you are. how many times have you stepped on your whisperlite bacpac?”

“Whisperlites are like rattlesnakes they make a lot of noise so you won't step on them ;)

Are you comfortable with the alcohol stove Obi? Have you cooked over it yet? Is wsdavies using one too? If so.. I'm sure he can help you master the art of cooking over a pop can :) Good Luck My Friend!
Have A Great Trip!!!”

“The Pepsi can stove is so light that I bring 2...Just boiled 2 cups of water with 5 teaspoons of den. alch...in around 3 min...Used it during my 26 days of hiking last summer..with little to no problems...Plus, if your low on fuel throw some twigs into the wire frame/pot stand and cook over a mini-wood fire(works pretty good..a bit sooty though) Just ask Pantscandy he's a p-can freak..especialy with his KFC butter packs and noodle roni.heheeh”

“I haven't used and alcohol stove but I do use an Esbit for lighter weight hikes.

Here's a thought - start with the Pepsi can and have Snow Nymph bring the Whisperlite at resupply and determine which you want to take from there.”

“I never even came close to stepping on my Pepsi can stove. Inside the coffee can pot stand, it wouldn't be damaged even if I did.”

“I have never stepped on my whisperlite and it has never failed me.”

“I used the pepsi can stove with 15 elem school girl scouts running around and no one stepped on my stove. I take two with me when family backpacking, makes things much easier. I have a full boil version, a simmer version (fewer holes), a full boil/simmer version that RichB made that has a sliding lid that allows you to control the heat, a hardware mesh pot stand for a lighter version than the coffee can pot stand. The possibilities are endless, but I prefer it to a store bought stove (I have a Feather 442 Coleman). The pepsi can stove is very easy to use.”

“but it was so dependable before that i hadn't even bothered to bring the repair kit. i tried to fix it with what i had and ended up bending the tube you heat up to prime it so much i couldnn't put it back together. at home i finally got it all put back the way it goes but id still be afraid to take it apart again. i had to squeeze it all back in, don't know if it'll even come apart now. completely my fault, though. i have nothing bad to say about the stove/”

“After seeing Wildflower's Pepsi can stove in action, I will be carrying one or two of them. I like Lyndy's idea of a simmer version. That will retire my Coleman Peak 1 and I won't miss it one bit.

I also like the idea that there are no complex parts to break down.”

“If the whisperlite breaks down, you have an expensive piece of junk. If the Pepsi can stove breaks down, you just make a new one!”

“Well, I'm kinda inexact, or rather, clumsy, with my hands and am used to having other people make things FOR ME. And so I endeavored to purchase a "Trangia" stove, lacking the staff with knowledge of alcohol-stove manufacture.

I would say that the Trangia stove was a waste, and thank goodness it was only $30. I unequivocally prefer either my old reliable Svea 123R or my "Giga" cartiridge stove.”

“gigas rule.”

“I'm getting the impression here that the Pepsi stove is the way to go. Based on your comments here - EVERYONE'S comments - I'm going to opt for the Pepsi stove.

Ordinarily, I would never even consider trying something I've never used before on such an important hike, but, Steve, your experience here - and others - is enough to persuade me that my worries may be greater than the risk.

Let's do it.”

“Oh great Obi Wan don't forget your Lama Rama Jam and peanut butter! Hmmm you probably don't even need a stove! Have a great trip!”

“I actually liked my (old) single burner coleman best, but now I occasionally use a whisperlight. For the most part, I don't make campfires or cook food on the trail, with the exception of canoe trips where weight isn't much of a problem. I use wheels for portaging the canoe.”

“Mozark - GREAT to hear from you, bud!

Haven't seen you post here in a while, happy to know you're still lurking about. Miss Mozark's doing well, too, I trust?

Thanks for the well wishes... I sure hope things go well with the stove. I'm a bit hesitant, but hard to argue with experienced companions... Going to school on new things, but hell, that's what school's all about... new things!”

“Alcohol stoves suck in freezing temperatures. And the denatured alcohol is probably just as heavy to lug around as white gas.

But if the summer temps on the JMT won't dip below 32, a pepsi stove will probably save you most of a pound. And I'm all for trimming weight.”

“I don't have a huge pack so if its just for myself, the Pepsi stove is great.”

“I just so happen to have both a Whisperlight and made my first Pepsi can burner more than 2 years ago...and haven't used the Whisperlight since!”

“about a year ago i was told that there was someone from this board that lived in cananda and he makes pepsi cans becuse he was hurt and this would keep him busy. so i asked him for one and he sent me my very first pepsi can stove.
i have never used anything else but the can and an open fire pit.
so i can not compare. but i do know that it would take alot for me to try a bigger stove.
it weights nothing and it will boil water in 4 mins. so by the time im ready to cook the water is all done.
so i would say take your pepsi can stove....

ps. i have yet to crush it...”

“My son's going to make me one for my b-day. I suspect he's going to go into business with it. I know it's going to be a lot lighter than that Peak 1.”

“and you wont be able to get a good lift off like gortexs

lol”

“I think he forgot the countdown. You need a countdown to achieve liftoff!”

“BTW, I also downloaded instructions for a wind screen/pot holder.”

“Of course, a few rocks would also do the trick.”

“can you please email me a copy?”

“Go here:

http://wings.interfree.it/html/Pepsi.html”

“I think I like the coke idea better... pepsi is just not to my liking :}”

“Sorry, it has to be a pepsi can. The bottom has a deeper well in it. Coke cans don't work well.”

“Once you get the hang of making a burner with a Pepsi-size can, make one using a smaller can such as a V8 or Redbull Energy Drink can. They work just as well, are smaller and weight a negligable 0.1oz less (0.3oz).”

“and don't forget ”

“The link Pathman meant to post:
Tin Can Stove Man”

“oops. thanks. misfire.”

“Geobeet....thanks for the site address....very cool!”

“I gave Wolfman's Brother a pepsi can stove with a pot stand that I had made at the DWG hike last weekend. If anyone is interested, maybe we could gather those hikers in the area that want to make the stoves, at a nearby park that has picnic tables where we can work, and make the stoves. I am willing to drink lots of diet pepsi beforehand and gather up the cans. I have a few V8 for those who want to try that. I can bring the tools that I used if people want to use them. We could pick a picnic area near some trails if people want to hike after making their stoves.”

“LIES!!!!!

how dare you belittle my favorite soda. You must be using the wrong design.

:P”

“Maybe there should be a tincanstove demo 12.7.2002”

“I was doing a little research last night, emptying beer cans. Has anyone ever tried to make Miller-lite stove? The bottom of their cans are impressive. I don't really know but beer/soda pop can style may vary from area to area. Having compared Coke/Pepsi cans ours are almost identical.”

“I think that Buddur has used Budweiser cans with success. I can't volunteer to drink those, not consistant with my current goals.”

“Depending on pot size, V8 cans are the way to go. I keep finding ways to trim mine down. My personal stove with windscreen works for my pot and only weighs 0.6 onces. I'v weaked it to where it can boil (true boil at 212.5 not just bubbles) off of 1/2 ounce alcohol.

If you play with them enough and figure out what works best with your pot, you can get extreamly efficient.”

“my friend bought me a gift certificate to dicks sporting goods for my bday. i don't ever go there, so i used it online and bought a whisperlite. my first white gas stove. : )”

“ummmm ScorchFire - try to not live up to your name (grin)”

“I love my whisperlite.....but........I see alot of folks with pocket rockets.......small...easy to light....( no priming)

O M G

OH NO...I am actually posting gear stuff and not silly woman stuff....”

“silly woman ;-)”