Stove fuel usage

I've been quoting 10-year-old numbers on fuel usage and alcohol vs. isobutane canisters for almost that long, but I recently found updated numbers, from much more extensive testing, on Hikin' Jim's Adventures in Stoving, which I've found to be an excellent blog on all things related to backpacking stoves:

Which is lighter? Alcohol or gas?

How much canister gas do I need?

As Jim points out, his numbers are estimates; you really need to do your own testing based on what you actually use. Remember, if testing at home on your patio, use water chilled in the refrigerator to approximate cold mountain spring water. Do at least part of your testing in cool, windy conditions if you can. With (I hope!) cooler weather on the way, we're going into ideal testing conditions!

Thanks for the find. I didn’t realize Hikin Jim did the numbers. This is a guy with hundreds of gas stoves --- now loving the alcy stove!

Some of the stand out quotes:
“So, in conclusion, with a conventional upright gas stove, gas can be lighter at the start of a trip, but alcohol is always lighter by the end of a backpacking trip. In terms of the average difference in weight throughout the trip, alcohol is almost always lighter. If you're looking to save weight, alcohol stoves are a pretty good bet.”
“I use alcohol on all my solo backpacking trips because it is so much lighter -- and the chance of a mechanical failure is almost zero.”
“The mechanical reliability and zen-like silence of alcohol stoves is something I really like.”

I can vouch that everything he said is right on. Actually I knew that for the last 12 years
And I use alcy when I’m sharing with a family member. You just double the numbers and alcy is still lighter.

-Barry
-The mountains were made for Tevas

wow, that's one hell of a ...thoroughly researched webpage! A wealth of information, and I'm going to have to sit down and pore through it. For one thing, I had always wondered about why the different fuel mixes of fuel canisters and about burn conditions in cold and at altitude. Thanks, Mouse!

Just remember that in what currently appears to become an extra dry and flammable summer, particularly on the west coast, the type of stove you use will be heavily influenced by regulations for the area in which you will be backpacking. Each jurisdiction (such as national forest) may be doing its own thing, as has proven true in the Pacific NW in the past. Such research should be part of your pre-trip planning.