The SVEA 123 is a 100 year old design that has been used all over the planet. I have one and so do several other members here. It is very safe. You are NOT setting the whole stove on fire, you are just putting a tiny amount of fuel in the preheat pan and lighting that. If you are not sure how to light it, I bet there is a video on YouTube on how to start one.

As Lori said, simple alcohol stoves can be made using hand tools that take almost no skill. There are videos on YouTube on how to make them. There are dozens of designs.

Gourmet cooking may seem like rocket science, but simple trail cooking is not. Get yourself a small cookkit-Mirro and other companies make inexpensive ones or you can piece one together with bits and pieces from various places like a dollar store or Target.