Sterno anyone?

Posted by: Jim M

Sterno anyone? - 05/17/22 06:52 PM

Decades ago my brother-in-law and I simply cooked with a can of Sterno
sitting on three flat rocks that held the pot at the right height. It takes a bit longer than a Butane/Propane gas fired stove, but time is rarely a factor for me in the woods. And the gas fired stoves and canisters weigh more and you have to pack a heavy canister out.

I was looking at Andrew Skurka's list today and came across the Trail Designs "Kojin" stove. Has anyone here tried that?

Does anyone here use a can of Sterno for cooking in the wilderness?
And when I looked for Sterno cans on Amazon.com I found many many competitors: Lot45, 7Penn, GHR, Gas One, and Chafingfuel... just to mention a few.
Sounds like some experiments are in order...I'll let you know if and when I get around to that.
Posted by: Tom7654

Re: Sterno anyone? - 05/17/22 08:36 PM

I use the "cat" or "Fancy Feast" stove. It is inexpensive, simple, and very lightweight. But it is sensitive to wind, and a bit unstable / tippy:

https://andrewskurka.com/how-to-make-a-fancy-feast-alcohol-stove/
Posted by: Arizona

Re: Sterno anyone? - 05/17/22 09:45 PM

Don’t have a Trail Designs "Kojin" but I do have their 12-10. I know they started offering a simmer ring for it but really need something that holds more fuel and simmers. The Kojin looks interesting. Never used Sterno. I’ve started hearing more and more people talking about it.
Posted by: DustinV

Re: Sterno anyone? - 05/18/22 09:47 AM

Years ago, some kids who squatted in one of our backcountry sites had bought a sterno stove setup on their way to the trail. They were able to make dinner and breakfast with one can, I think. Just slowly.

Pre-pandemic, I burned a blob of expired hand sanitizer on the back of an alcohol stove to see if it would boil water. It did, just slowly. In the 'before-times' I heard folks were trying out gel fondue fuel and the like. Maybe the stuff we all stocked up on during lockdown could be burned instead of tossed out after it's spent a couple of years in the car.
Posted by: Glenn Roberts

Re: Sterno anyone? - 05/18/22 12:28 PM

I remember, back in the 80's, waiting for a can of Sterno to bring a pot of water to a boil. And waiting...and waiting...and waiting...