You could always try a priming cup. I recently tried a similar stove and noticed how long it takes to prime.
You hinted at being skimpy on fuel usage. Its not exactly what happens on the AT. You fill up your bottle at every town stop regardless of how much it weighs. I never ran out of alcohol and never cared about carrying a few extra ounces of weight. At least that was the way it was in 02...
Scott