Windscreen / Pot Stand

2005 June

Pot Stand/Windscreen for Soda Can Stove

It has been over 2 years since I first made a soda can stove but not until recently have I come up with a good pot support and windscreen. If you care to read along you will see how my designs have evolved.

First off, let me say that the instructions I used to make my alcohol stove may be found at PCTHiker.com. If for some reason you are unable to find the instructions there, I have made a pdf of the applicable pages which you may access by clicking here. The following picture shows the three pot stands that I have used with my stove. The one on the left is based on a recommended link from the soda can stove instructions in PCTHiker.com.

The first stand I used with my alcohol stove is shown at the left and was made from fencing wire. It is sized to be turned upside down and fit around the bottom of my pot. It worked quite well until one of the arms broke off at which point I moved to stand #2, shown in the middle. This concept had steel wire (white cotton twine in the picture) tied in a funny pattern through a windscreen. I liked everything about this system except folding and unfolding it. The system worked well until the wire broke which led the current system shown at the right.

At 28.35 grams/ounce, the combination of stove, fuel bottle, steel rods, and windscreen weighs a whopping 4 ounces; that's less than the weight of 2 Snickers bars. However, my favorite part of this system is how compactly it fits together with a velcro strap.

The fuel bottle is 9" high, 21/4" in diameter, and holds 16.9 fluid ounces. I chose this bottle because it is taller and narrower than other bottles, making it easier to fit into the pockets on the outside of my pack. If you want to find a bottle like this look for MetroMint Peppermint Water.

Filled to capacity the system could boil 1 pint or 2 cups of 70 degree water 37 times in wind-free conditions* and in windy conditions I could boil the same pint of 70 degree water 24 times**.

* 13 grams denatured alcohol per pint boiled water

** 20 grams denatured alcohol per pint boiled water

My pot has a 61/2" diameter, is 3" high, and is large enough for me to cook for two (volume is ~ 6 cups or 1.5 liters). The steel rods are 7" long and have a bit of JB Weld at one end so their length can be minimized. Complete details that will work for a pot of almost any diameter are given below.

I hope you make a windscreen/pot stand for yourself and enjoy it as much as I have. If you have questions or comments please contact me at CLBowden@Yahoo.com.