Gear - Pop/beer can back pack stove

Well, enough about car camping! Here's one for your crusty backpackers, you know, the Old Skool backpackers. Can't afford a cook stove, or don't want to pay "the man" for one, you know? Well, finish off that can o' PBR, drink another, wait, don't smash it on your forehead- and peruse a couple of the links below. You can make your own, with the leavings from your nasty beer/soda habit!

Seems that the soda can cookstove idea has been around a while. Patents for this stove were issued in 1904 and several of these are on the market. But the best part is that by cutting up a couple of beer cans you can make your own. Just pour some denatured alcohol in and before long, the vapor pressure starts to rise and you get true blue-flame burner action. Instructions for this little bugger can be found at the PCTHiker website.

Ah, great you say. But this is, kinda, you know, small. Yes it is, and it will only boil about two cups of water, and can't be controlled to simmer. Well enterprising folks have improved and updated these instructions. Here's instructions for both a bigger, better model and a smaller model.

And, really, why stop there? This guy has a whole site devoted to making your own alcohol stoves. He not only runs through the whole gamut of stoves, but discusses your options for fuel.

Wikipedia entry
PCT stoves
Zen and the Art of Stoves