The Buddy Burner Stove

[rlm2007x]

Do any of you guys have experience using these propane stoves?

[chefjeff]

I'm interested in replies on sterno cooking,alcohol stoves(coffee can ,TP,alcohol: yankee heater) and other means of heat & cook also....thanx...

[no guns here]

have used and seen used this concept many times on scout trips.  Just demo'd it for my Troop at a Camporee in October.  Then they demo'd it for the Camporee since our part of the program was alternative cooking.  Most of the boys had never heard of this.  Most of the older men had but had never taught it to the boys.
 
Getcha' a #10 can (one gallon).  Take a pair of tin snips to the open end and cut an opening about 1/4 to 1/3 the way up the side.  Make it about 3-4 inches long.  You can put the tuna can in there or you can start a small fire for cooking.  Just keep feeding small sticks in there and it'll work fine.  Take a can opener and punch 6-8 holes around the top (originally the bottom of the can) to let the smoke out.  As long as you keep it level, you can cook on it.
If you turn it over, you can use it like a chimney to start charcoal.  You will need a pair of pliers or good gloves... 
 
Look up "box oven".  Take a medium sized cardboard box.  Cover all surfaces in and out with heavy tin/aluminum foil.  Use some wire to make a latch for the doors.  Use some wire coat hangars to make a grill in it.  Put a metal tray in the bottom.  Put ashed over charcoal in the bottom.  Put pan of biscuits/bread/whatever on the grill above it.  Don't use too much charcoal 10-15 pieces is enough.  Bake your biscuits...
 
Here's a link to more info...  http://www.buckskin.org/Resources/Outdoor/Files/boxoven.pdf
 
Another easy scout favorite...
 Two eggs, some chopped up pre-cooked ham, sausage or bacon, some shredded cheese, heave zip lock backs and a pot of boiling water.  Crack eggs into bag, add meat, cheese and seasoning to taste.  Close zip lock, boil your eggs in the water until done.  Enjoy your breakfast...  No muss or fuss and very little cleanup.
 
 
NGH
 

[teamnelson]

To your point, its not for open cooking, but for pot cooking (i.e. boiling water). For open cooking, I like the firehole method - dig 2 narrow holes parallel to each other straight down. Then at the bottom, dig a tunnel between them. Use the dirt to build a berm around them. Build a fire at the bottom of one, places some stones around the mouth, and then place a grate on the stones for your grill. When you're done, put the fire out, then use the dirt to fill it all back in. Very very low signature, very low foot print, great heat output. You can also use a skewer to cook over it if you don't have a grate.
 
I've tried numerous DIY stove variations, for a woodgas burner, the J. Falk stove has been the champ. And after trying several DIY alcohol burners, I bought a Trangea. Bombproof, and you can seal 3oz of fuel in the stove itself, comes with a cover that regulates the flow. A full stove will last for hours if you need to keep something hot. I use denatured, and heet, but it'll take anything alcohol. Just the less alcohol, the more soot it puts off.