From: CoopWright@aol.com
Date: Tue Feb 19 2002 - 14:19:02 CST
Good comments from everyone on stoves. I thought I would include the section on stoves that is in the 2002 Philmont Advisor Guide that is available as an e-mail attachment for a $10 donation to Venturing Crew 1519.
Stoves
When Coop first went to Philmont in 1958 as a Scout, all cooking was done over an open fire. Backcountry cooking changed a great deal since then (so has Coop!!) and stoves have become an essential part of crew equipment. We typically bring our own stoves
from home. This way we can ensure that they have been thoroughly checked out before hitting the trail. However, most airlines will no longer accept stoves and fuel bottles as baggage and you will have to send them via parcel post or UPS to and from Phi
l
Philmont recommends that one stove be carried for each four crewmembers. However, because we use 4-quart pots, we only use two stoves, but carry a third for backup. MSR Whisperlite white gas stoves seem to be the most popular at Philmont, but Peak I, Col
eman Apexes, MSR Dragon Flys, and the new Peak 1 PowerMax butane/propane cartridge stoves have also been seen in the backcountry. White gas and Peak 1 PowerMax cartridges (introduced at Philmont in 1998) are sold at all commissary stops so you need not c
a
Whatever stove is chosen, it is important that you are familiar with it before you leave home. In his book, The Complete Walker III, Colin Fletcher says that most of the trouble with backpacking stoves comes from stupidity and neglect. Stupidity isn't re
adily curable; neglect is. Check your stove before you leave home and know how to safely operate and maintain your stove on the trail. Stoves demand your crew's respect and care.
Use a wind screen (store bought, natural protected area, or packs and people) to keep your stove lit in windy conditions. Make sure that your crew tops off the stove's fuel tank before starting a meal. It isn't easy to interrupt meal preparation for a re
fill and it can be dangerous with a hot stove. Make sure that your crew does not overfill their stoves. Both Peak 1 and Whisperlite stoves need an air space that can be pressurized when the stove is being pumped up. Beware of large pots. They spill ea
s
The first rule in lighting a stove is not to light it until something is ready to be cooked or boiled. Likewise, never leave a stove burning with nothing on it. Crews waste gas by lighting the stove and waiting for someone to find the pot and get the wat
er. The second rule is to make sure that the fire circle is established. When the cook crew starts working, everyone seems to migrate to the fire circle, drooling at the mouth with cups and spoons in hand. If someone walks through the fire circle, he c
a
A question that is often raised is how much fuel is required? IF 4-quart pots with tightly fitting lids are used for heating water instead of the large 8-quart pot that Philmont issues, and IF dish washing is performed as described in this booklet, and IF
stoves are never lit until the pot is ready to be put on the stove, and IF the pot is taken off the stove immediately after the water reaches a boil and then the food is mixed in, two 32 ounce fuel containers is all that is required and one will last for
Cooper Wright
Advisor, Crew 1519
Co-author of the Philmont Advisor's Guide
-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.7 : Thu Mar 13 2003 - 10:37:43 CST