Henry Benner wrote:What has worked well for my TTT is good old hardware store alcohol. Pour about an inch into a tuna tin, light it and you have great heat for more than an hour. It does not create fumes (but open a window slightly because it does create carbon monoxide). If it's a very cold night use 2 tuna tins.
Set the tuna tins on a flat piece of tin (approx. 12" square would be fine) for safety and keep another small piece of flat tin handy to snuff out the flame. (Just lay it on top of the tuna tin.) Be sure to keep combustibles away. This method is often used on boats because it is so safe. I have winter camped as cold as 8 deg F with this method. (My TTT is insulated.) There are also some web sites showing how to make miniature alcohol stoves and heaters...check them out. ....
Okay...Now, this made me think of those cans of Sterno that are used to keep food warm. Those come in a can with a lid; and, when you want to put the fire out, you just put the lid on it. You can buy sterno cans by the box full. They most often are seen sitting in a rack, under the casserole or whatever. There are some very inexpensive set-ups for these, including small folding metal box units that take up minimal space and help keep the flame safe. Years ago, these were sometimes used for camp cooking. However, some types of alcohol and canned heat sources like Sterno contain methanol; and, unwise usage can cause poisoning. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, headaches, dizziness, comas, and even liver damage or death.
As an alternative, perhaps one could simply put an old pan or small DO on the rack or metal box, over the sterno in an open area (not in the cabin); and, when ready to go to bed, extinguish the flame by capping and containing the remainder of the fuel, and take the heated pan (not the Sterno) into the cabin with them. The heated pan would continue to warm the air. Of course, you would still need a special place to sit the pan, such as a specially built shelf.... You could also do something similar with a DO or pan on your propane stove (if you are using one); and, if you did this, you wouldn't need to take any extra appliances or products or..... Someone else mentioned the brick or rock in the campfire idea; but, that might be a bit messy and dirty...dunno. ...Any thoughts on these ideas? (Remember, many brains are better than one, alone.)
