Penny Stove for a month in an unknown country?

[Bikeabout]

Hey folks!

I'm heading "south" from Colorado next week. Vague, yes, because I don't know where I'm going yet. Hoping for another country.

I've used an iso/propane canister stove on past tours. Unsure of canister availability in other countries. And I was hoping to lighten up and got a penny/Heiniken can stove ready to go. Works fine in my tests. Cooking is usually boiling then simmering something, 1-2 meals per day.

Not sure how available alcohol is in foreign countries, either. Not sure if it's appropriate for a month of riding. Past aim has been for 4-7 days between "civilization" re-supply stops. And read in Scott M's review that he wouldn't want to use a penny stove for longer tours.

It's also possible that I'll end up somewhere that has such tasty local food that cooking for myself will be dumb anyway. So having a nice light stove to carry-but-not-use appeals.

Any thoughts?

--Greg

[Rob]

Check out this stove, you could use wood if you can't find alcohol. 

http://wiki.backpackinglight.com/Caldera_Ti-Tri_System

[Bikeabout]

I know where I'm going now. Chile. Probably the south, but north of Patagonia. Plenty of civilization there, so unlikely to be a problem with fuel, though I'll aim for remote regions. I'm going with the penny stove and will improvise if I need options.

I like the concept of the Ti-Tri. Looks like I could make a reasonable facsimile of it from a discarded steel can if I needed to.

I suppose that by the time I come back I'll know why Scott said he wouldn't use one for longer tours.

Thanks!

--Greg

[ScottM]

Hey Greg,

Wow, not knowing where you are going the week before, then off to Chile!  Your handle is befitting.

I guess my comment on the alcohol for longer tours was mostly about availability of fuel, and maybe the 'binary' nature of the stove (less cooking options when you can only boil water).  But if you're only boiling and might have a lot of local food options, I'd say it's a great thing to carry along.

Will you be doing any web updating while "south" ?

[Bikeabout]

Wow, not knowing where you are going the week before, then off to Chile!

I wasn't sure how much money it would cost, when work would end, and if I could pull it off or not. I almost ended up in Tucson instead. Heh.

I've been around and about a few adventure travelers including someone I won't name but who goes by MikeSee enough to know that planning is an important part of the actual adventure for them.

For me it's usually been about just loading up some crap and going for it, making things up day by day. Sometimes it works out great. Other times I end up wishing I'd planned a bit more. We'll see.

I won't be going ScottM or MikeC full sus singletrack summer light. I hope to find some kind of balance between that and the bloated off-road touring I've done before. I'll have a rack and panniers on a hardtail. If I can get almost all the weight off my back and onto the bike, that'd be a great step forward.

If I end up where I think I might be going, I'll have to be ready for some multi-day rain and camping near glaciers. So throwing out everything that might keep me dry and warm isn't a very good option.

Usually I update my website on an wildly regular basis. On this trip I'm lightening up by not carrying a laptop, which is the sort of stupid thing I've done in the past on some fairly long and rough rides. I hope to be able to update from public computers along the way. So I started a blog. Not sure how on-the-road photos will work with that. But I should get in a few written updates, anyway. I'll post the full dealio when I get back.

Thanks for asking. And if anyone has any tips for down there, please pass them along.

Have fun!

--Greg

Website: http://www.bikeabout.net
Blog: http://ridetotheride.blogspot.com

[Rob]

Thanks for asking. And if anyone has any tips for down there, please pass them along.

Have fun!

--Greg

Website: http://www.bikeabout.net
Blog: http://ridetotheride.blogspot.com

These might be of some use, some journals of people on Crazyguyonabike who have toured through Chile.  Probably won't give info on trails, but maybe for logistics of the country and other info.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/locales/?geoname_id=44&doctype=journal