It’s a Race: Stove Boil-Off Commences at NOLS Rocky Mountain

Part of being the Program, Operations, and Marketing Intern at NOLS Rocky Mountain is the opportunity to carry out special projects around the base. This week’s assignment happens to be a comparison of two stoves: the MSR WhisperLite and the Trangia Spirit. The WhisperLite, which runs on white gas, has been the stove of choice at NOLS for years, and is often likened to a roaring jet engine. In comparison, the Trangia, which runs on alcohol, is a superlight stove that is used on our lightweight courses. We’re currently trying to determine the amount of time and quantity of fuel each stove needs in order to boil various amounts of water. The results will help us decide which stove will better suit our needs in different seasons, with the goal of remaining efficient with our cook times while still carrying less weight.

The Trangia stove runs on denatured alcohol.

Collecting data in the Stove Room at NOLS Rocky Mountain.