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Komplete Individual Simple Stoves - KISS

When thinking about shedding pounds from your pack, changing your stove from the traditional white gas stove to a KISS stove can make a significant change in weight, for only a modest change in cooking styles.

I first wrote this article when preparing for my 2000 PCT thru-hike, when ultralight stoves were just beginning to be accepted by a number of long distance hikers and backpackers. Over the last two years, there has been an explosion in the number and styles of KISS stove designs.

KISS stoves are based on the philosophy of the "Keep It Simple Stupid!".  KISS stoves are designed to simplify the backpackers life, by leaving them more time to enjoy the experience and less time to worrying if their stove will light. Or worse yet, becoming a fireball, torching everything is sight.

In recent years, the trend for many hikers is to reduce their pack loads in order to better enjoy their backcountry adventures. Tents are being replaced with tarps and heavy packs replaced by lightweight ones. It's only natural to start looking at the most complex piece of equipment carried by backpackers.

Backpacking stoves are a marvel of modern engineering. Complex beast with all sorts of bells and whistles, they put out an amazing amount of heat for such a small package. For most of us they are overkill for our normal needs, and when they go wrong - well they can really go wrong. Lucky is the hiker who has never had a stove break down at an inconvenient time.

On the other hand, KISS stoves are designed from the ground up to be maintenance and worry free. Just add fuel and light.

In general, KISS stoves can be broken down into two distinct classes, Alcohol Based and Solid Fuel. Each is based upon the type of fuel used. Alcohol fuel does require some sort of stove to contain the fuel. On the other hand, Solid Fuel or Fuel Tablets can be burned on a small square of aluminum foil, in which case a stove isn't needed at all.

Alcohol Based Stoves

Of all the KISS stoves available, by far the most popular are the Alcohol stoves. The fuel is readily available along most trails and they are incredibly simple to build. Assembled from a few cast off aluminum cans and miscellaneous parts, they can be built on the trail. So if you are unfortunate and destroy your stove, a new one can be built at the next town stop for a few pennies.

Today there are three general classes of Alcohol KISS stoves: Open Flame; Open Jet; and Closed Jet stoves.

Open Flame stoves can be as simple as an open cup with some alcohol poured in, to the more efficient and complex Cat Can Stove by Roy Robinson.

These stoves are the simplest to build and as in the case of the Cat Can Stove, can be extremely efficient.

Open Jet stoves, also known as "Pepsi Can Stoves" are commonly found on long trails and easily constructed. These lightweight stoves were first modeled after the original Trangia stoves by Scott Henderson. Since they are made of a couple of cast off Pepsi or beer cans, they are extremely light, weighing in at a mere .3 ounces.

Fuel is poured into the center compartment. Small holes at the bottom of the inner wall allow it to run into a slot between the inner and outer walls. When ignited the fuel heats up and the Alcohol is vaporized. It shoots out the small holes in the rim of the stove in a series of small jet flames.

Closed Jet stoves came along later. One of the more popular ones is known as the Photon Stove by Don Johnson. These stoves are similar to Open Jet stoves insofar as both stoves flame comes through a series of jets on the outer rim.

However, the Closed Jet stove does not have an open cavity to pour the fuel in and ignite. Instead it has either a series of small holes or a screw in the top of the stove. Through this, the alcohol is poured. A small amount of alcohol is poured into a base attached to the stove.

When the fuel in the outer base is lit, it causes the alcohol in the stove to vaporize and build pressure. By the time the primer flame is extinguished, the main stove is roaring to life.

Solid Fuel Stoves

Solid fuel stoves are broken into two categories, Fuel Tablets and Jelled Fuel. Fuel tablets are frequently seen on trails and there are several types of Fuel Tablets available (Esbit, Hexamine and Stansport). Esbit is the most commonly used Fuel tablets found on the trail. Jelled Fuel, commonly known as Sterno, is not frequently used as a backpacking fuel. At least I've never seen it used on the trail.

Esbit fuel is commonly used on long hikes. However, since it's generally not found in small trail towns, it needs to be shipped in your resupply box. Its popularity arises from the fact that a single .5 ounce fuel tablet is enough to cook most simple backpacking meals.

Advantages of KISS Stoves

Lightweight - KISS stoves uses fuel that doesn't require complex pumps, high pressure, multiple gaskets and valves. Unencumbered with all of this added paraphernalia these stoves can be very light. They often weigh no more than a few ounces, compared to a pound or more for the liquid fuel stoves.

Simplicity - Add the fuel and light a match, is generally all that's required to start KISS stoves. No pumping, priming or pre-lighting is required. These stoves can be working away long before traditional stoves are even assembled, let alone up and running.

Quiet - Gas stoves often sound like your own personal jet engine. Once lit, they take off like a screaming banshee. Not exactly the sound one wants to hear when trying to enjoy the tranquility of the forest. Kiss stoves are so quite they can't even be heard.

No Maintenance - Pack along your traditional stove and you better pack the repair kit also. By the way, you may need a small pair of pliers or a little oil to take your stove apart for maintenance. All of this maybe fine done on the kitchen table, but it can be downright irritating, field stripping a stove to make repairs in the cold and dark. With no moving  or complex parts, KISS stoves have nothing to breakdown.

Safety - Ever had a stove turn into a ball of fire while cooking? High pressure gas stoves can easily do so if a gasket fails. Even under normal operation, gas stoves become little fireballs if too much fuel is used during the priming process. Without the need to keep the fuel under high pressure, KISS stoves pose a significantly reduced danger of explosion or burning all your valuable gear.

Low Cost - KISS stoves can be made for pennies compared to the high cost of traditional stoves. Made from recycled cans and other cheap items, these stoves can be made cheaply and quickly.

Disadvantages of KISS Stoves

Even the best stoves have problems or circumstances where they don't perform well.

Reduced Output - Nontraditional stoves lack the heat output to boil large quantities of water or regulate their output. If you're planning on cooking large meals for a number of people, a more traditional stove will be more appropriate. However, if you're traveling solo, preparing simple meals that require minimal cooking, the Nontraditional stove maybe your best choice.

Stove Resources

New stove models are becoming available on almost a daily basis. Below is a sampling of the types of stoves that are available for you to make. Most of them also come with full instructions on how to build them.

Have fun and Good Luck!

Alcohol Stoves available online

Open Flame Stoves

Closed Jet Stoves

Open Jet Stoves

Solid Fuel Stoves

Commercial KISS Stoves

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