The Fallingwater Stove

When I was preparing for my 2000 PCT thru-hike, I spent a lot of time designing and building my own KISS stove. The "Fallingwater Multi-Fuel Stove" I called it. I was so proud when I carried it down to the PCT kickoff party (affectionately referred to as ADZPCTKO, for Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick-Off) at the start of the trail. It would surly bag first prize as the best stove of the show.

Everyone there was bowled over when someone brought out a little silver Scott Henderson Pepsi Can Stove. It sat there gleaming in the spring sun, light as a feather. It made my stove look like a frumpy old librarian. I was almost embarrassed to enter mine into the contest.

Fortunately I was last to fire up my stove, and by then most folks had wandered off to more interesting exhibits. Few hung around to see my tepid flame that barely brought the water to a boil.

Still I made it, so I carried it for most of the PCT. I finally left it home when I entered Washington. The SnowPeak seemed better suited for those hot lunches and early morning cups of hot cocoa on cold wet Washington mornings.

One of the stoves that helped start the lightweight stove revolution, was the Tuna Can Stove by Roy Robinson. Later that stove went on a diet and was renamed the Cat Can Stove. I liked the Tuna Can Stove so much I tried to build one. My unsuccessful attempt to build a modified Tuna Can Stove led me to design my own stove. I just loved the idea of boiling two cups of water on two tablespoons of fuel.

On later hikes I started carrying the Pepsi Can Stove because it weighed a third of the Cat Can Stove. Now granted the difference between .3 and 1.2 ounces is hardly going to be noticeable on anyone's back.

My own stove was relegated to the shelf, to sit in the distinguished company of my Svea 123, MSR Whisperlite, and a host of other stoves that accompanied me on long hikes.

Even though I liked the Pepsi Can Stove, it still didn't seem as efficient as the Cat Can Stove. Too often the flame would die before the water boiled, and I'd have to fire it up again to finish my meal. It never did seem to boil a pint of water with a couple tablespoons of fuel.

With too much time on my hands, I decided to see if I could build a shiny little Cat Can Stove out of a Pepsi can and make it smaller, lighter, prettier and still perform as good as Roy's. The new Fallingwater Stove operates much the same way as Roy's stove. But, it's just a hair over a quarter of the weight of the Cat Can Stove, smaller and a tad easier to build (at least for me).

I don't have detailed instructions on making the stove, though the photo and description below should give a good indication of how simple it is.

The Air Jacket, as Roy calls it, is made from the bottom of a coke or beer can cut 1.25 inches high and with a 1.25 inch hole cut out of the center. In trials I used center holes of different sizes and 1.25 inches seem to work the best. I make the hole using a standard 1.25 inch hole saw attached to your standard power drill. Just center the saw ove the bottom and drill slowly. The result is a perfectly drilled hole.

The burner is made from a small juice can (I used 5.5 ounce Tree Top apple juice can, but it doesn't really matter). I cut the top inch off the can. To make the 4 Air Jacket supports, I cut 4 are 3/4 inch supports evenly spaced and 7/8 inch apart. The cuts are made to within one inch of the bottom. Every other panel was removed. The burner is finished off by lining the vertical walls with a 3/8 inch thick ring insulation.

The remaining panels are bent and serve as supports for the Air Jacket. When properly positioned, the bottom of the Air Jacket should sit one half inch above the bottom of the burner. To keep the two pieces together, I place a dab of JB Weld in the crease at the end of the support then insert the Air Jacket into the supports.

January 25, 2003