My trusty little homemade alcohol stove has developed a leak so I figured while I was repairing it I might as well make a spare one, since I don’t have one, and to document the process I use to make them.
For those who don't know, I live in a converted campervan and travel around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I visit. I am currently wintering in Florida.
I’ve been making and using these DIY alcohol camping stoves since my teenage days up on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. I like them because they are small, lightweight, have no moving parts, last almost forever, and cost almost nothing. With these I can boil a pint of water or a can of soup in about eight minutes. I usually run them with denatured alcohol from the paint department at Walmart, but in a pinch it will run on rubbing alcohol (but that makes quite a bit of smoke) or even 151-proof rum (but that would have to be a VERY serious emergency).
So, to make my DIY alcohol stove, you need: An empty aluminum can, a length of aluminum tape, a handful of cotton balls, and a sharp pair of scissors. For short-term use, you could dispense with the aluminum tape.
(Years ago I used to need two cans, and assembled the stove from the two bottom portions. But now that aluminum cans have inwardly-sloped tops, I only need one can.)
If the stove is intended for temporary use, this will usually do. However, if you intend to use it for a while, or if your overlap is not very tight and has small gaps, you will want to seal the sides against leaks (you do not want to be leaking flames from the stove). That is done with the aluminum tape.