Homemade Soda Can Camp Stove

After cycling for 2 1/2 months through Colombia & Ecuador last year, I picked up some great tips.  I met cyclists with top of line, expensive gear, like Ortlieb bags, but also met those who had the bare minimum.  Those bare bone cyclists taught me to make some key things from scratch with inexpensive materials to save a bundle of money.

I will share how I made panniers, a handlebar bag & a camp stove for a fraction of the price of what you would pay to buy your own.  These will be three separate posts on my blog.

Third, homemade camp stove:

I met a number of backpackers & cyclists who had bought camp stoves for $100+ and had endless problems with them or they just stopped working completely.  I then met a cyclist, Leah Manning (https://cyclesouthchica.wordpress.com/) who had a Coke can stove and used rubbing alcohol for fuel.

There are a million videos and pictures online if you search "coke can stove", "beer can stove" or "soda can stove".  You will see all sorts of variations.

I saw one video with a guy that put a tin can (with the top & bottom removed) over the Coke can to function as both a wind guard & a means to rest your pot or cup.

Here is everything I carry for my stove:

1. 70% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol - this pic shows the 16 oz bottle but I decided to get the larger 32 oz bottle instead
2. Tin Can - used a large tomato sauce can (4" diameter x 4 5/8" tall) - read below what I did to it
3. Soda can - cut the bottom 1 1/2" off to make a small bowl/dish
4. (2) 8" pieces of metal clothes hanger
5. 16 oz Olicamp Space Saver Cup (on Amazon right now for $8.90 shipped) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ODH4O2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
6. Brown Paper Bag - this stuff gets sooty after one use so you don't want to get that on the everything else in the panniers

The Tin Can!

This was the missing component from when I used the soda can stove last year.  It's so key, both blocking the wind and acting as the means to rest your pot or cup.

1. Open the can, eat the contents & wash it out.  Then fill it with water and freeze it solid.  Freezing it will allow you to punch holes in the can without bending it

2. Use a hammer & Phillips head screwdriver to knock holes around the bottom for air flow.  Also punch out 2 slightly larger holes on each side up top for the metal clothes hanger pieces to slide into:

3. Unfreeze the can with hot water in the sink

4, Cut the bottom lid off so you're left with a cylinder (using the same can opener you used to open it).  Save that lid!  It can act as the lid on your 16 oz Space Saver cup to make water boil faster.

5. Get a bottle opener and make 4 cuts evenly spaced at the bottom of the can for air flow

6. Your can is ready to go.  You want to do a few test runs to burn the inside.  There's a thin plastic film that burns off, lets off black smoke and smells.  My apologies to the environment.


Now you fill the bottom soda can dish with rubbing alcohol and light with a ligher.  It can take like 10 seconds of holding the flame to the alcohol to get it to light.  Let it burn a moment then place the tin can over it with the air holes at the bottom.  Slide the metal hangers through the holes at top.

Fill the cup with 16 oz of water and place on the metal hangers   Put the lid from the tin can on the cup so the water will boil faster.  I timed it and slightly cool water was at a rolling boil after 8 minutes with the cup on the flame.

Pretty damn good for about 10 cents worth of fuel, a tin can & Coke can my roommate put in the recycling, a metal hanger from my closet and a $9 cup.  This thing cannot break and can easily be replaced.  If I end up cooking more, I'll pick up a pot that can sit on top of the tin can.  Right now, 16 oz is sufficient for me traveling solo.  I mainly boil water for coffee, tea & oatmeal.  I also carry a thermos to keep it warm through the night.

Homemade Waterproof Handlebar Bag

After cycling for 2 1/2 months through Colombia & Ecuador last year, I picked up some great tips.  I met cyclists with top of line, expensive gear, like Ortlieb bags, but also met those who had the bare minimum.  Those bare bone cyclists taught me to make some key things from scratch with inexpensive materials to save a bundle of money.

I will share how I made panniers, a handlebar bag & a camp stove for a fraction of the price of what you would pay to buy your own.  These will be three separate posts on my blog.

Second, handlebar bag.

I never actually saw any cyclists with homemade handlebar bags but thought to do it after making the kitty litter tub panniers.  I walked through various aisles at the grocery store & Target thinking of what to use.  I first thought of using a smaller, laundry detergent plastic tub, then looked at the tupperware options, then hard coolers...then saw this soft lunch cooler (seen below)

This handlebar bag doesn't require any tools, just attaching stuff you buy.  Here's what I used (with costs):

(1) Soft Lunch Cooler (measures 10" wide x 7.5" deep x 6" tall) @ Target for $8.99 + tax = $9.71

(2) Coleman Carabiners @ Target for $2.99 + tax = $3.23.  These are small, only 2 5/8" long x 1 3/8" at their widest point

(3) 2 strips of velcro - mine are 10" long each but they can be shorter.  I cut mine off my old, crappy handlebar bag so they were "free". You can buy velcro at Home Depot, Target & many other stores

There are two small loops on the back of the cooler so the carabiners can attach:

Total cost of this handlebar bag is $9.71 + 3,73 + 0.00 = $13.44

Cost of Ortlieb handlebar bag on Amazon right now = starting at $101.98

This handebar bag is waterproof (I soaked it in the shower), easy to put on/off and inexpensive.

Homemade Kitty Litter Tub Panniers

After cycling for 2 1/2 months through Colombia & Ecuador last year, I picked up some great tips.  I met cyclists with top of line, expensive gear, like Ortlieb bags, but also met those who had the bare minimum.  Those bare bone cyclists taught me to make some key things from scratch with inexpensive materials to save a bundle of money.

I will share how I made panniers, a handlebar bag & a camp stove for a fraction of the price of what you would pay to buy your own.  These will be three separate posts on my blog.

First, homemade panniers.

When I was staying in a casa de ciclistas in San Antonio Prado, Medellin, Colombia with Manuel & Martha, there was a photo book of cyclists with their bikes & gear.  I saw some that had kitty litter tubs as panniers and was like, "No way!"  So, having come back to the California to work for a bit, I decided to make some for myself.

Here's what I used to make and attach them to my bike (with all costs):

(2) Purina Tidy Cat 35 lb. Kitty Litter Tubs - $12.90 each + tax @ Walmart = $27.86 total.
(I first asked friends, the animal shelter & Petco to get them for free, but had no luck.  Fortunately, my roommate has a cat so the 70 lbs of litter will be used. I saw the tubs @ Target later for $11.99 each, with a $5 gift card when you bought two).

(4) Tarp/rope hooks @ $1.19 each = $4.76 + 0.38 tax = $5.14 total (They did not have the right size @ Home Depot so I had to go to a local hardware store in town.  They are small - just 2" tall)

(8) Each of nuts, screws & washers #8-32 x 1/2.  $3.56 + 0.28 = $3.84 total

(2) Quick release straps 1" x 45" (made by Liberty Mountain) @ $3.50 each on Amazon = $7.00 total:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001H3V6X4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cost of everything for homemade panniers: $27.86 + 5.14 + 3.84 + 7.00 = $43.84 total for (2)

Cost of Ortlieb Back Panniers: They are on Amazon now @ $199.65 = $399.30 total for (2)

These homemade panniers are inexpensive, waterproof, durable, dog proof (I met cyclists whose Ortlieb panniers had been bitten through by dogs), less likely to be stolen and double as a seat when you're camping at night.  It's a win-win.


Now the process of making your own kitty litter tub panniers:

1) Cut a small piece out of the 2nd lip from the top of the bucket so the rope hook will sit flush against the side.  Mark the 2 holes of each hook with a pen so you know where to drill.

2) Drill small holes (you see I am going to put the hooks about 1 1/2" - 2" in from the outer edge of the tub)

3) Attach hooks with screws, bolts & washers:

Here's what it looks like inside:

Once done, the hooks actually almost snap onto the rack because of their size.  I actually had to apply some pressure to push the hooks down onto the rack, which makes them fit very snug:

For extra stability and so they don't bounce around I added a quick release strap on each one, which goes through the inside of the rack:

Outside view:

I plan on putting reflective tape on the 3 visible sides of each bucket.  You can also cover them with bumper stickers or paint them with Krylon Fusion Spray Paint, like one post I found below:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=76773&v=Gh

Low rider bike with painted kitty litter tub homemade panniers: