Sterno Inferno Backpacking Stove Review

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  • kstone803

    Official Meat Getter
    Feb 25, 2009
    3,923
    Ltown in the SMC
    I have been looking for a replacement for my Esbit stoves for a while and I wanted to stay away from the gas backpacking stoves, which while light, are expensive and rely on specialized fuels. I stumbled across the Sterno Inferno and decided to order one to try out. At $25 they’re pricier than an Esbit but also offer an integrated cup so I can ditch the stainless one that I use with the Esbit. I received the stove yesterday and upon unboxing saw that when broken down and nested together the whole size is about as big as a standard Nalgene bottle. This size includes the ability to hold a 7 oz Sterno can in the pot (sold separately). The stainless cup that comes with the stove has heat exchanger fins on the outside to help with heating times and I can’t say if they help but they look cool. I filled the cup with 16 oz of tap water then went outside to get a boil time. I couldn’t find Sterno brand fuel so I used another brand that the local Ace had. Total time from when I set the water on top of the flame to a full rapid boil was 8 minutes and 20 seconds. While not the fastest boil time in the world it is acceptable for my needs. And considering a single fuel can will burn for 2 hours or more that is at least 15 boils per can. You could cook each meal on this for five straight days on just one can of fuel theoretically. The only problem I ran into was the lid on the cup became stuck when it was heated up. I had to pry it off carefully with a knife. You could cook without the lid but I have to assume that would make the boil time longer. Not sure how to remedy this yet. All in all my first impression is positive and I plan to use this stove while camping this fall and see how it really shakes out. If it holds up I’ll probably order a few more to swap out the Esbits and a case of Sterno cans to keep in the basement. Anybody else used one of these or something similar? Link to the stove below. And I forgot to take pictures last night but I’ll try to add some this evening.

    Sterno Inferno
    https://www.amazon.com/Sterno-70138-Inferno-Stove-Multicolor/dp/B0169ZDUOM
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    Keep in mind a pocket rocket stove can be found for $30 or less and cans of isobutane fuel can be found at pretty much every outdoor and big box store and are also not that expensive, so not exactly rare. It'll also boil 16oz of water more than twice as fast and will last for an hour at full burn with an 8oz fuel can. Also easier to simmer with and a bit more wind resistant. You get somewhat more heating potential for the same weight of fuel and easier to pack-up as soon as you are done with it. Downside is it doesn't work in extreme cold and you also can't repurpose it if you run out of fuel and just fill it with alcohol or something.

    The advantage if the faster boil time is significantly more accute in cold weather. The 3:30 boil time of a pocket rocket is measured at something like room temp, 65F. If you measured 8 some minutes I am assuming it was probably more like 80F outside. The pocket rocket at 32F is more like 4:30 and that sterno might be more like 12 minutes. You lose heat fast from the metal pot in cold weather, so the less heating power you don't just have longer boil times, it also means reduced efficiency so the lower heating output fuel source is going to take a much bigger efficiency hit in cold weather (isobutane will work down to about 20F)

    I have a few canisters lying around. I think maybe 4 or 5 4oz, which is my typical backpacking size and a couple of 8oz. Failing that, it is pretty easy to put a couple of rocks together and make a twig fire with a couple of larger sticks across the rocks to act as a pot holder long enough to boil water.
     

    bikerbankr

    Active Member
    Mar 1, 2010
    393
    Upperco, MD
    I know they're a little more pricey but I couldn't imagine backpacking or camping without my JetBoil.

    Fuel is about $5/can and can be found just about anywhere now. I think even Walmart is carrying an off brand.

    It'll boil 16oz in just under 2 minutes and one can of fuel lasted me around 8 4-day trips using it for 3-4 meals a day plus morning coffee.

    Looking back at all the money I've spent on camping gear, the JetBoil is, by far, the best investment I've made. I saw them on sale for $79 at REI not too long ago and considered grabbing another in case something should happen to this one.

    To Lazarus: I've used the JetBoil in the low teens with snow on the ground and it still worked great. It may have taken a minute or two longer than when in the 50's but it wasn't significant. It was slightly harder to ignite. Took 4-5 clicks of the igniter as opposed to firing on the first click.

    I haven't had a problem with rapid loss of heat but I'm usually pouring the hot water into a food pouch or my coffee mug..
     

    Jollyllama

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 9, 2012
    1,457
    Carroll county
    A guy I met made these fantastic stoves that I use every time I backpack. They are the bottom half of aerosol or aluminum beer bottles. He cuts the top off, then inverts the top half into the bottom. Drills some holes in the side for flame ports. They are super light, nest perfectly in a small backpacking pot/ mug and run off alcohol. I use methanol (yellow heat) available at any gas station.

    You can wrap some fiberglass wick around the exterior coated in jb weld, soak it and light it to get it warmed up. Boils 16 oz water in about 4 mins. Requires no stand. I fold up foil to use as a heat shield/ wind screen. I put the etoh in old 5 hour energy bottles. That is enough to to boil 32 oz water in my titanium mug.

    I'll take a picture. Really into it. Lightest stove I have found and the fuel use keeps making the pack lighter. No canisters to carry around and wonder how full they are.

    If interested let me know and I could send you one. I have an extra in the stove bin.
     

    ground chuck

    Rookie Jedi
    Sep 28, 2013
    4,172
    Charm City County
    I have $5.80 pocket stove from amazon and a $4 can of camp fuel. Depending on your needs and duration this worked perfectly for a 3 day 2 night hike I did in dolly sods early this year.
     

    bikerbankr

    Active Member
    Mar 1, 2010
    393
    Upperco, MD
    A guy I met made these fantastic stoves that I use every time I backpack. They are the bottom half of aerosol or aluminum beer bottles. He cuts the top off, then inverts the top half into the bottom. Drills some holes in the side for flame ports. They are super light, nest perfectly in a small backpacking pot/ mug and run off alcohol. I use methanol (yellow heat) available at any gas station.

    You can wrap some fiberglass wick around the exterior coated in jb weld, soak it and light it to get it warmed up. Boils 16 oz water in about 4 mins. Requires no stand. I fold up foil to use as a heat shield/ wind screen. I put the etoh in old 5 hour energy bottles. That is enough to to boil 32 oz water in my titanium mug.

    I'll take a picture. Really into it. Lightest stove I have found and the fuel use keeps making the pack lighter. No canisters to carry around and wonder how full they are.

    If interested let me know and I could send you one. I have an extra in the stove bin.

    I'd be interested in seeing pics. I've seen plans and always wondered how well they worked. Sounds perfect for my emergency pack.
     

    Ender

    Active Member
    Jan 9, 2011
    346
    I saw a few guys with that sterno setup out in the field a few months ago and they seemed happy with them but I didn't get to play with it. I'd be interested to know if you could fit trangia in there. I made the switch away from canister stoves a few years ago and I don't think I'll go back.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    I know they're a little more pricey but I couldn't imagine backpacking or camping without my JetBoil.

    Fuel is about $5/can and can be found just about anywhere now. I think even Walmart is carrying an off brand.

    It'll boil 16oz in just under 2 minutes and one can of fuel lasted me around 8 4-day trips using it for 3-4 meals a day plus morning coffee.

    Looking back at all the money I've spent on camping gear, the JetBoil is, by far, the best investment I've made. I saw them on sale for $79 at REI not too long ago and considered grabbing another in case something should happen to this one.

    To Lazarus: I've used the JetBoil in the low teens with snow on the ground and it still worked great. It may have taken a minute or two longer than when in the 50's but it wasn't significant. It was slightly harder to ignite. Took 4-5 clicks of the igniter as opposed to firing on the first click.

    I haven't had a problem with rapid loss of heat but I'm usually pouring the hot water into a food pouch or my coffee mug..

    The issue is that isobutane fuel is actually about 20% propane with a vapor temp of -44F and actual isobutane with a vapor temp of 11F. As you use fuel and it evaporates it cools the fuel canister. The more rapidly you evaporate fuel to burn, the more cooling you get. Basically below about 11F and it won't work because the isobutane won't vaporize. In the teens if the canister is low, what liquid is left rapidly vaporizes and it it cooks the canister enough that the remainder won't vaporize and it extinguishes.

    Basically you CAN use it in the teens and maybe a little in the single digits with what propane will vaporize, but it'll not work well and will likely extinguish. That is if close to full. If near empty it'll run like crap in the teens. I've never had issues but over never run iso below about 22F.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    I'd be interested in seeing pics. I've seen plans and always wondered how well they worked. Sounds perfect for my emergency pack.

    If you are looking at an emergency pack, best bang for the buck with durability and ease of use is probably the $10 pocket rocket "copy" on Amazon plus a 4oz isobutane canister and a fire starter. Enough heat for boiling about 2 gallons of water and a little change as well as ad hoc fires with combustibles. Nest it in a small titanium or aluminum 1 quart pot and done.

    End times, you are best off burning the stuff that grows out of the ground and generates leaves. SHTF if that is what you are really worried about, it is still fast and easy for a bug out bag and is easily enough to get you through 3-4 days. Is think you wouldn't need more than that of quick heat or heat in the rain and could easily do twig fires for water heating needs outside of that.
     

    crolfe1984

    Enthusiast
    Oct 21, 2007
    562
    Baltimore City, MD
    Just did a 264 mile JMT thru-hike (SoBo) and used the Snowpeak GigaPower Auto and Mini-Solo combo for cooking. Light weight, efficient, and compact. Couldn't have asked for a better combo.
     

    bikerbankr

    Active Member
    Mar 1, 2010
    393
    Upperco, MD
    If you are looking at an emergency pack, best bang for the buck with durability and ease of use is probably the $10 pocket rocket "copy" on Amazon plus a 4oz isobutane canister and a fire starter. Enough heat for boiling about 2 gallons of water and a little change as well as ad hoc fires with combustibles. Nest it in a small titanium or aluminum 1 quart pot and done.

    Good point. I have one of those in the bag now but was thinking the can setup would take up less room than the fuel canister.
     

    Mickey the Dragon

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 19, 2009
    1,315
    Ohio
    I'd be interested in seeing pics. I've seen plans and always wondered how well they worked. Sounds perfect for my emergency pack.

    Here's a link to instructions on how to make an inexpensive stove out of two aluminum cans. I've used it on several backpacking trips and while it won't beat a jetboil, it's also much lighter and you can scale your fuel up or down depending on how many days you'll be out. I built a pot support out of some 1/4" hardware cloth and a windscreen out of aluminum foil. Packs up light, nests inside my cook pot, the whole set up costs less than 10 bucks, and you can buy acceptable fuel at any gas station (Heet), hardware store (denatured alcohol), or liquor store (Everclear).

    http://www.thesodacanstove.com/alcohol-stove/how-to-build.html

    I've also built a homemade woodstove for backpacking that is lighter (no fuel) but not as fast to boil and harder to use in the elements (wet wood doesn't burn as well). They call it a wood gasification stove, but it's really just a highly efficient wood stove that uses the chimney effect exceptionally well. Also very lightweight, nests into a snowpeak cook set, and the fuel is all around you. http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/diy-wood-gasification-stove.6270/
     

    kstone803

    Official Meat Getter
    Feb 25, 2009
    3,923
    Ltown in the SMC
    Here's a pic of in nested together (Yeti koozie for scale). Mickey I like that wood gasification stove. Might have to make one of those one weekend. As for the butane stoves I would still have to carry a fuel can and a cup separately whereas this all nests together in one little package. It's certainly not as light as some of the pocket stoves but I'm not hiking for weeks or high elevation and compared to the esbits it's a major upgrade. I looked at the alcohol stoves and one of those may be on the short list to test out next year.
     

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    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    You don't have to carry it seperately. A 8oz iso canister nests perfectly in to my 1 quart pot without rattling around. If I go 4oz my pocket rocket will also fit in the pot.
     

    Jollyllama

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 9, 2012
    1,457
    Carroll county
    A guy I met made these fantastic stoves that I use every time I backpack. They are the bottom half of aerosol or aluminum beer bottles. He cuts the top off, then inverts the top half into the bottom. Drills some holes in the side for flame ports. They are super light, nest perfectly in a small backpacking pot/ mug and run off alcohol. I use methanol (yellow heat) available at any gas station.

    You can wrap some fiberglass wick around the exterior coated in jb weld, soak it and light it to get it warmed up. Boils 16 oz water in about 4 mins. Requires no stand. I fold up foil to use as a heat shield/ wind screen. I put the etoh in old 5 hour energy bottles. That is enough to to boil 32 oz water in my titanium mug.

    I'll take a picture. Really into it. Lightest stove I have found and the fuel use keeps making the pack lighter. No canisters to carry around and wonder how full they are.

    If interested let me know and I could send you one. I have an extra in the stove bin.



    Pictures for reference.

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    d8f8dfbc014ac07376946ebd2fa06ec0.jpg
     

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