I'm curious to know what type of stove everyone carries for any of your AT trips?
So far, my AT trips have been limited to hut trips in CO. The huts are fully equipped cabins (for anyone not familiar) so a stove is not needed there. However, I'm thinking a lightweight stove would be a good idea even for those trips, for the day missions away from the hut. I'm mostly thinking of the scenario where someone gets hurt and cannot be moved immediately. A warm drink could make the situation better if extrication was delayed or extended.
I'm strictly thinking of emergency situations, not personal or group cooking for multiple days.
I would be interested in your overall thoughts, and/or what type of stove you carry? I know that "pop can" alcohol stoves can be stupid light and stupid simple, but I'm reading that alcohol is not a favored fuel in winter mountain climates. Alcohol doesn't possess as much energy as traditional camp stove fuel; you would have carry a lot of it vs. a canister of isobutane for a normal trip. I will have to research this more. That being said, if we are only talking 1-3 burns at about 1 fl. oz. of alcohol per burn, the fuel weight would not be much.
I fly in to CO, so I can only fly with the stove. Fuel would have to be purchased on arrival and anything not used left behind, so that is a factor I need to consider. I'm sure my buddy I fly in to do the trips with would allow me to leave a canister or a bottle of Everclear on the shelf of his garage.
Thanks!