Vargo alcohol stove

[ecc]

I recently purchased one (www.vargooutdoors.com/page3.html) to use as an ultralight backpacking stove. I also have a Pepsi can stove which I love, but the Vargo is made of Titanium and the durability of that appealed to me.
I tested it out and it runs well. Trouble is filling it is a pain in the butt. You fill it by S-L-O-O-O-W-L-Y pouring fuel into the slightly lndented top surface and the fuel percolates down through a miniscule hole into the stove body. What ends up happening is the fuel comes out of the fuel bottle too fast and spills all over. Some of it incidentally ends up inside the stove, but much is wasted.
I'm thinking of constructing a small funnel with 4ml mylar or maybe using an eye dropper. Has anyone used this stove and come up with a better way? Other than this awkwardness, it seems to be a nice little stove.
ecc

 

[John S]

I recently hiked with someone who used a stove that looks like the one in the picture. She didn’t use a funnel but took her time filling it and didn’t worry about the spillage. She just put a piece of foil under the stove to catch it and then set the whole thing on fire. Seconds later, after the spillage burned off, she had a hot stove producing a good cooking flame. It seemed like a crude but effective priming technique.

 

[Rick]

FWIW,
I was on an AHC Dayhike with a fellow last winter in NJ. He used an aluminum stove almost identical to the Vargas. He, as well, spilled alcohol all over when filling and then just lighted the whole darn thing.

I personally have been extremely happy with my Pepsi can stoves for the past 4 or so years and wouldn't switch to anything else (except my Whsiperlite for winter)

 

[percious]

I have some similar experience, with the stoves that I make. What I do, and instruct my customers to do, is to use a squirt bottle to put the fuel into the stove. (I sell the bottle along with the stove). In my design, extra fuel is left near the lip and can be sucked back into the fuel bottle, or used for priming. Here are the instructions. http://www.advancedmountainproducts.com/instructions/alumilite/instr.html

 

[Remix]

Not exactly on topic

I purchased one from Pro-lite gear. On their web site, they cited one small negative about the stove and provided a fix.

They said its difficult to get it started unless its completely filled.

To start it with less than a full load of fill, they suggested putting a big finishing washer picture of washer(upside down) in the middle of the stove, and filling the washer with alcohol.

Finally they recommend a wind screen for it and I remember seeing a link on their site to plans for one