Svea Stove

On 7 September 2002, by OldJimbo

A test of the Svea stove.

One of my friends gave me a cook set with a Svea 123 stove. It’d been in a box since he went bow hunting for sheep about 25 years ago. It still had gasoline in it and started and ran first try. Not bad for dependability!

That’s the post I made about the stove, and while it’s a bit of bragging - the stove has only gone up in my estimation since.

I guess that a little update is called for, even before we get started. I keep the stove in the back of my truck - inside the coffee can pot, and I found in the middle of last winter that the truck canopy had leaked, the can had filled with water and that the stove was frozen in a block of ice. I decided to leave it that way for a couple of months feeling sure that it would still work. The end result was that the stove was frozen for four months. Once I thawed it out, it started first time and has worked without a problem ever since. I just have to polish the brass again to make it look new. That must seem like a pretty stupid test - but the fact is that these stoves are touted as being the sturdiest and most dependable ever built. It appears that they deserve the reputation! The stove has also run flawlessly on 89 octane purple (boat) gas for a year now.

I’ve had a lot of email on this stove - lots to say how great the stove is, but others to ask if I’m really sure it’s a dependable stove. I’m sure not going to drop it off cliffs or drive over it - but I’d say it’s pretty well tested.

For some years I’d been meaning to get a single burner stove. There are times when a fire is not possible or convenient. I have had a two burner Coleman propane stove for decades, but that’s not too convenient to pack around. Anyway while I was visiting a buddy, I mentioned that I was shopping for a small stove and he gave me his - and the cook set to go with it. Now that’s pretty special! I was quick to polish up the stove and even had it sitting on my bookshelf for a while: it’s one pretty piece of equipment being all brass. At first I was worried about getting any needed spare parts as the stove was 25 years old. I shouldn’t have worried - the stove has been produced for well over a hundred years. These days everyone is concerned with the latest stuff, lightness, hi-tech: I’ll stay with the stuff that really works: to me a brass stove looks better too.

And it sure does work! Naturally I had to take it out and try it with the fuel that was in it, and had been sitting in it for 25 years. That’s some testimony to the fact that it doesn’t leak! It fired up right away, and only slightly scared me with the distinctive sound that these stoves make - sounds like helicopters coming in. I was a little apprehensive about a stove using gasoline, but you soon get used to things. About the only fuel pressure stoves I ever used was as a kid camping in Europe and those were kerosene or "paraffin" as we used to call it there. The stove has been properly used and abused for the last few months running on regular unleaded gas, being left in a damp truck, and so forth. The stove has never hesitated. For sure you get to learn some tricks in getting it going, but it always goes. I could never bear to dent or scratch the stove, but my thought is that you would have to deliberately try to wreck it to stop it! The one real warning is to be careful to store the plate (part #2174) that fits over the burner carefully. Lose it and you are in trouble as the stove just won’t work.

Some Specifications from the Optimus site:

No. 123R SVEA / CLIMBER Gasoline Stove

A beautiful ultra-classic light-weight white gasoline stove made of solid brass. The Svea has been manufactured since the late 1800’s and still sets a standard for compact outdoor cooking equipment!

We doubt that any other outdoor stove has been field tested as much as the Svea to this date. Widely used by Climbers all over the world, the Svea is recognized for its performance at high altitudes.

The built-in cleaning needle of the Svea is a very important feature at high altitudes where air is thin. If a stove does not get enough oxygen to mix with the fuel, it may start to sputter, flare up and eventually the burner jet may clog due to incomplete combustion of the gasoline. Turning the burner control to a full left on an Optimus stove clears the jet, and shutdown is avoided.

The Svea is ideal for single ventures, high altitude cooking or whenever stuff volume and weight must be kept low. The lid of the stove also serves as a small cooking pot.

As on the 8R Hunter, the Svea is self-pressurized. Operating without a pump, the Svea produces well enough output for one person outdoor cooking. If desired, output can be increased by using the optional Midi Pump.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Fuels: White gasoline, Coleman fuel.

Weight: 550 grams/19 oz.

Measurements: 100x130 mm / 3.9"x5.1"

Rating: Appr. 1.400 watts/4.700 BTU. With optional midi pump appr. 1.600 watts/5.300 BTU.

Burning time: Appr. 75 minutes on one filling (0.12 litres/4 oz.) at high output.

Boiling time, one litre of water: Appr. 7 minutes. With optional midi pump appr. 6 minutes.

The specs about say it all. Notice that the key adjuster is also a wrench set which can be used for everything on the stove.

Warnings:

The stove won’t blow up because it has a safety vent. It is important to not though that you can get some good flare ups if it does vent. This will be caused by people trying to build a wind screen that keeps too much heat in. You’ll hear the difference as pressure builds up and the burner runs fast. Those helicopter noises will get very threatening before anything lets loose.

If you are careful with refueling, and keep your fuel bottle well away, all will be well. You can pre-heat the stove with cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly, placed in the burner bowl and lit. If you want to just use fuel for pre-heating then you better be a careful person. This just isn’t the stove for children or careless adults.

An important fact to remember is that a mixture of one part gas to 16 parts air explodes if ignited, rather than burns. Storage of gas involves some care.

Tips:

1. Test the stove away from flammables and with a hosepipe running at least three times before trusting a used or older stove. Leave it running 5 minutes each time.
2. Get yourself a good fuel bottle and always leave an air space.
3. I use a multi tool set of pliers to drop on the 2174 top plate after getting some tissue soaked in gas to heat the stove in the burner bowl. That saves burned fingers. I’ll be fabricating a replacement plate or buying one to attach to the stove since the original could get lost.
4. Use Coleman fuel or purple gas. The latter works well in cold conditions because it’s 89 octane. Regular gas has a lot of additives - but does work well in this stove. Eventually expect it to clog.
5. I haven’t made a lot of the stability of the stove because you just have to be careful. Remember when you decide to make a nice rock wall around the stove to help support the pots that you are keeping the heat in. That’s not too great.

Conclusions:

Pressure fuel stoves give a lot of heat. That’s the advantage over alcohol stoves which you can make or buy cheaply. Gasoline stoves are the most fuel efficient. For all of the stoves out there, reviews show many people returning to the 100 year old design of the Svea. I think I can see why.

For classic stove stuff, start here and follow links.. Stoves

Post-Scriptum :

Original article at OldJimbo’s site.

by OldJimbo

From Outdoors-Magazine.com

Learning Orienteering

By Roger Hardieway

Orienteering is a challenging outdoor adventure sport that exercises both the intellect and the body. The aim is to navigate through a series of control points marked on a unique orienteering map and signing the register as you reach each control point, simultaneously, choosing the best route to complete the course. It does not matter how young, old or fit you are. You can run, pace or jog the course and proceed at your own pace. Orienteering can take place anywhere from isolated forest and countryside to urban parks and school playgrounds. It is a great sport for runners, joggers and walkers who want to develop their navigation skills or for anyone who loves the outside.

Orienteering is the adventure sport for all.

The first thing one must learn is how to step off a consistent pace for distance. Orienteering is a sport of navigation cross-country with an especially made detailed map. First, quality orienteering is truly reliant on plush natural environments. Anyone occupied in orienteering will realize it is very time consuming.

There are programs on the web developed to facilitate quick and easy ways for setting up an orienteering course that teaches map and compass skills. These programs can be used in the gym, classroom, commons areas, lunch rooms or outdoors. Students using these programs ascertain many exciting education possibilities.

A popular piece of equipment in use is a modern orienteering compass that has a protractor and compass built into the instrument. Good orienteering compasses can be found in catalogs which sell outdoor sports supplies. Search the internet on Line for orienteering equipment and supplies. A prerequisite in learning orienteering requires the experience in the use of maps, protractors and compasses.

Historically, the development of highly accurate, detailed topographic maps has largely been driven by military requirements. Army map reading training has developed to a high degree of proficiency for obvious reasons. Some websites refer to actual U.S. Army map reading training manuals, applicable to such civilian uses as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, hill walking or any other use where precise, accurate land navigation is desired or needed. A unique characteristic that distinguishes topographical maps from other kinds of maps is the fact that they show the topography. Because topographical maps show the shape of the land, they are the most suitable type of map for most outdoor activities that take place in areas that are not heavily populated.

Global Positioning System, or GPS, devices are popular and can locate your position within a few feet; however they should not be relied upon until you have prepared yourself with the basic skills using the elementary materials. Find your way with simple tools like a map and compass. Before setting out into unfamiliar territory, know and practice the basics. For example and illustration, create a course on a map and place a person at the starting point and direction and all in between points and bearings. Instruct the person to find the target (The person must be familiar with map reading and the use of a protractor and compass.) To increase the challenge, the course can be drawn on types of different terrain that makes shooting the bearings and pacing off the distance more difficult. On orienteering courses there can be as many points as necessary from the beginning or start to the final destination. Contest can be based like in speed racing. The person who reaches the final destination in the shortest period of time wins.

Practice maps and other training kits can be purchased from suppliers catalogs etc. from which you can create a challenge courses (using scaled down distances and actual bearings) from real maps where space is limited or the area the map represents is far away and/or too large to be practical. On the ground or indoors place a start point, intermediate target points and bearings between final destination. Test the accuracy of your home made course and use it as practice course. Small indoor courses can be set up using a practice map for a layout. This can be a great rainy day activity in a gym or activity room for training purposes.

After land has been located that is suitable for orienteering two important land-related tasks remain: (1) obtaining permission to use the land, and (2) taking care of the land. Quality orienteering is vitally dependent on a rich natural environment.

I believe most people were probably drawn to the sport (partly because of a love of nature) are thus motivated to protect nature regardless of their involvement in orienteering. It may be helpful for you to include in your research the reading of past formal studies that have been conducted on the environmental impact of orienteering. Search "USOF (US Orienteering Federation) Land Use Policy" at the library or on the web. Also, there is a free on line book on how to read topographic maps and Use a Compass.

Find out more information on Orienteering in your city; contact the United States Orienteering Federation. Have fun.

Please leave your comments. Roger Hardieway is a retired Engineer and Amateur Radio Operator Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Hardieway

Dowsing

How to Use Dowsing or Divining Rods

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Before technology came about that would allow us to "see" into the ground, people depended on dowsing (also known divining or water witching) to find water wells, metals, gemstones, and even missing people and unmarked graves. Although dowsing has never been scientifically proven to work in a controlled setting,[1][2] the practice remains popular in many parts of the world.[3][4] It's been suggested that humans may be able to sense electric and magnetic energy that's invisible to the eye (as many animals can)[5] and subconsciously manipulate the dowsing rods or pendulum to reflect that information (the ideomotor effect).[6] Whether you're a stout defender of dowsing or you think it's hogwash, doing your own experiment can be both educational (from a historical perspective) and fun.

Steps

1. Obtain a dowsing rod.
   
   • Find a forked ("Y"-shaped) branch from a tree or bush. Hold the two ends on the forked side, one in each hand. You may want to experiment with holding it with your palms facing up or down; one may be more effective than the other. Hazel or willow branches were commonly used because they were light and porous, and were believed to better absorb vapors rising from buried metals or water, thus weighing down the unforked end and pointing towards the source.[7]
     
   • Bend two identical pieces of wire into an "L" shape and hold one in each hand by the short part of the "L" so that the long part is parallel with the ground and so they can swing freely from side to side. You can use coat hangers to make these rods. Some dowsers claim certain metals, such as brass, to be more effective.[8]
     
   • Make a pendulum by suspending a weight (such as a stone or crystal) by a string or chain. Pendulums are used with maps or to answer yes/no questions, rather than to guide the dowser on unfamiliar terrain; instructions for using a pendulum are given in a separate section below.
     
   
   
2. Relax. Whether you're priming yourself to receive paranormal insight, or you're relaxing your muscles so they can better transmit the ideomotor effect, or you're just experimenting with this for fun, relaxing will make it a more effective or enjoyable experience. Take a few deep breaths or meditate for a minute or two.
   
3. Calibrate your dowsing rod(s). Lay out cards numbered 1-5 face up and in a line with about 1-2 feet (1/2 meter) of separation between each card. Start at one end, holding your dowsing rod(s), and make a request, like "Show me where the card labeled 4 is". Close your eyes and visualize the card you want the rod(s) to find for you. Then open your eyes and walk slowly next to the line of cards with your dowsing rod(s) over them, pausing over each one, and see what happens when you go over the card you requested. You may find that the wooden rod points downward, or the metal rods cross each other.
   
4. Test your dowsing abilities. Repeat the previous step, but this time, shuffle the cards and put them on the ground facing down, so you don't know which is which. Make your request and see if you can correctly identify the card you requested by dowsing. If you can't, either you're a bad dowser (you're not focused or relaxed enough, you're psychically challenged, you're holding the rod(s) incorrectly, or you're too skeptical to allow dowsing to work for you) or dowsing is nothing more than superstition punctuated by coincidence. You decide.
   

Pendulum Dowsing

1. Calibrate the pendulum. Hold it perfectly still over a bare surface, then ask a specific question to which you know the answer is "yes". Does it go in a circle (if so, clockwise or counter-clockwise?), swing right to left, or swing up and down? This is your "yes" answer. Repeat to find a "no" answer. If your goal is to find a lost person or object, hold the pendulum over a picture of that person or object and see what the pendulum does.
   
2. Hold the pendulum over an object or person and make a request. The simplest way to use a pendulum is to ask a specific, yes or no question and see what the pendulum does. A dowsing pendulum can also be used in other ways:
   
   • For map dowsing, hold the pendulum still over the map and make a request (e.g. "Show me where this object or person is"). Move the pendulum slowly over all areas of the map until you see activity that coincides with your calibration. This type of dowsing was used by the German Navy in Nazi Germany.[9]
     
   • Write several answers on a piece of paper, leaving the center blank. Hold the pendulum over the center and ask a question. Watch the pendulum carefully to see in which direction it swings. Which answer does it point to? (This is similar to using an ouija board.)
     
   • Radiesthesia is the practice of using dowsing to make a medical diagnosis. A common technique is to hold the pendulum over a pregnant woman's stomach to identify the gender of the child. It's not wise, however, to depend on a pendulum for medical advice.
     
   
   

Video

Tips

• Whatever it is that you're trying to find through dowsing, visualize it as clearly as you can.
  
• The "L"-shaped rods will only perform well when parallel to the ground. Do not let the rods droop towards the ground.
  
• Once you've found a water source with rods, you may be able to use a stiff pendulum (a floppy horizontal wire with a weight at the end) to determine how deep the well is by counting how many times it bobs.[10]
  

Warnings

• Make sure your dowsing area is clear of other people. Do not use the rods in a crowded place or in close proximity to other people because someone could get poked and injured. (It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye). Besides, the rods might pick up energy fields from other people and they won't work.
  
• It is tempting to stare at the rods while you are working. Please be mindful of where you are walking though so you do not trip on something or fall in a well.
  
• Place your bets on dowsing at your own risk.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Play Light as a Feather
  
• How to Cold Read
  
• How to Conduct a Tarot Reading
  
• How to Use an Ouija Board
  
• How to Find Lost Objects
  
• How to Read an Aura (for Beginners)
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.csicop.org/si/9901/dowsing.html


2. ↑ http://www.randi.org/library/dowsing/


3. ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00EEDF173BF93BA3575AC0A9659C8B63


4. ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3D8133CF933A15750C0A96E948260


5. ↑ http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/1281661.html


6. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_effect


7. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divining_rod


8. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowsing


9. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Straniak


10. ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3D8133CF933A15750C0A96E948260

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