Using a flint and steel it is easy to light, and I've found a good puff will blow it out (although this isn't approved by Trangia). Failing that and inverted mug will starve the flame of Oxygen.

Alcohol fuels come in many names, from BioFuels to Methylated spirit or Denatured Alcohol. The critical thing to remember is the content of Ethanol or Methanol in these products. This little set has a lot going for it. Namely, it comes with two pots: one large, with a handy volume indicator, that holds almost a full liter of water (it’s 985 milliliters or about 33.3 ounces), as well as a smaller, 470 milliliters one that doubles as a lid. It also has a brass alcohol stove, a stand, a base for solid fuel should you choose to use it, and a mesh carry bag. The cook pots feature a durable-but-light anodized aluminum, and the alcohol stove, in line with the best ones, has a fold-away handle that allows for a range of temperature control, and its screw-on top seals tightly enough to hold leftover alcohol after the cooking is wrapped up. All in all, it weighs about 15 ounces. At just under a pound, it’s not the lightest means to cook with, but for those who don’t want to go totally bare-bones, this is an excellent introduction to alcohol-stove cooking. Although it’s made for alcohol, keep in mind that you can also use methanol. In hot weather the direct heat transfer of an induction hob means the cabin is not heated as much as when using a gas ring. Iso-HEET was the slowest fuel we tested. It took on average over six minutes for an ounce of it to boil a cup of water. It may be repeatedly refueled with alcohol, but the toilet paper does not need to be replaced. Sounds great … in theory.Chemical News and Journal of Industrial Science. Chemical news office. 1885. pp.184–. Those [liquids] which are classed as petroleum spirit (known as gasoline, benzine, benzoline, naphtha, japanners' spirit, &c.), and in regard to which there exist very special precautionary enactments, are, it need scarcely be said, of far more dangerous character than those classed as burning oils, which include the paraffin oils obtained from shale and the so-called flashing points of which range from 73 to above 140 F. The rapidity with which the vapours, evolved by the more volatile products on exposure to air, or by their leakage from casks or barrels, diffuse themselves through the air, producing with it more or less violent explosive mixtures, has been a fruitful source of disaster, sometimes of great magnitude.

Covering the surface with masking tape was the solution, and also meant that the marks necessary to measure up were much easier to make. If I made a mistake the offending piece of tape could simply be ripped off and replaced. Also, when I came to do the drilling the tape would mean that the bit would be less likely to slip.

Summary

Refillable gas bottles are heavier, and tend to be used on larger stoves intended for car camping, expedition base camps, and residential use (as for barbecues). Methanol can enter the body by ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through the skin. However Ihave yet to see a satisfactory answer to the question of how dangerous it is to use as fuel. Today there’s a wide choice of boat cookers to choose from, some of which are more economical than gas to run and easier to install. The heat pal will burn for about 5 hours on a full tank (1.2 liters) and is compact (30x30x50cm) and lightweight. The heat may be adjusted as desired. These stoves look and even sound a bit like pressurized burner stoves, but the fuel tank is under no pressure. They remain popular for small boats owing to the minimal fire risk they pose in a confined space.