Using the alcohol bowl as an ash tray is in my opinion a wise decision. Those stoves can get hot and can cook the surface they are on. The liquid fuel bowl is a good size to work as an ash tray and reduce the chance of accidental fires.
Thank you so much for the burn demo and showing me how to use the steamer. I just bought one at my goodwill $1.99. And it even had feet add to it. And I got a small hanging pot holder with coiled handle to keep the heat off. And it was 1/2 price day $.50.
Jordan Bronson it does.. Look for horse stable pellets.. Same thing, but $5 for 50lbs bag.. I’m lucky enough to have a tractor supply store near me.. Not everyone has options like that..
Cat litter is more expensive AND (even more relevant) it is made out of woods which are very much suited to soaking up urine and moisture from feline faecal matter. Those woods have a natural pleasant smell which is good for a cat litter. Woods like pine and birch are not the best to use in stoves because they burn somewhat dirty, create a bit more smoke, smell more and they will soot up your pots and pans a lot very fast... Best to use the tractor supply pellets or generally the kind used for pellet stoves which are most of the times made with cleaner burning woods. When in doubt or you can not find a pellet source locally you can always use small sticks or branches you can collect or find in gardens, forest floors and the like. Obviously you have to steer clear from the resinous trees (pine, birch, cedar) and have some basic knowledge as to recognize the type of wood (resinous or not)... You can usually smell if a piece of wood is suited or not, resin has this distinct smell to it... Having a small foldable saw (get a cheap one - 10-15 dollars - and don't get caught in the fashion thing getting a 60 dollar bahco or worse = just crazy) and a set of pruning clippers to make the dead sticks and branches you find fit the stove (this case about 3 inches long standing the pieces up, packing them tight in there is best I find). Having an open weave bag (like burlap) to place you clipped/sawn pieces in is helpful if the wood is not as dry as you like it.
You can get horse bedding at any farm supply store, such as Tractor Supply really cheap. Wood stove pellets are the same thing and can be found at Home Depot during the winter months. Both are kiln-dried pine and have no odor at all.
