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For those that don't mind the smell of Esbit or the mess that it leaves on your pot, this or something similar may be the system for you. It will boil 16oz of water with a single tab and considering the low weight of fuel (1/2oz for 2cups of water boiled), this system is about as low weight as you can go for week long trips.
Advantages -
Simple.
Ultralightweight system.
Less fuel consumption by weight than many alcohol stove setups.
Works.
Ideal for boiling water.
Drawbacks -
Coats bottom of pot with sticky residue.
Produces a detectable odor and smoke.
Difficult to find fuel.
Can't simmer (unless you add a tealight).
Pot can be difficult to clean out if you have large hands.
Components include a large 24oz Heineken can for a pot, a tube of sheet metal riveted together for a pot stand, an X stand for the Esbit and foil for a lid, ground reflector, and windscreen.
The Esbit stand is simply two strips of 1cm wide aluminum (flashing) adjoined by an interlocking slit in each strip.
The pot stand is made from a piece of tin sheet from a hobby store (0.009"), but you can use the side of an empty can of denatured alcohol or a stainless shim (0.005" to 0.010") if you can find it. Aluminum flashing works for a couple of fire ups but will eventually fail from the high heat - spilling scalding water into your lap and leaving you without a cook system for the rest of your trip. You can find sheets of stainless steel and similar materials at mcmaster.com where you can get shims less than 0.009" to make an even lighter and more resilient stand. Wire mesh can also be used as a stand, which will allow increased airflow to your fuel.
A tealight tin or other very small alcohol stove can also be used with this setup, but you will want to increase the amount of airflow to your stove by joining the vent holes in your stand or replacing it with wire mesh.
See the Templates Page and Can-Pot Stands for details for the pot stand and X stand.
Note: if you would like to store you stove materials in your pot, you may want to first place them in a Ziploc bag to prevent the fuel residue from adhering to the inside of your pot and later flavoring your meal.
If you need a smaller pot, you can use an 8oz or 12oz can for your pot. You can use the same sized stand (a smaller can fits better than an egg on an egg holder), or just use a smaller template to make a smaller pot stand.
