how to carry denatured alcohol for a bottle stove and how much?

[Many Moons]

How many onces of denatured alcohol does a section hiker need to carry for a bottle stove and what is best container? How about the plastic bottles at REI? I plan on resupplying every 3-4 days if needed. Hike On!!!


Miller

[Rasty]

Coffee/Oat meal = 1/2oz
Boil Only Dinner = 1oz
Boil + Cook Dinner = 1.5oz

So 1.5 to 2 ounces per day for me with a Caldera Cone which is very efficient. Maybe add an ounce until your sure. The Flip Top Nalgene Bottles can leak. A Soda Bottle probably works the best. Based on 3 to 4 days, I would bring 8 ounces.

[FarmerChef]

I use a Heet bottle which I've refilled several times over with a gallon of denatured alcohol from Home Depot. I'd prefer something with a squirt style (no drip) head much like a honey bear or ketchup bottle. Haven't found yet but haven't really been looking either. The Heet bottle gets the job done. It does tend to leak very slightly so I put it in a gallon ziploc bag for safety.

[vamelungeon]

I use a plastic Coke bottle. Coke isn't clear so there's not much chance of a mix up. If someone takes it without asking and drinks it thinking it's water, that's on them.

[Slo-go'en]

Since I put water in plastic soda bottles, I put fuel in a "spring" water bottle. For some thing made out of flismsy plastic, spring water bottlles are amazingly indistructable. I always make sure the fuel bottle is put away when not in use so as to not accidently drink any!

[Old Hillwalker]

Please - Please find a way to clearly mark the fuel bottle so that it is not mistakenly drunk from. Drunk it will make you, just before you die from Methanol poisioning. Not joking here!

[Tinker]

Alcohol stoves are a bit tricky. Efficiency can be drastically affected by something as simple as how close your windscreen is to your pot. I would (and did, for that matter) try cooking sample trail meals at home in lousy weather (cold, wet, lots of wind) and base my projected alcohol consumption on the worst results.

I use a relatively heavy Nalgene poly bottle made especially for fuel (says so on the outside of the bottle). It comes with a secure screw down cap and a fuel spout which sits in the mouth of the bottle for travel. When you want to pour fuel, unscrew the cap, remove the fuel spout (which is upside down during travel), invert it, and pour. The fuel spout has a small hole in the side of it which you put your finger over to slow/stop fuel flow.
Unfortunately, I don't think it's made any longer. If I lost it I probably would repurpose a bottle which once held rubbing alcohol. It's a safe bet that it will not be affected by the denatured alcohol.

Here's an interesting idea:

http://www.brasslite.com/OrderForms/Accessories.html

I think that a similar one could be made from an empty Sta-Bil gas stabilizing bottle.

[Schooley]

I have this one and I believe they make a 4 oz. and an 8 oz. http://www.vargooutdoors.com/Alcohol-Fuel-Bottle

[diyguy]

Please - Please find a way to clearly mark the fuel bottle so that it is not mistakenly drunk from. Drunk it will make you, just before you die from Methanol poisioning. Not joking here!

I put a drop or two of food coloring in my alcohol so it's obvious that it's not water.

[Schooley]

oh, and I drew all over mine with red sharpie; especially the top of the cap.

[Drybones]

I plan on 1 oz per 2 cups of water to boil. I find Listerine bottles best as containers, they're flat to fit in a pocket well and they have a locking top which also makes a good measuring device, an 8 oz bottle cap is 1/2 oz, a 16 oz bottle cap is 1 oz.

[Rain Man]

If it's summer time, I might not even take a stove, so zero ounces of alcohol. If it's bitter cold winter (and assuming I choose my alcohol stove), I might take 12 ounces.

I use all kinds of bottles. See pics.

Rain Man

.

[Many Moons]

If it's summer time, I might not even take a stove, so zero ounces of alcohol. If it's bitter cold winter (and assuming I choose my alcohol stove), I might take 12 ounces.

I use all kinds of bottles. See pics.

Rain Man

.

Thanks guys and gals for the responses. These pic help, I was wondering if regular plastic would melt. It looks like any would be OK. I like the idea of a small listerine bottle. I will keep my out for a great fit. I only boil water once in evening, rest of meals are cold on the fly. Hike On!!!


Miller

[MuddyWaters]

The best is a quality flip-top poly bottle. A few cottage vendor sites sell them. The GOOD ones dont leak. Cheap ones, ie coughlans, reportedly DO leak.
8oz bottle weighs 0.95 oz or so.
If you need more, carry it in a 8oz PET water bottle for only 0.63 oz , or so.

No one can tell you how much alcohol you need, but you. I usually use about 0.5 oz per day by myself, doing only dinner.

[Many Moons]

The best is a quality flip-top poly bottle. A few cottage vendor sites sell them. The GOOD ones dont leak. Cheap ones, ie coughlans, reportedly DO leak.
8oz bottle weighs 0.95 oz or so.
If you need more, carry it in a 8oz PET water bottle for only 0.63 oz , or so.

No one can tell you how much alcohol you need, but you. I usually use about 0.5 oz per day by myself, doing only dinner.

Thanks! I am headed out of Franklin NC to Hot Springs for a 20 day trip in mid April. Thought I could take about 8oz(after reading these posts) and refill in towns? Hike On!!!


Miller

[jeffmeh]

A contact lens solution bottle works pretty well for this.

[MuddyWaters]

Thanks! I am headed out of Franklin NC to Hot Springs for a 20 day trip in mid April. Thought I could take about 8oz(after reading these posts) and refill in towns? Hike On!!!


Miller

many hostels and outfitters along the AT sell it by the ounce. AWOLs guide usually says so if they do.
For me, 8oz would last between resupplies fairly easy, even with coffee. YMMV

[Odd Man Out]

I use a Heet bottle which I've refilled several times over with a gallon of denatured alcohol from Home Depot. I'd prefer something with a squirt style (no drip) head much like a honey bear or ketchup bottle. Haven't found yet but haven't really been looking either. The Heet bottle gets the job done. It does tend to leak very slightly so I put it in a gallon ziploc bag for safety.

I'm sure I saw recently one of the cottage industry suppliers selling a squirt top lid for a HEET bottle. But I don't recall where I saw it. Maybe someone else knows. I also like the mouthwash bottle idea. The cap is a good measuring cup.

[MuddyWaters]

I'm sure I saw recently one of the cottage industry suppliers selling a squirt top lid for a HEET bottle. But I don't recall where I saw it. Maybe someone else knows. I also like the mouthwash bottle idea. The cap is a good measuring cup.

That would be Zelph I believe.

[mrcoffeect]

i use a soda bottle and a cap with a flip top that i bought from http://www.packafeather.com.