Accidentally drinking methyl alcohol(fuel ) while hiking:

[Kookork]

Simply consider this scenario: You are in a shelter and somebody accidentally drinks a mouthful of methyl alcohol ( Alcohol Stove Fuel ). What could we do ?

is it fatal?

Is it a serious poisoning?

Methanol is very toxic and requires as little as 30 ml of 40% solution to be fatal. On ingestion, Methanol is metabolized in the liver to formaldehyde and formic acid by alcohol dehydrogenase. Although both are toxic, formic acid is what causes the more serious delayed effects. It is also readily distributed in the liver, gastrointestinal tract, eyes and kidneys.

So let’s make it clear,30 ml of 40 % methanol could be fatal. So when we talk about fuel ( 90 % plus pure) even 10 to 15 cc or half a fluid ounce could be fatal.

Early manifestations such as nausea, vomiting, headache, vertigo and gastritis are primarily caused by Methanol itself. High serum levels of Methanol is associated with obtundation, convulsions and coma.

Late manifestations such as visual disturbances, severe metabolic acidosis, seizures, coma and death are common after 30 hours after ingestion. The latent period is longer when Ethanol is ingested concurrently. Ocular toxicity is associated with diminished vision, flashing spots, dilated pupils, optic disc hyperemia, retinal edema and ultimately blindness.

So what could we do for such a potentially fatal poisoning in the middle of woods ?

Here is the good part about methanol poisoning: If we have any type of drinking alcohol available then we have a very good chance to save the life of the victim.

Any type of drinking alcohol would do the job. Beer, spirit ,wine are all possible sources of drinking alcohol.

Administration of Ethanol to saturate alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver, preventing the formation of toxic metabolite, formaldehyde. A 5% solution of Ethanol is prepared and 15 ml/kg is given as loading dose and then 2-3 ml/kg/hour as maintenance dose orally. It can also be given intravenously.

So let’s make it clear : beer is around 5 percent by itself , wine is normally 10 to 12 percent pure and spirit are mostly around 25 to 35 percent pure ethyl alcohol.

If the person is around 185 pounds ( 83 kg) all we should do is giving him/her 83 *15=1245 cc of beer( three beer can or bottle) , or 600 cc of wine and equal amount of spirit by diluting it to 5 percent by water.

Then give him/her 83 *3 = 249 cc of 5 percent alcohol ( half a bottle of beer for example) every hour until he is transferred to a hospital as soon as possible.

If there is no drinking alcohol available what can we do?

Unfortunately not too many things except trying to transfer the person to a hospital as soon as possible.

Seek immediate medical help. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by Poison Control or a health care professional.

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

Hope we never have a methanol poisoning while hiking but if it happens we are one huge step closer to save the victim if we know what we could do in the woods.

KOOKORK

[Slo-go'en]

I think the greatist risk of accidently drinking some methanol would be at night. You wake up, have a dry mouth so grab a bottle and take a swig. Opps, wrong bottle! I've never tasted methanol, for good reason, but I would hope you'd notice the burning sensation and spit it out before you injested much.

However, due to that possibility, I put my fuel bottle away inside my pack as soon as I'm done with it. I also use a different shape bottle for fuel than my water bottles, so I can tell by touch. My fuel goes into a bottled water bottle and my water into a coca-cola bottle.

And it's not polite to sip out of someone elses bottles. Unless its full of real whisky of course.

[Kookork]

I think the greatist risk of accidently drinking some methanol would be at night. You wake up, have a dry mouth so grab a bottle and take a swig. Opps, wrong bottle! I've never tasted methanol, for good reason, but I would hope you'd notice the burning sensation and spit it out before you injested much.

However, due to that possibility, I put my fuel bottle away inside my pack as soon as I'm done with it. I also use a different shape bottle for fuel than my water bottles, so I can tell by touch. My fuel goes into a bottled water bottle and my water into a coca-cola bottle.

And it's not polite to sip out of someone elses bottles. Unless its full of real whisky of course.

As remotely possible as it may sound ,it can happen slo-go'en.

[Sarcasm the elf]

This is one of the reasons I don't Like the common practice of repurposing beverage bottles for non-drinkable alcohol, especially when no label is put on warning of the contents.

[Feral Bill]

Good practice would seem to be having bottles easily distinguished by look and by feel.

[BirdBrain]

This post has just changed my mind on the way I will package my alcohol. I have felt the same way about eye dropper bottles. Nothing but eye drops in those bottles for me, even though I will be taking no eye drops on the trail. I use food coloring bottles for repackaging such things. No I have to add to my never do that list. I will never be putting fuel in a bottle that can be confused with a drinking bottle. Time to ponder what will be suitable.

[leaftye]

I've put methanol into repurposed soda bottles, but they had special lids that I'd never put on a drinking bottle and would never mistake. If someone else steals a swig from my bottle, that's on them. I have a gatorade pee bottle too.

Unfortunately to whoever this happens to, I never carry drinking alcohol, so my ability to help would be hampered. How many people carry drinking alcohol, and how much?

[Deacon]

This is exactly why I never use HEET. I stick with SLX, an ethynol based alcohol available at any Wally World in the paint section.

[Rocket Jones]

My fuel goes in a small green plastic soda bottle with a pinched waist, my water bottles are clear and smooth sided and much larger. The fuel bottle cap is red, water bottles are white. The fuel bottle has duct tape wrapped around it and "FUEL" is written on it, along with a skull and crossbones. I also enclose my fuel bottle in a ziplock when not being used.

My pee bottle is shaped completely different than both the fuel and water bottles, and has a wide mouth.

I've done everything I can think of to make sure I know the difference between my fuel and water, and water and pee bottle. Mixing any of those up would be a bad thing. It's all about attention to detail and not being on auto-pilot.

[Wise Old Owl]

This is why you don't use a soda bottle for your Heet.

[Nutbrown]

aw, I've missed your posts kookork.

[MDSection12]

Wait... Why are people bottling pee?

[BirdBrain]

Wait... Why are people bottling pee?

I did not grasp that either. Maybe to keep people from drinking the fuel.

[leaftye]

Wait... Why are people bottling pee?

So we don't have to get up to relieve ourselves at night.

[Lone Wolf]

pretty unlikely scenario

[gizzy bear]

pretty unlikely scenario

i agree LW... my question is ... who the heck would swallow that stuff?!?! i can see grabbing the wrong bottle and opening it up and putting it up to one's mouth and even taking a sip....but then IMMEADIATELY spewing it back out!!! so, my question would be, what effects might THAT have?

this thread does serve a VERY good purpose because there is DEFINITELY a need for a "special" bottle for carrying
that kind of alcohol!!

[atraildreamer]

... I have a gatorade pee bottle too. ...

Hey! Can I have a drink of your Gatorade? Sure...go ahead!

[Tucky]

Proper identification is a must. I would be more concerned in getting sued if someone drank that out of my water bottle. If it is properly identified with the contents and hazards (NFPA diamond health, flammability, reactivity, toxic, etc) it was pretty much the error of that person. And if you drink your own stove fuel, what the hell man?

[Rick500]

Think I'm gonna start leaving my stove fuel in the yellow Heet bottle.

[MDSection12]

I store my fuel in Kentucky Gentleman bottles... That's enough warning right there!

(I do put 'toxic' on them in a few places, and 'denatured alcohol' really big on the front.)

So we don't have to get up to relieve ourselves at night.

OK, gotcha. Not a bad idea. I've relieved myself over the side of the hammock a few times, but it's not the easiest thing to do.