Alcohol bottles

[RichardD]

Not for Jack Daniels for my stove.
The fancy MSR bottles seem a bit heavy when I looked at one today. I have a Caldera Cone alcohol stove for my hike and wondered if a plain old 20 oz water bottle would do for carrying denatured alcohol. The walls seem a bit thin but it will be in my front pack. I have not used alcohol stoves on previous hikes.
Some of my gear has been stolen (from my garage) so I had to buy new poles today. My whistle and compass are also gone, I suspect neither are needed on the AT so I have not replaced them, what do you think- replace or go without? I do have a SPOT for a true emergencies.
I leave for Georgia Tuesday morning.

[Slo-go'en]

Plain old water bottles are nearly indestructable. I get a new one each season for my fuel, but don't really need to. I suppose enough exposure to uv might degrade the plastic.

[vamelungeon]

I use a plastic Coke bottle for my alcohol. Works fine.

[Wise Old Owl]

Unless you folks are baiting me we have beaten this thread out before about three months ago.

It is under reported, and it happens. There is a thread over on Trailplace where someone else admitted making the mistake.

It is really a bad idea to store a poison methyl Alcohol or Wood Alcohol in a soda or water bottle because the fuel has no identifiable smell and can cause serious blindness or death.

if you are going to do it tape a new label or something to set it apart, a sharpie will most likely get erased by the fuel.


Back in the days when they used to track this NYC in the twenties discovered twenty to thirty people died each year to this mistake.

[Slosteppin]

I have been using the Caldera Tri-Ti for over a year now. I use alcohol by preference. I use several different bottles depending on the length of hike I plan. For up to 3 days I just use the little bottle that came with my Tri-Ti. For slightly longer trips I will use either an 8 or 16 oz water bottle.
I have carried the yellow Heet bottles for hikes of about 10 days.
I usually plan on 2 oz use per day.
Of course, with the Tri-Ti I have the option of burning wood if I run low on alcohol.

[LIhikers]

Some mouthwashes come in odd shaped bottles, that's what I use. I don't need a label to know it's not a water bottle. Those odd shaped bottles come in a few different sizes.

[RichardD]

W.O.O. I knew it had been discussed before but I am in the frantic stage with three days to do my taxes, service the car for my wife, trim the tree, decide how many maildrops and where to, prepare said maildrops, finish the water leak at the house, make sure that meds are well thought out and catch the 9 am flight Tuesday with nothing in my pack to upset TSA. (I did get two food drops sent out today, Hiawassee and Fontana, next one to Damascus almost ready)
I use a metal water bottle for drinking, I know its a shade heavy but I like it and am confident in its use as a hot water bottle inside my sleeping bag. Also I have a 2.5 L bladder for the occasions I plan a dry camp or have a long way between water. The clear plastic water bottle will be the only one like that, so unless someone helps themselves to my stuff it should be OK.
Your point is well taken.
Thanks for the info.

[vamelungeon]

Unless you folks are baiting me we have beaten this thread out before about three months ago.

It is under reported, and it happens. There is a thread over on Trailplace where someone else admitted making the mistake.

It is really a bad idea to store a poison methyl Alcohol or Wood Alcohol in a soda or water bottle because the fuel has no identifiable smell and can cause serious blindness or death.

if you are going to do it tape a new label or something to set it apart, a sharpie will most likely get erased by the fuel.


Back in the days when they used to track this NYC in the twenties discovered twenty to thirty people died each year to this mistake.

Well, for one, I don't drink Coke. Secondly, Coke ain't clear. I'm not going to drink it.

[RichardD]

LIhikers, thats a good idea.
SloSteppin, I am spoiled with extravagent use of hot water, I usually use a ZIP woodburner. I expect to use about 4 to 5 fl oz per day until I wean myself off unlimited cups of coffee and hot backcountry showers. My hike is a six month affair but perhaps I should consider it a series of 4 to 7 day sections.
Thanks for the input.

[Mountain Wildman]

I use a 20 oz. Cherry Coke bottle, I only use platypus for my water.
It should be obvious that the clear liquid in the Cherry Coke bottle is not Cherry Coke.
But if someone takes my Cherry Coke bottle and drinks the clear alcohol smelling liquid.
OUCH!!!

[Rocket Jones]

I use a small Mountain Dew bottle. It's the only soda bottle I carry, the only green bottle I have, I've put a red cap on it, and the duct tape wrapped around the middle has "DO NOT DRINK!" written on it.

If someone grabs my fuel bottle to sneak a drink, well, I don't feel responsible for their stupidity.

[Hooch]

I use a small Mountain Dew bottle to store my denatured in. I always use a bottle from something that I wouldn't have to drink with me to store my denatured in. This way, I know for sure not to drink out of said bottle. If someone steals my bottle and drinks the contents therein, then I call that just desserts.

[Tinker]

If I didn't already have a Nalgene HDPE #2 bottle, I would probably consider taking a HDPE #2 bottle which rubbing alcohol comes in. It's lighter than My Nalgene and has a sturdy screw cap, plus it's made for holding alcohol and is a different shape than any other bottle I ever carry in my pack.

[grayfox]

I have my fuel in a triangular plastic bottle that cough syrup came in. I think that I will not mistake it for a drink bottle even in the wee hours of the morning as I try to get the coffee made.

[swjohnsey]

I keep my water in a Gatorade bottle and my alcohol in a water bottle.

[blitz1]

if someone did take a swig by mistake, they'd realize immediately, and hopefully spit out the rest before ingesting enough to cause serious harm!

[Tenderheart]

Unless you folks are baiting me we have beaten this thread out before about three months ago.

It is under reported, and it happens. There is a thread over on Trailplace where someone else admitted making the mistake.

It is really a bad idea to store a poison methyl Alcohol or Wood Alcohol in a soda or water bottle because the fuel has no identifiable smell and can cause serious blindness or death.

if you are going to do it tape a new label or something to set it apart, a sharpie will most likely get erased by the fuel.


Back in the days when they used to track this NYC in the twenties discovered twenty to thirty people died each year to this mistake.

Oh yes, I'm sure they were baiting you. No question about it.

[Wise Old Owl]

Oh yes, I'm sure they were baiting you. No question about it.

Then you did read or see the old thead.

[chiefdaddy]

I had a small green nalgene that broke clean in half due to storing alcohol in it. somehow it broke down thee bottle and I was shocked for sure. I found the nalgene by the way and it had a smell so I found a use for it..

[Rocket Jones]

Wise Old Owl: "Back in the days when they used to track this NYC in the twenties discovered twenty to thirty people died each year to this mistake."

Wait. You mean all your fluster comes from 80 year old data from a sample taken in NYC?

I'm sure the millions who hike the AT each year appreciate your concern.