Alcohol Hiking Container & Size

[campbell]

I just mail ordered an alcohol stove and purchased a quart can of denatured alcohol locally and I have no experience with either. I plan to experiment a little when I get the stove. My question is, what do most hikers carry their alcohol in and what would be the average size of the container when they hike? I am hiking from Springer to Hot Springs by myself and plan to resupply every 3 to 5 days. I am in fair to good shape for my age and plan to only cook an evening meal and coffee in the morning.

Thanks

[SGT Rock]

Well depending on the stove, you probably ought to plan to carry 2 ounces a day until you get used to how the stove works. So since you don't plan on going longer than 5 days, then 10 ounces minimum (for starters) would be my reccomendation. That said, go ahead an get a 12 ounce soda bottle (they are very common) and just fill it up - won't hurt to have a little extra. Then as you use it you can get use to exactly how much to take.

For me, I carry an 8 ounce soda bottle (that was a hard one to find) and that will last me a week to a week and a half depending on what I do for cooking each day.

[Appalachian Tater]

Carry your alcohol in a heavy soda bottle or a small bottle made of nalgene. I feel more comfortable with a nalgene bottle because a coke bottle can leak if compressed.

You can vary the amount of alcohol you carry depending on how much you use and how long until your next resupply. If you use one ounce twice a day, you would need from 6 to 10 ounces so a 10 or 12 ounce bottle would do, or maybe even an 8 ounce. Each stove is different so you have to experiment with your particular model. Personally I always like to have an extra day's worth of food and fuel.

Remember in cold weather or windy conditions you might use more fuel than you would experimenting at home.

If you are doing a long hike, you may get tired of fussing with heating up water in the morning.

[Appalachian Tater]

P.S. I think Sgt. Rock's advice is right on the money! Wish I had waited a couple of minutes before replying.

[Whistler]

My favorite choices are either a Platypus Sport bottle (.7oz), which will conveniently hold an entire 12oz bottle of HEET, or the Platypus Lil' Nipper (.6oz), which holds 8oz or so. I like that they're flexible so they pack flat and don't make swishy gurgling noises in my pack.
-Mark

[Two Speed]

First, I'd get a little experience fooling around with your stove. Every alky stove I've played with had something of a learning curve, and a little experience goes a long way to understanding how your critter behaves, how to economize fuel, etc.

To specifically answer your question, if I had NO experience with a particular set up I'd start with a 16 to 20 oz Coke or Gatorade bottle, bearing in mind that 16 to 20 oz is probably way overkill. Once I had a better grip on my average daily consumption I'd look around for more appropriately sized Gatorade or juice bottle, and junk the bigger bottle.

[trailhead]

I use old screwtop prescription bottles just because they fit in my kit. you can use drink bottles or any thing but aluminum. I make beer can stoves and can boil one pint of water with about 1.5 oz. in about 5 min. Experiment with your stove to see what quanity you need for the number of meals

[Two Speed]

Boy, that got a bunch of response real quick, didn't it? Sgt Rock's probably the most experienced stove builder on the site.

[Skidsteer]

What Sgt. Rock said. Soda bottles are very reliable. Just make sure the cap has a gasket(some water bottles do not) and you're good to go.

[SteveJ]

I carry this:

http://www.brasslite.com/OrderForms/bottleOrder.html#8oz

I like the ability to easily measure out 1/4 and 1/2 ounces as I pour.....

definitely cost more than a soda bottle;) , but I have one (an earlier iteration of the one above - different pour spout) I've used for 3 or 4 yrs now....

I also like supporting cottage industries, of which brasslite is one.....

[SGT Rock]

My son uses one of those too. Very nice and makes measuring a breeze.

[hopefulhiker]

I always carried my alcohol bottle in a ziplock for safe keeping.

[Outlaw]

I always carried my alcohol bottle in a ziplock for safe keeping.

I also carry my alcohol bottle (in a ziplock) in an outside mesh pocket... just to be on the safe side.

[Cuffs]

Im am no "pro" at hiking yet, and Skids is my personal stove builder...

I carry my alcohol in an 8.5 oz Listerine bottle. Its flat shape makes it great for the pack, doesnt take up so much "round" space. Also, being a different shape than any other bottle, it wont easily get mistaken for a drinking beverage (plus I put "danger" labels on it.) And because its Listerine, the cap doubles as a measuring cup...

[Marta]

I carry alcohol in a Sprite bottle. It's green and a different shape than my water bottles. I use a medicine cup to measure fuel into the stove. Measuring the fuel makes it easier for me to get reliable results--a rolling boil, without wasting fuel.

Marta/Five-Leaf

[MOWGLI]

George at AntiGravity Gear (http://www.antigravitygear.com/store/index.php?cPath=3_39_40) has some lightweight and low cost solutions.

[Gaiter]

for the record nalgene bottles as fuel bottles are a bad idea http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=143591
i just put this link up on another thread, but i think it definitly applies to this thread too

[Patrickjd9]

Safest to use a fuel bottle, plastic or metal. Denatured=Poisoned. Everclear or Bacardi 151 are too expensive to burn as fuel.

Accidental drinking of fuel does happen-I know of one case of a hiker taking a swig of white gas. Fortunately, he didn't swallow it.

I think that 2.8 ounces and 10 bucks is quite manageable for a safe, strong bottle.

http://www.rei.com/product/695243

You know which is which, but do your hiking partners? Or do you, in some difficult condition?

[white rabbit]

I use a soda bottle wrapped with Duct tape. That way there is no chance I will confuse it with my water bottle. i also keep mine in the outside mesh pocket of my pack.

[zelph]

Use some easter egg coloring dyes to color your fuel yukky lookin poopy brown. You get the idea. It's the idea of a fellow stovie, Oops56.:)

[Mags]

As with the good Sgt, I use a soda bottle.

I do favor Sprite or Mtn Dew bottles because they are green and stick out a bit from other soda bottles. I prefer the smaller size (12oz or 8oz) as well.

[Dances with Mice]

I use a plastic Lite beer longneck bottle.

It's double walled. The cap holds exactly one tablespoon. It doesn't look like a water bottle. And I don't have to worry about somebody drinking from it because ... well, who would drink a Lite beer?