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Chef
02-04-2004, 00:14
I am planning on using an alcohol stove, either the hike n light or a pepesi can stove, for my thru-hike. Will these stoves run off of white gas also? what other fuels will they run off of? andf how easy is it to find denatured alcohol? I found some in k=mart, but it doesn't seem very available in small towns off the trail. Any comments/ opinions? What type of stores sell denatured alcohol?

StoveStomper
02-04-2004, 00:22
NO WHITE GAS!!!!! NEVER!!!! These alcohol stoves are designed for the slower burning alcohol.
Denatured alcohol can be found at a lot of outfitters along the way. Hardware stores will have it in the paint dept. Wal-Mart carries it in the paint Dept.
HEET gas line antifreeze (in the yellow 12 oz bottle, the red bottle HEET soots) will burn nicely in these stoves. I can find HEET in most gas stations and Wal-Mart has it for about 75 cents.
Cheers,
StoveStomper

A-Train
02-04-2004, 00:27
No problems finding denatured alcohol. With so many hikers using alcohol stoves, every outfitter has it. Many hostels also carry it as well. As mentioned above you can use HEET in a bind, though I found it was not good. The flame was often huge and out of control and burned and blackened my pot.

tribes
02-04-2004, 07:19
Like everyone else said, it should be very easy to find denatured alcohol within just about any town on the AT. Check for services ahead of time. Be sure to check hardware stores in additon to outfitters as they probably will carry alcohol as well. Another place to look is in hiker boxes. At times hikers are forced to buy a quart or more and will leave the balance behind for someone else to use. If alcohol is not available, most gas stations will carry heet, which can also be used.

chomp
02-04-2004, 09:53
When you can't get denatured alcohol, gas line anti-freeze (ex. HEET) is a great alternative, with one cavate. There are two types of gas-line anti-freeze, Isopropol and Methel Alcohol. Isopropol will not burn as well and will put out less heat and more soot. Methel Alcohol (yellow HEET bottle) I have found burns cleaner and hotter than the denatured stuff that I buy in a hardware store.

DebW
02-04-2004, 10:06
I've had trouble finding yellow HEET, though every gas station seems to stock the red HEET.

StoveStomper
02-04-2004, 10:26
http://www.midwayautosupply.com/images/heet/ha55120_3X.jpg
HEETŪ Gas-line Antifreeze & Water Remover, 12 fl.oz.
GOOD!!!!! Will burn well in alcohol stoves.


http://www.midwayautosupply.com/images/heet/ha55360_3X.jpg
Iso-HEETŪ Premium Fuel System Dryer & Antifreeze, /12 fl. oz.
BAD!!!! Iso-HEET will soot and blacken your pots!!!

Cheers,
StoveStomper

beckon4
04-07-2004, 18:43
Only once on my At hike did I have to buy the bad stuff, I suppose it was the Isopropol. I was in a grocery store and needed something, and it was the best I could do. It really made a mess of my pot and I couldn't wait to get to another town to get the methel stuff. But it did cook my dinner. I could have planned better for sure.