What do you carry your Alcohol ifuel in?

[Wise Old Owl]

Any 16-oz. soda or water bottle will be perfectly fine--I've never had one leak. I used one bottle for the entire CDT.

The leak is from the paper and foil cap - it was designed to a one use gas tank. it is in your best interest to use another bottle well labeled - However using a soda bottle for a poison is illegal and is the source of many lawsuits. There are federal laws associated to this behavior. As Mags pointed out he knows people that have made the mistake. It was even used as a warning on the series Moonshine. If you knew the dangers would you do it again?
Here is what you need to know from the MSDS.

Methanol

Skin Contact: Moderate Eye Contact: Moderate Ingestion: Major Inhalation: Major Effects of Short-Term (Acute) Exposure:
Inhalation: Inhalation of high airborne concentrations can also irritate mucous membranes, cause headaches, sleepiness, nausea, confusion, loss of consciousness, digestive and visual disturbances and even death. NOTE: Odor threshold of methanol is several times higher than the TLV-TWA. Depending upon severity of poisoning and the promptness of treatment, survivors may recover completely or may have permanent blindness, vision disturbances and/or nervous stem effects. Concentrations in air exceeding 1000ppm may cause irritation of the mucous membranes. Using stove in a small air tight space doesn’t take much to get sick.

Skin Contact: Methanol is moderately irritating to the skin. Methanol can be absorbed through the skin and harmful effects have been reported by this route of entry. Effects are similar to those described in “Inhalation”

Eye Contact: Methanol is a mild to moderate eye irritant. High vapor concentration or liquid contact with eyes causes irritation, tearing and burning. “Think contact lenses as a transfer from the fingers.”

Ingestion: Swallowing even small amounts of methanol could potentially cause blindness or death. Effects of sub lethal doses may be nausea, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and visual disturbances ranging from blurred vision to light sensitivity.



Mags... I often wondered why the once a year posts "lets put Methanol in soda bottles" doesn't fall under toss "recommending illegal activity" or just plain stupid.

[lonehiker]

The leak is from the paper and foil cap - it was designed to a one use gas tank. it is in your best interest to use another bottle well labeled - However using a soda bottle for a poison is illegal and is the source of many lawsuits. There are federal laws associated to this behavior. As Mags pointed out he knows people that have made the mistake. It was even used as a warning on the series Moonshine. If you knew the dangers would you do it again?
Here is what you need to know from the MSDS.

Methanol

Skin Contact: Moderate Eye Contact: Moderate Ingestion: Major Inhalation: Major Effects of Short-Term (Acute) Exposure:
Inhalation: Inhalation of high airborne concentrations can also irritate mucous membranes, cause headaches, sleepiness, nausea, confusion, loss of consciousness, digestive and visual disturbances and even death. NOTE: Odor threshold of methanol is several times higher than the TLV-TWA. Depending upon severity of poisoning and the promptness of treatment, survivors may recover completely or may have permanent blindness, vision disturbances and/or nervous stem effects. Concentrations in air exceeding 1000ppm may cause irritation of the mucous membranes. Using stove in a small air tight space doesn’t take much to get sick.

Skin Contact: Methanol is moderately irritating to the skin. Methanol can be absorbed through the skin and harmful effects have been reported by this route of entry. Effects are similar to those described in “Inhalation”

Eye Contact: Methanol is a mild to moderate eye irritant. High vapor concentration or liquid contact with eyes causes irritation, tearing and burning. “Think contact lenses as a transfer from the fingers.”

Ingestion: Swallowing even small amounts of methanol could potentially cause blindness or death. Effects of sub lethal doses may be nausea, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and visual disturbances ranging from blurred vision to light sensitivity.



Mags... I often wondered why the once a year posts "lets put Methanol in soda bottles" doesn't fall under toss "recommending illegal activity" or just plain stupid.

This post makes me want to use a pop bottle to store my fuel.

[Malto]

I bought a case of 8 oz water bottles before my thru. I had a new bottle with every resupply and it would typically hold up to five days worth of fuel. Worked wonderfully.

[burger]

If you knew the dangers would you do it again?

Yes. Yes, I would.

I've used soda bottles for my last 6000 or so miles of backpacking and have never come close to drinking fuel. I keep the bottle in a ziploc, and as soon as I pour it in my stove, the bottle goes back in the bag. Zero chance of a mistake.

Under exactly what law is repacking HEET illegal?

[Just Bill]

I prefer to store my alcohol differently based upon the season-
In winter I generally store it in whiskey.
Spring is a good time for Vodka.
Summer is best with Rum.
Fall generally calls for scotch.

I have yet to find an Esbit leak in my pack.

[Mags]

Mags... I often wondered why the once a year posts "lets put Methanol in soda bottles" doesn't fall under toss "recommending illegal activity" or just plain stupid.

Wise old owl, many backpackers use this method. Myself included. My only suggestion was to use a green colored bottle so it sticks out a bit.

I'd like to think I am reasonably experienced at this point.

[handlebar]

I plan on using Heet red ( 99% isopropyl ) that way I can also use it as hand sanitizer. I don't want the contamination of denatured alcohol soaking through my skin.

Red Heet is NOT a good fuel for alcohol stove. It'll carbon up your pots and doesn't have very good heat value. You need to use Yellow Heet.

[handlebar]

I use the brown root bear soda bottle with a distinctive neck shape and a top from Packafeather: http://packafeather.com/fuelbottle.html

[Spirit Walker]

Mountain Dew bottle. But do be careful not to mix it up. One time we headed out on a weekend and left our water bottles in the fridge so we bought a couple of sodas on the drive. As I was fixing dinner at our campsite, DH reached for the wrong bottle. He spit it out immediately, but we were scared he'd done some serious damage. After that we started putting duct tape on the fuel bottle so there's never confusion.

[Wise Old Owl]

Thanks Spirit Walker - Folk's I opologise for the soap box I was standing on... this gets dredged up over and over... 30Ml of this stuff drunk on the trail and miles from help? you're a goner. Look at a cough syrup measure to see how small that is. Look I love alcohol stoves I made a bunch of them.

Here's some other things... Canada tracks & posts these accidental poisonings - America does - but will not post it on the internet. We know regular alcohol kills 30,000 people each year. A large number of that is accidental overdose, mostly older adults. Methanol accidental poisoning happens to kids, teens, and adults. feel free to read up on this - lots of stuff out there.

ON a side note - I found this tonight.
Unlike petroleum fires, methanol fires can be extinguished with plain water. A methanol-based fire burns invisibly. Methanol is readily biodegradable in both aerobic (oxygen present) and anaerobic (oxygen absent) environments. Methanol will not persist in the environment. The half-life for methanol in groundwater is just one to seven days. Since methanol is miscible with water and biodegradable, it is unlikely to accumulate in groundwater, surface water, air or soil.


Lets be careful out there.

[pipsissewa]

I prefer to store my alcohol differently based upon the season-
In winter I generally store it in whiskey.
Spring is a good time for Vodka.
Summer is best with Rum.
Fall generally calls for scotch.

I have yet to find an Esbit leak in my pack.

Yeah, but burning Esbit tabs STINK!!! (just my two cents)

[Drybones]

Yeah, but burning Esbit tabs STINK!!! (just my two cents)

Yeah, but after two weeks on the trail it helps cover the scent of the user.

[VTATHiker]

I'm a fan of these measure-and-pour containers. It never leaked on me in 2100 miles, and it was nice to be able to measure out what I needed. That said, I could do the same with just a soda bottle and utilizing its cap as a measuring cup.

[Drybones]

Listerine bottles are durable, pack well, have a lock-on cap, and the caps can be used to measure. The 8 oz bottle cap holds 1/2 oz, the 16 oz bottle holds 1 oz. I normally use the 8 oz for fuel. For a 3-4 day trip I use a round 4 oz bottle that fits inside my beer-can pot. I've been using a Smartwater bottle for water but may try a 32 oz Listerine bottle next time because it's flat and should be easy to get in/out of the pack.

2014_02010001.jpg

[squeezebox]

My reason for the OH stove is backup in case a canister goes dry. I do not plan on using it much. And the isopropyl is a much better choice for hand sanitizer than the risk of methanol soaking through my skin. I'll bring a piece of AL foil to cover the pot if necessary. thanks for the soot info. As I said the OH stove is only for making do. At this point I'm planning on doing real cooking. I even found the perfect storage container for 1/2 lb. of butter. Buttery oatmeal and grits sounds like a good way to get some extra fat calories.

[Wise Old Owl]

Although its been a few years, since my testing, Isopropyl alcohol isn't as hot and is frequently mixed with water. If part of your fuel is left over and went out - that's the residual water...


I think you can use Methanol safety without taking a bath in it.

[lonehiker]

I use an 8oz flask-like bottle with flip-top lid that you can buy from REI. I've marked the ounces with a marker. Being flat, it fits well in an external pocket of my pack. I burn methanol and have been known to use it periodically as a hand sanitizer. Also will use a small amount to clean my spoon every few days. Although I do rinse the spoon with water afterwards.

[Nodust]

Under exactly what law is repacking HEET illegal?

Not illegal if the new bottle is properly labeled. Put what in it and go online and find a OSHA 23 label for the product. Good to go.

[Nodust]

The little 4oz bottles with the squirt tops would be illegal to use also if they aren't labeled.

Label your poisons folks.

[Biggie Master]

I'm not sure that packaging and labeling requirements (laws) apply to the consumer. Those laws govern the manufacture, sales, and distribution of poison or toxic materials by businesses. An individual or end consumer is not held to the same standard as a business or transporter... My last trip with alcohol, it was in a small Coke bottle... The time before it was in a small Listerine bottle. It stays sealed and packed with my cook kit. That, and the fact that I use Gatorade or Powerade bottles for water, mean there is zero chance of mistaking it for water when I'm walking or cooking.