Liquid Fuel Vs. Canisters

[Live the Journey]

I was wondering if there were any more recent thru hikers who could give their input about fuel availability on the trail.

I know that years ago it was only alcohol or liquid fuel that had high availability along the trail, but I'm hearing more and more people who have been using canister fuel.

I'm planning a nobo thru hike for 2009 and am trying to narrow down my stove options.

I'd really like to bring an MSR Pocket Rocket, but I'm worried about canister fuel availability...is this a valid worry?

Also, if anyone has some serious Pocket Rocket experience I'd love to know any tips you have with this stove, esp. how it performs in very cold weather. Thanks!

[take-a-knee]

A cannister stove doesn't make sense for a solo hiker on the AT, you can resupply every 3-6 days, alcohol is readily available, that is why most use it. An alcohol setup looses its weight advantage to a cannister stove on a long trek or 10 or more days without resupply, this need never occur on the AT.

[fiddlehead]

I used cannister stoves for my last 2 AT thru's as well as my other thru's out west.
Worked for me.

[Bob S]

People have hiked with both kinds of stoves and did fine. I would say it’s more about personal choice as to what one you like.

[Marta]

Interestingly, Skittles has switched from alcohol to the Pocket Rocket for his second set of triple crown hikes. When I asked him why, he said that he'd noticed people with canisters stoves were already eating when the people with alcohol stoves were still waiting for the water to boil.

So, ditto on the above: It comes down to personal choice. You can get fuel for either type of stove.

There are a few tricks to making a canister perform in the cold. One way to revive a dying flame is to shake the canister, which mixes the fuels. You don't have to turn the stove off to do this.

[rafe]

I used a canister stove last summer. "Resupply" was sketchy through PA, but fortunately the fuel held out until I got to Harpers Ferry. Nothing will get your dinner cooked faster.

[take-a-knee]

All of the cannister stoves that don't have a remote cannister, like the MSR Windpro and the new Jetboil, suck in the wind, negating there supposed efficiency. These stoves are a bit heavier, making them less ideal for a solo hiker. I'll stick with my Caldera Cone.

[gravityman]

All of the cannister stoves that don't have a remote cannister, like the MSR Windpro and the new Jetboil, suck in the wind, negating there supposed efficiency. These stoves are a bit heavier, making them less ideal for a solo hiker. I'll stick with my Caldera Cone.

This is not true. There is a great article on Backpackinglight that tests canister stoves in the wind. Remote canister doesn't mean good wind resistance.Remote canister usually means good cold weather performance because it can use the liquid rather than relies on the gas pressure in the canister.

It is true that they are NOT all equal.

The Coleman F1 ultralight performed the best I believe.

We used the Giga Power in 2005. We built a homemade wind screen for it because it didn't do great in the wind. It solved any wind issues and was light.

You do have to think about resupply, but finding the canisters was not hard.

Gravity

[Mags]

..and remember, ultimately, gear is perhaps the least important part of the outdoor experience.

[Ender]

..and remember, ultimately, gear is perhaps the least important part of the outdoor experience.

Ain't that the truth.

You'll be able to find canisters for the most part. There may be a couple times you can't find them, but in those cases you can always make a small cook fire (if allowed in the area). Another option is to just carry the cut off bottom of a beer can and a small amount of alcohol with you in case your canniseter runs out as a backup.

[rafe]

All of the cannister stoves that don't have a remote cannister, like the MSR Windpro and the new Jetboil, suck in the wind, negating there supposed efficiency. These stoves are a bit heavier, making them less ideal for a solo hiker. I'll stick with my Caldera Cone.

I'm not sure I'd go that far -- but I did take the effort to fashion a windscreen (and a way to mount it) for my pocket rocket.

[bulldog49]

All of the cannister stoves that don't have a remote cannister, like the MSR Windpro and the new Jetboil, suck in the wind, negating there supposed efficiency. These stoves are a bit heavier, making them less ideal for a solo hiker. I'll stick with my Caldera Cone.

I use a wind screen with my cannister and it works just fine in the wind. I will gladly trade an oz or two for the convenience cannisters have over alcohol.

For my taste it's the cannisters that are ideal for solo hikers.

[Mags]

For my taste it's the cannisters that are ideal for solo hikers.

Exactly.. There is no BEST stove. Some prefer light weight. Some like speedy stoves. Some prefer simplicity.


Though I do wonder how the canisters taste?

[Marta]

Though I do wonder how the canisters taste?

Just like everything else: They taste like chicken.

[Mr HaHa]

Hiked from Ga. to Va. this spring and only ran out of fuel one time and that was in Pearisburg Va. May possibly be a place there that sells them but I could not find one. Might be a good idea to carry an extra canister out of Damascus or out of the Troutville area if sobo. I noticed that canister stoves were by far the most common type of stove while I was on the trail. And It seemed that hikers were very content with whatever brand and type they happened to be using. Stoves are not the problem,its the flys that will drive you crazy!

[Live the Journey]

Great Posts All.

Thanks for all the input and please keep it coming. I have a small arsenal of stoves that I've collected over the years (a personal Jetboil, a pocket rocket, and a windpro) and I've been toying with looking into an alcohol stove, but the more I research the more I think that I could definatley do an alcohol stove for shorter trips, but for a thru hike I'm pretty sure that when I'm ready for a meal, I'm not going to want to wait for my alcohol stove to bring on a boil when the guy next to me has one in less then half the time with a canister stove. My real issue is being able to restock canisters along the way without rendering myself fuel-less because I couldn't find any canisters (and kicking myself because of the abundance of liquid fuel and denatured alcohol/heet!

[Mags]

I'm not going to want to wait for my alcohol stove to bring on a boil when the guy next to me has one in less then half the time with a canister stove.

In all honest though, it is only a matter of minutes difference. Esp, for the boil and quick type meals many of us do.

Many times, I am actually quicker with an alcohol stove due to the "putz factor" (Getting the meal ready, boiling water, etc.) that less experience hikers sometimes do not have down yet.

YMMV

[tucker0104]

I personally hate alchohol stoves. I love the convenience of the cartridge. Screw it in and turn it on.

[fiddlehead]

I use to mail myself the canisters when I knew there would be a problem with buying them. Is that no longer acceptable? (via ground of course)

[Mr HaHa]

I use to mail myself the canisters when I knew there would be a problem with buying them. Is that no longer acceptable? (via ground of course)

I am sure on some trails and in some places that would be the necessary strategy. I can not get canisters here where I live so I sometimes order them through Campsaver and I believe they come parcel post. Ground of course.