Stove fuel availability??

[dave09thru]

My girlfriend and I are planning to leave in March for our Northbound Thru-hike. We've been doing a ton of research before buying our gear, and a lot of shorter hikes to test it out after we get it. We're pretty much set with everything but our stove.

We've been using a Brasslite Turbo II-D alcohol stove, but I've read a ton of great things about the MSR PocketRocket. My question is about the availability of the fuel caninsters for the MSR. How hard is it to restock on fuel? If we choose to take this stove, will we be sorry when we can't find canisters? If we can't find the MSR Isobutane, what other fuel canisters can we use?

I know the alcohol is readily available, but if I know we'll be able to find canisters, I'd much rather have the PocketRocket.

Thanks

[The Mechanical Man]

Hey Dave09,
I have alcohol fuel here at Smith Gap PA See your hiker handbooks.

If you want to take a hike some time before your hike, give me a holler back.

[Peaks]

Generally speaking, most outfitters will stock canister fuel. Most other places, such as local grocery stores, hostels, etc. will not stock canister fuel, but will have alcohol and white gas.

[Jack Tarlin]

There's a pretty comprehensive article in the "Articles" section of Whiteblaze that gives information on cannister availablility. It's in the "Re-Supply" part of the "Articles" section.

[Blissful]

Canister issues are mainly a problem only in certain areas. We had to mail a canister to ourselves at Duncannnon PA, Unionville, NY and in Maine. They are not readily availalbe from what I can see in Shenandoah either. You might need one in Kent, CT too, since the outfitter there is unreliable (there were none when we came through). If you mail them, they must go surface mail only. Allow plenty of time. We had no problems sending them to POs. A few times we were each carrying one until one was empty, but it worked out okay.

[BookBurner]

If you love the PocketRocket, go for it. If you run into a stretch of trail with no isobutane, you can always switch back to a simple homemade alcohol stove for the week.

[smaaax]

The canisters last a while, and you can tell how much is left by shaking it after you have gone through a couple. Only at outfitters, but there are plenty of them along the way. Never had to have one shipped.

You can also find plenty of them in shelters or hiker boxes. I went more than a thousand miles without BUYING a canister because people abandon them with a week left in them.

[Kirby]

If there's a semi decent outfitter, there's canister fuel. Check hiker boxes as well, canisters were all over the place. I rarely had to actually buy fuel.

I carried a Jetboil from Neel's Gap to Katahdin.

Kirby

[dave09thru]

thanks everyone for all your insight. i did notice the article on cansiters shortly after i created the thread, but everyone's input has been a big help. i think i've made up my mind.

[partinj]

Hi one thing you will need is a wind screen for the stove also i would go to lowes and ask if they have any small foam left over from cutting the big one this is this is to keep your stove off the cold ground. With this rig i can bring a 1.5 liter pot of water to a boil in 3 1/2 min. with my snowpeak cansiter stove also have a pot cozy. I can dan get a week out onf my fuel that cooking breakfast and dinner that with the small 40z cansiter they also have a large one to. i ran these test in really cold weather the low was 10 deg and the high temp was 35 deg. If you have a walmart where you live you can buy the large cansiter for 5 bucks oh yet the cansiter that fit the jetboil and snowpear and many will also fit msr to.

[smaaax]

Hi one thing you will need is a wind screen for the stove also i would go to lowes and ask if they have any small foam left over from cutting the big one this is this is to keep your stove off the cold ground. With this rig i can bring a 1.5 liter pot of water to a boil in 3 1/2 min. with my snowpeak cansiter stove also have a pot cozy. I can dan get a week out onf my fuel that cooking breakfast and dinner that with the small 40z cansiter they also have a large one to. i ran these test in really cold weather the low was 10 deg and the high temp was 35 deg. If you have a walmart where you live you can buy the large cansiter for 5 bucks oh yet the cansiter that fit the jetboil and snowpear and many will also fit msr to.

A windscreen is VERY DANGEROUS with a non-external cannister stove. It traps heat, warms up the cannister, and bad things happen.

[bulldog49]

A windscreen is VERY DANGEROUS with a non-external cannister stove. It traps heat, warms up the cannister, and bad things happen.

I see this brought up all the time and the concern is overblown.

I use a wind screen with mine and never had a problem. Just leave one side, the side opposite the prevailing breeze, open a little bit and make sure the screen isn't wrapped tightly to the side of the pot, allowing heat to escape to the top. The cannister will not overheat using this method.