David Metsky
Well-known member
Yup, it's a lovely process.professor said:
-dave-
Coleman fuel question
- Thread starter Snowflea
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-dave-
DougPaul
Well-known member
Makes it real easy to burn the klister off...professor said:
Doug
Stinkyfeet said:Thanks for all the answers! I won't use it in the stove then; however, there is a big brush/burn pile in the back yard that might need a little help getting going...
Pyro.Stinky
As DougPaul mentioned the stuff evaporates so quickly that it can make one heck of a WHOSH and burn your nostril hairs in no time. It doesnt really have that much of an effect on burning brush again because it evaporates so fast the fuel usually burns before it has a chance to get the wood going.
trailbiscuit said:
Depending upon your local (usually West of the Mississippi) you can sometimes have your stove bottles filled rather than actually buying a can. I have had some success with this at high end climbing shops.
trailbiscuit
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skiguy said:
This is how we replenished our fuel on the AT...easier than carrying a gallon can...and it's how we plan to replenish moving forward. It just seems like smaller quantities would sell better and at a higher cost per unit. Oh well.
David Metsky
Well-known member
Three weeks ago I bought Coleman fuel at the REI in SLC. They had gallon and quart containers. The gallons were about $9, the quarts were $6. We bought a gallon and gave away what was left to a friend out there.
-dave-
-dave-
trailbiscuit said:
trailbiscut....any insight on how to construct a Pepsi Can stove?
DougPaul
Well-known member
Link to a page of links to more home made stoves than you can shake a stick at in a month of Sundays: http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.htmlskiguy said:
Doug
DougPaul
Well-known member
Coleman fuel is largely naptha. White gas is motor gasoline that contains no antiknock additives.paul ron said:
See "Notes on White Gasoline" and "Notes on Coleman Fuel" http://members.iinet.net.au/~mbuckler/fuel/index.shtml#whitespiritgas
Doug
trailbiscuit
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DougPaul said:
Doug - I thought you said you were an ex-pyro?!?!?
skiguy - I have a MSR Simmerlite, but looking at Doug's link it looks like I have some work to do. And, I'd probably make a Guinness Can Stove, anyway.
DougPaul
Well-known member
I just read about them now...trailbiscuit said:Doug - I thought you said you were an ex-pyro?!?!?
Actually, I built a soda can (alcohol) stove. Works perfectly well. However, it so light that it could blow away or be crushed in a careless moment.
Doug
Rick
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While they are fragile, they are spectacuar for traveling...DougPaul said:
- stick them in a small box with a couple of candles and if your bags get inspected - "Well no sir, I am not carrying a backpacking stove...
"This is just a well vented candleholder."
DougPaul
Well-known member
I suppose that one might be able to convince someone that the (Trangia-like) designs with a big hole in the center are holders for fat candles...Rick said:While they are fragile, they are spectacuar for traveling...
- stick them in a small box with a couple of candles and if your bags get inspected - "Well no sir, I am not carrying a backpacking stove...
"This is just a well vented candleholder."
Or make a new one to take on a trip so you can tell the inspector that it has never had fuel in it. If they don't like it on the way back, just give it to them and make a new one.
I understand that the aluminum doesn't always last too long in extended heavy use such as hiking the AT. Might take 2 or 3 stoves to make the trip.
BTW, REI carries one of the Trangia line: http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...09&parent_category_rn=4500454&vcat=REI_SEARCH. Mail order only--I've never seen it in a local store.
Meta comment: Interesting thread drift: from gasoline-like fuels to the "anti-gasoline" stove...
Doug
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BorealChickadee
New member
what alcohol is actually used in these stoves?
I wanted to know the difference between denatured alcohol and rubbing alcohol and came across this:
"Denatured alcohol is ethanol to which poisonous and foul-tasting chamicals
have been added to make it unfit for drinking. There is more than one
recipe for denaturing alcohol; some add methanol or isopropanol, some
gasoline, and so on.
Rubbing alcohol is an alcohol intended to be rubbed on the skin. Frequently
70% iso-propyl alcohol / 30% water is used; sometimes ethanol with added
iso-propyl alcohol is used. You don't want to use denatured alcohol that is
made with anything that shouldn't be placed on the skin, such as gasoline!
So, some, but not all, kinds of denatured alcohol can be used as rubbing
alcohol. Rubbing alcohol may also not contain any ethanol at all, which
would disqualify it from being "denatured". So, some but not all kinds of
rubbing alcohol are denatured alcohol, and some but not all kinds of
denatured alcohol can be rubbing alcohol."
What alcohol is actually used in these stoves? Are people using 90% rubbing alcohol or getting denatured alcohol at the paint store? I'm assuming you wouldn't want to use 70% rubbing alcohol because of the 30% water content. Does 90% even work?
I wanted to know the difference between denatured alcohol and rubbing alcohol and came across this:
"Denatured alcohol is ethanol to which poisonous and foul-tasting chamicals
have been added to make it unfit for drinking. There is more than one
recipe for denaturing alcohol; some add methanol or isopropanol, some
gasoline, and so on.
Rubbing alcohol is an alcohol intended to be rubbed on the skin. Frequently
70% iso-propyl alcohol / 30% water is used; sometimes ethanol with added
iso-propyl alcohol is used. You don't want to use denatured alcohol that is
made with anything that shouldn't be placed on the skin, such as gasoline!
So, some, but not all, kinds of denatured alcohol can be used as rubbing
alcohol. Rubbing alcohol may also not contain any ethanol at all, which
would disqualify it from being "denatured". So, some but not all kinds of
rubbing alcohol are denatured alcohol, and some but not all kinds of
denatured alcohol can be rubbing alcohol."
What alcohol is actually used in these stoves? Are people using 90% rubbing alcohol or getting denatured alcohol at the paint store? I'm assuming you wouldn't want to use 70% rubbing alcohol because of the 30% water content. Does 90% even work?
Rick
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BorealChickadee said:
You can run either, but if you use Rubbing, you will find the heat output diminished due to the water, as well as a lot of smoke and soot on your pot. I prefer denatured, or Heet (yellow bottle) as sold in almost every corner store. As soon as I pickup the rental car from the airport I stop for coffee and Heet. Anything left over after my trip goes into the fuel tank (of the car)
....Well they are TSA inspectors - They might not be that sharp....DougPaul said:
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BorealChickadee
New member
Rick said:
How handy is that!!
It would be worth it to make one of these stoves just to keep in the car since I've always got a container of dry gas tucked away. Just have to make sure it's the right kind.
DougPaul
Well-known member
From what I have read, rubbing alcohol (Isoproponal + water) burns with a smokey flame in stoves and does not work very well.BorealChickadee said:
The fuel of choice is denatured alcohol (USA terminology--it has other names elsewhere, consists of ethanol + a small amount of poision, frequently methanol). Available from a number of sources:
* REI: http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...58&parent_category_rn=4500549&vcat=REI_SEARCH
* Hardware store: as a form of paint thinner (check ingredients)
* Heet gas line antifreeze (yellow bottle), but IIRC Heet also sells several other formulaitons. Check the ingredients
* Marine supply stores: alcohol stove fuel. (Many marine stoves use alcohol becase it is relatively non-explosive and alcohol fires can be fought with water.)
Glossary:
* methanol: CH3OH, aka methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, used as antifreeze or a solvent. poisonous
* ethanol: C2H50H, aka ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, found in gas-line antifreeze and alcoholic beverages. Poisonous in large quantities...
* isopropanol: (CH3)2CHOH, aka isopropyl alcohol, used in rubbing alcohol and gas-line antifreeze, poisonous
Doug
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DougPaul
Well-known member
Re: Heet gas-line antifreeze (ethyl alcohol)
Basically, most alcohol stoves are summer to 3-season stoves. Some of the trangia integrated stove/wind-screen/pot systems will work effectively at lower temps. See http://www.trangia.se/.
Doug
Good in theory, not so good in practice. When you need the anti-freeze (cold weather) is just when alcohol stoves don't work very well...BorealChickadee said:How handy is that!!
Basically, most alcohol stoves are summer to 3-season stoves. Some of the trangia integrated stove/wind-screen/pot systems will work effectively at lower temps. See http://www.trangia.se/.
Doug
