We are doing mail drops and was wondering about stove fuel. Are ther places you can get fuel by the ounce? Was thinking about bringing the Pocket Rocket but dont know how well it’ll work at higher elevations compared to AT. Is there a noticable difference in performance, or should i use white gas?
Pi N K’ache
Cannister stoves work fine. That is my choice of stove but you con’t mail the cans to a post office. The larger towns all have stores with cannisters. You can buy Heet just about anywhere if you go the alcohol route.
bearcreek
You can mail but need to follow Postal Regulations for marking labels and it’s ground shipment only.
Tim
It depends some on what you want to cook & how many in ur group & how fast you need ur water... in '89 I kinda invented a homemade alcohol stove: i just put a steel sierra cup in an aluminum bowl that had burning 70% isopropyl alcohol in it.... (found those things in an AT hiker box & the cup continued to burn when I took it out of stove, but it was great for someone who started out no-cook & dirt poor). I used propane multi-brand adaptable Coleman stove on PCt & alps-europe; (lots of trail towns both cases). then switched back to use "heet" methyl-wood alcohol (isopropyl blackens pot) 1st in a trangia, then in a potted meat can with a light aluminum windscreen & light pot supports (make an aluminum can stove if you have the skills)....takes longer than propane .... you should only use instant food (corn spaghetti takes alot of fuel, sorry Jardine)... I would rather get my corn from tortilla chips & you can supplement your cooked food with sandwiches: as up in the mountains, my soy/gluten 'meats' stayed rather cold deep in my pack & my loaves of whole grain bread ie. pepperidge farm or nature's own chemical free bread last ten days or more in the top of my pack & also go great with peanut butter & honey in leak proof plastic jars or bottles (put in a freezer bag just in case)... non-hydrogenated margarine lasts longer than I ever needed too & olive oil can be mixed in with cooked foods too for calories & health )... you can put your instant food like potatoes, tasteadventure soups, minute oatmeal, pouch food etc... into the cold water, stirring now & then as you set up/take down camp or write in your journal. Great for a solo hiker, but mark your fuel bottles well so no one drinks from the clear liquid).
For 2 or more I would use propane; I’ve heard too many liquid petrofuel horror stories to EVER go that explosive, food contaminating route!!!
gingerbreadman
,Just to have something cooking" Trish Murphy (TX)folk song. I always forget to say one thing… you don’t actually have to boil water with instant foods, just get em hot enough to dissolve & eat! PS: Trish Murphy songs make great trail climbing companions, but also Jonatha Brooke & Dar Williams that kept me company all the way!
gingerbreadman
Yes, you can mail fuel canisters, but they have to go “ship by ground only” notation on the outside of the box. It will take forever for them to get there- I know, I missed a mail drop to Unionville, NY because of this. Check your local P.O. for exact details.
H.A. Davis
Comprehensive discussion of mailing rules:
http://gottawalk.com/shipping_fuel.htm
Wandering Bob did some research on fuel availability, it’s in here:
http://www.trailforums.com/index2.cfm?action=detail&PostNum=58534&Thread=1&roomID=13&entryID=132132
Len