[pct-l] Alcohol availability

[Ken Powers]

Check my webpage on shipping fuel: 
http://www.gottawalk.com/shipping_fuel.htm . The webpage includes the text 
from the postal regs, so you can interpret them yourself.

Both alcohol and fuel canisters can be shipped by  US mail - ground only. 
The packages must be labeled as ORM-D and meet other criteria. Postal clerks 
frequently (and wrongly) tell hikers that flammables cannot be shipped in 
the mail. I suggest printing out the web page, or at least the portion that 
applies to your fuel, and taking it to the post office with you. The amount 
you can ship of either fuel is not conducive to shipping it a bounce box. I 
would worry that shipping your bounce box by ground might be to slow.

I believe alcohol in its various forms are more available on the PCT than 
canisters. For solo hikers alcohol seems to be slightly lighter. But for two 
people I believe fuel canisters are lighter if the re-supply leg is 3 days 
or more. The comparison is highly dependent on your cooking style. YMMV

If you are shipping fuel with your food, maps, etc., you should consider 
shipping the fuel separately. Post office ground transportation can be 
extremely slow.  If the fuel doesn't arrive you would at least have food and 
maps.

We have never had a problem with canisters at any altitude up to 13,00 feet. 
We have found that we need to warm the canister for early morning use at any 
altitude. The canisters just burn much more efficiently at a "room" 
temperature. I don't have experience with alcohol stoves at altitude but I 
think they would be okay.

Another consideration is that alcohol stoves are considered open flames. As 
such they are not legal when fire restrictions are in put place by the 
Forest Service or BLM. This happens frequently on the dry western trails. 
Alcohol flames burn with no color, so if you spill your Pepsi stove while it 
is lit the flame can be hard to contain.

Ken
www GottaWalk com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jeff" <kinnaye at myway.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 9:45 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Alcohol availability





I am a pepsi can convert, but I do have a few concerns, What is the 
availability verse canister at resupply points? Can you mail this in your 
bounce box, what about a canister? Any other info about use at altitude, Or 
other troubles. Thanks

I was looking at this site, this windscreen looking like it has 
potential,,,,

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/5644

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