[pct-l] stove choices

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

If you're already going off-trail frequently, then I understand that you don't need to carry much fuel and food. Therefore, the availability of your type of stove fuel at all those off-trail resupply locations is very important. If alcohol fuel is readily available nearly everywhere, then it becomes the logical choice. 

And the stuff does work just fine when you have to cook outside during a snow storm. We have watched many of our students cook their meals around our "snow tables" while the snow piled up on their down jackets. The snow table didn't burn from fuel spillage, either, as the inside of a tent would, but what do you do when it's raining or storming so badly that you can't leave your tent? From what we've seen and heard, alcohol stoves aren't safe enough to use inside tents.

We logged about 70 nights on snow last season alone and about 10 snow storms between Dec. '09 and July '10 between Tahoe and KM south. We like roomy tents for shelter during bad weather. We appreciate having the room indoors to change clothes, cook our meals with vents and doors open (big alcoves and double doors), and play cards with everyone while it storms outside. We like camp-life. Because we teach wilderness skills during the winter, we experience a lot of bad weather and have to choose the type of gear that will keep us safe, warm, and dry and be durable enough to last as long as possible since we give this training away for free. 





Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
1106A Ski Run Blvd
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org