[pct-l] Fw: Re: Canister fuel resupply

[Timothy Nye]

This is one of the perennial questions on the list.  I'd like to throw out a
few thoughts for whatever they're worth. I apologize if this viewed as
hijacking the thread.

What are usually viewed as the major downsides of a canister system are the
4 oz weight of an empty canister taken by itself and the problematic issue
of re-supply.  The latter involves the unfamiliarity of some postal clerks
with ORM-D designated shipping (land only); the room a canister may take up
in a re-supply box and whether or not they can be obtained 'on-trail'. Of
course, the potential closure of several trail post offices in the more
remote trail areas may exacerbate this concern.  In my experience concerns
expressed about their functioning being degraded by cold weather haven't
ever materialized. My water bottles may be frozen, but the stove works just
fine.

The re-supply issue may be minimized by conservation.  That is, reduced use
of the stove and maximizing the heat which is produced when it is used. ( I
like to boil a liter of water a day on the trail which I'm sure will be
viewed as extravagant by many, but I'm willing to carry the weight to do so,
and I use a different system-more on that later)  For purposes of food
preparation you can rehydrate the food without heat if so inclined.  Heat
just speeds up the process.  Just add your water in the morning for that
day's dinner and at night add water to the next morning's breakfast.  The
other approach is a hybrid, really.  Use a cozy and heat your water, but not
to boiling and add your meal and wait for half an hour to an hour or so and
you'll still have a warm meal and save fuel.  You'd be amazed how long a
canister can last.

The advantage of getting away from an alcohol stove is that it's a lot safer
and alcohol is intrinsically a less efficient fuel so you have to carry more
of it.  In a wind storm not only is there a safety issue with alcohol, but
it may be some what more difficult to ignite instead of a push button
igniter on a canister stove.  The wind chill may lead you to want hot
drinks, a first defence against hypothermia if you're wet and cold, or to
heat up a water bottle to roll down in the foot of your sleeping bag if gets
really cold - something I've wound up doing a couple of times.  Of course, a
vestibule, if you use a tent, solves the ignition problem.

This year I decided to go with one of the other options, an Esbit system.
These were developed for the Weremacht before WW II so anyone would have to
get over it's pedigree if that's a problem for them. Each tablet is 1/2 oz.
and unlike the easily available folding steel stove I found the 1/2 oz.
Esbit titanium stove through Sears, on-line.  I averaged a little more than
a 1/2 tablet for a half liter of water.  Of course, I also carried an MSR
windscreen, which is reflective, and used an Evernew kettle which has a
slightly larger base thinking it ought to marginally improve the heat
exchange.  (Windscreens aren't supposed to be used on canister stoves for
safety reasons, but I've seen them used on the trail.)  With all of that, it
still would up to twice the time to boil an equivalent amount of water than
a canister system.  The only time this was an issue for me was coffee in the
morning or, if it was cold at night waiting for dinner, but in both
instances I could be in my bag if I wanted.

The chief downside is an even greater degree of difficulty in being lit in
the wind, (which you can also experience if you carry some Jack Daniels in a
spare Aquqfina bottle, but I digress.  I found a little Purell at the base
of a tablet worked wonders.  There is an odor which I grew used to and which
is masked if you double zip lock the tablets and a little residue on the
bottem of the kettle which washes off if is a concern. I grew to really like
the system; before that I used canisters.  The Esbits are somewhat more
efficient than alcohol and more impotantly you can see the flame.  I knew
Wolf Taffy from 2010 and he did wind up accidentally starting a fire at Mt
San Jacinto.  The state and local governments no longer play around and do
pursue hikers for suppression costs, a concern in addition to the potential
damage to future hiking enjoyment for the classes to come in following
years.