[pct-l] FUEL

[Frank Dumville]

There are places along the trail that you can buy iso-butane canisters. 
There has been a list of sources, but I don't remember where. If there is an 
outfitter in town they should have some. Sometimes the large box stores in 
bigger towns will carry Coleman brand iso-butane canisters.

Alcohol, canisters and solid fuel tabs can be shipped surface mail only in 
limited
quantities. This is a good summary of how to do it, but the USPS links are 
broken.
http://www.gottawalk.com/shipping_fuel.htm

Don't go to the post office and ask how to do it. The postal clerks may not
know the regulations and will just say no. USPS publication 52 details what 
can be mailed and how to do it.
http://pe.usps.gov/cpim/ftp/pubs/Pub52/pub52.pdf
Review Pub 52 and print the title page and pertinent sections. When you go
to the post office have your packages properly labeled and bring the 
relevant
sections of the publication. If they balk at mailing it you can show them
'their' regulations and that should at least get them to ask someone else.
Be courteous and patient. This is a safety issue for the post office so they
will err on the side of caution and say no. I had to go through three levels
of supervision and a call to the hazardous material expert once at a large
urban post office. I never had a problem at a post office in a trail own.

The problem with mailing fuel is that surface mail is very slow so you have
to mail with plenty of lead time. Don't mail your fuel with your other
supplies, if it doesn't get there you won't lose everything.

Snap