Re: [pct-l] Stove Test

[Birgitte Jensen <bjensen4@juno.com>]

On Wed, 3 Mar 1999 09:20:41 EST Montedodge@aol.com writes:
>If you think your butane stove is up to snuff for the PCT. Put your
stove and
>fuel canister in the freezer for 2 hours, then take out and try to 
>cook.[snip]If you could hike the pct at
>each sections choice time, no problem. You will see old man winter
somwhere on the >way.

Monte, I'm not intending to _argue_ with you, only present another
viewpoint.

I regularly hike in the mountains (on the PCT and other places) with Old
Man Winter and have never had the slightest problem with a butane (even
sans propane mix) stove. True, butane doesn't light for sh*t when it's
frozen, but (except in polar climes) the fuel needn't get that cold -
even with outside air temperatures well below zero. BTW, how often does
it get much below zero in the morning or evening along the PCT in any
season - and how many thruhikers are on the trail in dead-winter,
either?<g> I find the coldest temps are usually around 2-4 am, but who's
gonna be firing up their stove out in the open at that hour anyway?

I normally cook in my tent, if I have one, where on the coldest nights my
body-heat and the tent-walls keep it a toasty 40F+. This last trip I just
had a bivvy sack and night temps were in the teens, but, hey, no problem,
even tho the first day I was lliterally cooking "on fumes" to use up a
canister from the January Sierra hike (when I shook the canister - gotta
be careful, I know - I could not detect any fuel sloshing around at
all!).  On the most freezing of winter nights, I may sleep with a fuel
canister near me, but even if I don't, a half-minute or so of placing the
canister next to me before I light it is all that's needed to fire it up
as usual. Just like in other camping practices, one simply optimizes
"conditions", that's all - like choosing a campsite/cooksite sheltered
from the wind/not in a dank valley/etc... I realize there are tables
showing that in particular situations, liquid gas burns "hotter" than
pressurized, but bottom line: my (or your) pot of water boils just fine
in a reasonable time, and we all have a hot meal or drink when we want
it.

I'm sure it's possible to be unable to get your stove to perform decently
on a spring/summer PCT thruhike, but I believe you'd really have to work
at it....<VBG>
       bj



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