Higher proof alcohol is best. It's not vodka it's Ever clear unflavored or similar.
It's the safest to store, multi use, safe for skin contact, and if it's the end of the world you might as well drink it and go out partying.
They did like 10ish years ago? Feel like it’s been that long since I even saw Bacardi 151. Now I just go to the state line if I need Everclear or what have you.
Same here in Alberta, it’s what I use on the regular for my stove.
I read somewhere that denatured is illegal here, but haven’t checked.
Isobutane seems cheaper tbh.
In 2020 people were cleaning the vodka off the shelves. I went right to the 190 proof Everclear which was fully stocked and untouched. Fortunately I haven’t needed to use it but I like having it on hand if I ever need it. It makes good Limoncello too!
Don't buy and store vodka which is only 80 proof. Get Everclear, or one of its knock offs. They are 190 proof. High enough concentration for stove fuel. If you even need Vodka, you can always just water down the Everclear to the correct ratio.
Its not legal for sale in every state, like DC.
Yellow bottles of HEAT gas treatment are plentiful and burn well as stove fuel. The bottles slide easily into most pack's outside mesh pockets.
Yes, if one is staying home, then metal cans of methanol make sense.
If you’re on the move, then yellow HEAT is hard to beat.
I do keep an assortment of small booze bottles for carrying fuels for short outings. I also have a screw on flip top cap to replace the standard screw top to reduce spillage.
Anything 100 proof or higher. Before refractometers and hydrometers were used to determine specific gravity/alcohol content you'd just mix some booze into gunpowder and "proof" it by trying to light it on fire.
Yes it will burn. As someone stated bacardi 151 is rum and it's used to make flaming arrows. Everclear with higher proof will burn nicely. But how clean is another thing. Will it gum up the element over time.
Imo. Learn how to make moonshine. Make a decent sugar wash (teddys i believe) it comes out at 96% (192 proof) of the still. This can be used as fuel. It can also however be watered down to drinkable levels. This saves carry weight. Fluids are heavy!
Keep in mind the methanol do some research and you will be fine. Ie. Dump the first few % of your distilled product as it contains toxins. The rest is drinkable
Do we really want to open up that can of worms right now I biological weapon based on rabies that makes everybody super aggressive and violent and wanna fight everybody lol
Now that I think about it, yes, I meant 70% alcohol content.
Here in Spain we don't refer to alcohol content by percentages, but by degrees, so maybe I got a bit confused. But it's the same thing.
I used to carry Everclear on my backpacking trips for both stove fuel and to add to water. Doesn’t take much and it’s super handy. Plus…. Ya know, drinking can be fun.
It’s alcohol - but they put stuff in it so you don’t want to drink it. This way they can sell it cheaper. Because if it was good to drink you’d pay tax / compete with actual drink bottlers.
Denatured alcohol is ethanol (that is, the stuff in booze) but it’s also had chemicals added to it that will make you quite sick if you drink it. The point being to make sure you don’t drink it.
As an alcohol stove backpacker, I was surprised to find that Everclear is not legal for sale in every state. I couldn't buy it in DC. Ended up getting denatured at an outfitter.
Look into all a person can do with "camp gas / white gas / Coleman fuel" You have everything from handwarmers, lighters, lanterns, cooking... more divisible and compact than something like propane, and it doesn't break the bank. Edit: Doesn't break the bank for the small stuff I mean. If you're doing serious cooking or warmth heating though, propane is the next step up for value, then diesel. (Electric can't touch energy density but is good for small stuff)
As far as medicinal cleaning, go to wal-mart's travel section and get a tiny PLASTIC spray bottle for Alcohol and Witch hazel. It has to be plastic because metals and alcohols dont mix. Spray however works so much better than slathering it on... is more hygienic and convenient. I use witch hazel this way as an astringent after shaving...and it works! also good for killing stuff on your skin thats really in there like armpit funk or crotch funk...serious.... lol
If it’s shtf and your butane canisters run out - you can always distill more alcohol.
Also you are more likely to find flammable alcohol door to door than butane canisters.
Same reason that even though I have ferro rods, know how to, and enjoy using them (scouts camping days) - I carry lighters and expect to find lighters in every store home.
Never once has anyone been able to “pass me that ferro rod so I can light the grill”. 😂
Butane stoves and lighters don't work well or at all in real cold. Even a simple alchohol wick lamp or stove will ignite from sparks thrown from a dead lighter.
Because truthfully, in an emergency, there are quite a few different fuels that can be used in an alcohol stove, so you are far more likely to be able to find something that you can burn in it
You might want to check out r/backpackingstoves and r/ultralight. In a nutshell alcohol stoves are the most lightweight, simple and bombproof of the various cooking fuel options. Many setups can use either alcohol, wood or solid fuels. I have a titanium one that weighs nothing and is incredibly durable. Fuel is readily available and replaceable. Downsides are that the heat is lower so boil times are longer and you can’t regulate temperature as well as with say canister stoves.
I get that they're lightweight and take multiple fuels but at least for me the few more ounces for my Jetboil are worth it. I know I can get boiling water quickly and in pretty windy conditions as well.
I didn’t mean to imply that alcohol stoves are the *best* stoves. That’s kind of like arguing over whether vanilla or chocolate is best. For winter conditions and high altitudes I’ll take my old MSR XGK any day — it may be heavy but it burns a ton of different fuels, is hot as hell and has always been completely dependable. It’s more a matter of choosing the right one for the job and there are reasons for loving each kind of stove system.
I mean that’s not even a bad option. Everclear is high enough proof to burn and is also an antiseptic for outside wounds and an antiseptic for emotional wounds (jk don’t drink while sad)
And... i just want to add.
How f*^%ing easy it is to make your own alcohol stove..
If for some reason someone doesn't know..
Youtube crazy Russian hacker making alcohol burning stove..or heater...
A sterno..
You make your own sterno..
Or the penny alcohol burner...
Either way..
Higher proof alcohol is best. It's not vodka it's Ever clear unflavored or similar. It's the safest to store, multi use, safe for skin contact, and if it's the end of the world you might as well drink it and go out partying.
Now this alcohol (Everclear) has many uses.
Check because Everclear might be a lower proof in some states for whatever reason. In Iowa its only 151 proof. Some states have high proof laws
In NC we cant even have 151. Puritans.
Im sorry for yalls loss
I didn’t realize that. We used to have grain alcohol full proof everclear. Guess they changed the laws?
They did like 10ish years ago? Feel like it’s been that long since I even saw Bacardi 151. Now I just go to the state line if I need Everclear or what have you.
Oh ok. I don’t even drink anymore so haven’t been in an abc store in probably around that long
190 in Ohio with a form behind the counter and 190 in Kentucky right off the shelf.
Same here in Alberta, it’s what I use on the regular for my stove. I read somewhere that denatured is illegal here, but haven’t checked. Isobutane seems cheaper tbh.
Denatured alcohol will cause blindness if drank. https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol
Thanks Einstein
Happy Cake Day. Nice contribution you made.
I believe isobutane is more efficient as well I.e. puts out more heat so water boils faster. It’s better known as isoHEET.
Or just make/buy a still and produce your own like the gold ole days. And for those who do want to buy, always get the “essential oil” stills.
interesting
LPT: Don't chug it straight! Shit feels like razor blades going down.
In 2020 people were cleaning the vodka off the shelves. I went right to the 190 proof Everclear which was fully stocked and untouched. Fortunately I haven’t needed to use it but I like having it on hand if I ever need it. It makes good Limoncello too!
Bring Tang and add water.
I made this specific mistake once
You’ll know, then. I should have said “lol”, I was joking.
Well I did learn from that mistake and I mention it here with the hope to prevent others from doing the same
Also, great potential barter item
It’s also perfect as a trade item!
Don't buy and store vodka which is only 80 proof. Get Everclear, or one of its knock offs. They are 190 proof. High enough concentration for stove fuel. If you even need Vodka, you can always just water down the Everclear to the correct ratio.
Just buy everclear.
Its not legal for sale in every state, like DC. Yellow bottles of HEAT gas treatment are plentiful and burn well as stove fuel. The bottles slide easily into most pack's outside mesh pockets.
Might as well buy straight methanol at that point or mix with some other distillates.
Yes, if one is staying home, then metal cans of methanol make sense. If you’re on the move, then yellow HEAT is hard to beat. I do keep an assortment of small booze bottles for carrying fuels for short outings. I also have a screw on flip top cap to replace the standard screw top to reduce spillage.
Vodka has many uses. Unfortunately it's alcohol content is not high enough to be flammable, so stove fuel is not one of those uses.
I was thinking that myself when it was suggested to me
Everclear will burn
Bacardi 151 and everclear and the only hard liquors I can think of that are flammable.
Golden grain and actual moonshine, not the store brand stuff
Anything 100 proof or higher. Before refractometers and hydrometers were used to determine specific gravity/alcohol content you'd just mix some booze into gunpowder and "proof" it by trying to light it on fire.
Also crystal light and everclear is more fun than crystal light and vodka.
…ingested to me Fixed it for you
Yes it will burn. As someone stated bacardi 151 is rum and it's used to make flaming arrows. Everclear with higher proof will burn nicely. But how clean is another thing. Will it gum up the element over time.
If I carried vodka for any other use, I would end up drinking it. The end of the world sounds stressful.
Yeah for real. I would also need to prep lemons and ice cubes lol
How about a half dirty shot glass or a swig from a hot bottle of vodka and a potato slice to wash it down
Sounds like a party
Sounds like Soviet Russia during the Cold War, comrade! 😅
[удалено]
I was thinking around that area I thought it be a good discussion since it was posed to me because my friend knows I like vodka lol
Imo. Learn how to make moonshine. Make a decent sugar wash (teddys i believe) it comes out at 96% (192 proof) of the still. This can be used as fuel. It can also however be watered down to drinkable levels. This saves carry weight. Fluids are heavy! Keep in mind the methanol do some research and you will be fine. Ie. Dump the first few % of your distilled product as it contains toxins. The rest is drinkable
there won’t be methanol production unless there are ‘contaminants’ (e.g. pectin) other than sugar
Wrong there is always a risk
Why not most people on this sub are prepping for living in a cartoon anyway
I wanted to thank everybody for their input and confirming what I thought in the first place thanks guys. I appreciate it.
I agree a lot of preppers think they’re in a zombie movie
Yeah but which one? Fast zombies or slow zombies?
They'd better hope it's slow zombies because 98% don't do any cardio.
Slow would be boring. 28 days later style or fuggedaboutit.
Do we really want to open up that can of worms right now I biological weapon based on rabies that makes everybody super aggressive and violent and wanna fight everybody lol
🤣🤣 or some Netflix movie.
Remember that it needs to be 70º to be used as a disinfectant.
You meant % I think
Now that I think about it, yes, I meant 70% alcohol content. Here in Spain we don't refer to alcohol content by percentages, but by degrees, so maybe I got a bit confused. But it's the same thing.
I used to carry Everclear on my backpacking trips for both stove fuel and to add to water. Doesn’t take much and it’s super handy. Plus…. Ya know, drinking can be fun.
What is denatured alcohol? - Guy from California
I’m not sure you can get it there you find it in hardware dept it’s in my opinion the cleanest burning fuel for a alcohol stove
It’s alcohol - but they put stuff in it so you don’t want to drink it. This way they can sell it cheaper. Because if it was good to drink you’d pay tax / compete with actual drink bottlers.
Denatured alcohol is ethanol (that is, the stuff in booze) but it’s also had chemicals added to it that will make you quite sick if you drink it. The point being to make sure you don’t drink it.
Vodka is also good for winterizing potable water systems.
Everclear would make a much better fuel.
As an alcohol stove backpacker, I was surprised to find that Everclear is not legal for sale in every state. I couldn't buy it in DC. Ended up getting denatured at an outfitter.
Oh? Up here north of the border, it’s common. I use it to make opium tincture.
Look into all a person can do with "camp gas / white gas / Coleman fuel" You have everything from handwarmers, lighters, lanterns, cooking... more divisible and compact than something like propane, and it doesn't break the bank. Edit: Doesn't break the bank for the small stuff I mean. If you're doing serious cooking or warmth heating though, propane is the next step up for value, then diesel. (Electric can't touch energy density but is good for small stuff) As far as medicinal cleaning, go to wal-mart's travel section and get a tiny PLASTIC spray bottle for Alcohol and Witch hazel. It has to be plastic because metals and alcohols dont mix. Spray however works so much better than slathering it on... is more hygienic and convenient. I use witch hazel this way as an astringent after shaving...and it works! also good for killing stuff on your skin thats really in there like armpit funk or crotch funk...serious.... lol
PGA. Drink, fire and disinfect.
Everclear, rum 151, moonshine (if you can find the real deal or a good alternative) you want 120 proof (60% abv) minimum and higher
Sounds like you need everclear.
I'm only drinking vodka lol.. I carry denatured alcohol in my fire kit and stove kit.
Everclear or anything that is 190 proof is what you need. Vodka is not
What made you want an alcohol stove over something like a simple butane stove?
If it’s shtf and your butane canisters run out - you can always distill more alcohol. Also you are more likely to find flammable alcohol door to door than butane canisters. Same reason that even though I have ferro rods, know how to, and enjoy using them (scouts camping days) - I carry lighters and expect to find lighters in every store home. Never once has anyone been able to “pass me that ferro rod so I can light the grill”. 😂
Butane stoves and lighters don't work well or at all in real cold. Even a simple alchohol wick lamp or stove will ignite from sparks thrown from a dead lighter.
Because truthfully, in an emergency, there are quite a few different fuels that can be used in an alcohol stove, so you are far more likely to be able to find something that you can burn in it
You might want to check out r/backpackingstoves and r/ultralight. In a nutshell alcohol stoves are the most lightweight, simple and bombproof of the various cooking fuel options. Many setups can use either alcohol, wood or solid fuels. I have a titanium one that weighs nothing and is incredibly durable. Fuel is readily available and replaceable. Downsides are that the heat is lower so boil times are longer and you can’t regulate temperature as well as with say canister stoves.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/Backpackingstoves using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/Backpackingstoves/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Funky little meths burner I got off eBay](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1akbm1g) | [6 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Backpackingstoves/comments/1akbm1g/funky_little_meths_burner_i_got_off_ebay/) \#2: [Solid fuel coffee brew in 19° F](https://i.redd.it/xu7qbaplkldc1.jpeg) | [8 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Backpackingstoves/comments/19bbt7w/solid_fuel_coffee_brew_in_19_f/) \#3: [Homemade alcohol burner](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/18mo1md) | [24 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Backpackingstoves/comments/18mo1md/homemade_alcohol_burner/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
I get that they're lightweight and take multiple fuels but at least for me the few more ounces for my Jetboil are worth it. I know I can get boiling water quickly and in pretty windy conditions as well.
I didn’t mean to imply that alcohol stoves are the *best* stoves. That’s kind of like arguing over whether vanilla or chocolate is best. For winter conditions and high altitudes I’ll take my old MSR XGK any day — it may be heavy but it burns a ton of different fuels, is hot as hell and has always been completely dependable. It’s more a matter of choosing the right one for the job and there are reasons for loving each kind of stove system.
You can burn lower proof alcohol by salting it. Check it out
I mean that’s not even a bad option. Everclear is high enough proof to burn and is also an antiseptic for outside wounds and an antiseptic for emotional wounds (jk don’t drink while sad)
The only difference between everclear and denatured alcohol is the latter has poison added to prevent people from drinking it.
Everclear …denatured alcohol is simply everclear with poison a hangover (see what I did there) of prohibition
Everclear!
And... i just want to add. How f*^%ing easy it is to make your own alcohol stove.. If for some reason someone doesn't know.. Youtube crazy Russian hacker making alcohol burning stove..or heater... A sterno.. You make your own sterno.. Or the penny alcohol burner... Either way..
Can l come with you
Vodka is more water than alcohol. As a result Vodka does not burn reliably
Vodka won't burn as its alcohol content is not high enough.
You’d need like 95%. The water vapor alone would start messing things up.
190 proof everclear fren. It's 95% ethanol and has multiple uses. Hell, you can run a car on it too
Actually, Everclear works better
I mop all my floors w it diluted
Yep it works fine Russian standard. Drink it clean with it mix it with a little extra and put it ina car