[Canadian Wilderness]

What's your preferred fuel for a hiking trip into the woods for 5 days. I like alcohol. The stove is light, and it boils water in about 3-4 minutes. Plus, if you spill fuel over all your gear, you won't smell for the rest of the trip.

 

[WSierra]

I also prefer alcohol for fuel. Specifically, 90% alcohol from the local drug store. It also doubles as a first aid disinfectant, and an astringent for sprains, and a good hand cleaner, etc.

 

[Canadian Wilderness]

I picked up some 99% rubbing alcohol at my local drugstore. It burns with a nice blue flame.

 

[kev]

1 pound propane bottle and single burner stove.

Or, the vargo hexagon wood stove from readypro.org

 

[Jerry D Young]

My stove is liquid multifuel. Primary fuel I carry is regular Coleman fuel.
If need be I can burn unleaded gasoline, kerosene, and alcohol.

I'm prepared to have an open fire with wood.

As an emergency backup I carry an Esbit cooker with compressed fuel tablets. It can also burn twigs and small branches.

 

[Colty045]

I have to go with alcohol or white gas both are cheap (if you buy at the hardware store really cheap) but if I had to really choose one I would go alcohol.

 

[Observer]

Wood. I do not camp in public campgrounds, so having a fire is not an issue. I do not hikd public trails overnight either.

 

[AZSrvr]

ive always used the coleman fuel, but i like the sound of using alcohol

 

[SurvivalKid]

IMO rubbing alcohol!

 

[Canadian Wilderness]

I find that 70% rubbing alcohol works fine in open flame stoves, but not so well in jet stoves. It also leaves brown water in your stove. In a pinch, it'll do.

 

[TMcArthur]

For a shorter trip I'd go with white gas/Coleman fuel. Five days is a lot of cooking and to save weight I'd go with wood.

 

[messiah]

I have a multi fuel stove, but if it malfunctions, or you spill your fuel, wood is then the best option.

 

[DaarkMatter]

Alcohol Rules!

Small alcohol stoves work great and are extremely light weight. Check out this site to make one yourself for next to nothing.http://www.jureystudio.com/pennystove/

Also for cheap source of alcohol fuel I use HEET or AIRBRAKE both are virtually pure methanol alcohol.

 

[lairdkeffer]

I had to say good old fashioned wood ...because had checked other and said the bones of Hobos Iwas worried you guys may have me arrested

 

[Kipper]

Plus, if you spill fuel over all your gear, you won't smell for the rest of the trip.

lol dont smell? or you cant smell yourself?

I went wood because I live in high wood area, but as a backup my current only choice is butane.

I do have a bunch of metho stored, just no stove to burn it ;P

 

[Canadian Wilderness]

lol dont smell? or you cant smell yourself?

I went wood because I live in high wood area, but as a backup my current only choice is butane.

I do have a bunch of metho stored, just no stove to burn it ;P

Nah I just meant you won't smell like a gas pump if you spill alcohol as opposed to petrol fuels.

 

[Tansy]

I voted wood with the vargo woodstove in mind. I carry that, and a trangia burner. I can use wood, pinecones, other debris as the woodstove is designed for, or put the trangia burner inside it to better focus the heat. I can also put a can of sterno in there. It lets me be very flexible with picking the most economical fuel wherever I am at.

Years prior, I used an MSR dragonfly. The fuel was cheap and lasted ages, but I generally ended up forgoing a hot breakfast because I like to have everything packed and ready to move after eating. The MSR stove took at least 15 minutes to cool after use, and was awkward to pack. It also flared up often and I never quite felt comfortable using it.

 

[EdD270]

I like the Trangia stove, and similar. I've tried rubbing alcohol, 90% and other mixes, and have much better results with denatured alcohol from the paint section of the local hardware store. It's cheaper, too. They just don't put out as much heat as I'd like.
I have various makes/models of white gas (Coleman fuel) stoves, they're a little heavier, but put out lots of heat.
My favorite stoves burn wood. Some I made myself, others are store bought. All work great, put out lots of heat, are at least as light and easy to carry as the liquid fuel stoves, and I don't worry about having to carry fuel.

 

[Happy Joe]

I normally cook over a fire, if a fire ban is in effect I bring either a Coleman 2 burner propane stove or the old Svea 123 and white gas.

Enjoy!

 

[BlackhawkFan]

Trioxane tabs. Makes a great backup when you don't want to build a wood fire while backpacking.

Lightweight, inexpensive, foil wrapped. You can break them into pieces instead of using the entire tab. Put the unused piece back in the foil and use later.

With Triox, you don't need to carry a stove. I only carry a tin cup to heat water for coffee, tea, coco, and dehydrated meals.

For a stove, put three rocks together to support your pot, drop a piece of triox in the middle, light it and put the tin cup over the fire.

No big fuel container left over when depleted, unlike propane and liquid fuel. The remaining foil goes in a pocket to pack out.

I've heated my tent with Triox as well. Two empty tin cans make a dandy heater. A clean, empty tuna can, cup side up, for the base so you don't burn a hole in the tent floor, and a soup can with holes punched in the sides, cup side down, to cover the piece of burning Triox.