Choosing the Right Fuel

Sometimes the wrong fuel can make a huge mess. I saw this on the AT, but in desperation, bought some "gas line" carburetor cleaner fluid. While it did burn in the stove, it created so much soot on my entire cook set that in the end, a person has to weigh the value of hot food and coffee over the clean up involved.
 


 There are many fuels that can be used with the soda can stove, sometimes called the ultralight stove or pepsi can stove.
Among the things I've burned are:
denatured alcohol
 rubbing alcohol (minimum 70%)
Heet
Dollar store Heet

 solid fuels such as:
heximine tablets
esbit tablets
fuel sticks
home made fuel sticks-see video at my Youtube Channel

Sterno Cooking in the Gila Wilderness

Up in the Gila I'm hiking and testing alternate gear systems. The weather has been warm and sunny during the day. At night it cools to thirty something. Because we're sleeping at 5-6 thousand feet, the air is thinner and colder.

Meeting some cool people who also love the "wild" camping. No electricity or water on site. But up at the visitor's center, both can be had.

I picked this "Sterno" type fuel up at a dollar store near the Mexican border town of Palomas. After testing it twice, I've decided it works wonderfully for a simmer, or if you're not in a hurry. The beauty of it is you don't have to keep adding fuel, you can put it out instantly by replacing the tiny metal cover, the source burns nearly odor free and you know exactly how much is left. Unlike canister cooking, once the fuel is gone, this metal container will be a useful piece of equipment.

According to the label, this fuel will last 2.5 hours.

My ultralight pot, windscreen and pot support are being used in this photo with the Sterno heat . It is placed on the metal picnic table at my campsite. As you can see, there is also a pit toilet. The Gila River is across the road.

Good Finds for the Survivalist

The above lounging chair was made from packing material I claimed while being a Pastry cook in Montana this winter. The foam is high density and protected expensive chocolate truffles. The book was 50 cents at a local thrift store. "Dirty Dozen" makes a good read for one who writes about warfare and rough characters. I highlight key phrases to trigger my memory.

This bottle of Super Gas Treatment cost only a Dollar at the local dollar store. I was surprised how hot it burned in my soda can stove. It has 11 ounces, which is enough for eleven mornings of boiling hot coffee in my super sized mug, pictured below.

How to Pitch a Non Free Standing Tent on Rocks

I'm currently camping in New Mexico, enjoying the warmth, using my cell phone and internet access down near the Mexican town of Palomas.

Its different camping in sand and hard rock. Sunscreen is essential as well as a good hat and patience. Drink a lot of water. Carry lots of water in your car or pack, no matter if its cloudy or you're just heading down the highway.

Live here in Columbus goes at a slower pace. The people are friendly and curious. River beds are dry and the ever present concern over the least stray spark from backpacking stoves is well founded.

There are two owls with babies taking up residence here. Barn owls have that all knowing look and a silent flight pattern.

I'm enjoying the local color with a view towards the Gila Wilderness next week. Stay tuned for more photos.

Make Waterproof Fabric

Do it your-selvers have a great way of sharing useful information. I just watched an 11 minute film on how to use 1.1 ripstop nylon, silicone and 2 quarts of mineral spirits to make the incredibly expensive Silnylon so coveted by us ultralighters.


Cheap Way to Make Silnylon from Ripstop Nylon

To make sewing easier, construct the backpacking gear with the uncoated 1.1 ripstop fabric, then soak the gear in the emulsion of silicone dissolved in mineral spirits.

I hope to try this process soon, just to add to my own knowledge base. I still have some bona fide 100% first quality silnylon that I utilize for all my backpacking gear.


Lots of friends have told me to learn any given thing, they just google it on you tube and out there, some where, some one has done it before.

How Guns in the Right Hands Works

My family and I were just discussing this phenomenon last night: put firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens and see the crime rate reduced.
If people are allowed to carry pistols to defend themselves without fear of unreasonable repercussions, perhaps, or almost certainly, the crime rate will decrease.

Illinois-enacts-concealed-carry-law-chicago-murder-rate-plummets-immediately/

a paragraph from the the artilce:

"Gary Kleck, PhD., also a gun crime expert, found that the crime deterrence effect of firearms possession is significant: sophisticated statistics suggest three to four crimes are stopped by a handgun than are committed in the United States every year."