Sure, you can run your alcohol stove on methanol; that's what comes in a bottle of HEET. I mean it's cheap and available and all -- but it doesn't have as much heat content as ethanol. In other words, you have to carry more methanol just to do the same amount of cooking.
OK, so I can get more heat from ethanol than methanol, great, but alcohols with high ethanol content tend to be more expensive. Just how much weight can I save? In other words, Is Ethanol Worth It?
Join me on today's Adventure in Stoving as we "do the numbers" on ethanol.
Thanks for another great post on this subject. I use the yellow heet because you can get a 4 pack at walmart so cheap. Now I know that it might not burn as hot, but the cost difference makes that ok for me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
yobtaf wrote: Thanks for another great post on this subject. I use the yellow heet because you can get a 4 pack at walmart so cheap. Now I know that it might not burn as hot, but the cost difference makes that ok for me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Yeah, it's pretty tough to beat the four-pack deal at Wal-Mart. That was my last fuel purchase too.
SLX denatured from Home Depot is about the same price if you buy by the gallon. A few cents more. Slightly more heat content.
When I costed things out by the gallon, both HEET and SLX came to around $16/gallon with HEET being slightly cheaper. HEET does come in those long necked bottles which some people use out on the trail. I prefer a flip-top squeeze type bottle.
