[neek]

Let's say you're going to fly somewhere, rent a car, and car camp for a week. What's the best type of stove to bring? Of course you can't bring fuel canisters on a plane, and if you buy one after landing, you're stuck with the responsible disposal of a partially-full canister. (You can't bring Esbit tablets on a plane either.) Are alcohol stoves a viable option? But then you have the same problem - disposing of extra HEET (which looks kind of nasty) or chugging leftover Everclear (which is not available in all states). Since weight isn't really an issue, would one of those mini wood-burning stoves work? But then you'd have to collect wood, which might be a pain, depending on where you are. Is there something clever I'm not thinking of, besides cold-soaking, which is always an option? Solar oven, and just leave it near the car while you're out hiking? Oh - what about one of those electric kettles that plug into the cigarette lighter? You'd probably be limited to about 100 W; is that even enough to boil a few cups of water in a reasonable amount of time? Any experience with this type of setup?

[zimmertr]

Interesting question. I've always used the mini iso canisters and disposed of the remainder which obviously isn't great.

[Randito]

You can fly with any stove as long as there is no detectable trace of fuel in the stove. E.g. a brand new stove and new fuel bottle. It can be tricky to remove all traces of fuel after your trip, so you might need to dry it out as best you can and then ground ship it back home -- at least if the shipping costs are substantially less than the cost of the stove. Alcohol stoves are inexpensive alcohol is pretty widely available, even world wide. I found paint stores to be a good source of denatured alcohol in the states. Pharmacies in Mexico sell ethyl alcohol in various grades very cheap. So if your cooking needs are simple and your group is small alcohol works OK. You can buy a new one for the trip and toss it away at the end. Excess alcohol fuel disposed of at a hazardous waste disposal site, which there are likley to be in any US urbanized area large enough to have an airport. If you think using a stove once and tossing it is wasteful or bad environmentally, you should probably reconsider getting on an airplane.

[RumiDude]

If you use alcohol stove and get a bottle of Heet, you can just put the remainder in the renatal car's gas tank. Some places have a sort of hiker box to put partially used canisters in for others to use. That may or may not be an option where you go. If I am not mistaken, they have that at the Grand Canyon. Rumi

[texasbb]

[neek]

Very good point, Randito. However, my concern here is practical, not environmental. I don't like to waste time or money. Hiking that involves any driving has the same issue. It could make for an interesting discussion in a different forum. It's illegal to throw away a non-empty canister, and burning off the extra fuel can take hours. A hazardous waste disposal facility can be far away and have limited hours. So far I like the Heet idea. But for the type of trips I do, these electric kettles seem worth trying. Looks like they can boil a couple of cups of water in about half an hour, and that's all I really need.

[Hoosierdaddy]

If you choose to use Heet, be sure it's the yellow bottle...not the red. (It burns much better) However, Heet is nearly pure methanol, which is poisonous to breathe, but I've used it before and lived.

[Riverside Laker]

Some thru hikers these days don’t use a stove. Just eat non cook able food.

[Randito]

[neek]

Well, that's an interesting idea. My inner teenager would have a tough time not trying to ignite the bleed-off steam...

[Bargainhunter]

MSR Whisperlite International. I have an ancient model but retrofitted it with a shaker jet. Just returned from Joshua Tree. No problems flying, just air out the fuel bottle a day or two before flying, and pump the stove a few times to expel any residual fuel. White gas evaporates fast. Easy to find fuel, can use auto gas, white gas, kerosene and perhaps diesel I'd suspect. But I just use white gas in the Whisperlite. The small bottle is great for travel. I had a Solo Stove Titan with me as well to give to a friend as a present, but you can't collect twigs to burn in J-Tree, unlike many other spots. In general, on longer trips I prefer the Solo Stove as I like burning twigs and don't like worrying about fuel, plus the ritual of heating water with wood is therapeutic. If you get a Solo Stove, get the matching pot as it nests nicely with the stove. The Lite model is good for solo or lighter weight backpacking and the Titan is better for 2-3 people or car camping. (But my favorite car camping stove is a vintage Coleman suitcase stove.) I have an old MSR XGK but seldom use it as my Whisperlite is quieter and works fine in cold weather/snow. I took the Whisperlite on my trip up Denali. The electric kettle/coffee cup plug in the cigarette lighter outlet doesn't really do more than mildly warm up your coffee, at the expense of draining your battery. Even on a multi-hour road trip, it heats VERY slowly. I'd hate to be at a trailhead with dead battery and a lukewarm cup of coffee. The BRS 3000t is ultra lightweight if you prefer canister stoves and can pick up some fuel canisters at your destination, but I'm not a fan of canister stoves for a number of reasons, namely, the canister! Having a quiver of stoves to select from is great! But if you are getting only one, get the Whisperlite. But if traveling in the developing world, esp in winter, I'd probably take my XGK.

[neek]

[Bargainhunter]

[neek]

Well, I was sleeping in the car. A tent, yeah, brrr! And the wind... But to be clear, I did have a canister stove. You can't deny the convenience, until it comes to ditching the canister. Maybe I'll just go back to cold soaking, which has worked OK for me in the past.

[HitTheTrail]

You can buy everclear in a 375 ml size bottle. It takes about 30 ml to boil 2 cups of water (if you have a wind screen). So, about 12 two cup boils per bottle. And you can carry a bottle of liquor on a plane. If you know how many days and (therefore boils you will need) it would get you within how many 375 ml bottles of everclear you need rather easily. Just take some orange juice along and mix up a screw driver with what's left.