Topic

Sierra stove restrictions

This topic is empty.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

Author

Posts
Jul 17, 2015 at 6:08 am #1330817

Ben C
BPL Member

@alexdrewreed
Locale: Kentucky

I plan to use an alcohol stove (Starlyte) in a caldera cone for a Sierra trip in a couple of weeks. Are alcohol stoves still allowed through SEKI and beyond this summer?

Jul 17, 2015 at 8:01 am #2215361

Hikin’ Jim
BPL Member

@hikin_jim
Locale: Orange County, CA, USA

I plan to use an alcohol stove (Starlyte) in a caldera cone for a Sierra trip in a couple of weeks. Are alcohol stoves still allowed through SEKI and beyond this summer?

Yes. Alcohol and ESBIT stoves are explicitly permitted. See: Sequoia & Kings Canyon Fire Restrictions.

Now, Sierra National Forest? Not so much. The Forest Service is still living in the dark ages. The FS seems blythely unaware of things like ESBIT (the very safest backpacking stove fuel) and continues to have verbiage about "jellied petroleum" stoves. There's no stove that uses jellied petroleum. One reasonably well known form of jellied petroleum is napalm, typically used as an incendiary weapon of war. That's permitted, but ESBIT is not.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin' Jim's Blog

Jul 17, 2015 at 11:28 am #2215408

David Thomas
BPL Member

@davidinkenai
Locale: North Woods. Far North.

There is napalm available in a convenient form for campers.

Jul 17, 2015 at 12:29 pm #2215419

Morgan H
Member

@photofeature
Locale: Eastern Missouri

Do you think they mean to reference Sterno, aka jellied alcohol aka "canned heat"?

Jul 17, 2015 at 1:41 pm #2215433

Hikin’ Jim
BPL Member

@hikin_jim
Locale: Orange County, CA, USA

Morgan,

Yes, presumably the Forest Service means gelled alcohol (e.g. Sterno) not jellied petroleum (e.g. napalm). It's just an indicator of how slow to change they are. Every forest I've yet seen lists it that way, even though there's no such thing, yet makes no mention of ESBIT, even though ESBIT is far safer than either white gas or canister gas. Indeed, ESBIT is the safest fuel that a backpacker can use that I'm aware of.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin' Jim's Blog

Jul 17, 2015 at 4:34 pm #2215468

Anonymous
Inactive

Do the rangers actually enforce these restrictions if you're not being an idiot with it?

Jul 17, 2015 at 5:35 pm #2215474

Dan Yeruski
BPL Member

@zelph
Locale: www.bplite.com

Alcohol in a StarLyte burner under a Caldera Cone is the safest fuel that a backpacker can use that I'm aware of.

Jul 17, 2015 at 7:04 pm #2215490

Anonymous
Inactive

"Alcohol in a StarLyte burner under a Caldera Cone is the safest fuel that a backpacker can use that I'm aware of."

+1

For an added measure of safety, place your Starlyte on a square of heavy duty aluminum foil that covers the entire area under the Caldera cone.

Jul 17, 2015 at 8:07 pm #2215507

Dan Yeruski
BPL Member

@zelph
Locale: www.bplite.com

Yes. Alcohol and ESBIT stoves are explicitly permitted. See: Sequoia & Kings Canyon Fire Restrictions"

Jim, is this year the first you've seen those explicit rulings?

Jim, never mind I found the answer in another thread. It came out last year.

Jul 20, 2015 at 12:39 pm #2215921

Hikin’ Jim
BPL Member

@hikin_jim
Locale: Orange County, CA, USA

Do the rangers actually enforce these restrictions if you're not being an idiot with it?

Some rangers really have a bug up their behind about alcohol stoves. Now, that said, in a vast area like the Sierra, how likely is it that anyone would actually check your stove? Not very likely. I've been hiking and backpacking since the 1960's and never once has anyone questioned me about my stove. Have I been asked for my wilderness permit? Yes, dozens of times, but never have I been asked for my campfire permit or about my stove. Still, all it takes is one overzealous by-the-book ranger to cause a lot of grief, and, believe me, I have met that type of ranger. (Thankfully most rangers are pretty cool)

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin' Jim's Blog
Author

Posts