Sierra stove restrictions

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

There is napalm available in a convenient form for campers.

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

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

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

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

"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.

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.

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