Everclear Uses

[Richard Seifert]

I was just thinking of how i could lighten my pack when i thought of Everclear grain alcohol. It has a nice list of uses that could help others reduce weight in their packs.
Here are the uses that i though of:

Alcohol stove fuel
Hand sanitizer
Wound Sanitizer
Sleep aid
Entertainment
Pain killer
Fire starter
Warmer upper

What other uses can you guys think of???

[Eric Lundquist]

I think the amount of alcohol required for it to work as a pain killer is counter productive to reducing your pack load. Explain to your family doctor what you need it for and see if you can get a small one-time prescription of Vicodin, Tyelnol 3, or similar pain killer. Contrary to popular belief alcohol only has a mental effect on warming you up. The opposite is true of the physical effect, alcohol constricts blood vessels reducing the amount of blood flow to your extremities and increasing the likelihood of frostbite/frostnip if the weather is cold enough.

Even so, I do like to share a little 4oz Nalgene of Southern Comfort or Baileys on a trip.

[Gary Dunckel]

I think you have several "entertainment" uses here, which is OK.

But when used as a warmer-upper, it's not really effective the way you seem to think. Alcohol actually affects the blood vessels in a way that can be dangerous in very cold temperatures. You feel warmer, but you lose the battle of maintaining warmth.

As a wound sanitizer, it actually can kill healthy cells, thereby lowering the body's ability to properly heal. For this use, it's better to go with benzalkonium chloride (can't drink that though).

Everclear can be used to sanitize first aid instruments, like tweezers for tick removal and a knife to lance a boil or blister. For sleep and killing pain, there are lighter alternatives in pill/tablet form.

Thus, for me, I would pare down your list to the following:

Stove fuel
Fire starter (but I wouldn't waste it on this, as there are
lighter versions out there)
Entertainment

And add:

BAK hand sanitizer, also used for wound and instrument
disinfection
Benedryl, for sleep and for allergies
Rx pain meds
A pair of chemical hand warmers, if you are camping in
cold temps.

And then replace:

The Everclear with tasty Wild Turkey 101 bourbon
The alcohol stove with an Esbit setup (nice fire starters
as well)

I hope this doesn't come off as condescending. I just wanted to remind you of the effect alcohol has on naked tissue cells, and also on the blood vessels. It will be fun to see what others come up with.

Edit–Eric beat me to it on a couple of points

[Tyler Hughes]

-snakebite prevention
-mouthwash
-edible antifreeze
-Rx med 'enhancer'

+1 for Wild Turkey

[Bob Gross]

" -snakebite prevention"

If memory serves me right, a high percentage of snakebite victims are young males with high blood alcohol.

–B.G.–

[Link .]

.

[Tyler Hughes]

"If memory serves me right, a high percentage of snakebite victims are young males with high blood alcohol."

Bob, I couldn't argue with that even if I wanted to. Perhaps it is best to only use it for the prevention of snakebites once camp has been reached and set up for the night.

[Tyson Marshall]

"If memory serves me right, a high percentage of snakebite victims are young males with high blood alcohol."

– possibly due to a high percentage of young males with high blood alcohol…

: )

[EndoftheTrail]

"If memory serves me right, a high percentage of snakebite victims are young males with high blood alcohol."

"Possibly due to a high percentage of young males with high blood alcohol."

Not to mention the higher propensity of young males with high blood alcohol to stagger onto snakes that were otherwise aloof…

[Will Webster]

"Hold my Everclear and watch this"

[Tyson Marshall]

"Hold my Everclear and watch this"

*lights a cigarette and goes up in flames…*

[Don Morris]

I got real tired of doing body recoveries of individuals who had a blood alcohol level way beyond intoxicated, so please be really careful with the "entertainment" uses.

[Tyler Hughes]

Heard loud and (ever)clear, Don. If I do take alcohol with me (rarely), I only take the equivalent of up to 3 drinks (this is a lightweight forum, after all!), so neither my buddies or myself can get into any real trouble without seeking it out. I appreciate your concern and general warning for people who might not think of the possible consequences, though.

[Jim Ford]

" -snakebite prevention"

Hmmm….get the snakes drunk?

[jackpike]

Anybody done any tests to verify Everclear's usefulness as a stove fuel? Comparisons w/ isopropyl or HEET?

"I am still living with your ghost…"

[Will Webster]

Yes.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/alcohol_fuels_part_one.html

Bottom line: Other than price, Everclear is the best.

[Travis Leanna]

It'll get pine sap off your hands and out of gear quite effectively. If you have enough to spare, that is……(doesn't take much though….)

[Dale Wambaugh]

Shakespeare wrote in MacBeth:

"Wine provoketh three things: laughter, lechery…. and urine!"

You left out: aphrodisiac :)

[Travis Leanna]

>Shakespeare wrote in MacBeth:

>"Wine provoketh three things: laughter, lechery…. and urine!"

>You left out: aphrodisiac :)

In vino veritas.

[Brian Dickens]

"Contrary to popular belief alcohol only has a mental effect on warming you up. The opposite is true of the physical effect, alcohol constricts blood vessels reducing the amount of blood flow to your extremities and increasing the likelihood of frostbite/frostnip if the weather is cold enough."

Not trying to be argumentative or anything, but this is not correct.

When you get cold your body constricts blood vessels in extremeties, thus why your hands and feet get cold first. You body does this to keep your essential organs and core at ideal temperature.

When you drink alcohol, alcohol dilates the blood vessels in extremeties, making them warmer (it's not just a warm "feeling"). The problem is that it then lowers your core temperature.

This might actually work well if you hands and feet are cold and you know you are going to be in a warm lodge in 30 minutes. Especially if you are warm with the exception of hands/feet/face.

But, if you are in really cold environment, are really cold or a situation where you cannot get supplemental heat or remain like this for some time it is definitely more easy to get hypothermia.

No one should ever recommend alcohol to get warm though (IMO).

[jeremy yax]

they had an episode of Mythbusters where they tested the effects of drinking alcohol on body temperature, using thermal scanners to check skin temperature, and sure enough, it did make their hands and face a bit warmer for a short period of time, but it made their core body temperature drop faster.

[will sawyer]

When camping with a stove that requires priming, like a whisperlite, this can be used to prime the stove, saving stove fuel. Instead of releasing a bit of liquid white gas into the priming dish, just pour in some alcohol and light that. Works just about as well as using white gas from the fuel bottle.

This technique is useful when you aren't sure if a full bottle will suffice, it provides a bit of a margin of error.

-Will

[Hikin’ Jim]

Using alcohol as a stove primer is also a) cleaner and b) a whole lot less prone to fireballing.

HJ

[Terry Trimble]

Stupid things you can do with everclear:
Hazing your new backpacking group buddies who pass out after they have 4 chugs on the bottle of everclear. So bring your sharpie ink markers and enough cordage to tie them up in the tree at trail head in their tighty whiteys . The real fun begins the next morning.

Gene Simmons fire spitting is fun till your new drunk backpacking buddies hair and clothes are set on fire.

Not so stupid reason to bring everclear just don't bring it with you their are fuels like Heet make better stove fuel and does not tempt you to drink the devil liquor as my friend call it.

[Chris Roane]

I started using everclear in my alc stove last year. I love it!

I have not found a mixed drink with it that I really like though. With that said, I have found that it really makes for a fun evening when alcohol is around…just as long as people don't go too overboard with it. Star gasing is awesome. It is really awesome though if you are tipsy.

But honestly, if you are in a group in the middle of know where backpacking, how much damage can you do getting drunk? I guess I just haven't heard of too many accidents resulting from guys getting drunk backpacking……I wouldn't drink if I was next to a cliff, though.

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