caldera fuel dilemma

I only carry alcohol when using most of my Caldera systems. I know that should something happen I can use wood for back-up.

When using the Sidewinder for wood-only use I did carry a single Esbit cube just in case I could not find burnable material.

For wood, some areas have had lots of wildfires, so they are paranoid about wood fires in any form. As a result, they ban a wood-fired Caldera Cone the same as an open wood campfire. In other areas, they ban open wood campfires, but they allow a closed wood-fired Caldera Cone. Some areas get too much use altogether, so they ban wood fires. Each jurisdiction and agency makes its own rules, so you need to inquire.

In many places along the John Muir Trail, you are camping above timberline, so there is no wood. You probably aren't going to carry pounds of wood from somewhere else to use. So, wood is not foolproof. When it rains, the wood can become unusable. It would also get very risky to try to maintain a wood fire under a solo tarp somewhere.

One friend of mine is doing a long trail, and the plan is to use wood twigs where possible. Then, if there are no wood twigs, or if it has been raining, or if wood fires are illegal or impractical, then alcohol is the next on the list. It works pretty good unless the weather is intensely cold. If the alcohol has run out, or if it leaked, then Esbit is the last resort. It isn't the worse fuel, but it also has limitations.

–B.G.–

Makes perfect sense what your friend is doing, and the comments on wood carry!

So, is it the preception that because its wood it will inherently cause more wood fire, or more because its not a shut off valve….?of course the alchy stove isn't either so that has me curious.

"So, is it the preception that because its wood it will inherently cause more wood fire, or more because its not a shut off valve….?of course the alchy stove isn't either so that has me curious."

It's difficult to say. Each forest manager has his own set of ideas. It might be because of a shut off valve, but I don't know. Alcohol stoves are kind of limited in their output. It's hard to find somebody who would ban an Esbit burner.

–B.G.–