Plumas NF joins stoves w/shutoff, no wood fires

Most northern California national forests (Eldorado, Stanislaus, Lake Tahoe Basin MU, and more) require stoves to have shutoff valves, so that would nix alcohols stoves.

Typical language in the Forest Service orders is no fires or stoves outside developed campgrounds, but with this as an exemption:

• Persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above. However, persons with a valid California Campfire Permit may use a portable campfire ring/pit, stove, or lantern in an area at least five feet from any flammable materials provided that the portable campfire ring/pit, stove, or lantern only burns gas, kerosene, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel, with a shut-off valve.

Seems we’re on fire again.  I’ve pretty much put an open flame on the back burner.  Gonna stay with a canister stove and/or start learning stoveless.  I’ll only miss that hot coffee in the mornings.  It is what it is.

Since you can’t buy denatured alcohol in CA anymore I too have gone back to a canister.

Hi Ken.

I have a dog now, so using lighter stoves when I’m out.  Been dry camping, so have to pack water, he gets to carry his water and food.  I did get a new MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe this Spring, really like it.  I have a ton of stoves now, working on lamps and lanterns.

Duane

Well… pressurized liquid… technically includes a remote feed alcohol stove. Pressure is due to gravitational hydrostatic head. Not too hard to slap a shut off on a silicon fuel line.  You may be inching towards the weight of a BRS3000T, but you won’t get hit with the weight of a canister, and it’s easier to carry just the fuel you need.

Also, any sort of snuffer is effectively an oxygen shut off valve…

Ken,

If you want, I can bring you a gallon the next time we get together.

I’ve just accepted that fire restrictions are the norm. I usually take an alcohol stove in deserts. Everywhere else I bring a liquid stove and sometimes a canister stove. This way I don’t have to navigate a bunch of websites to try and figure out regulations.

So it’s a few ounces more. A few extra ounces for a stove won’t ruin a trip, although it destroys a spreadsheet.

Although denatured alcohol is no longer available (in California) with the solvents in Home Depots, you might be able to get medical grade in 1-pint bottles at drugstores. Note that isopropyl or rubbing alcohol is not the same stuff.

Thanks Nick. Nevada isn’t far for me either.   I use it for shellac as well.

I have 3 quarts of the “green” stuff for my pressure stoves that use denatured alcohol and bought the last gallon of regular alcohol in town last Spring for preheating my kerosene stoves.  Reno is 90 minutes away, us Coleman Collectors are meeting up here in July, so asked a Reno friend to bring me some camp fuel and a gallon of denatured alcohol.  I lost any interest in wood stoves a few years ago since by the time you can use those up here, it’s almost fire season again, so a short window to use them.

I have over a dozen 100+ year old stoves now.

Duane

Duane