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  1. #1
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    Default Sticking with my canister stove

    I built myself a Fancy Feast stove. And I was very excited about it. However I have come to realize two things. First, I have an allergic reaction to carbon felt. The dust after cutting it was enough to make my skin and face itch until I could completely washdown. Second, the fumes from burning denatured alcohol give me a terrible headache. I was burning out in the open in my driveway and it was somewhat breezy, yet I am fighting a bad headache as I type.

    Oh well. All my backpacking trips are relatively short anyway. The canister stove will serve just fine.

    I largely wanted to post this topic not to complain about alcohol stoves, but to warn folks in case they have a similar reaction to the fumes or carbon felt.
    Please take no offense in my post I have a lot of respect for folks who use alcohol stoves and DIY gear in general.



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    Good job in finding out before going on a long trek!

  3. #3
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    Denatured alcohol is typically thought of as 90% ethyl alcohol (stuff you drink) cut with methyl alcohol (poisonous) as the denaturing agent. But there are other nasty chemicals added in very small quantities to negatively affect odor and taste to discourage people from ingesting it. All because in reality ethanol is really cheap to make, but public policy requires keeping prices high artificially through regulation and taxation. So what is a pretty cheap product to make (ethanol) gets poisonous additives to keep us from using it as booze. It's not surprising that the fumes are toxic to some degree as well.
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    Alchy stoves can do that, you might try a different type. The big open container of burning liquid (such as the fancy feast) seems to have more of this they the stoves with smaller ports which are more pressure operated.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard View Post
    Denatured alcohol is typically thought of as 90% ethyl alcohol (stuff you drink) cut with methyl alcohol (poisonous) as the denaturing agent. But there are other nasty chemicals added in very small quantities to negatively affect odor and taste to discourage people from ingesting it. All because in reality ethanol is really cheap to make, but public policy requires keeping prices high artificially through regulation and taxation. So what is a pretty cheap product to make (ethanol) gets poisonous additives to keep us from using it as booze. It's not surprising that the fumes are toxic to some degree as well.
    You can purchase 95 percent ethanol, with only water as the other 5 percent, that is perfectly safe for human consumption...its called "Everclear"...although you are forbidden from purchasing it in NC and Maryland....

    But, you are correct. To avoid the Federal distilled spirits tax and regs, there has to be at least 5 percent poison in ethanol. The poison of choice is usually Isopropyl Alcohol. If you have a tax-exempt license(lab) you can get 100 percent pure ethanol. But, 95 percent pure should be good enough for an alchy stove and an alchy-holic....just sayin...multipurposing your stove fuel...nothing wrong with that...

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    Quote Originally Posted by ScareBear View Post
    ...If you have a tax-exempt license(lab) you can get 100 percent pure ethanol....


    Just to note that lab grade ethanol can not be achieved by distillation and required a substance like benzene (carcinogen) to make it over the distillation max percentage limit of apx 97%. Even though it is called 100%, it still can have traces of benzene or some other substances which one might not want to consume. As for as stove fuel I would WAG it would be fine even with the unburnt vaporization the OP mentions as the percentage is very low and most will be burnt anyway.

  7. #7

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    Is heat a considerable solution? Its what I use and I can smell nor feel any effects of it burning. I have really enjoyed going from a canister system to my fanceefeast. I don't think I would ever go back to canister system, and using the alc system makes me feel more skilled although it takes very little skill lol
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  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard View Post
    Denatured alcohol is typically thought of as 90% ethyl alcohol (stuff you drink) cut with methyl alcohol (poisonous) as the denaturing agent. But there are other nasty chemicals added in very small quantities...
    Regrettably, most of the denatured alcohol you find in hardware stores and Home Depot/Lowes. etc. is mostly methanol these days, in itself a nasty chemical.

    Kleen Strip makes a "green" version that's maybe about 80-90% ethanol and there is another one national brand (sorry I can't remember name) that you sometimes find in hardware stores, but shipping costs to buy online make it very expensive. That's about it.

    If you're going alcohol, and I did for 10 years+, you're stuck dealing with methanol. It's OK if you're reasonably careful. Try not to get big deep whiffs of the vapors and limit contact with skin and it's fine.

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    Some denatured alcohol is 50/50 ethanol/methanol. I too have gotten headaches from stove testing, but mostly when done inside or in the garage in the winter (i know - dumb). I usually burn methanol (yellow HEET, easy to come by) and then sit down wind or even walk away to do camp chores. My stove doesn't use carbon felt and it is only burning for about 4 minutes, so it works for me.

    But alcohol stoves are not for everyone. It is certainly true that they have a steep learning curve. It took me many years of trial and error (lots of error) to get my system the way I like it. I suspect the vast majority of people are not interested in that level of fiddling. Nothing wrong with that.

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    Interesting reading about all the possible percentage blends of ethanol / methanol in denatured alcohol - as well as other denaturing agents. To be sure, find the specific product you bought, or are interested in buying, and look up the MSDS (material safety data sheet).

    I recently looked up "denatured alcohol" after reading that methanol (yellow heet) is toxic to touch as well as to drink. I often use denatured alcohol on a rag to get paint off my hands, arms, face, etc.

    I also read that Isopropyl alcohol is toxic... but isn't that what they use to wipe down your arm or finger prior to an injection? Or do they use Ethyl alcohol?

  11. #11
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    Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl.

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    The headache was probably caused by carbon monoxide coming off your stove due to not enough oxygen getting to your stove. Incomplete combustion.

    Use "HEET" in yellow bottle for less odor.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fox farm road View Post
    I built myself a Fancy Feast stove. First, I have an allergic reaction to carbon felt. The dust after cutting it was enough to make my skin and face itch until I could completely washdown.

    I largely wanted to post this topic not to complain about alcohol stoves, but to warn folks in case they have a similar reaction to the fumes or carbon felt.
    Please take no offense in my post I have a lot of respect for folks who use alcohol stoves and DIY gear in general.
    Did you wear disposable latex gloves when you cut up the felt? I was amazed how much comes off when cutting that stuff. I used the latex gloves and I got an allergic reaction to the latex, red rash and tenderness of skin.

    Those tiny black felt itchies conduct electricity and will cause a short circuit in micro electronic devices when you least expect it.
    Last edited by zelph; 01-19-2017 at 21:18.

  14. #14

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    Theres all kinds of denatured alcohol. From 50-90+% ethanol.

    The bottom line...is your government...would rather risk poisioning people....than allow them to drink untaxed alcohol. Untold numbers of people have died from drinking all kinds of stuff due to the artificial pricing and taxation of ethanol by the government.

    Anyone that thinks ethanol is better than methanol, hasnt tried to light an alcohol stove in cold weather. You need methanol for the higher vapor pressure to light and burn better when its cold.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 01-19-2017 at 21:25.

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