Summer restrictions on alcohol stoves on the Trans-Am?

[crichman]

I'm planning an E-W trip this summer.  I'd love to take my Trangia 27 alcohol stove and leave the cartridge gas conversion burner at home, but I worry about bans on alcohol stoves in the West.  Anybody know where along the TA alcohol stoves have really been problematic? 

As an alternative I could leave the spirit burner home and use gas cartridges for the whole trip, but I don't much like worrying about where I'll be able to find 'em en route.

Charlie

[adventurepdx]

I've only done a little bit of the TA recently, but it was in Oregon last September. Where we were there were fire restrictions because of all the active fires in the state. This was for both the National Forest campsites and all the state parks. Many in our group had Trangia stoves, which was considered "open flame" by one of the camp hosts, so we couldn't use it there. Since you'll be heading east-west, you'll most likely be entering the west when fire season is going, and when there will be open flame restrictions.

So yeah, it might be wise to have a canister back up plan. If you were going west-east, it probably wouldn't be an issue. But I can't tell you for sure.

[staehpj1]

I'm planning an E-W trip this summer.  I'd love to take my Trangia 27 alcohol stove and leave the cartridge gas conversion burner at home, but I worry about bans on alcohol stoves in the West.  Anybody know where along the TA alcohol stoves have really been problematic? 

As an alternative I could leave the spirit burner home and use gas cartridges for the whole trip, but I don't much like worrying about where I'll be able to find 'em en route.

Some of this depends on where you camp.  I know that on the TA we stayed in places where a ban was likely seldom enough that we could just have just eaten cold food on those relatively rare occasions.  You could also cook somewhere earlier before you get to camp where that is an option.  Most of the time we stayed in places like small town parks, church yards, and the occasional private campground.  If you do that and want to go alcohol it might be doable.

We did have trouble finding canisters from Pueblo to Virginia.  I know others claim Walmart has them everywhere but we did not find that to be the case.  Things may have gotten better since then though (our TA was in 2007), but on more recent trips I have still not found cartridges to be readily available everywhere while I have typically found alcohol to be.

I think you probably can manage with alcohol, but it might be a hassle if you camp in National and state forests a lot.  If you do take a canister stove, maybe carrying a pop can burner as a back up might be a good way to go.  My pop can burner is 0.4 ounces, the stand is 0.7 ounces, and the windscreen is 0.3 ounces.  You may be able to use the same windscreen as your canister stove.  So the backup would only add either 1.1 ounces or 1.4 ounces depending on whether the windscreen fit both or not.  Fuel would add weight only when you couldn't find cartridges and I don't carry a fuel bottle because I just use the containers it (yellow bottle Heet) comes in.

[BobG]

We did have trouble finding canisters from Pueblo to Virginia.  I know others claim Walmart has them everywhere but we did not find that to be the case. 

Yes, I posted this info a few years ago. Walmart did stock Coleman branded "MSR" style isobutane cartridges on the shelves for a few years but apparently no longer. Now they only sell Primus/Optimus cannisters through Walmart dotcom. That means you'd have to order in advance to have one waiting for you. Alternatively, find one at an outdoors store which may be scarce on some sections of the route.

http://goo.gl/wLqIJ5

[staehpj1]

We did have trouble finding canisters from Pueblo to Virginia.  I know others claim Walmart has them everywhere but we did not find that to be the case. 

Yes, I posted this info a few years ago. Walmart did stock Coleman branded "MSR" style isobutane cartridges on the shelves for a few years but apparently no longer. Now they only sell Primus/Optimus cannisters through Walmart dotcom. That means you'd have to order in advance to have one waiting for you. Alternatively, find one at an outdoors store which may be scarce on some sections of the route.

http://goo.gl/wLqIJ5

Also beware that stores do not stock the same merchandise in all locations.  So if xyz mart has item x up and down the west coast it doesn't necessarily mean they will have it in Kansas.  I know that we found the canisters at various chain stores in some parts of the country and not others.

[preston uk]

I'm glad I saw this post. I'm riding  E-W  starting  1st May ,I'm taking my trangia and I'd never heard of the open flame ban . I'm leaving the transam at Pueblo  to join the Western Express / Grand canyon connector .Where can I find information about whether a ban will be in place ?

[staehpj1]

It will vary pretty widely with jurisdictions.  I don't know if there is a site that aggregates the listings of bans in various jurisdictions.

[o2tour]

2014 on the GDMBR we came across some stage one bans. In 2012 on the TA everything was extreme fire conditions but I don't remember any bans.

http://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2ftc/documents/Fire_Restriction_Chart.pdf

[BobG]

Walmart did stock Coleman branded "MSR" style isobutane cartridges on the shelves for a few years but apparently no longer.

Bumping this thread for an update. I found Coleman branded isobutane canisters back on the shelves at my local Walmart. I searched a few random Walmart locations on the TransAm. Many stores list them in stock.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Butane-Propane-Mix-Fuel/20595064