bikerlee

Hi,
We plan on leaving Puerto Montt for Ushuaia in January.
Is denatured alcohol generally available? How about propane cartridges and white gas?
I think denatured alcohol is called alcohol de quemar or alcohol pura in Chile and Argentina. I have a Trangia stove, the others riding with me are still making up their minds on the type of stove.
Thanks,
Lee

oren_hershco

... so I don't know about gas tanks or alcohol availability. The area is quite remote, so I think a multi-fuel stove is the safest choise. Even if you find your speciality fuel in Puerto-Montt or in Coihaique, you'll still be unable to refuel if it runs out somewhere else.

Me stove is the MSR International 600, which I already use for 12 years. It works best with "white" fuel, but gives good results with car gasoline.

Oren

linux_author

i use a simple penny stove (boils 16oz in 4-6 minutes):

https://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html

1. cheap
2. uses alcohol
3. lightweight
4. small

1. not good for simmering (although w/some mods you can)
2. can be crushed (but easy to fix)
3. needs a penny or other coin (i use a nickel)
4. not good in extreme cold; may require windscreen

jurjan

While we didn't do the Carretera Austral we brought our trusty (and ANCIENT) MSR XGK to Argentina and Chile.
Personally I wouldn't like to depend on any one fuel while doing the Carretera.
The shops, even in the towns and villages are NOT equipped for travellers, so most of the time they won't have ANY fuel, even less the one YOU need.
If I'd be pressed to use a stove that uses ONE kind of fuel, I'd be sure to bring plenty of it, and then probably even more just to be sure (my version of Hofstadter's Law)

Be sure to enjoy the tour though, it's PRETTY out there.

Al Downie

All things considered, I'd have to agree with the above, but reluctantly. I took a multi-fuel stove with me on a recent trip because I knew I'd be able to burn Yak pee if that's all that was available, but I really couldn't get to grips with the thing at all. Normally our first attempt to 'pre-heat' the stove was unsufficient and the burner still wouldn't light, and the second attempt to pre-heat it would engulf the two of us in a giant flaming fireball. AND... although they're marketed to run on almost any 'type' of liquid fuel, in my experience they're very sensitive to the quality of the fuel you use. I think we must have had dodgy gasoline, because it coughed and spluttered a lot and burned with a very yellow flame (I did check the filter). Not great at all. But better than running out of compressed gas canisters in an area where you can't get replacements!

JohnyW

Hi,

[QUOTE=jurjan;7752905] they won't have ANY fuel [QUOTE]

There is petrol at the gas station. Worldwide available in a distance of +/- 300 km. In emergency cases can ask car driver for petrol...

My fuel question is solved.

Thomas

jurjan

Johnny,
I was talking about shops, NOT gas stations.
And (please correct me if I'm wrong) I think there are NO gas stations along the Carretera.
You are right in assuming that you can ask a passing driver for petrol.
But even so, it can be a few days between cars there. And what if they are diesel powered?
Your gas stove wouldn't like that.
Still, if I couldn't bring a multi-fuel stove I would bring a petrol-stove, precisely because petrol is ubiquitous.

JohnyW

Hi Jurjan,

there are gas station a least in every city. On turistel.cl you can see the gas stations...

Thomas

jurjan

Like I said, we didn't 'do' the Carretera, my idea of remoteness is likely to be a bit much.

However, those turistel maps: we printed them out and used them.. Very handy (and cheap) maps.

JohnyW

I didn't 'do' the Carretera either - expect of 50 km.

By the way the turistel guide books (North, Middle and South) are really great - really worth buying them

Thomas

Bekologist

AH, that's just part of the entertainment using a pressurized liquid fuel stove- the fireballs, shooting flames, running flareups, etc.

enjoy the show, and say goodbye to your knuckle hair, and NEVER cook near your tent, for a couple of good reasons, the flareups being one of them.


I watched a Svea 123 blow 20 feet into the air after the pressure release valve let loose. we let the stove cool down, refilled it, gingerly got it back up to pressure, and continued using it.


yes, a multifuel stove is the way to go for travels in remote places. MSR xgk or an optimus nova, i'd suggest the MSR, bring a cleaning needle for the feeder tube and burner ports, maybe pack a spare gasket kit if you plan for murphy, and you are good to go.

nun

Some useful info here, In Chile you can get ethanol from most pharmacies.
Failing that you could try 100 proof pisco. It might not burn well, but it's available
everywhere and keeps you warm if you drink it.

https://www.ultralight-hiking.com/fuelnames.html

Hasek

I love my SVEA 123. Bulletproof and no need to carry specialized fuel containers. Without the pump sometimes it's a bit tricky to get it going, but once you learn how, it's a sweet stove. I wouldn't carry anything else.

When I was looking for a stove, MANY of the SVEA 123 reviews I read went along the lines of "I've been using my SVEA 123 for decades with no rpblems...."

Optimus two or three years back started making these again with something like "classic" in the model name.

How cool was watching it launch Bekologist?