Originally Posted by
stevepusser
Picked up a couple 11 oz. bottles of this stuff at the local Dollar Tree:
http://www.dollartree.com/SMB-Fuel-I...ex.pro#details
The label said it contained methanol and other proprietary ingredients, but it was clear and burned cleanly in my stoves without leaving any residue, just like HEET.
I've also experimented with an mostly ethanol additive called EthaMax ($1.50 for 12 oz) which did put out a lot more heat than methanol, as would be expected, and stunk a lot more, also expected. It also did leave a small amount of gummy residue in the stove, but was able to wipe it off.
Here in warm southern California, gas stations don't carry HEET, only auto supply stores and Walmart. The SMB stuff is cheaper, and you may try other brands if you can't any other source of alcohol for your stove.
Of course, if you can find a racing gas supplier in your area, you can get methanol by the 5 gal can for a lot less per ounce.
It certainly sounds to me as if you are interested in saving money on fuel, despite what some others here are suggesting. Even the title of the thread, and the intention of the thread speak of an interest in saving on fuel.
Many people find the minimal initial investment in alky stoves very attractive. If you are using them enough, though, over time the fuel costs tend to add up higher than it seems at first, especially if at first you are only focusing on the short term costs (costs per stove, per fuel purchase, per meal, per day, etc.). Most people seem to leave out the longer, more comprehensive or complete view. If you take a minute to include that sort of view, you can see the picture differently and make better decisions. Of course, this will depend on individual usage over time.
What I wanted to add is that multi-fuel stoves' initial costs do not have to be that high. I've seen MSR WhisperLite Internationals and other multi-fuel stoves at yard sales and elsewhere being sold for just a few dollars. You might be able to find something through CL. A lot of people have them but no longer get out much, and would be glad to see them go to someone who would put them to good use. I wouldn't be surprised if the cost of some of these turned out to be very minimal. (You can also watch for sales at places like REI, or just buy one on Amazon.)
The cost of fuel would be much less than that of the alcohol. (Less than 1/20th.)
I have found ways of making the refueling clean and easy at gas stations.
Also, I've done the calculations, and gas looks better than filtration in cost, weight, bulk, simplicity, and effectiveness -- and far better in cold weather. Most filters, including the Sawyers (according to their own website), not only cease to function but are also permanently damaged and rendered unsafe for use if moisture is allowed to freeze inside the filter.
Of course, there may be a variety of other factors that enter into your choices; but your thread title seemed to indicate an interest in saving on costs, so I thought some of this might be of interest to you. (And quite possibly to some others as well, but obviously not to everyone....)
One other thing about the WhisperLite and most other MSR stoves: they are reliable and very durable. If you do ever need to work on them, once you get to know them they are very easy to work on with small, minimal tools, and very easy to understand and maintain. They are designed that way. I was in a small town mountaineering store on Tuesday, and right next to the spools of climbing rope and cord was a little chest of drawers carrying just about every part from every major MSR stove, all very reasonably priced. These stoves are just all over the place. There is also a lot of information on the MSR website and on a variety of backpacking and other websites and forums if you ever need more information or support.