Container for Heet fuel
 

The bottle Heet came in leaks at the cap. I tried a bottle I have used for chain lube and it is also leaking at the cap. Outside of a metal fuel bottle, is there a smallish plastic bottle others here have used with success to store Heet in while on tour?

I use 50cl PET soda bottles. Works fine. It sits snug in a small Topeak adjustable bottle cage (same as the one the blue bottle is in)

Maybe worth putting a skull ‘n crossbones sticker on if you’re worried about it being drunk by mistake 🏴‍☠️

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4002b3f30.jpeg

Ive carried alcohol also in plastic coke bottles or whatever--but I also would want to emphasize the risks of using any sort of regular looking drink container that could be mistakenly drunk from.

The other issue is overtightening to be "sure" its tight, and slightly cracking the cap or whatever and then having a mess happen.

I've had other small plastic containers that I have tried leak a bit, so now prefer to use a metal fuel bottle.

This makes me remember seeing folks selling gasoline in 1.5L or 2L plastic pop bottles along the side of the highway in Latin America.

Seems like a risky way to save weight. MSR metal bottles come in various sizes. 11, 20 and 30 ounces.

The last time I used a non spec plastic bottle was a two nighter, and was trying to keep volume low. Used a small bottle with only 100ml in it, all I needed and it was so small I could easily fit it into a small space in my half frame bag. Turn. C
Before that I'd use the same container on a different over nighter, and used the empty coke bottle when I had to buy some alcohol from some lady's house in some small town somewhere in Latin America.
Didn't leak!

I've used the yellow Heet bottles without any issues. I didn't break the factory seal until I was ready to use some and after that it was packed where it was kept upright when the bike was upright. I never noticed any leakage onto my other gear even though the bike was laid on it's side sometimes.

That said, you might try making a better gasket for the yellow Heet bottle cap. That or finding a better cap that fits the yellow Heet bottle.

Way back in the day I have used pop bottles. They work great other than the risk of being mistaken for a beverage. I drew skulls and crossbones all over them, but I still don't recommend that as sufficient. Personally I might consider a combination of labeling and keeping it packed away where you are the only one who has access to it. If going that route get it out only for use and pack it away as soon as done with it. Probably better to use a real fuel bottle though.

Edit to add:
I was checking on something I had read about a custom spout cap for the yellow Heet bottle and read that the yellow Heet cap changed sometime in the last several years. I had a bunch of bottles in stock and hadn't bought any on the road in some time and if I had recently they might have been old stock. So bottom line, I probably have no experience with the current cap that is on the yellow Heet bottles and my comment may be based on an old cap design.

Ditto on the repurposed water bottle with very clear markings.

thats pretty much was my take on it also, and what I did, keeping it in my bag.
The other times I used other smaller containers was really just to have a physically smaller container when I knew I only needed 100 or 150ml.

I have used other containers on trips where I had my real fuel bottle, but had to buy more alcohol for my Trangia that would fit in the fuel bottle.

Oh, I realize I had slight leak issues more when using a non pop bottle combined with it being more horizontal in bikepacking bags and being on rough surfaces with a lot more cap loosening vibrations--so perhaps take that last part into account also and consider a proper fuel bottle with a really good cap system.

I’ve never had anyone randomly drinking out of one of my bottles, but hey maybe people do.
But if so, I’m not sure a metal bottle that looks like a nice coffee thermos is going to help.

Homeless alcoholics in Sweden are known to drink denatured alcohol 🤢

I keep my PET bottle in its bottle cage when not in use, and remove the soda label.

The 11 ounce MSR bottle only weighs 4.3 ounces so the weight hit isn't huge, but the bottle isn't even meant for alcohol. Msr says alcohol will damage their bottle.

I just noticed that Vargo sells a plastic bottle specifically designed as an alcohol fuel bottle. The 8 ounce bottle weighs only‎ 9.07 g. I have no experience with it, but lt looks like a good choice.

I checked out the Vargo bottle. It has a flip top, which is a no-no for me. Hand on heart, shampoo bottle anybody? ;)

I recall reading that and figuring, what the heck, and using it anyway. I even tried to see if there was some sort of liner inside the aluminum on the inside, but don't remember seeing one and not really knowing what could happen--it must be a corrosion thing, kinda like you get that funny white dust going on with aluminum sometimes.
Anyway, I used it anyway and I dont think I kept alcohol in it when back from trips, but could be wrong, would have to check.

If it is a corrosion thing, I suspect the issue is because of the pressurizing that takes place with a pump system like for with a Whisper Lite or whatever, and they dont want any risk of leakage due to the pressure and seals or something.

Without seeing this bottle in hand, I imagine the little flip top is quite stiff to flip up, so wouldnt be an issue in a bag. You wouldnt think it would be a problem given that it is sold specifically for fuel use.

Not sure, but I read something about the coating in the bottle not being okay with alcohol.

Oh, and again no experience with them, but Trangia makes 1L and .5L bottles for alcohol.

I have always been able to find 12 ounce yellow Heet when/where I have needed fuel. I figure any container that can hold at least that is big enough for me for where I have toured so far. I have never had unopened Heet bottles leak so if necessary I could carry a second bottle.

That said, in a pinch, if I had to buy a larger container of fuel that I wanted to carry and didn''t like the container it came in I'd resort to whatever bottles I could find in the trash (pop, bottled water, etc.). If I was worried that they were a risk for someone drinking them I'd keep them packed out of sight and segregated from food and drink. That is an unlikely situation for me since I don't tend to need much fuel at a time.

I have not felt the need, but maybe some minor leakage might be handled by putting bottles in a Ziploc bag. The bag could be labeled and used as an additional means of segregating the fuel and preventing anyone from drinking it.

I’ve had one of the 0,5 L ones for ages but only use it when I’m out in the woods overnight at home.

Never took it on tour though.Quality is top-notch as one would expect, but ”heavy” compared to a PET bottle. I’m assuming Trangia haven’t changed the design since the ’80s. Could be wrong, but they seem not to change things if it ain’t broke, which their gear rarely is.

Flip-tops typically have a little notch for your finger. If that caught on something while putting it in a bag, there would be more than enough force to open it. I’ll stick to screw tops.

Could be just the lingering trauma of said shampoo bottle a long long time ago.

I do have a subconscious habit of checking that screwed on caps are actually screwed on when putting them away

fair enough. I sometimes put things that can get caught on other things, inside a plastic bag and twist the top tightly, to try to avoid this.
I too always check lids. My partner consistently leaves lids loose on things, so it depends on the person also.

Yeah, I just read that. There are plenty of other fuel bottles that are not affected by alcohol though. CAMPEAK is one, and I believe Trangia as well. I find it very odd that MSR would make theirs such that you cannot store alcohol in them, but they do.

Looking up, my guess is you are using HEET product that removes water from gasoline (aka "dry gas") that used to be methanol but I think now is isopropyl alcohol? DON'T use a typical HDPE Nalgene bottle; HDPE is supposed to be safe with isopropyl alcohol, but turned mine brittle, dropped on floor and cracks everywhere (very abnormal for HDPE) holding 90% iso for 6 months in my first aid kit. After emptying I squeezed bottle, entire bottle turned to spiderweb of cracks. Very weird because bottle that alcohol comes in from store, says HDPE on bottom, same as Nalgene bottle.

Well, not really, as MSR stoves are designed to burn a big variety of petro and biofuels, *except* alcohol, as the air/fuel ratio is much different, more like 8:1 versus 14.7:1 for gasoline/petrol. A plastic liner that might make the aluminum alcohol-safe, might be easily attacked by the other fuels.

Trangia stoves burn alcohol, so no surprise their bottles are designed for it.

IIRC, cars that allowed a high-ethanol mixture of gasohol (E-85), required stainless-steel fuel lines (and possibly fuel tank) instead of aluminum or plastic. Such cars have a little corn-leaf symbol and say FFV (Flex-Fuel Vehicle) on the car.

My understanding is as follows:
Yellow bottle Heet is methanol. Red bottle ISO-Heet is propanol. Folks use the yellow bittle stuff in their stoves and avoid the red bottle product

Thanks for the tip on Trangia bottles. The stove is a Trangia and didn't know they had fuel containers.

I would go with Everclear burns cleaner than the other stuff. I know not as cheap but food safe and cleaner burning.

Ah, good tip, that would be ethanol. Might find same as "denatured alcohol" which according to wiki is "... and denatured rectified spirit is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating to discourage its recreational consumption." If using Everclear, it needs to be the really high percentage stuff. My first stove was an alcohol one (Safesport) that preceded, but similar burner configuation, to beverage can stoves. At low altitude I could burn 70% isopropyl alcohol, but when I was at Yellowstone, not winter but a cold day, I think I was between 5000 and 7000 feet elevation, stove wouldn't stay lit. I promptly bought a Whisperlite Int'l after that trip and gave the alcohol stove and a can of 100% methanol to a relative that lives about 10 feet over sea level, for emergencies.

I don't know that I would want the additives that is the point of the Everclear or similar high proof hooch to have a nice clean during food grade substance. I am using it for cooking even if just a fuel source it is nice to have something I could also use for other purposes if need be. I would recommend the higher proof stuff if you can get it anyway because aside from legal B.S. what is the point of low proof Everclear? I am not drinking it, if I am making something with it I will be adding flavors and liquids to proof it down quite a bit so a higher proof is better to get even better extraction.

I've never priced the stuff. Big issue I think in my state is big liquor taxes. Otherwise, given that white gas zoomed up to between $15-20 a gallon (and much higher if buying by the quart) and never came back down, Everclear might not be too bad, if not heavily taxed.

I've been a white gas stove junkie for many decades now, but did pick up an excellent, super-compact canister stove when it was cheap at REI's return sale. Proper canister fuel is still pricey (went way up during pandemic, and not back down), but I can use cheap butane fuel from the asian market ($2/8oz) for 3 season use, very cheap, I just need to buy an adaptor for that style can (bayonet to screw fitting), and buy or make some sort of lightweight stand to stabilize the tall skinny can. For a daily ride or short multiday trip, that might be the way to go on my bike, easy, fast, and cleaner for just a quick boil, versus pump/sooty-prime* of white gas. I already have a 1 liter MSR pot found cheap at goodwill.

* "You wouldn't have all that schmutz on your hands if you used a clean-burning fuel like PROPANE." - Hank Hill

Quite a few people here roaming around in Spain at the moment. Just a heads up: The methylated spirits they sell in supermarkets is used for cleaning. It burns, just about, but takes ages to heat a cup of water. The good stuff might be found in an hardware store (ferreteria), but can be tricky to find.

Awesome list:
https://internationalfuelnames.org/

On overnights, I have been upcycling those plastic 2 oz. mini liquor bottles I find all over now scattered everywhere along the roadside for various liquids. Sunscreen, alcohol fuel, dish soap or shampoo.

I have a new titanium mini alcohol stove that generates almost no soot or smoke with isopropyl, maybe because the jets run into each other and help it burn completely (?).

https://www.amazon.com/Boundless-Voy...s%2C410&sr=8-7