Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Denatured Alcohol

I use a Trangia Stove (Swedish design, which burns methylated spirit or detatured alcohol.

As we are flying into San Fransisco we cannot bring fuel in with us and I am therefore wondering how easy it is to obtain denatured alcohol in US.

We arrive in San Fransisco and are then driving out to Yosemite for a couple of nights before heading out to Whitney. We need to pick up fuel ASAP.

Suggestions welcomed as to sources

Most any hardware store carries this.

Also, auto parts stores may carry it as fuel line anti-freeze under the brand name HEET. The red bottle is isopropyl and the yellow bottle is methanol. Isopropyl alcohol burns with yellow, sooty flames, indicating that it is not combusting completely. It is less toxic than methanol, though.

Thanks for reply:

Define hardware, all I want to do is get some fuel probably before we arrive in Yosemite.

Can you suggest a store between SF & Yosemite, otherwise we are looking at cold rations.

Home Depot, will have it in stock.

Rafael...

Most Wall-Marts have it in the paint department. Quart size.

Hi Rafael,

Thank-you for your reply.

Please rememember I am not from the USA, 'Home Depot' is very much like me saying 'Marks & Spencer' A big chain store in the UK & Europe, nothing in the USA. All I want to know is where can I get Denatured Alcohol between San Francisco & Yosemite, if not between SF & Y, between Y & Whitney.

Thanks

Thank-you,

Wal-marts I understand we call it ASDA in the UK.

Why the home decor section has me stumped.

Thanks for the info

Highland, there are perhaps 100 towns between SF and Yosemite. When you pull into any town to get gas, if you ask for the nearest hardware store, they will be able to direct you. While the "superstores", like Home Depot and Walmart will certainly fulfill your needs, many of the smaller towns do not have them, but will certainly have smaller such stores.

Hardware stores are stores that carry home building and repair supplies.

REI sells it too. There is a store in SF and Berkeley, Concord and more down south of SF

As you drive from Yosemite (highway 120 over Tioga Pass) and down to Lone Pine (highway 395 south), you will go past the town of Mammoth Lakes (highway 203 heading west from 395). Either one of the camping/backpacking equipment stores like Kittredge Sports on Main St. (Hwy 203) should have it or they can direct you to a local hardware/paint store that will. There's an Ace Hardware store in Mammoth but I haven't looked for it, so don't have an address.

Denatured alcohol is a common solvent for specific finishes like shellac, so that's why you find it in stores that carry painting supplies. You can generally find it in either quart or gallon cans, depending on how many days you'll be out and how much you plan on cooking. (For a couple of days, a quart should be plenty...that's .946 liters for the metrically-inclined.)

Many thanks for all the information. I apologise for sounding a bit picky I am just starting to realise some of the problems of planning this trip from the UK.

I now know that I can fuel my stove. What to cook is a whole new topic.......

Indeed, the haggis stores are hard to find along the Whitney route, these days.....

Collie - Depending on where you intend to pack the stove, given the state of things right now, especially embarking from the UK, I'll just mention you'll want to be absolutely certain that it is "bone dry" from any previous fuel loads. All screeners, everywhere, are rightfullly skiddish about such things.... Just an observation concerning your plans, to help avoid cold foods....
Brickie

Thanks for observations.

I guess the ice axe will really make airport security's day.

For future readers, you can use the Web pages of many chains to locate their stores. Here are some applicable links to this thread:

• http://www.rei.com
• http://www.walmart.com
• http://www.homedepot.com
• http://www.acehardware.com
• http://www.truevalue.com

As for Lone Pine, you can look up Gardner's at the last link.

<a href="http://www.truevalue.com/content/storefinder/results.asp?client=truevalue&address=&city=Lone%20Pine&state=CA&postalcode=&radius=20&product=TV">Gardner's True Value Hardware</a>
104 S Main Po B0x 920
Lone Pine CA 93545
Phone: 760-876-4208
gtv@qnet.com

Thanks Versatile Fred for the links above, the sites with store locator information and driving instructions are most useful.

"be absolutely certain that it is "bone dry" from any previous fuel loads."

I have had all sorts of camping gear seen on Xray of checked bags and pulled out - boots, camp stool, stoves. Amazingly no problem with ice axes which is more of a potential weapon. (Checked bags I said, forget about trying as carry-on.) The metal in these parts disturbs them. Actually, coming from East Coast US the last 5 or 6 times to the Sierras I had to send my stove separately by mail ahead of time.I sent it Priority mail to Mammoth Lakes Post Office General Delivery. Had to mail it back home later as well.

With security these days, my experience is that they will NOT let you take a stove in checked luggage even if dry.

"Highlander" you might consider picking up a whole new stove once you get here. If you stop in any of the suggested "sporting good" stores, on the way to Yosemite, you can probably pick a new propane stove with fuel for less than $30 "bucks" I remember my first stove purchased at Sports Chelet cost me $19.95 and a 8oz can of propane is around $3.50

just a thought, good luck, sounds like a great trip.

If you are driving directly to Yosemite from San Francisco, the best way to avoid trying to find a source in the very congested bay area is to pull off in Manteca (you will pass right by on highway 120), stop at the first store or gas station, and ask for directions to the nearest Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart. All three of those will have denatured alcohol in the paint section, in quart or gallon cans. That is where I get the alcohol for my Trangia.