It appears that powdered alcohol, home or commercially produced, is mixed with an absorbent powder. If one is looking to save weight and space in a backpack, this would not be moving in the right direction. As for using "palcohol" in a stove, I'm thinking it would gum things up quite a bit. Sugar burns, so the powdered alcohol may burn, but probably not in a satisfactory way for backpacking purposes. Now, for avoiding spills or carrying alcohol where liquids but not powders are of concern...HMM!