Paul, you and FinallyME make good points.

I think a small useful alky stove has merits for certain trips; as do larger canister type stoves, and small 'cook fires' have their place where permitted. Where permitted is the big note IMO. I'm concerned about newbies, and frankly, most anyone, myself included, making cook fires in uncertain conditions. If there is a hint of a breeze the ex-fireman in me says 'don't strike that match you fool! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />'; and I end up eating cold rather than risk a brush fire. Every region has it's own danger zone for fire, and hopefully folks who go backpacking carry enough common sense in their backpacks to be cautious with fire if they choose to light one.

I recall being in a campground in Shendaoh NP a few years back; I saw a large church grouppacking up their 3 adjoining campsites to leave, and thought to myself i'll go scrounge their wood when they go <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> So I walked up to use the bathroom until they left. I noticed they morning had been especially gusty/windy, and that they had used campfires for their breakfast. As I walked back down along the road and got closer to the first site I noticed, even in bright sunshine <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> that the wind had reignited the fire in the fire ring <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I put it out, and walked to the next, same thing <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />, the next <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />. I walked over and got the campground host and showed the fires to him and he remarked, "some folks just don't understand the hazard of making a campfire", and noted which group had been there so he could contact them to let them know what had occurred after they left. These were'nt small cook fires they were logs! Agasht, I put them all out with water, then trucked the wood over to my place where I enjoyed the wood for the next 4 days <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Moral of the story is do not under-estimate the smoldering fire to be out unless you know it to be out. Water or sand, not topsoil, puts out a fire. If you can't pass your hand through the ashes it ain't out! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Whew, glad to get that off my mind......

About them alky stoves...We know alcohol will burn whereever it's squirted so that's a given. Using an empty votive candle metal tin to hold alcohol and a few tent stakes to suppot your pot is all that you need to heat water. Beyond that it's how fast you want it heated, and the quantity of water to be heated that needs to be reckoned with. A windscreen helps heat faster by concentrating the heat, and diminishing the dispersion of the heat. Slower burning fuel lasts longer but can take longer to heat your water.....and the circle continues <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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PEPPER SPRAY AIN'T BRAINS IN A CAN!