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#131278 - 03/26/10 01:49 AM Methanol Storage in an IV Bag
Exploriment Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/07
Posts: 22
Loc: Bruce Trail – Dundas Valley
I’m forever playing around with stove and pot setups. I (like many of you here I’m sure) have a variety of pots and stoves. Some homemade, and some commercial.

I’m currently trying to set up a system around my beloved MSR Titan Kettle. The idea occurred to me to use a bag of some sort to store fuel in. I can’t seem to find a bottle that fits very well, and it isn’t the most efficient use of space really. I figured an IV bag would allow for a bit of conforming to an irregular space, and still be fairly sturdy.

Is this a good or a terrible idea? Has anyone else tried it? Anything obvious I’m missing? I don’t think I’d use it for long term storage of alcohol. How easy it is to refill an IV bag? What sizes do they come in? Where can I get them?

Sorry if this question has been rehashed a hundred times. I did a search and couldn’t find anything.

Thanks in advance for any insights.
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#131290 - 03/26/10 10:03 AM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
Just buy a platypus. It will be easier to find the size you want, and to buy it. It will also be easier to fill and close.
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#131291 - 03/26/10 10:13 AM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
Cstolworthy Offline
member

Registered: 12/30/07
Posts: 74
Loc: American Fork, Utah
A standard IV bag has a valve in the bottom of it that you can use to easily refill it.
(It's the yellow stoppered thing in the pic: http://www.isips.org/products/Graphics/Vial2Bag_needleless_system1.png)

You just need a syringe. That being said I would test the flow of the methanol out of the bag before taking it anywhere. It may have some difficulty making it out of the bag. Having never tried it, I am not really all that sure. That being said, IV bags are pretty expensive for what you want to do.

I am not really sure what would be a good alternative, as nothing pops to mind.


Edited by Cstolworthy (03/26/10 10:15 AM)
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A tent is a bad place for an argument, because when you are angry you walk out and slam the flap. How are you supposed to express your anger in this situation? Zip it up really quick? ~Mitch Hedberg

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#131305 - 03/26/10 01:53 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: finallyME]
Exploriment Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/07
Posts: 22
Loc: Bruce Trail – Dundas Valley
Originally Posted By finallyME
Just buy a platypus. It will be easier to find the size you want, and to buy it. It will also be easier to fill and close.


Waaayyy too big. I think the smallest Platypus size is 2L. I need maybe a 100ml, 250 ml bag. It has to fit in a MSR Titan Kettle that will have some other stuff in it.

Originally Posted By Cstolworthy
That being said, IV bags are pretty expensive for what you want to do.


I have a vet friend that I asked about what he does with his used IV bags. (I have no idea if they’re reused, recycled or if they’re just tossed out.) I figure vet med will use smaller bags. Smaller patients and all.

Like I said, I’m not sure if this idea has merit or not, but I figure it’s worth considering at the very least.

Thank you for the feedback.
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#131306 - 03/26/10 02:05 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
ChrisFol Offline
member

Registered: 07/23/09
Posts: 387
Loc: Denver, Colordo
Originally Posted By Exploriment


Waaayyy too big. I think the smallest Platypus size is 2L. I need maybe a 100ml, 250 ml bag. It has to fit in a MSR Titan Kettle that will have some other stuff in it.



You can get Platypus softbottles down to .5L.

NB: Just because a bottle holds 1L, 2L etc doesn't mean that you need to fill it to capacity-- simply put what you need in, take the air out and fold the bottle to fit the space.

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/platypus/handheld-hydration/softbottle/product


Edited by ChrisFol (03/26/10 02:06 PM)

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#131308 - 03/26/10 02:19 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: ChrisFol]
Exploriment Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/07
Posts: 22
Loc: Bruce Trail – Dundas Valley
Granted, but I’d rather not devote that space to unnecessary plastic.
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#131311 - 03/26/10 03:22 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
Exploriment Offline
member

Registered: 06/16/07
Posts: 22
Loc: Bruce Trail – Dundas Valley
It is dawning on me that it couldn’t be any bigger than a 100ml. I have a 120ml oval Campsuds bottle (two of which fit nicely in a Caldera Cone tube btw), which is too long to fit in the MSR Titan Kettle. A bag of fuel really couldn’t be any bigger than 100ml either. With a stove, windscreen, pot stand, and maybe a few other odds and ends in there, 100ml would be the biggest size that could conceivably go in the kettle.

I have some 30ml bottles that I could likely fit a few of in there. I’ve been using 50ml bottles that can lie on their sides, and I could fit about two at most in there. I was just hoping to find some solution that would allow the most efficient filling of space.
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#131313 - 03/26/10 04:39 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
If you had an impulse heat sealer, you could take almost any bag and make it smaller by resealing and cutting off the excess.

Also, another source of bags might be the grocery store. Look for stuff that is in resealable squeeze bags, like frosting.
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I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

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#131320 - 03/26/10 08:39 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
Tango61 Offline
member

Registered: 12/27/05
Posts: 931
Loc: East Texas Piney Woods

How about an "Ayr Saline Nasal Mist" bottle. They are 50ml, somewhat flat and the top is removable so you can refill it.

I'm not sure if you can find these type of bottles easily.

We have a steady supply of these due to medical issues but currently we don't have any empties or I'd send you some.

You might could pack 2-3 inside your kettle.
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If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Either way, you're right.

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#131407 - 03/28/10 09:19 PM Re: Methanol Storage in an IV Bag [Re: Exploriment]
gorge_medic Offline
member

Registered: 08/06/08
Posts: 131
Loc: Kentucky
Working with IV bags every third day, two issues pop to mind...

1) Seems like it would involve an awful lot of mess and extra effort. Replacing the fluids with denatured alky is possible, but would take a while. There is a "medication addition" port, but also a much larger port for the IV tubing to be inserted. You'd have to get an uused one, replace all the fluid with alky, and withdraw what you needed. If you got hold of a used one, you'd have to deal with the roller clamp on the tubing that adjusts the flow of fluid/medication. Thise things have a nasty way of "adjusting" themselves; on the ambulance I'll typically wind up getting the flow I need, then taping the roller clamp in place to prevent this.

2) Denatured alky might have some incompatability with the plastic used to make IV bags. Certain medications (such as nitroglycerin) need special IV sets because the plastic will absorb the medication. If you're seriously thinking about this route, consult a pharmacist to see if that will be an issue (and expect a weird look!). If it is going to be an issue, forget about it; meds that are absorbed by the bag are stored in glass bottles with special IV sets frown

Props for the creativity tho! It would be neat to whip one of those out at camp for the shock value, I'll admit smile

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