Does anyone use or carry sterno

K

Killinumsoftly

Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
266
Im surprised, all the posts I see about tinder & fire starting stuff and I've never seen one thing about sterno. I buy cans of it for 60cents and the stuff is great. You can burn it just like it is in the can to cook over or whatever, or you can scoop it out and use it for a fire starter when stuff it wet or whatever. Why don't more people use it? Is there some reasons I don't know about or something? I've used it for years never having a problem and it's helped me out many times.
 
I picked up a couple of surplus Swiss Ranger stoves, opened up the fuel feed hole to originally fit a Trangia alcohol burner, then a little more to fit a small Sterno can... I keep one in my car as a cooking source in case I'm forced to remain over night (RON) in my car... heat up a cup of coffee or water for some ramen

 
Sterno contains denatured alcohol according to their website. From what I understand that type of gelled alcohol may contain some methy alcohol along with ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol). Their website is not clear on that point.

There are however no-name cheaper versions out there which contain mainly methyl alcohol, a very toxic substance that you need to make sure does not make long term contact with the skin as it is readily absorbed. Even a small dose in liquid form, less than half a teaspoon, can cause blindness and less than four ounces is consistently fatal.

Given a choice I personally would opt for the original brand name Sterno. Not that I plan to ingest it. :D
 
I have gotten the original stuff but I usually buy it a case at a time from Christmas tree shops, mainly because it sells out really fast and I never know when they will get more. It's only like 60 cents a can which is dam good. They have about a 2.5 hour burn time but I've had some last 3 hours easy. A lot of the time I will burn it right in the can when I'm low on fuel or don't feel like getting my stove out and together and a fire isn't an option. But when I do use it to start a fire, I usually scoop it with a piece of bark and smear it around on stuff. I have touched it tons of times and gotten it all over my hands digging in the can and I still see just fine, I duno about blindness from soaking threw the skin, if you want to not use it or use gloves when you use it then hey whatever fires ya up but I've never had a problem and I keep cans of that stuff in every backpack, hunting bag, buttpack, and vehicle I own and if I use a can I replace it as soon as I get home. I have probably 6 cases or so at home lol, and if I get a chance I'll buy a bunch more. I know it's something I can and will use the rest of my life so for 60 cents a can I can't pass it up. I've been looking and asking all the other wholesale warehouses I do business with to see if I can get pallets of it cheap and get a few pallets at my warehouse. Then I would keep a pallet all to myself LOL.
 
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