Trangia stove on isopropyl alcohol

[Ferrousknight]

You're on the right track. What makes methanol toxic is the fact that your body metabolizes it into formaldehyde. This formaldehyde is the active poison.

Yes, but it still takes a lot of that or constant, extended exposure to low concentrations to do damage. I have a B.S. in chemistry and I used a lot of methanol in labs, including for washing my hands once in a while. And hey, you can always have a swig from your flask after cooking dinner with methanol if it makes you feel better. The ethanol competes for the same alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes and keeps any formaldehyde concentrations in your body lower. This is more useful if you just took a big swig of methanol though.

 

[Mannlicher]

I am not a chemist, and did not play one on TV.

My experience with a Trangia stove and various fuels points to never using Isopropyl alcohol because of the amount of soot it produces.
I use the yellow bottle HEET insted, and get a hot bright flame, that burns cleanly.