Hi, I will be using denatured Alcohol for the first half of my JMT hike until I reach MTR, where I will switch to a canister stove.

I will have 3 resupplies before I reach MTR, which should allow me to carry very little alcohol between resupplies (6 ounces max). I know alcohol is sold along the JMT, but I have no clue if they are selling little bottles of yellow heet, or huge cans of denatured alcohol, so I plan on just mailing myself tiny 8oz plastic water bottles filled with heet.

Now there's the issue with mailing the fuel. Originally I was going to do flat rate priority mail boxes for my resupplies, but I've learned that I can't air mail denatured alc. I can only mail it surface mail. Is parcel post considered surface mail, or do they also fly parcel post packages? I've driven across the US, and I can't imagine a surface only package arriving earlier than 1 week.

I'm trying to figure out when I must ship myself my resupply in order for it to arrive before I do. Anyone ever ship something surface mail from the East Coast to the West Coast? How many days are we looking at?

Thanks!

Mammoth Lakes has Napa and Do-it-best stores, which surely sells HEET in the yellow bottle. I'm pretty sure the other big towns south of Mammoth Lakes also has a Napa. Both Mammoth Lakes and Bishop has a Vons which surely carries HEET. Also, Mammoth Mountaineering had a couple cans of denatured alcohol and a funnel in the front of their store, which indicates that they do sell it by the ounce.

Instead of mailing yourself alcohol, I'd rather call some places in town to find out if they carry it instead.

When I hiked the JMT a few years back, denatured alcohol was available at Toulumne Meadows, Red's Meadow, Vermilion Valley Resort and Muir Trail Ranch. All of these except VVR are on the trail. You might want to verify by checking out the respective web sites but I am pretty sure you can still get alcohol at all the above. White gas is also available at all the above as is canister fuel.

Thanks for the additional info guys. Charles, do you remember the quantity they were selling at? Since I only need about 6oz between each resupply, I'd really hate to have to buy a huge steel can of the stuff, only to throw away 95% of it.

Whatever the price, it is probably going to be cheaper than buying it, packing, shipping, and driving to/from postal office and the store.

Buy on the spot, fill your container, give the rest away (can probably arrange for unused part to be left at the store).

Yuki, the alcohol will be mailed along with all my food for that particular resupply, so no additional costs.

I've seen some places selling backpacker fuel in a quantity of 11 ounces.

Why eleven ounces?

Because that was the volume of the smallest Sigg bottle that they had to measure with. Either white gas or denatured alcohol, $1 per 11 ounces.

--B.G.--