Gas Vs. Alcohol – Which Is Lighter?
Ah, the perennial enquiry amid those who wishing to relieve weight: Which is lighter, gas or alcohol?
I've visited this enquiry before, but instantly that super ultralight (SUL) canister gas stoves are available, it's fourth dimension to re-visit the subject.
Heavy? Or (Ultra) Light?
What create I hateful yesteryear "SUL?" How create nosotros class canister stoves? Well, here's my schema:
Basically, if a canister stove weighs less than an ounce (28 g), that's SUL inwards my book. If a stove weighs to a greater extent than than a quarter pound (113 g), that's heavy. I think that's a fair too reasonable categorization, given the acre of the art.
But, Hikin' Jim, uh, isn't this ship service well-nigh comparing gas to alcohol? All you've done hence far is speak well-nigh gas.
The Math
Ah, yes, quite right. So, for a given trip, which is lighter, alcohol or canister gas? Let's create some math. If yous don't similar math, too hence yesteryear all way skip downward to the discussion, but inwards company to genuinely experience similar I'm on company basis here, I necessitate to expire through the details.
First, for the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to assume that our gas stove too our alcohol stove set ups weigh well-nigh the same. In the instance of the BRS-3000T, that would hold out 25 grams.
Second, I'm allocating xxx g for the alcohol container too 100 g for the gas canister. Those may non hold out representative of all containers too canisters everywhere, but let's only expire amongst it for now.
For this example, assume the private is going to boil 500 ml of H2O twice a day. Based on that assumption, I allot forty ml of alcohol or xx grams of gas per day. Both of those could hold out overstated, but these are circular numbers for comparative purposes.
The specific gravity of alcohol is well-nigh 0.8, hence our forty ml/day of alcohol is going to weigh well-nigh 32 g/day.
I've set out an representative inwards the below chart, based on a 5 24-hour interval trip. By the way, this spreadsheet is available for download if yous desire to run your ain numbers. See the "Get your ain danged spreadsheet" department of this post.
Discussion
Now, the "conventional wisdom" is that a trip shorter than X days is going to hold out lighter amongst alcohol but that all trips longer than X days are going to hold out lighter amongst gas, the presumption beingness that since gas is to a greater extent than calorically dense, i would eventually overcome the heavier weight of the steel canister inwards which the gas is housed. There's some disagreement on precisely what "X" is, but this is the basic argument, that a trip longer than X days volition hold out lighter amongst gas.
But is it genuinely true? Well, receive got a expect at the bottom line, full weight, inwards the nautical chart above. For a trip of 5 days, alcohol is only slightly lighter, yesteryear xx g, than gas. Ah! There yous go. So, for anything beyond that, gas volition hold out lighter, right?
Well, perhaps not. Look at the far correct column. Do yous come across the jail cellphone labeled "Total Gas Weight"? Look at that number there, 100 grams. So, let's see, i to a greater extent than 24-hour interval than 5 would hold out 6 days, too on the 6th day, we'd add together some other xx grams, our daily allotment, giving us a full of 120 grams of gas... But our canister exclusively holds 110 grams of gas. Oops.
Therein lies the work amongst the "conventional wisdom". Canister gas is exclusively sold inwards lots of roughly 4, 8, or sixteen ounces (about 110g, 220g, or 450g; brands vary). The work amongst the "conventional wisdom" is that on 24-hour interval 6 yous receive got to size upwards to the adjacent larger canister, and... alcohol becomes lighter again.
Now, are my numbers for every mortal for every trip? Probably not, but inwards full general the rule should hold: Gas volition hold out lighter subsequently a surely number of days – until yous receive got to size upwards to the adjacent larger canister.
Here's how it maps out, inwards the nautical chart below. Negative numbers in the departure column hateful that gas is heavier. Positive numbers hateful that gas is lighter.
Empty canister weights are every bit follows:
110 g size = 100 g empty
220 g size = 150 g empty
450 g size = 210 g empty
Notes on the higher upwards chart:
Summary
Now, "your mileage may vary" (YMMV) every bit they say. The number of people, type of cooking, conditions, too the specific stove set ups volition touching these calculations. But regardless of the specifics, it's going to hold out along these lines. Don't only assume that trips longer than X days volition ever hold out lighter on canister gas. Factor in when yous volition receive got to size upwards to the adjacent larger size canister. And of course, my underlying assumptions inwards damage of how much fuel volition hold out needed per 24-hour interval may non apply to you. The best course of written report of activity is to run your ain numbers based on your situation, which leads me to say:
Get Your Own Danged Spreadsheet! Does whatever of this matter? Aren't the weight differences besides small-scale to attention about? Maybe. It depends on the individual. There are gram weenies that count every gram. There are ounce counters that volition relieve every ounce they can. And too hence at that spot are people for whom a few ounces genuinely don't thing much either way.
However, considering how excited people larn over a stove that weighs well-nigh an ounce too a one-half (FMS-300T) vs. a stove that weighs well-nigh i ounce (BRS-3000T), I'm thinking that at that spot are people that volition hold out interested. Regardless, the spreadsheet is hither if yous desire to usage it. Whether or non it matters, well, that's upwards to you.
Tailoring to the Trip
Let me operate out yous amongst i in conclusion thought: Sometimes starting pack weight isn't the exclusively issue.
What create I hateful yesteryear that? Well, think that yous receive got to forcefulness out to a greater extent than alcohol per 24-hour interval to boil the same amount of water. Your pack weight volition autumn faster amongst alcohol. With gas, your pack weight decreases to a greater extent than slowly, too you've ever got at to the lowest degree a quarter pound lump of steel inwards the bottom of your pack – the canister.
If you're planning a trip where you've got a large outset day, too hence of course of written report yous desire to minimize your outset day's weight. But if you're planning a trip where there's a stone oil expire inwards the middle or halt of the trip, yous mightiness genuinely desire to pick out alcohol since your pack may hold out lighter – at the fourth dimension that yous create the stone oil section – despite having a higher initial starting weight. If you're going to receive got large climb, a tricky scramble, or a XC road toward the halt of the trip, it mightiness build feel to convey alcohol fifty-fifty if it were heavier at the start of the trip.
Thanks for putting upwards amongst all the math,
I've visited this enquiry before, but instantly that super ultralight (SUL) canister gas stoves are available, it's fourth dimension to re-visit the subject.
 |
| The BRS-3000T, the world's outset super ultralight (SUL) canister gas stove – a mere 25 grams! |
What create I hateful yesteryear "SUL?" How create nosotros class canister stoves? Well, here's my schema:
Canister Gas Stove Weight Classes (Less Than or Equal To) | ||
| Ounces | Grams | |
| Heavy | 4+ | 113+ |
| Moderate | 4 | 113 |
| Light | 3 | 85 |
| Ultralight (UL) | 2 | 57 |
| Super Ultralight (SUL) | 1 | 28 |
Basically, if a canister stove weighs less than an ounce (28 g), that's SUL inwards my book. If a stove weighs to a greater extent than than a quarter pound (113 g), that's heavy. I think that's a fair too reasonable categorization, given the acre of the art.
But, Hikin' Jim, uh, isn't this ship service well-nigh comparing gas to alcohol? All you've done hence far is speak well-nigh gas.
The Math
Ah, yes, quite right. So, for a given trip, which is lighter, alcohol or canister gas? Let's create some math. If yous don't similar math, too hence yesteryear all way skip downward to the discussion, but inwards company to genuinely experience similar I'm on company basis here, I necessitate to expire through the details.
First, for the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to assume that our gas stove too our alcohol stove set ups weigh well-nigh the same. In the instance of the BRS-3000T, that would hold out 25 grams.
Second, I'm allocating xxx g for the alcohol container too 100 g for the gas canister. Those may non hold out representative of all containers too canisters everywhere, but let's only expire amongst it for now.
For this example, assume the private is going to boil 500 ml of H2O twice a day. Based on that assumption, I allot forty ml of alcohol or xx grams of gas per day. Both of those could hold out overstated, but these are circular numbers for comparative purposes.
The specific gravity of alcohol is well-nigh 0.8, hence our forty ml/day of alcohol is going to weigh well-nigh 32 g/day.
I've set out an representative inwards the below chart, based on a 5 24-hour interval trip. By the way, this spreadsheet is available for download if yous desire to run your ain numbers. See the "Get your ain danged spreadsheet" department of this post.
| Alcohol Calcs | Alcohol Set Up (grams) | Gas Set Up (grams) | Alcohol Set Up (ounces) | Gas Set Up (ounces) | Gas Calcs | ||
| Stove Weight | 25 | 25 | 0.9 | 0.9 | |||
| Container Weight | 30 | 100 | 1.1 | 3.5 | |||
| Fuel/Day (ml) | 40 | 20 | Gas grams/day | ||||
| Spec Gravity | 0.8 | ||||||
| Fuel/Day (g) | 32 | ||||||
| Days on Trail | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100 | Total Gas Weight (g) | ||
| Fuel Weight | 160 | 110 | 5.6 | 3.9 | |||
| Total Weight | 215 | 235 | 7.6 | 8.3 |
Discussion
Now, the "conventional wisdom" is that a trip shorter than X days is going to hold out lighter amongst alcohol but that all trips longer than X days are going to hold out lighter amongst gas, the presumption beingness that since gas is to a greater extent than calorically dense, i would eventually overcome the heavier weight of the steel canister inwards which the gas is housed. There's some disagreement on precisely what "X" is, but this is the basic argument, that a trip longer than X days volition hold out lighter amongst gas.
But is it genuinely true? Well, receive got a expect at the bottom line, full weight, inwards the nautical chart above. For a trip of 5 days, alcohol is only slightly lighter, yesteryear xx g, than gas. Ah! There yous go. So, for anything beyond that, gas volition hold out lighter, right?
Well, perhaps not. Look at the far correct column. Do yous come across the jail cellphone labeled "Total Gas Weight"? Look at that number there, 100 grams. So, let's see, i to a greater extent than 24-hour interval than 5 would hold out 6 days, too on the 6th day, we'd add together some other xx grams, our daily allotment, giving us a full of 120 grams of gas... But our canister exclusively holds 110 grams of gas. Oops.
Therein lies the work amongst the "conventional wisdom". Canister gas is exclusively sold inwards lots of roughly 4, 8, or sixteen ounces (about 110g, 220g, or 450g; brands vary). The work amongst the "conventional wisdom" is that on 24-hour interval 6 yous receive got to size upwards to the adjacent larger canister, and... alcohol becomes lighter again.
Now, are my numbers for every mortal for every trip? Probably not, but inwards full general the rule should hold: Gas volition hold out lighter subsequently a surely number of days – until yous receive got to size upwards to the adjacent larger canister.
Here's how it maps out, inwards the nautical chart below. Negative numbers in the departure column hateful that gas is heavier. Positive numbers hateful that gas is lighter.
Empty canister weights are every bit follows:
110 g size = 100 g empty
220 g size = 150 g empty
450 g size = 210 g empty
| Days | Alcohol Set Up (grams) | Gas Set Up (grams) | Difference (grams) | Alcohol Set Up (ounces) | Gas Set Up (ounces) | Difference (ounces) |
| 1 | 87 | 235 | -148 | 3.1 | 8.3 | -5.2 |
| 2 | 119 | 235 | -116 | 4.2 | 8.3 | -4.1 |
| 3 | 151 | 235 | -84 | 5.3 | 8.3 | -3.0 |
| 4 | 183 | 235 | -52 | 6.5 | 8.3 | -1.8 |
| 5 | 215 | 235 | -20 | 7.6 | 8.3 | -0.7 |
| 6 | 247 | 285 | -38 | 8.7 | 10.1 | -1.3 |
| 7 | 279 | 285 | -6 | 9.8 | 10.1 | -0.2 |
| 8 | 311 | 285 | 26 | 11.0 | 10.1 | 0.9 |
| 9 | 343 | 285 | 58 | 12.1 | 10.1 | 2.0 |
| 10 | 375 | 285 | 90 | 13.2 | 10.1 | 3.2 |
| 11 | 407 | 445 | -28 | 14.4 | 15.3 | -1.3 |
| 12 | 439 | 445 | 4 | 15.5 | 15.3 | 0.2 |
| 13 | 471 | 445 | 36 | 16.6 | 15.3 | 0.2 |
| 14 | 503 | 445 | 68 | 17.7 | 15.3 | 2.0 |
| 15 | 535 | 445 | 100 | 18.9 | 15.3 | 3.2 |
| 16 | 567 | 445 | 132 | 20.0 | 15.3 | 4.3 |
| 17 | 599 | 445 | 164 | 21.1 | 15.3 | 5.4 |
| 18 | 631 | 445 | 196 | 22.3 | 15.3 | 6.6 |
| 19 | 663 | 445 | 228 | 23.4 | 15.3 | 7.7 |
| 20 | 695 | 445 | 260 | 24.5 | 15.3 | 8.8 |
| 21 | 727 | 445 | 292 | 25.6 | 15.3 | 9.9 |
Notes on the higher upwards chart:
- For days i through four, alcohol is well-nigh 5 to well-nigh 2 ounces lighter.
- On 24-hour interval five, it's less than a i ounce departure betwixt the two, but alcohol is nevertheless a fight lighter.
- But on 24-hour interval six, the amount of weight saved yesteryear using alcohol increases to 1.3 oz. Why? Because nosotros had to size upwards to the adjacent larger canister.
- By 24-hour interval seven, you're at basically a intermission even.
- For days 8 through ten, finally gas is genuinely lighter.
- On 24-hour interval eleven, alcohol goes dorsum to beingness the lighter weight selection again. Why? Because nosotros had to size upwards to the adjacent larger canister.
- Finally, starting on 24-hour interval twelve, gas is ever lighter, increasingly so, for the residue of the 3 calendar week menstruation that is mapped out inwards the higher upwards chart.
- Trips of i to 4 days receive got reasonably adept weight savings when using alcohol.
- Trips of 5 to 8 days don't demonstrate a whole lot of departure either way.
- Trips longer than 8 days volition to a greater extent than oftentimes than non come across meliorate results amongst canister gas, amongst the exception of 24-hour interval 11 where alcohol volition hold out lighter.
Concluding Remarks
Get Your Own Danged Spreadsheet!
Don't similar my numbers? That's perfectly understandable. Use your ain numbers. You tin download my Excel spreadsheet, which is inwards xlsx format, too and hence yous tin run whatever number of unlike scenarios. Cells inwards which yous necessitate to operate into values into are highlighted inwards yellow. You necessitate to operate into the following:
- Stove weight, in i lawsuit for alcohol too in i lawsuit for gas.
- Container weight, only for alcohol. Gas container weight volition hold out calculated for yous based on how much full gas your trip requires.
- Fuel per day, in i lawsuit for alcohol too in i lawsuit for gas.
- Days on trail.
Once yous operate into the higher upwards values, the spreadsheet volition calculate the full weight for both alcohol too gas. The results volition hold out displayed inwards both metric (to the left) too English linguistic communication (to the right) units. I promise it's helpful to you.
Does It Matter?
However, considering how excited people larn over a stove that weighs well-nigh an ounce too a one-half (FMS-300T) vs. a stove that weighs well-nigh i ounce (BRS-3000T), I'm thinking that at that spot are people that volition hold out interested. Regardless, the spreadsheet is hither if yous desire to usage it. Whether or non it matters, well, that's upwards to you.
Tailoring to the Trip
Let me operate out yous amongst i in conclusion thought: Sometimes starting pack weight isn't the exclusively issue.
What create I hateful yesteryear that? Well, think that yous receive got to forcefulness out to a greater extent than alcohol per 24-hour interval to boil the same amount of water. Your pack weight volition autumn faster amongst alcohol. With gas, your pack weight decreases to a greater extent than slowly, too you've ever got at to the lowest degree a quarter pound lump of steel inwards the bottom of your pack – the canister.
If you're planning a trip where you've got a large outset day, too hence of course of written report yous desire to minimize your outset day's weight. But if you're planning a trip where there's a stone oil expire inwards the middle or halt of the trip, yous mightiness genuinely desire to pick out alcohol since your pack may hold out lighter – at the fourth dimension that yous create the stone oil section – despite having a higher initial starting weight. If you're going to receive got large climb, a tricky scramble, or a XC road toward the halt of the trip, it mightiness build feel to convey alcohol fifty-fifty if it were heavier at the start of the trip.
Thanks for putting upwards amongst all the math,
HJ
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