White Gas

[SandLizrd]

Can you find white gas when you're on a trail?

Unleaded
STINKS

[dave54]

White gas is getting hard to find anywhere. 

You can use Coleman fuel in almost any stove that calls for white gas.

[SandLizrd]

where I come from, they're the same thing?

White gas is unleaded fuel without the stinky additives.

I suspect there are other definitions out there - I've heard such things before -
but the problem is usually, you can only buy a gallon.  And you want to fill a one -pint can.

[dave54]

Yeah, they're basically the same stuff.  Some of the additives are different.

White gas used to be made primarily for outboard motors and similar.  But now outboard motors are increasingly all 4 cycle engines and are designed now to be run on automotive gas, so white gas is getting hard to find anymore even at marinas.

I have seen 1 liter cans of Coleman fuel in some stores, but they don't seem to be real common.

[SandLizrd]

I went so far as to scan campgrounds for noisy lanterns with pump-mechanisms, so I could bum a pint.  Didn't feel real classy, but gave $$$ and told the dudes to buy an ice cold beverage on me.  When the missus was giving away fuel, I just said nice things.   

One hears of places that will fill your pint canister, but couldn't find any when I tried.  SO I thought I'd ask the pros.

You lightweight, speed bikepackers burn no fuel at all?

[FeloniousDunk]

A little off topic, but one of the easiest and first things I did to decrease the weight and size of my load was to ditch my white gas burning stove and replaced it with a soda can alcohal burning stove.

Zero regrets.

[Pivvay]

I went so far as to scan campgrounds for noisy lanterns with pump-mechanisms, so I could bum a pint.  Didn't feel real classy, but gave $$$ and told the dudes to buy an ice cold beverage on me.  When the missus was giving away fuel, I just said nice things.   

One hears of places that will fill your pint canister, but couldn't find any when I tried.  SO I thought I'd ask the pros.

You lightweight, speed bikepackers burn no fuel at all?

I burn Esbit and just carry with me what I need. Usually I can make a 14g tab (1 full tab) go 2 days and I usually bring one extra if I think I might make an extra tea or something. Otherwise I always have one as part of my emergency fire and you can burn the darn things on a rock with other rocks as a pot stand if you really want to be crazy. I just carry a 11g "ti stove/potstand".

EDIT: If for some reason I was on a really long trip and didn't want to pack fuel, I'd just make a small fire to cook on. I've tried it out and DaveC did that on our hiking Yellowstone trip and it works fine too. For "racing" the fire building is too slow and Esbit cooks my food while I do other stuff (map, reorganize, etc)