Re: Getting rid of unused fuel

I'm pretty sure we're going to end up with some unused white gas before we go into the backcountry for 5 days in early July. What's the best way to dispose of it? Obviously, if I can find someone in the backpacker campground who wants it I can just give it away to them, but many others may be in the same situation. If I can't give it away, is there somewhere it should go?

I've never hard the problem as I live so close. You might ask at the T.M. store or any ranger.

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Justin-T
I'm pretty sure we're going to end up with some unused white gas before we go into the backcountry for 5 days in early July. What's the best way to dispose of it? Obviously, if I can find someone in the backpacker campground who wants it I can just give it away to them, but many others may be in the same situation. If I can't give it away, is there somewhere it should go?

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Old Dude

If you have a car, you could pour the unused white gas into the gas tank. Or you could ask someone who has a car to do that.

Thanks for the replies.

Does that depend on how much there's in the tank already and how much I'm adding? Aren't there a bunch of additives in auto gasoline that would be missing from the stove gas? I'll have a rental car but don't really want to risk it if there's any chance of causing damage.

I'll ask a ranger, but maybe the safest/greenest thing to do would be to leave it in a bear box at the backpacker's campground with a "free" sign on it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2015 08:40AM by Justin-T.

You should have gallons of gasoline in the cars tank. I would think you would have 5 gallons or so. How much white gas do you plan to add? Even a gallon of white gas added to 5 gallons of gasoline should be fine. You could probably run several gallons of just white gas in a car without hurting it.

I didn't realize the additives weren't that critical for the relatively small amounts we're discussing. I have a (heavier than what I use in the SIerra) stove that can burn regular gasoline, so I use that when I fly places to backpack, fill up a (separate from what I normally use) MSR bottle with gasoline at a gas station (topping off my rental car while at it), keep the bottle in zip loc because the stink of regular gasoline is unbearable, and pour the remainder in the gas tank when I'm done.

White gas is, of course, gasoline without the additives and refined so as to not include all the gums and varnish that normal gasoline contains, but the additives are also there for anti-knock.

OK, sounds like a plan. Thanks for all the replies.

Should add one other note...when I fly somewhere backpacking, assuming I'm staying somewhere the night before flying out, I leave the stove and open fuel bottle exposed to the air to give any fuel residue a chance to evaporate before packing it in checked luggage.

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ttilley
Should add one other note...when I fly somewhere backpacking, assuming I'm staying somewhere the night before flying out, I leave the stove and open fuel bottle exposed to the air to give any fuel residue a chance to evaporate before packing it in checked luggage.

What to you mean by "open fuel bottle". The only fuel bottles that might be legally permitted on any commercial fight taking off in the U.S. would be fuel bottles that are empty (if that's actually possible).

Any type of cooking fuels are prohibited aboard any commercial aircraft in the United States per TSA regulations.

Here's the official list of prohibited items: http://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/assets/prohibiteditems_brochure.pdf

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plawrence
What to you mean by "open fuel bottle".

Obviously it means empty and left open to let any residue to evaporate.

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eeek

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plawrence
What to you mean by "open fuel bottle".

Obviously it means empty and left open to let any residue to evaporate.

That is correct.

Empty the bottle legally and safely. Leave it open and outside under cover overnight so any residue evaporates.