High Sierra Topix

I'm planning on using an alcohol stove on the first part of my upcoming JMT through hike and was curious as to whether bears have any interest in denatured ethanol. Has anyone here heard of bears getting into fuel supplies while they are rummaging around looking for food? Should I plan on keeping the alky in my bear can or can I just leave it out with my stove and pot. Any info would be much appreciated. The idea of a drunken bear loose in my camp area is "sobering" to say the least.

PS. What about other alcoholic "fuels" such as bourbon, single malt or rum?

Welcome to HST !
I don't have any first hand info, but a ranger will tell you to put anything with an odor in your bear can....sunscreen, toothpaste, medicine, etc. I don't know if denatured ethanol has an odor or not, but my guess is it does.

White gas has a very distinctive odor, but I've never considered putting it in my bear canister, or had it suggested that I should. There's no way it would fit either. Not sure I see why an alcohol stove would be different.

Haven't had a problem with the "alternative" fuels just being left in their flask in the camp kitchen in 30 years. Bears never touched the 151 or the blackberry brandy. I doubt you'll have a problem with denatured alcohol. If you're unsure, you could split your fuel into two bottles, where one could fit in the can and the other out.

Alcohol, like whiskey and rum has a lot of sugar, and bears are attracted to sugar.
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I've had bears chew holes into plastic gas cans , so they probably would go for alcohol also.

Been known to carry me some Grand Mariner - purely for medicinal purposes.

Sweet and aromatic...but never, repeat never, have I had any bear even bother with my carrier platy.
BTW, usually leave outside tent, by a tree, in camp, etc.
If bears won't touch my GM, probably your alcohol fuel is safe too.

Not clear from my experience that the fact that bears have not bothered my booze is lack of interest or simply lack of bears in camp. I did have an occasion when I stashed a beer under a rock in a creek-- when I returned from my day hike the can was on the bank, empty and obvious tooth holes in the aluminum can.

Mike

Back when there were a lot of nosy bears about, I usually left out the alcohol I used to prime my white gas stove with (along with fuel and stove), and the occasional bear never showed any interest. A really young bear the first year away from dear old mom will chew and explore anything left out, including tents, but that is very rare. These days you are lucky to see a bear in the actual back-country.

Denatured alcohol for stoves, I leave it out. Even when bears monkey with the canisters, they pass right on by it.

Booze goes in the canister with the food, toiletries, trash and anything else smelly.