Hand sanitizer works very nicely as a fire starter and also as the fuel in an alcohol stove. readily available almost anywhere, including many offices, if you need fuel in an emergency.

What kind of stove in particular? I know sterno is kinda like jellied alcohol and works with a wick but what about a trangia stoves etc? I have never tried it personally. Just curious.

The one occasion when I used it was with a Trangia stove (with a good windscreen). I had my essential nice cup of tea in about four minutes. It is much better than Sterno, especially since it comes in nice little 2 oz bottles which are perfect for one time use. I have even seen sanitizer put up in 3 oz bottles marketed as "TSA compliant."

Here's a little visual aid:

The scene: 2 families + 4 days of pouring rain in a Provincial Park. That means the fire pit is the fire pit and cannot be moved. Here's what our's looked like this when we arrived:



Our solution? Baracaded fire pit, trap over fire pit, trenches, upside down fire with lots of local pine pitch and tinder brought from home to get it started, firewood protected under a tarp, continous drying of firewood beside the fire once it got going, teaching the kids to make a tripod and firestarters...



NOTE: You're not supposed to trench in a Provincial Park but the Ranger gave us permission because the rain was so bad.

FURTHER NOTE: Bringing firewood from home isn't always advisable or legal.

looks like my June 2011 canoe trip,non stop heavy rain.i gave up on the fires and retreated into my baker shelter.
that sort of rain sort of gives you pause,what in the world could we do caught out on the trail with just pocket kits?

Don't take that for granted without testing!

I have only tested one particular brand of hand sanitizer. That one (70% alcohol) made a very lousy firestarter/fuel. Yes it burned, but not very hot and it took surprisingly much effort to get it going.

Yes, I just tested some hand sanitizer sitting on my kitchen counter. It's 63% ethyl alcohol with Vitamin E of unknown quantity. I bathed a piece of inner tube in the sanitizer and tried to start a flame by using a spark from a ferro rod. Amazingly, a small flame actually started. However, the inner tube did not catch. The small flame must have been a fluke because, for the life of me, I could not repeat it. To make sure it wasn't my lack of skills, I tried igniting some jute. The jute quickly caught a flame from a spark, and the inner tube caught from the flaming jute.

These were ideal conditions in a garage. I now know the limitations of this particular hand sanitizer.

Reminds me of a conversation I had with a co-worker long ago who rode a Honda Goldwing on long trips. I asked "what happens when it rains?".

He said "I get wet".

Oh I won't, That's what this forum is for, I can see if one of you guys tried it before my poor wife comes home to find me laying on the floor dead with an alcohol stove embedded in my face. I figure someone here has tried it before and either had it work or had the stove blow apart sending hot burning globs of hand sanitizer everwhere.

I have had enough accidents in my life to learn from others mistakes/experience when I can.

Interesting results. Let me be more clear about my experience. I was using Purell (62% ethanol or thereabouts) as fuel in a Trangia stove, not in the open, and it was well shielded from the wind by a homemade wind shield I was trying out. I didn't put a stop watch on the trial, but I had nice hot tea in roughly four minutes; certainly soon enough to be practical. A different stove or an open pan might not provide the same experience.