Cycling UK Forum

Hi,

This summer I plan to do Land's End to John o'Groats camping all the way and cooking on a trangia. It will be the first time I will have gone long enough with a trangia on a bike to use more than 1L of fuel. I am wondering where in the UK are the places to get ethanol, bioethanol or meths while touring? Would appreciate a list from people where they get it. Of course, there is the usual Go Outdoors, B&Q (although they only seem to have 2L) etc, but I was planning on sticking clear of retail parks on my route. I have looked up other regular chain stores and it seems even shops like Millets do not seem to stock it. Are there particular common shops or garage franchises that stock 1L bottles? I know some larger campsites stock it but am staying in smaller sites or wild camping so that that is not likely to be an option.

I know there are other cooking options, but I am a long-term trangia lover and do not want to buy a different stove (just preempting the replies that suggest buying X-stove that runs on Y-fuel).

Looking forward to a list,

Martin

BITD I'd get it from pharmacies.

Wilkinsons still sell blue meths in 500ml bottles.

I find that availability is less of an issue than price, with silly markups by the chain stores and camping shops. I used to buy 500ml meths bottles for 62p from a decorating wholesaler that was open to the public while it was £3.50 100m away at B&Q.

toolstation seems to be the cheapest source that is easy to access but in 2l bottles. I'd take a large amount to start with then run it down as I go storing it in pop bottles, south of bristol then it's trago mills for the best price in the UK. you can often top up at garages, corner shops and campsite shops as well as most large supermarkets and smaller independent chains with DIY sections.

I've read that B&M has 500ml for 1.99 and Home Bargains at 99p but can't validate it.

sainsburys £3

you can also use surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol which is often easier to get a hold of as you can find local chemists (that also will stock meths at horrendous prices) or even old peoples homes that might sell you a bit. until the minimum pricing nonsense it was soften cheaper to use smart price vodka than buy meths.

Home bargains was £1 for 500ml this week they put the price up to £1.29. I once ran out in the lakes ended up paying a fiver.

nick12 wrote:Home bargains was £1 for 500ml this week they put the price up to £1.29. I once ran out in the lakes ended up paying a fiver.

the highest I've seen it was £7.50 fro 500ml in a post office in the middle of nowhere. DIY chains tend to charge about a fiver.

I used to buy it from a place in southampton 20l for £24 delivered. they recently doubled their prices though. making pop can stoves with scouts uses a lot of meths.

crazydave789 wrote:I find that availability is less of an issue than price, with silly markups by the chain stores and camping shops. I used to buy 500ml meths bottles for 62p from a decorating wholesaler that was open to the public while it was £3.50 100m away at B&Q.

I've read that B&M has 500ml for 1.99 and Home Bargains at 99p but can't validate it.

.....
you can also use surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol which is often easier to get a hold of as you can find local chemists (that also will stock meths at horrendous prices) or even old peoples homes that might sell you a bit. until the minimum pricing nonsense it was soften cheaper to use smart price vodka than buy meths.

it has always been 3.99 when I was in B&Q or homebase.
Homebargains was indeed 1 pound recently/
I always found small chemists to be half the price of cotswolds/homebase/B&Q etc chains..

NB isn't rubbing alcohol really Isopropyl alcohol(IPA) which makes nasties when burnt in ordinary alcohol stoves?
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/top ... st-1916955

SA_SA_SA wrote:

crazydave789 wrote:I find that availability is less of an issue than price, with silly markups by the chain stores and camping shops. I used to buy 500ml meths bottles for 62p from a decorating wholesaler that was open to the public while it was £3.50 100m away at B&Q.

I've read that B&M has 500ml for 1.99 and Home Bargains at 99p but can't validate it.

.....
you can also use surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol which is often easier to get a hold of as you can find local chemists (that also will stock meths at horrendous prices) or even old peoples homes that might sell you a bit. until the minimum pricing nonsense it was soften cheaper to use smart price vodka than buy meths.

it has always been 3.99 when I was in B&Q or homebase.
Homebargains was indeed 1 pound recently/
I always found small chemists to be half the price of cotswolds/homebase/B&Q etc chains..

NB isn't rubbing alcohol really Isopropyl alcohol(IPA) which makes nasties when burnt in ordinary alcohol stoves?
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/top ... st-1916955

it must depend on the chemist. I asked at my old local and they wanted 13 quid for half a litre of denatured alcohol - clear meths.

never had an issue with surgical spirit other than it smells different. I used to burn it in a drinks bottle cap when I got it for free by the gallon. makes neat bunsen type flame.

crazydave789 wrote:...
never had an issue with surgical spirit other than it smells different. I used to burn it in a drinks bottle cap when I got it for free by the gallon. makes neat bunsen type flame.

UK Surgical alcohol is different* from the (american?) rubbing alcohol==IPA.

*Just denatured alcohol and stuff like castor oil I think. Some may have a bit of IPA in it I think.

Thanks for the ideas, I hadn't realised a chemist might stock it, useful in case I get stuck even it is expensive. One thing I note is that the bioethanol I have been buying recently for the trangia seems to burn much cleaner than the meths I had bought in the past (no soot on the bottom etc). I also note that "decorators meths" from places like Wilko has a lower concentration of ethanol (they say it could be as little as 60% on the information sheet!). Also had not thought about surgical spirit, just looked up the composition found in one shop, it seems to be the same ethanol content as decorators meths, could be as little as 60%.

It's often available in supermarkets as fondue fuel or similar.

A big plus for Wilko's is that they have loads of branches with long opening hours.

martinjreed wrote:Thanks for the ideas, I hadn't realised a chemist might stock it, useful in case I get stuck even it is expensive. One thing I note is that the bioethanol I have been buying recently for the trangia seems to burn much cleaner than the meths I had bought in the past (no soot on the bottom etc). I also note that "decorators meths" from places like Wilko has a lower concentration of ethanol (they say it could be as little as 60% on the information sheet!). Also had not thought about surgical spirit, just looked up the composition found in one shop, it seems to be the same ethanol content as decorators meths, could be as little as 60%.

standard meths you dilute with around 10% water which gives you more fuel but also keeps the pans cleaner. it does depend on the meths. some say it slows the flame down a bit which is good in summer but not so great in winter. we always diluted the scout and DofE supplies on their expeditions. but you could have a large store bottle and dilute it down in a fruit shoot bottle for use in the stove.

black pans soak up the heat better anyway, you can spray them with stove or exhaust paint.

The Range & Screwfix both sell it in 500ml bottles but not particularly cheap.

sbcoombs wrote:The Range & Screwfix both sell it in 500ml bottles but not particularly cheap.

yes I have bought it at The Range.

Wlll probably stock up on the toolstation stuff later.

I did find a place online that had a particularly good deal if you were prepared to spend £40 on meths to hit their free postage level.

edit, here you are:

https://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/ ... gJNYPD_BwE

5 litres £12.45

Me being me I'll probably go for some deal like that eventually - hate being overcharged for repackaged stuff - and I do like my Trangia.