Originally Posted By: saltydog
...both parks are more focused on the hiker in general and have looked closer at the actual safety of alcohol and Esbit.
That's what I've put together from my admittedly limited information. The danger from alcohol stoves just isn't in the same league as from wood fires.

The parks' knowledge of and focus on the backcountry traveller is a) evident and b) very much appreciated. I think the fact that the NPS has a number of rangers whose job is to travel in and live in the backcountry is a really good thing and gives the NPS a real leg up over the USFS. The NPS is out there in the field with backpackers and has a much better sense of what's going on than other land management agencies from what I can see.

Also, I can only hope that bloggers such as myself and others who have ridiculed the NPS and USFS over the absurd "jellied petroleum" issue have had an impact. Perhaps the NPS is tacitly admitting, "uh, yeah, those old regs were just plain ridiculous." It's about time that the NPS did away with the old, bizarre regs and introduced some regs that make sense. I for one applaud them for doing so. Now if only the USFS would pull their head out of the sand and follow suit.

HJ


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