Escapees September-October 2022

combustion engine will develop less horse power at high elevations. Again, this is due to less availability of oxygen, and you should expect a power reduction on the order of 3.5% for each 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. Take your 1,000W portable generator up to 8,000 ft. and it becomes an 720W genera tor! It will also run “rich,” so it may smoke a little or run rough. Some larger generators will have an altitude adjustment knob or lever, check your manual. Most small porta bles (Hondas, Yamahas that are 2,200W and under) will run a lot better above 5,000 ft. with a high-altitude jet installed in the carburetor. This is fairly easy to do yourself, but it does require some disassembly of the carburetor. If you would rather not get your hands dirty, you can take the generator to a service facility in advance and have them swap the jets. One thing to avoid is using the generator at lower elevations (sea level) when a high-altitude jet is installed. It will run lean, and that can damage the engine. Again, check the manual for your generator and follow the recommendations for high altitude operation. Finally, even though it’s summer, you may need to use some heat occasionally to

take the chill off. Know that most vent-free propane heaters have an oxygen-depletion sensor built into the burner. This is intended to protect you from the effects of oxygen depletion when the heater is operating in an unvented or sealed room. The lower amount of available oxygen at altitudes above 8,000 ft. may cause the heater to either not work at all or operate sporadically. The max elevation varies from one brand or type to another. The best bet is to give it a test at higher altitudes and see if it works. My ceramic propane heater does fi ne as high as 10,000 ft. RV forced air furnaces are usually not bothered by elevation. E ff ects of Altitude on Your Cooking Lower atmospheric pressure at high elevations will seriously change the way your recipes work! Just boiling water is different: at 8,000 ft, water boils at 197F, not 212F as it does at sea level. Be aware that boiling eggs or cooking pasta will take longer, and baking will yield unfamiliar results. If in doubt, follow the high-altitude directions on

Labor Day weekend above 10,000 ft. near South Fork, Colorado

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September/October 2022 ESCAPEES Magazine