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  1. #1
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    Default can you tell how full a fuel canister is?

    I've reviewed the old posts in this forum and can't seem to find an answer. Other than just shaking it and guesstimating by weight, is there any way to know how full/empty a stove fuel canister is?

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    Scroll to the bottom of this thread for a couple of suggestions, including floating in water and weighing on postage/kitchen scale--

    Gauging the Contents of a Gas canister

    You can also note frost (in winter) and condensation (in summer) on the canister when it has been burning for a bit.
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

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  3. #3

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    Weight is the most accurate and scales can be cheap. I weigh mine after each trip and refill them when needed for a fraction of the replacement cost.
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  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt65 View Post
    Weight is the most accurate and scales can be cheap. I weigh mine after each trip and refill them when needed for a fraction of the replacement cost.
    Tell us more please. what and where, didn't know you could do this.

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    Quote Originally Posted by rocketsocks View Post
    Tell us more please. what and where, didn't know you could do this.
    Yeah, really! I wanna know how you do this too.

  7. #7
    Registered User The Cleaner's Avatar
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    These canisters are a common item found left behind at shelters, some partially full and most empty.
    Sleep on the ground, rise with the sun and hike with the wind....

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    At home a scale, usually set to grams. For the small canister it is easy, subtract 100 from the number and that is how much fuel is remaining, it is also the percent of fuel remaining, for the Jetboil, by moving the decimal 1 place over it is the number of L I can boil with it:

    Weight = 147g
    Subtract 100
    47 grams of fuel (out of 100 or 110 - stated on the can)
    47% left (apx)
    4.7 L of water boiled

    I have found with the above there is a safety factor as a empty can will be slightly under 100g, so there is slightly more fuel, but it is a good baseline.

    On the trail, you can float it in water as mentioned, but I find the shake test good enough and have gotten a feel for it.

  9. #9
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    Those are some good practical suggestions I just don't want to be out there, thinking that I have plenty of fuel, when it's almost empty. Didn't know about refilling; would like to hear more on that.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by daddytwosticks View Post
    Yeah, really! I wanna know how you do this too.
    Below is a video of basicly what I'm doing. I put my empty canister in the freezer for about 30min before filling to speed the transfer. The cartridge Im filling from is at room temp.
    http://youtu.be/SvXnF1Jw43w



    Good information here as well. He points out many of the dangers that you must be aware of before attempting this. Know what your doing, don't overfill, dont use propane, etc. Understand the relationship between pressure vs. temp and how this correlates to the mass. You must know that an over filled canister can explode - explosive fuel driven metal shards blowing up in your face (Be smart/ careful). He is using a much nicer adapter than mine. However I have had no trouble with it so far. http://adventuresinstoving.blogspot....lling.html?m=1


    I get a 5 pack of 8oz fuel from Sams for a little over $5. So the savings is nice.

  11. #11

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    Thanks Matt, was just the kinda info I was looking for.

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    Just to note that I do believe refiling them makes them no longer DOT compliant.

    Also you may change the ratio of gases so may have better or worse cold weather performance.

  13. #13
    Registered User 78owl's Avatar
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    Speaking of cold temps. Is their a rule of thumb concerning cold temps and not using canister for cooking??

  14. #14
    Getting out as much as I can..which is never enough. :) Mags's Avatar
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    Not going to get into refilling a canister one way or another..

    However, be aware if you are using pure butane, you will suffer colder weather performance.

    Good link: http://campinggeeks.wordpress.com/20...nepropane-mix/
    (EDIT: Looks like the site is marked private now. And it is blocked on the wayback machine as well. C'est la vie..)

    In the hot and humid conditions where this author writes, butane works well.

    In the cool mountain air? I suspect not. The cutoff for butane, according to the author, is ~50F.

    I am sure it will work below that, but you will take a performance hit. IIRC, pure butane liquefies at 31F as well. (The author is Jim from Adventures in Stoving)

    Depending where you backpack, that may or may not be an issue.
    Last edited by Mags; 12-22-2014 at 20:30.
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    Quote Originally Posted by 78owl View Post
    Speaking of cold temps. Is their a rule of thumb concerning cold temps and not using canister for cooking??
    Roughly 20F for a rule of thumb.


    Beyond that it is dependent on the stove and the brand and the start temp of the can (i.e. if you slept with it you dirty ****). I had my Jetboil work in 11F temps, while others could not get to a boil (I boiled for them and transferred the water to them once boiling).

    But over 20F with some experience should not be a problem.

  16. #16

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    on my thru i was consistent user and i found i could time my usage by container: ~30 minutes per small canisters.
    -dimples

  17. #17

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    I have and use a canister stove on the trail. How I measure what's left is by how many boils I've done. With my stove and windscreen, I get sixteen to seventeen boils ( ~2.5 cups a boil / coffee & meal) per 100gram/3.53oz can. So I mark the bottom of the canister with my sharpie each boil. Makes it super easy to know what I got left. Plus the sharpie comes in handy for various other things too. ymmv of course, it's just what I do & works for me.

    u.w.

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    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt65 View Post
    Weight is the most accurate and scales can be cheap. I weigh mine after each trip and refill them when needed for a fraction of the replacement cost.

    Matt you are awesome! did I say you are awesome.... serious! Thank you I had no idea you could chill it and refill it.. I was already doing that for back of car camping and ----well thanks.....This is huge!
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

  19. #19

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    I carry two 4 oz. canisters. When one runs out I start looking for a new one when I resupply.

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