back up for canister

[Odd Man Out]

...or simply cut the bottom 1" off a mini pop can and flip it over for a small stove that is more durable than foil. Flip over your mini pop can stove and you have a servicable alchy burner as well for that odd time you get stuck using alchy. ...

I like this. One could always yogi a couple oz of alcohol, or use the Esbit tabs in a pinch. Without a wind screen you would have to hope for calm winds or rig of something in a pinch. I've always used a DIY alcohol stove but am considering a canister stove, just to see how it might work for me.

[Dedicated Hanger]

One thing to consider, most manufacturers of canister stoves do not recommend the use of any type of windscreen because trapped heat can and will make them explode just like a claymore mine. It happens. Please be careful.

[BuckeyeBill]

Isn't carrying one canister and a few ounces of white gas the same thing as carrying a backup canister?

I mean the white gas can't be carried by itself. It has to be carried in a fuel bottle. That fuel bottle is going to weight in the general neighborhood of and empty canister.

So you should wind up with a net lighter load if you carry a small canister stove (much lighter than the whisper-lite), one canister, and a backup canister with a few ounces of fuel. (In other words, save that nearly empty canister from your last trip as the backup canister for future trips).

Situation: Come to town buy two canisters as you are out as of your last meal. Use one canister between then and next town. Start using second canister and get to next town. No canisters available. Sorry about your luck. Continue on to next town run of of gas. Your out until next town maybe. With the whisperllite universal I can start using white gas, I am only carrying a few ounces, and I am still eating hot food.

I know it may sound far fetched, but I am an old Boy Scout and I am Prepared.

[Jake2c]

I wish Kelly Kettle was not so heavy. I use it for short camping trips. Burns anything, boils water while you cook something else or just use the water to poor into a bottle to keep your feet warm. It uses very little fuel. Can't really recommend it because it's heavy but I have done well with it on short trips.

[colorado_rob]

... Esbit serves both purposes, is individually wrapped, has virtually unlimited shelf life. You can use partial tabs for fire or cooking and they split fine with a knife, pointed stick, or your fingers.
Two tabs per ounce, little or no space in your pack. ....
Best solution by far.

Yep, this. I carry two "esbit" (like) fire starters for, er, starting fires in emergencies anyway, work great under my Jetboil Sol pot; find flat rock, light half a tablet, set pot on top, heats two cups very nicely.

Another backup that requires yogi-ing: A small, empty (no wax) tea-candle cup, weighs about a gram, filled with alcohol heats 2.5 cups in my Jetboil. If you don't want to Yogi, carry a couple ounces of Alcohol yourself and this little cup; lighter than an extra canister (3.5 oz empty, 4.5 with an ounce of backup iso fuel, equivalent to 2 oz of Alcohol).

All this being said, if you use canister stoves, you get really good at judging the leftover fuel amount, I can get it to a day easily, just by shaking the canister. I've really let it run short, only used the esbit backup once in a couple hundred nights carrying my Jetboil.

[Starchild]

how long would a 3oz canister typically last you? mine has lasted me 3 to 4 uses on high.

3 or 4 uses, or weeks. Weeks is a stretch but also more in line then uses. If you are just getting 3-4 meals out of it you have a very inefficient system. On the Thru hike mine lasted 1-2 weeks easy.

[Matt65]

Can you tell me more about your 2oz canister?

To the OP, my backup is mag block and wood fire.

Where are you all getting your small 2 or 3 oz canisters?

[colorado_rob]

Where are you all getting your small 2 or 3 oz canisters?

I'm assuming folks that say this just haven't weighted them... the smallest out there holds just over 4 ounces of fuel and weighs 7.5 ounces total, meaning the empty weighs 3.5 ounces. One of these little canisters does about 16-20 two-cup boils in a Jetboil, about 25-30% less than that in a "pocket rocket" with a small pot. As Starchild said, if you're only getting a 3-4 uses, your system needs an upgrade.

[FlyFishNut]

How about a back up stove with back up fuel? The home made beer can stove and alcohol (doesn't take up hardly any room). Oh, and matches as a back-up back-up.

[Wise Old Owl]

Qwiz ti wood stove... its the bomb. Weight = nothing...



http://qiwiz.net/stoves.html

[Dedicated Hanger]

What happens to used cannisters? You are not supposed to throw them in the trash. They are an explosion hazard. No one recycles them. Are we helping to trash the planet with landfill junk?

[July]

if you carry a canister stove do you carry some type of backup in case the canister runs dry ??
I can think of a few, tin can wood stove, vegatable can stuffed with twigs and such
OH can stove with a bit of OH to carry, esbit tabs, etc.

If all else fails, find two rocks, place kindling in between, fire it up. Spacing of rock depends on diameter of pot. Works well.

[10-K]

Another "backup" idea is to carry a few dinners that don't absolutely have to be cooked, like instant mashed potatoes, couscous, instant refried beans or Ramen noodles, or some extra cold cereal, nuts, or bread and cheese.

This...

On my recent hike I was completely stoveless for over a thousand miles but decided I wanted to start eating a hot meal now and again so I bought a Pocket Rocket and a can of canister fuel and indulged myself from time to time with a hot meal, continuing to eat non-cooked food most of the time.

[Bronk]

You can also put 3 tent stakes in the ground and balance your pot on them and use an esbit or build a small wood fire under it.

[colorado_rob]

What happens to used cannisters? You are not supposed to throw them in the trash. They are an explosion hazard. No one recycles them. Are we helping to trash the planet with landfill junk?

Sorry, check your facts: they are totally recyclable. Burn to empty, put into recycle bin, no explosion hazard when empty. That easy. Or: REI collects semi-empty ones and does this for you.

[saltysack]

Sorry, check your facts: they are totally recyclable. Burn to empty, put into recycle bin, no explosion hazard when empty. That easy. Or: REI collects semi-empty ones and does this for you.

+1


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[Dedicated Hanger]

Checked with REI here in Atlanta, they said that they did not recycle the canisters. Checked with the recycling company, they said no way, no how should I put an empty gas canister into the recycle bin. Where did your facts come from, maybe you can share them with us?

[saltysack]

Strange I've always just put in my recycle bin and they take...I've also put empty green Coleman car camping type..jet boil has some key/tool to puncture empties but I've never used...I live in NE Florida..


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[saltysack]

Checked with REI here in Atlanta, they said that they did not recycle the canisters. Checked with the recycling company, they said no way, no how should I put an empty gas canister into the recycle bin. Where did your facts come from, maybe you can share them with us?

Did they not take from ur recycle bin?


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[Mags]

Checked with REI here in Atlanta, they said that they did not recycle the canisters. Checked with the recycling company, they said no way, no how should I put an empty gas canister into the recycle bin. Where did your facts come from, maybe you can share them with us?

The recycling company (or rather the person on the phone) was probably getting mixed up with the green propane ones which have to be disposed of differently.

The isobutane canisters are thin metal. In fact, the fuel canisters have a big recycle symbol now on them (at least the MSR one I used last) and their websites list as such. Hell, the REI website lists recycling too.

More info:

http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves...isopro/product
“Recyclable: Consult your local recycling center for regulations.”

Backpacker Magazine:
http://www.backpacker.com/february_2...ers/gear/12084
http://www.backpacker.com/gear/ask_kristin/85

And REI:
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advi...ing-stove.html

Something I wrote:
http://www.pmags.com/recycling-backp...fuel-canisters