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Graywolf
09-06-2009, 20:17
I was looking at some of the cartrige stoves out there and was wondering their avaibility out on the trail?

In particular the MSR pocket Rocket and Jet boil. But over all, how common are they avaible for resupply?

Just a question I had in mind.

I believe several forum members mention the pocket rocket, so bring it on. Tell me about these.

Jack Tarlin
09-06-2009, 21:20
You won't have a problem finding cannister fuel on the Trail, tho there may be a few stretches (like the mid-Atlantic states) where you'll probably want to pack an extra small can, just in case.

If you look in the "Articles" section of Whiteblaze, you'll find a good article detailing many of the places where cannisters are available.

Jester2000
09-07-2009, 00:53
Also keep in mind that the threading is pretty much the same now for cannister stoves (with the exception of some Coleman products), so you don't, for example, need to find MSR cannisters for your Pocket Rocket, or Jetboil cannisters for your Jetboil. They're pretty much all compatible.

Rocketman
09-10-2009, 23:47
When I did the Harpers Ferry through Shenandoah National Park hike, I was worried about the fuel canisters. I looked through two trail guides looking for information on resupply in the Shenandoah. There was mention of alcohol and white gas (Coleman) fuel by the ounce. Not a word on canisters.

I arrived in Harpers Ferry by evening commuter train, and there seemed to be no opportunity to buy canisters and a few odds and ends because seemingly everything was closed.

I asked some of the Northbound male hikers at the hostel about canisters available in the park. They all told me that they didn't see any. But not to worry, they said. It is warm and the stove will heat up quickly and not use much fuel, they said. One told me that he could go for almost 3 weeks with just one canister, and he only boiled water once per day. NO PROBLEM.

I like coffee and a hot breakfast, as well as a hot dinner, so that one a day boil thing was completely useless to me.

When I got into the park, I was carrying an extra canister of fuel.

Then, at nearly every campstore in the park, there was canister fuel, sitting there on the shelf. Darn.

Ask a young thru hiker male how far it is to the next shelter and you will often get something like "just a 20 minute easy hike", and then after 45 to 50 minutes of pretty good exercise, you stumble into the shelter.

I'm going to abandon asking young male hikers for information.

You can probably obtain enough information here on great resources of this board to get the phone numbers of most of the outfitters along the trail. And, the campstores in Shenandoah. Then call whatever ones that you feel are critical to your hike and assure yourself of availability of canister fuel.

Peace of mind is sometimes worth a few long distance calls.

If you use Propane, you will find that those big green heavy cans are everywhere, including gas stations and convenience stores. I've never seen butane or butane/propane blend canisters in gas stations or convenience stores, but I would be happy to be wrong.

If you aren't calling an outfitter, and they say they have gas cansiters, ask what color they are. If the answer is "Green", they are probably that Coleman Propane, or clones of it. And they are big and heavy.

I learned that problem when planning resupply for the Superior Hiking Trail.

You can also carry an alcohol soda can stove and an empty lightweight plastic bottle, just in case you encounter a region where Butane canisters aren't available. The problem is knowing when to start carrying the alcohol, and being sure to get it at the right time. Ask hostel owners, outfitters, and maybe some old slow hikers or all of the pretty ones.

Jester2000
09-11-2009, 12:49
If you aren't calling an outfitter, and they say they have gas cansiters, ask what color they are. If the answer is "Green", they are probably that Coleman Propane, or clones of it. And they are big and heavy. . .


. . .You can also carry an alcohol soda can stove and an empty lightweight plastic bottle, just in case you encounter a region where Butane canisters aren't available. The problem is knowing when to start carrying the alcohol, and being sure to get it at the right time. Ask hostel owners, outfitters, and maybe some old slow hikers or all of the pretty ones.

You want to be careful about asking using color as a reference. Optimus makes butane/propane cannisters that are green, and they work fine with Pocket Rockets and like stoves.

Better to ask the employee to look at a cannister and see if he sees the words butane/propane or isopropane on it.

As for wrong info being passed along, in my experience age and gender haven't really had much to do with it. I've come across very few people heading in the opposite direction who were able to give me accurate info. I agree that for many things it's better to ask Outfitters and Hostel Owners.

Blissful
09-11-2009, 13:37
I mailed it to myself to a few places. Ducannon PA and Unionville, NY come to mind. Hopefully Kent is carrying it, though the store there didn't when we came through.

Jester2000
09-11-2009, 13:48
I mailed it to myself to a few places. Ducannon PA and Unionville, NY come to mind. Hopefully Kent is carrying it, though the store there didn't when we came through.

Keep in mind that if you want to mail fuel cannisters you're supposed to mark the packages and declare them as such when shipping. It's my understanding that packages need to be marked "Surface Mail Only." This formerly did not apply to the 4oz. cannisters, but does now.

Because they will not be sent by air, you need to send them well in advance of when you need them.

Otherwise, you're breakin' the law, breakin' the law.

Franco
09-11-2009, 18:42
"Better to ask the employee to look at a cannister and see if he sees the words butane/propane or isopropane on it."
That does not work either. butane/propane and various mixes are used in cartridges that do not have the std lindal valve (EN 417) that is discussed here.
Even the shape does not help as there are hair spray bottles shaped containers that do have the Lindal valve ( Benzomatic)
Pictures and detailed explanation here :
http://zenstoves.net/Canister.htm#Fuels (http://zenstoves.net/Canister.htm#Fuels)
scroll down to Canister Types
Franco

Jester2000
09-11-2009, 18:56
"Better to ask the employee to look at a cannister and see if he sees the words butane/propane or isopropane on it."
That does not work either. butane/propane and various mixes are used in cartridges that do not have the std lindal valve (EN 417) that is discussed here.
Even the shape does not help as there are hair spray bottles shaped containers that do have the Lindal valve ( Benzomatic)
Pictures and detailed explanation here :
http://zenstoves.net/Canister.htm#Fuels (http://zenstoves.net/Canister.htm#Fuels)
scroll down to Canister Types
Franco

This is a good point, although I think it's rare in this country to see the blue camping gaz cannisters, and I've never seen them outside an outfitter, whose employees should be able to quickly identify what you need.

From what I've seen in non-outfitters, it is important to make sure that what they have isn't Coleman Powermax cannisters, as I have seen those in quite a few places.

Good post, Franco, and a great link!

Blissful
09-11-2009, 22:50
Keep in mind that if you want to mail fuel cannisters you're supposed to mark the packages and declare them as such when shipping. It's my understanding that packages need to be marked "Surface Mail Only." This formerly did not apply to the 4oz. cannisters, but does now.

Because they will not be sent by air, you need to send them well in advance of when you need them.

Otherwise, you're breakin' the law, breakin' the law.

That's the way we sent them...perfectly legal.

But you don't need to "declare" them or mark the package in any other way except for a "no airline" sticker and sent surface.

Jester2000
09-14-2009, 12:37
That's the way we sent them...perfectly legal.

But you don't need to "declare" them or mark the package in any other way except for a "no airline" sticker and sent surface.

The "declaring" thing was in reference to something that perhaps not all postal employees do? I'm not sure. At our post office, when shipping a package, they ask if the package contains liquids, alcohol, fuel, or hazardous materials. So that's what that was about -- maybe at busier or larger POs they don't do this.

For USPS writing "Surface Mail Only" must be equivalent to the "no airline" sticker -- it's what they have on their website.

I didn't mean to imply that you didn't mail them legally, though, so if I gave that impression I apologize. I just wanted to make sure others know that it takes longer to ship fuel, and to plan accordingly. We've had hikers call us wanting us to mail fuel to them priority to a General Delivery address, and they are rarely aware of how long it will actually take to get the fuel.

flemdawg1
09-14-2009, 17:33
I mailed it to myself to a few places. Ducannon PA and Unionville, NY come to mind. Hopefully Kent is carrying it, though the store there didn't when we came through.

The Doyle now sells butane canisters.