fuel Canisters

[Big Guy]

Is there a simple way to determine how much fuel is remaining in canister? Thanks

[orangebug]

Shake it. If you hear something, there is some fuel in there.

Alternatively, weigh it or make a balance and compare against a full cannister. You can do this to determine your average fuel use per meal, and then simply make a mark each time you cook with that canister.

[TakeABreak]

OrangeBug's, way would probably be the best to determine this.

I used a canister stove on my hike (Primus Alpine Titanium), I used an 8 oz canister (12 ozs, full including weight of canister), I found I could 8 to 11 days on one canister of fuel, cooking both dinner and and heating water for oatmeal in the morning.

The best way to determine how long a canister will last on average is to try it by cooking meals, remember you will lose a little fuel every time you unscrew the canister. A way to keep this to a minimum is after you cook your evening meal, DO NOT unscrew the canister from your stove until after you cook or heat water your breakfeast.

By reviewing the companion guide you can see where the outfitters are and judge how days it will take to go from to another and whether you need to carry a medium canister (8oz) a small or large. Sometime it better to carry two mediums or a medium and small. thie way you discard one (in a trash can Obviously) when it is empty to weight to a minimum.

[grrickar]

Use these: http://www.brunton.com/catalog.php?item_id=274&subcategory_id=23&category_id=3&old_item_id=274&old_subcategory_id=23&old_category_id=3

[SalParadise]

I'd make roughly the same meals every night, so it became pretty easy to figure out how long a cannister would last me. I never carried a spare one, didn't want the weight and felt it was a little unnecessary, plus pricey to start buying the small ones as spares. There are so many towns to stop in that it's not a dire situation if you can't cook some foods for a day or two.

[orangebug]

... A way to keep this to a minimum is after you cook your evening meal, DO NOT unscrew the canister from your stove until after you cook or heat water your breakfeast....I've wondered about this, but I've also wondered how well the stove prevents leakage.

Has anyone ever kept a stove connected to a small canister to see how long it takes to leak? I'm considering this experiment for something fun to do in winter. All the paint is dry in my house, and the grass is dormant.

[TakeABreak]

I have never left a canister connected to see how long it will take to start to leak. But I did notice that I would get another 2 - 3 meals cooked, by leaving it connected over night on the trail.

One note, I am sure any seal that is contineously exposed to pressure will eventually begin to leak, you may contact the fuel canister manufacturer's they may answer this for you or may not. I sure they would want to avoid any liability issue's by making a statement that could make them liable in any way shape or form.

ORANGEBUG, I am sure you know this, but I feel compelled to say it just in case someone out there is reading this and does not think of this, I would STRONGLY advise this NOT be done in your home or anyone where else that is NOT properly ventilated and/or where the fumes (GASES) can build up, or anywhere they may be exposed to any type of spark or static electricity (this includes lit cigarettes, cigars, etc...) also, gases in well ventilated area's (to include out of doors) have been known to ignite, by drifting in the wind to a lit object (cigarette) or a spark.

[orangebug]

Yep, my thought was to do this on my screened porch. First, I want to have some pretty sensitive scales to track change. Second, I think any liability regarding the seals would belong to the stove manufacturer. I've seen nothing to suggest that my Snowpeak's seals have aged or deteriorated in the 5-6 years I've had it.

Your comments that you get additional meals by keeping the stove screwed on overnight are very compelling argurement to follow that procedure. Thank you for offering it.

[tlbj6142]

I think you can turn it upside in a pool of water. The water line is the fuel line.

[TakeABreak]

Orangebug,

Please let me know what you come up with, if you do decide to do this.

I did mean that the liability would be there's (the manufacturer), I just know from own business experience that companies are reluctantly to make statements about such things because the liability that they do face.

Also, in my earlier post, I do worry that an in-experienced person (not You, a beginner) may not think about such things and thus try something without thinking it through, thus ending a life.

Note: I have had experience working with things like Liquid Oxygen, nitrogren Hydrazyne, halon and such, and have seen people do things that only God, can explain why they are still alive and I have also seen the after affects of peoples mistakes and when they survive it is still, not pretty.