View Full Version : how many cups of water boiled per canister?
jakedatc
12-08-2011, 04:43
specifically with a MSR pocket rocket?
i'm trying to see how many days of cooking probably 2c at breakfast and 2-3 at dinner i can get out of 1 canister. probably the larger size but if you know the smaller size then we can do math.
ekeverette
12-08-2011, 08:44
i 2nd that question..... always wanted how far i could go on the small canister... cup coffee in the morning, and cup at days end?
looking forward to your conclusions.
Wind, air temperature, water temperature, covered pot, type of pot all factor in. I used a Pocket Rocket on my Thru, only boiled 1-2 cups of water a day and a small canister lasted me at least two weeks.
Northern Lights
12-08-2011, 09:56
I had a small cannister, at least one hot meal a day some days a hot breakfast as well. Shared my cannister with 2 people for 4 or 5 days and it lasted almost three weeks. Of those three weeks 2 nights were spent in town. Hope that helps.
jakedatc
12-08-2011, 10:22
awesome. MSR says 16L for a small canister. so having a large canister for 3 weeks on the LT and not have to worry about getting more would be really sweet.
Serial 07
12-08-2011, 10:34
that's a bunch of water...and there are a bunch of variables...wind, pot shape and specific stove efficiency to name 3...my guess would be 14 to 18 days...
jakedatc
12-08-2011, 10:39
awesome. MSR says 16L for a small canister. so having a large canister for 3 weeks on the LT and not have to worry about getting more would be really sweet.
WOOPS i read the site wrong. 16L for 8oz canister not 4oz
(is there really no edit function? ***? )
Stir Fry
12-08-2011, 11:25
I have gone 2 weeks without running out with large canaster. Coffee in AM, Romane at lunch. MH dinner and coffee PM. Weather was nice. Same canaster only lastes 10 days in cold weather. This is with a Pocket Rocket. You can check it at home, weigh the canaster, boil what you think is the max you will use in a day. Use ice water. Then weigh the canaster again. That should give you an idea of how lone it will last you.
jakedatc
12-08-2011, 12:14
sounds good :)
A rough rule of thumb is that for moderate temps (no lower than 40s) and boiling two cups of water is ROUGHLY
12 boils for a 4 oz canister
25 boils for an 8 oz canister
As others said, other factors come into play, but that's a good rule of thumb overall I find. Your bet is to do a one week backpack with an extra canister packed just in case and see what you come up with for your own personal style.
(is there really no edit function? ***? )
That is one of the benefits to those who donate to the site.
This interested me cause I have a very light canister stove, and I was thinking about swapping it out with an alcohol stove in the summer. But, I realized that my stove plus canister weighs less than my alcohol stove and 12 ozs of fuel. I figured I'd use 12 ozs of fuel every 5-6 days which means I'd have to find fuel at every town visit. This sounds like I could get canister fuel every other visit. I need more coffee before I dig into this deeper ...
.......But, I realized that my stove plus canister weighs less than my alcohol stove and 12 ozs of fuel...
You hit the nail on the head ChillyWilly. So many alchy stove users FAIL to include the weight of their fuel bottle and think they're way ahead in the weight savings game. When I compared the total weight of both systems (including fuel) it ended up only being a miniscule difference.
But, I remain a true blue alchy stove user. Why? Because it's just so darn simple finding fuel all along the AT.
Rocket Jones
12-08-2011, 13:20
A canister will only boil 1 cup of water, but it will boil for a very long time. :D
Also consider that if you zero or eat in town the canister will lastthatmuch longer.
I can see pros ... The alcohol fuel bottle gets a lot lighter as the hike goes on. One can see how fast it's going and ration it. Fuel is more readily available. I'm less likely to fire it up when it's hot outside, so fuel goes farther/I can carry less...
jakedatc
12-08-2011, 15:19
Also with canister stove you can bring water to a simmer or whatever for hot chocolate, oatmeal etc that doesnt need boiling and shut it right off. i dunno how hard it is to snuff out an alchy stove and then try to pour back fuel that you didnt burn.
i don't have an alcohol stove as of now so i think the canisters will do it for me.
so far plans are to do Pemi loop 3-5 days maybe CT section of AT also in prep for Long trail E-E NOBO
Also with canister stove you can bring water to a simmer or whatever for hot chocolate, oatmeal etc that doesnt need boiling and shut it right off. i dunno how hard it is to snuff out an alchy stove and then try to pour back fuel that you didnt burn.
.....
You get really good at knowing how much fuel you need per meal. I carried a plastic film canister which holds exactly 1 oz. as a measure.
The Solemates
12-08-2011, 18:07
One 8 oz canister on my snowpeak giga has lasted as little as 3 days and as much as 12 days. too many variables to answer the question, although many have given good rules of thumb.
bamboo bob
12-08-2011, 18:08
I get 30 days from one canister 3.5 oz. on my Jetboil
peakbagger
12-08-2011, 18:09
I got about 10 days of a couple of cups of hot water for breakfast and a couple of cups of hot water at supper, for Lipton noodle type meals and a some washup water.
I have posted in the past a hanging heat shield for a pocket rocket that bumps up the cannister use to 14 days. Bascially, since the flame is shielded, I can turn the burner down a lot more for simmer plus the shield direct the heat up along the side of the pot. I mostly like the shield as it make the stove usable on a picnic table with a light breeze, without it I have to find a sheltered place.
jakedatc
12-08-2011, 19:38
Do you have a picture of that? i hadn't gotten that far since i know you can't have a shield around the canister.
IronGutsTommy
12-08-2011, 20:54
i agree on the variables skewing the data way too much to take any specific numbers at face value. mine always lasted long but i liked to bug out as soon as first light hit, setting my alarm 15 minutes prior. hot breakfasts/coffee i stopped doing because it made leaving the shelter that much more time consuming, and i hated using up drinking water first thing. i resorted to alot of clif bars, nuts and jerky for breakfast and lunch, only unpacking my stove when i set camp for dinner since i was pulling out sleeping bag, pad, clothes, food etc anyways. i say pack an extra 8 oz at first and see how long that one lasts. thatll give you a clearer idea, and if you find you dont need the extra, theres probably nothing someone would be more happy to find in a hiker box than a fuel canister
IronGutsTommy
12-08-2011, 20:56
as for the coffee, i just threw instant in a nalgene bottle and drank it cold. fuels you just as well
I get 30 days from one canister 3.5 oz. on my Jetboil
With what kind of usage?
Cookerhiker
12-08-2011, 23:04
Also with canister stove you can bring water to a simmer or whatever for hot chocolate, oatmeal etc that doesnt need boiling and shut it right off. i dunno how hard it is to snuff out an alchy stove and then try to pour back fuel that you didnt burn....
For me, that's one big advantage to canister stoves. I have the Coleman FI Exponent Ultralight. I use more water per meal because I cook oatmeal and hot chocolate every morning and boil pasta, Success Rice, bulgar wheat, quinoa, or couscous every dinner. The latter takes no time but all the other grains require cooking time up to 10 minutes (after bringing to a boil) so the simmer feature is very helpful.
So I'm boiling nearly 2 liters of water per day - let's call it 7 cups. My canister lasts 5-6 days depending as others said on wind, temperatures, and my particular meal.
Wise Old Owl
12-08-2011, 23:12
that's a bunch of water...and there are a bunch of variables...wind, pot shape and specific stove efficiency to name 3...my guess would be 14 to 18 days...
WOOPS i read the site wrong. 16L for 8oz canister not 4oz
Don't worry very easy to make a mistake here and Serial 07 is correct - are you taking some flashing or tin foil for wind screen, careful Pocket Rocket does not want the heat to be reflected back to the canister for obvious reasons. - Have a freind carry a spare in case the first one stops - always carry a piece of tape to keep the dirt out of the screw or use the provided cover. A wide pot will transfer the heat a little better than a narrow one. Did you measure the water? What is the starting temp and is it cold out all plays on these stoves.
As for the edit function you need to donate.