View Full Version : Canister versus liquid fuel stoves
What do you recommend, canister or liquid fuel stoves?
right now I'm kind of leaning towards a canister stove because it should be cheaper and easier, but carrying extra fuel and disposing of spent canisters seems like a pain. How long do the canisters generally last for? Thanks.
Like all gear, you see people using all types of stoves along the AT. There is no one piece of gear that is right for all.
Canister stoves are easy to use. No pumping, no priming, no preheating, no flare ups. However, canisters are generally found only at outfitters. White gas is available at many more places where it is sold by the ounce.
How long do canisters last? All depends on the type of cooking you are doing. Kinda like asking how often do I need to fill up my car. All depends on how much driving I'm doing.
If I were to choose a stove for the AT, and could only choose between a cannister or white gas model, I would go for the cannister. These are very easy to use, quick, and convenient. Weight is less than a white gas model, but they throw less heat. This isn't much of a compromise, though. You can get cannisters with some regularity on the AT, and I think there is a thread somewhere about that.
In terms of how long a cannister lasts, that seems to be dependent not only on how much you cook, but also on the brand of cannister. I've had the best performance with the Snowpeak stuff, with MSR cannisters a close second. Primus is worse, and the blue things are intolerable.
However, boiling 2-3 cups of water in the AM for tea, and another 2-3 cups of water, plus an average 5 minute cook time, in the evening for dinner, my cannisters would last about 7-9 days. This was on the GDT, where it is a bit colder than on the AT in the summer. Fortunately, you should be able to get cannisters frequently enough on the AT so that you won't have to worry about mailing yourself any. If you are more conservative, I've heard of people getting 14 days out of a cannister, though this is just boiling water once a day.
You can either toss the empty cannister in the garbage, and contribute to a problem, or haul them to the nearest outfitter, who can normally recycle them for you.
orangebug
05-15-2005, 15:24
The other liquid fuel is alcohol. It works and has its own share of trade offs regarding heat and convenience.
I use both. Cannister for quick walks and cold weather - very easy and reliable. Alcohol and soda can stoves for longer and warm weather walks. I've just been introduced to the canister stove with the cozy mug attachment for solo use. Frankly, this is likely to be my stove on next year's hike.
i use a jet boil,i love it:cool: neo
http://www.jetboil.com/
orangebug
05-15-2005, 21:48
i use a jet boil,i love it:cool: neoYeh, that is the one. I saw it at both of the EMS on Manhatten, and learned quite a lot.
First, I have been wrong that canister fuel isn't available on Manhatten. This makes NYC an even better trail town for major resupply.
Second, I didn't have time to score the 20% discount for members of trail clubs. Flight schedules, you know, plus the problem of how to transport the thing home.
Third, the design just looks right. I wonder about how easy it will be to disconnect from the stove's base after cooking, But it looks a world more secure from spillage.
Orangebug..get yourself a small jewelers file to custom fit the locking slot and I gaurantee you will be greatly impressed with the ease of use for the Jetboil. You can walk around with it in your hands and cook if you were so inclined, that's how well thought out this stove is.
yeah,i had to file the tabs a little that hold the base cup on the bottom to
i bought my wife the jet boil companion,which is the cup,cozy,lid,and base cup combo,we share stove and fuel.:cool: neo
What do you recommend, canister or liquid fuel stoves?
right now I'm kind of leaning towards a canister stove because it should be cheaper and easier, but carrying extra fuel and disposing of spent canisters seems like a pain. How long do the canisters generally last for? Thanks.
Even if you go with Coleman fluid, there is a container to dispose of.
Panzer
I started many years ago, with paraffin/kerosene pump type stoves by Primus and Optimus and then graduated to the cleaner, easier propane/butane gas canister type, before emigrating from UK to Canada in 1966.
I recently started back into hiking and bought a Primus Easi-Fuel gas stove to fit Linden valve type canisters. I'm sure it'll work well but an interesting thing happened today, as I sorted through gear&supplies, weighing and evaluating them.
In a storage box not opened for many years, I found a Bleuet S-200 gas stove that was still attached to a Camping Gaz canister and there were spare canister that had been bought in Vancouver when we used to camp with the kids(now in 30s). They were REALLY OLD, as the price tag said 'Cdn$1.60/400g' and from a store I couldn't even recall.
I tried it out, as the canister obviously still held gas and .... IT WORKED first time. Quite a feat for a stove/canister combination that had not been used in at least 25 years.
I'll use these up on the West Coast Trail next month and take the new Primus (less canister), when I have to fly to a hike, hopefully in Georgia early next year.
Jags
tlbj6142
05-22-2005, 09:07
IYou can get cannisters with some regularity on the AT, and I think there is a thread somewhere about that.Check out the canister FAQ located on the Featured Articles (http://whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=content&t=8122) page.
Moon Monster
05-22-2005, 15:28
^ Yes, a good article already here. Be sure to click through the links to do your research, especially the thru-hiker.com link.