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SoloSonya
05-23-2013, 17:37
I'm thinking about getting the jet boil for my thru hike next year and I was wondering how accessible the fuel canisters are in the towns?

Stir Fry
05-23-2013, 17:56
Not hard to get. most places have them, at least thats my experiance from Springer to Domascus.

Dogwood
05-23-2013, 17:56
You don't need Jet Boil brand Lindal valve isobutane canisters to fuel your Jet Boil stove. For practical purposes other brand Lndal valve canisters work just as well such as those with these names" MSR, Optimus, Snow Peak, Coleman, etc

I assume the towns you are referring to are those near the AT. Isobutane canisters in towns along the AT are encountered often enough that 1000's of AT hikers don't have major issues locating them.

atmilkman
05-23-2013, 18:02
Like Dogwood says, any brand of those canisters will work with the Jet Boil. The only advantage of the actual Jet Boil brand is that it fits down in the pot itself whereas none of the others do.

Nak
05-23-2013, 18:39
and you will find used ones in hiker boxes from those that have departed. Exchange yours for a more full one.

SoloSonya
05-23-2013, 19:33
Well, you learn something new all the time. Thanks to you all for the feedback. I appreciate it!

Venchka
05-24-2013, 00:22
Walmart stocks Coleman mid-size, 200+ gram canisters. Correction, my small town Walmart does. Houston's Walmarts aren't as nice.
Look for the fuel near the Mountain House dinners. The price is the best I have found, under $6.

Wayne

SoloSonya
05-24-2013, 07:50
Thanks Wayne. I'll check it out!

Deer Hunter
05-24-2013, 08:19
Like Dogwood says, any brand of those canisters will work with the Jet Boil. The only advantage of the actual Jet Boil brand is that it fits down in the pot itself whereas none of the others do.

Only the small canisters, I believe.

atmilkman
05-24-2013, 08:48
Only the small canisters, I believe.

Yes. Only the small 100gm canisters will fit in the pot with the burner, pot support, and stabilizer. The large canister will fit diameter wise but is too tall to include the other pieces. A little story I'd like to share about customer support. I inadvertently left the pot support off when using another brand of fry pan. This is a must if you are not using the Jetboil fry pan with the flux ring. I melted the plastic on the burner. It still worked but it rendered the igniter useless. I emailed Jetboil asking about buying a burner assembly only, explaining what I had done and expressed my satisfaction with the product and that it was not a manufacturing or quality issue but that it was my fault. I only wanted to purchase a new burner. They told me to send the burner assembly back and they would see what they could do. A few days later here comes a new burner, no charge, and a thank you for choosing Jetboil. Impressed me. They also told me it was okay to use aftermarket and other brand pots and pans but to not exceed 7in. in diameter because anything larger will reflect excess heat back towards the burner and to be sure to use the pot support for the same reason. I like the product. I basically use it for boil water only and occasionally soups. It requires too much attention to do any actual cooking unless you turn it way down and stir constantly. If your willing to do this I would use another pan and the support. Something a little larger in diameter than the stock pot that would be easier to clean.

fcoulter
05-24-2013, 16:18
The small Jetboil canisters also fit inside the GSI Minimalist post, which the MSRs don't.

Theosus
05-25-2013, 10:02
I have been told that the canisters are not interchangeable - that jet boil should use jet boil, snow peak use snow peak, etc., because the fuel blends are different. I say that's a bunch of crap put out by the manufacturers, but that's just me. I have a snow peak gigapower. I've used snow peak, jet boil and coleman with the gigapower and haven't seen any problems. Maybe it doesn't burn as efficiently or produces some weird fumes in the wrong stove, but i'm still here and my stove hasn't blown up.

Coffee
05-25-2013, 11:51
I have been told that the canisters are not interchangeable - that jet boil should use jet boil, snow peak use snow peak, etc., because the fuel blends are different. I say that's a bunch of crap put out by the manufacturers, but that's just me. I have a snow peak gigapower. I've used snow peak, jet boil and coleman with the gigapower and haven't seen any problems. Maybe it doesn't burn as efficiently or produces some weird fumes in the wrong stove, but i'm still here and my stove hasn't blown up.
Probably some liability issue. No stove manufacturer wants to make a blanket statement on a variable like fuel canisters if they don't have to.

Nak
05-25-2013, 20:08
regarding the Coleman canisters....bought a new one at Walmart last month, took it on a hike, and it didn't work. screwed on tight, couldn't hear the gas hissing...Hmmmm? Glad I had Spam singles! Brought my Jetboil into an outfitter wondering if it was maybe the stove. They let me try one of their canisters, it worked fine, so bought that one. Anyone else have a problem with the Coleman's? Coulda been just a fluke.

Old Hiker
05-25-2013, 20:31
regarding the Coleman canisters....bought a new one at Walmart last month, took it on a hike, and it didn't work. screwed on tight, couldn't hear the gas hissing...Hmmmm? Glad I had Spam singles! Brought my Jetboil into an outfitter wondering if it was maybe the stove. They let me try one of their canisters, it worked fine, so bought that one. Anyone else have a problem with the Coleman's? Coulda been just a fluke.

Had a problem with one Coleman - would NOT stop leaking after removal from the stove. I have a Pocket Rocket. Had to buy a new canister. Luckily, I was eating lunch at Mountain Crossings.

I've also had problems with Coleman canisters on the small Coleman stoves - similar to the Pocket Rocket, just a bit heavier. Go figure.

kayak karl
05-25-2013, 20:56
I was told Friday morn in an EMS store in Christiana, Delaware that the fuel in the MRS and JETBOIL are different fuels. I read cans and he was right. JetBoil is a isobutane and propane mix. MRS was just isobutane. This means nothing to me??? IS there a real difference or concern?

atmilkman
05-25-2013, 21:06
I was told Friday morn in an EMS store in Christiana, Delaware that the fuel in the MRS and JETBOIL are different fuels. I read cans and he was right. JetBoil is a isobutane and propane mix. MRS was just isobutane. This means nothing to me??? IS there a real difference or concern?

There was a guy on here a while back that had it all explained in detail. Different gasses perform better at different temps. Mixing different gasses give you a wider temp range. Different gasses burn sooner than the others at different temps. That's about the best I can do for you. Maybe he will see this and explain it better than I can.

Venchka
05-25-2013, 21:18
Thanks for the update on the Coleman canisters. I will test before hitting the trail.
They are a $1 cheaper. Maybe because they are suspect?

Wayne

MyName1sMud
05-28-2013, 10:55
You should be fine.

MDSection12
05-28-2013, 11:04
There was a guy on here a while back that had it all explained in detail. Different gasses perform better at different temps. Mixing different gasses give you a wider temp range. Different gasses burn sooner than the others at different temps. That's about the best I can do for you. Maybe he will see this and explain it better than I can.

This site does a pretty good job: http://zenstoves.net/Canister.htm

Essentially each brand has a slightly different mix, which means some are better than others at low temps or high altitude. The JetBoils work well for me below freezing, but the Wal-Mart Coleman's do not.

Sir-Packs-Alot
05-28-2013, 11:27
Ditto much of the above - AND - 1) don't worry about the fuel brands 2) In answer to your original question - much literature that is dated back a few years does not stress how much easier it is to find those canisters than it was even a few years ago. Even some Supermarket near the trail have them (as do other establishments near the trail, some shuttle drives, some hostels ... and look in the hiker boxes). In this day and age of harder times - trail towns and nearby to the trail establishments are more than happy to sell you slightly overpriced fuel. :)

atmilkman
05-28-2013, 11:43
This site does a pretty good job: http://zenstoves.net/Canister.htm

Essentially each brand has a slightly different mix, which means some are better than others at low temps or high altitude. The JetBoils work well for me below freezing, but the Wal-Mart Coleman's do not.
Good stuff in there. Thanks for the link. When it's below freezing I find my Jetboil works a lot better with the stabilizer on the canister than just on bare ground. It can freeze to the ground making it hard to get off and it just runs better and faster. Worth not gram-weenieing on this item.

mikec
05-28-2013, 14:18
I bought my JetBoil about 7 years ago. It came with a Sno Peak Canister. I have used various brands and sizes since then. All work well.