Alternative to lpg/propane gas cooking without open fire?
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 20:12
ThreadID:
55090
Views:
4581
Replies:
13
FollowUps:
1
This Thread has been Archived
Member - CS (NSW/ACT)
Folks,
We love getting out and about in the Hilux and camping around the country side but we've developed a bit of a phobia of our gas cooker.
Last time we used it it was very windy and even with the wind deflectors in place on our lpg/propane gas cooker the wind blew across the cooker with enough strength to heat up and eventually melt through the gas hose. Given we do all our cooking on the tailgate of our ute the long tongue of flame obviously caused us a bit of an elevated heart rate ;)
Fortunately I installed a gas fuse (pure luck I came across the thing when I was looking for an adaptor for the gas bottle) and the Hilux didn't burn to the ground on a cattle station half way down the W.A. coast ;)
As I said, we've now developed a bit of a phobia about using the thing and are looking for an alternative. I know we could just be more careful about wind direction etc. but we're just not comfortable around the thing any more.
We spend a lot of time in National Parks etc. and so open fire cooking isn't really an option for us. We drive a diesel so don't really want to carry unleaded just for a cooker but that seems to just leave butane which has the same problem of carrying butane around instead of petrol.
What do people recommend? (and no I wont just harden up and keep using the gas ;)
Cheers,
Chris
Reply By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 20:21
Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 20:21
Hey CS.
Try one of these, it took me a little time to get it right but does a great job when you master it.
In fact if we had some fire lighters we would have ours going as we speak.
Cobb
Cheers Steve.
AnswerID:
290280
Reply By: Member - Kiwi Kia - Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 20:38
Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 20:38
If your problems are being caused by wind then any alternative with a flame will also have the same problem. I think you should perhaps be looking at designing some sort of wind shelter.
AnswerID:
290285
Reply By: lifeisgood - Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 21:11
Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 21:11
Agree with the Kiwi however you could also look at marine stoves that run on metho. You see them at camping and boat shows.
I dont think butane canisters are a suitable alternative. It seems from other posts they like exploding!
AnswerID:
290292
Reply By: Crackles - Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 23:06
Saturday, Mar 01, 2008 at 23:06
Here's a couple of stoves with a difference from
Primus that run on LP/Butane/White gas, Jet fuel, Diesel, Gasoline/Petrol, Kerosene/paraffin and other petroleum based fuels.
Should
cook your toast pretty quick on Jet Fuel but then if you're scared of gas I doubt you'd light this sucker up ;-))
Cheers Craig..............
AnswerID:
290315
Reply By: Kumunara (NT) - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 01:42
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 01:42
Chris
I changed to a Coleman dual fuel stove years ago.
Much better and safer than gas.
Tjilpi
AnswerID:
290327
Reply By: Harrow - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 10:41
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 10:41
Hi CS
Try This a Diesel glass top cooker from Wesbasto
Webasto web site
Cheers
Harrow
AnswerID:
290352
Reply By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 10:46
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 10:46
G'day cs
have experienced all your problems over the years.
We have purchased a Webasto Diesel ceramic
cook top and currently in the process of installing it
A little under $2k but a lifetime purchase and even better if your vehicle is diesel powered
AnswerID:
290353
Reply By: Member - CS (NSW/ACT) - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 17:59
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 17:59
Kiwi,
I know what you mean, but the problem wasn't so much the wind as the exposure of the gas hose to the flame in certain wind conditions. We'd even be happy with gas if it was more like a camper trailer kitchen where the gas line was copper and the bottle was
well away from the flame, but given we don't want the addition of a trailer (we have a rooftop and love the ease of it) the only option along those lines is a drifta kitchen. I'm thinking we might have to get some drawers and build one of the drifta tailgate kitchens into the drawer setup maybe??
Anyone done that?
Steve.
The cob is an option for those times when we're staying put but we don't do that very often, we're more likely to move every day.
Harrow and bungarra,
the diesel cooktop sounds perfect to be built into some drawers etc. but unfortunately we're not in that end of the market at the moment (maybe in a few years :)
I've just read the original post and this one again and it sounds like I'm being very negative and hard to please, it's just the whole issue is fraught with danger and I don't want SWMBO to be put off the exercise because of the cooking issue.
I think in the short term we might go the butane angle with a cob as a backup and keep the diesel cooker as a lotto/
grey nomad backup :)
Thanks everyone for the suggestions!
Cheers,
Chris
AnswerID:
290434
Follow Up By: Jim from Best Off Road - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 18:24
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 18:24
Chris,
Give me a call. I can work out a very cost effective solution for you including a drawer system.
03 9706 6527.
Jim.
FollowupID:
555784
Reply By: Big Woody - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 18:41
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 18:41
Hi Chris,
I share your concerns re: LPG stoves.
I have a range of gas and butane stoves to choos from depending on the type and duration of camping that I am doing but lately I have found myself taking the Metho stove from my yacht more and more.
They are very economical especially when you can pick up a 3 litre container of metho from the cheap shops sometimes for around $3. 3 litres if cooking every day including a few hot drinks through the day would last about a month I reckon.
I have a twin burner and a single burner metho stove and I like the idea that if there is an accident and someone knocks the stove over and metho spills and lights you can douse the fire quickly with water.
They don't like really strong wind so you would still need to shield the flame and they won't
cook quite as fast as gas but who is in a hurry when camping anyway.
Brett
AnswerID:
290439
Reply By: curious - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 20:56
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 20:56
CS,
I had a similar experience to you with the wind, was cooking on a gas stove with a towel draped around the outside of the wind deflector to reduce the wind effect and next thing I know, the towel is on fire along with the gas hose. Wasn't sure whether to run fast or try and turn off the gas.
I now use a Coleman dual fuel especially as the gas cooker was poor when the weather was extremely cold (gas didn't vaporise
well). I have a diesel as
well but carry a small 10 litre container of petrol. It fits in with the spare oil can, radiator fluid etc. I've never looked back since changing over to Coleman duel fuel. I have a Coleman Northstar lantern as
well. Brilliant light and very robust.
Regards,
Peter
AnswerID:
290461
Reply By: swampy66 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 21:23
Sunday, Mar 02, 2008 at 21:23
Camping mostly in WA i simply got sick and tired of the wind blowing my cooker flames out.
Ive gone to the coleman unleaded (thanx to the advice from this
forum) and now i have to carry a 4litre tin of unleaded - but ive not had the flame blow out yet - and it cooks much quicker than my metho trangia.
you will have a long tongue for the first 10 seconds - i can assure you of that and if you have any petrol phobia's - you might need to harden up.
good luck
swampy
AnswerID:
290471
Reply By: Robin Miller - Monday, Mar 03, 2008 at 10:18
Monday, Mar 03, 2008 at 10:18
Just get a braided hose Chris
AnswerID:
290543
Reply By: AdrianLR (VIC) - Monday, Mar 03, 2008 at 11:35
Monday, Mar 03, 2008 at 11:35
Try to find an old model Coleman 2 burner LPG that has the stacked corrugated burners rather than the standard chinese ones (the whole stove will be made in USA). These are regulated and are great for windy conditions. Then get a Coleman disposable cylinder attachment which is a metal tube. The cylinder sits to the side of the stove. We have this stove in our Trak Shak. For a quick stop I use a disposable (which I refill using a Mac Coupler) or for longer stays connect the hose to a 4.5kg cylinder.
It's still gas but no hose.
Adrian
AnswerID:
290559