Gas Canisters in the cold.
Submitted: Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 17:59
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Lozza - NSW
I used to use those single burner butane stoves for roadside lunch stops for our annual holidays in Julu, but found that the flame would die away to next to nothing, then found you had to warm the can to get it to work again. Not to mention setting up the case the stove came in and the one for the hotplate as a "fort" to protect it from the wind! To combat this, I bought the Coleman Eventemp 3 Burner Stove and the Griddle with Grease Cup. Top unit! With it, I can use the Coleman green LPG canisters or a gas cylinder. To save space, I am going to use the Coleman green LPG canisters. Since it's LPG and not straight butane and it's in a more robust container, is it affected in the same way with the cold, or will it be fine with it?
Reply By: MrBitchi (QLD) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 18:17
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 18:17
I've got a Coleman 2 burner that uses those canisters. I've got a photo of one of the canisters covered in ice down at
Mungo National Park. Burner just kept right on burning ;)
I usually use a 2kg LPG bottle though, as the cannisters get a tad expensive after a while..
AnswerID:
458884
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 20:45
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 20:45
The "disposable" Coleman canisters can be refilled which makes them "as cheap as".
Using a 'Mac Coupler' the canisters can be refilled from a standard gas bottle with a POL fitting.
And they are perfectly safe to use.
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Follow Up By: MrBitchi (QLD) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 21:02
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 21:02
I have a Mac Coupler.. Never managed to get a canister to completely fill. Tried freezing them etc.. No joy. Can only ever get them about half full. Easier to use the 2kg bottle IMO.
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732478
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 21:24
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 21:24
Perhaps you're not doing it correctly?
I chill the cylinders down for 20 mins or so (in the summer months), connect them up and 60 secs later, turn off the valve. I refill from a 4.5kg gas bottle and tip the coupled bottle and cylinder upside down while refilling. It is actually liquid you are transferring.
By weight, a refilled cylinder is close to the weight of a new one so they are as near to full as one could expect.
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Reply By: Patrol22 - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 18:30
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 18:30
The gas cannisters are butane only and when you get below zero degrees the flame will diminish and eventually extinguish. I've heard that you can get a butane/propane mix in these cannisters these days but bu$$ered if I've been able to find them.
AnswerID:
458890
Follow Up By: Member - Clive G (NZ) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 19:22
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 19:22
Have that freezing problem over here with the straight Butane canisters. The Butane/LPG mix type is a big improvement, having used them above the snow line with only a little bit of flame loss.
Supermarkets, Bunnings and S/Cheap type stores only seem to stock straight Butane. I get mine from camping and outdoor/tramping type
places. The LPG is called Propane on all the cans I’ve ever had, but the ratio varies a bit by brand. Kovea make a 5% mix which is no better than straight Butane in the cold. Gasmate do a 20% mix which is about as good as it gets. There are other brands as
well.
I don’t keep my camping gear at
home so I can’t quote the brands and part No’s of the ones that I have at the moment. If you’re interested I can get that info tomorrow.
Clive.
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Reply By: garrycol - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 18:30
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 18:30
Lozza,
Living in
Canberra I know what you mean about the little single burner stoves. However I have heard (but not tested it myself) that the disposable cans that are sold in Big W have a different composition gas inside and it does not freeze like the others and as a result the little stoves can be used in below 0 conditions.
As I said - I have heard it but not tested myself.
Garry
AnswerID:
458891
Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 20:01
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 20:01
Agree, the BigW ones in the blue can are a gas mix and work better. I have swapped between two canisters in cold weather until I get a bit of warm water going and then sit the can in that to get it's temp up a bit.
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Follow Up By: BFreer - Friday, Jul 01, 2011 at 08:41
Friday, Jul 01, 2011 at 08:41
Standard butane has a freezing point around 5degrees which is why it is hopless in very cold weather. Elemental and Gasmate used to have a 20% propane/80% butane mix that was good for around -10 degrees but that seems hard/impossible to get. Big W sell IsoButane which is a better bet than straight butane and has a freeze point of around -5'.
Hope this helps
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732493
Reply By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 19:37
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 19:37
Gday
Read post 81384 ... another Robin Miller
test...
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458898
Reply By: Member - reggy 2 (VIC) - Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 19:47
Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 at 19:47
WE just take the can out give it a good shake put it back in works fine again.
cheers
AnswerID:
458899
Reply By: Member - Trouper (NSW) - Friday, Jul 01, 2011 at 09:17
Friday, Jul 01, 2011 at 09:17
Get rid of the gas............go for the Coleman Dual Fuel Single Burner stove, it burns hotter than gas and wont let you down in the cold weather Run it on Shellite or unleaded petrol, safe as, if by chance it leaks you can smell it, not like gas lerking in the bottom of your vehicle waiting to blow.
regards..jeff
AnswerID:
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