Backpacking Basics: Lightweight Canister Stoves
Designed to provide torrents of on-demand heat regardless of the outside temperature, canister stoves are beautifully simplistic.
They consist of two parts: fuel (the canister) to which is attached a burner (the stove).
Stoves can weigh in at less than 3 ounces.
Add to the stove the weight of the fuel and you can still come in at less than a pound making canister stoves one of the easiest to carry items, essential to an enjoyable backpacking experience.
Using a canister stove is a snap.
Simply attach the stove to the canister (usually by screwing the stove onto the fuel cylinder which then serves as the stove's base), open the valve and light the burner, adjusting the fuel valve as needed for the cooking chore at hand.
The primary fuel used in canister stoves is a blended fuel comprised of n-butane, iso-butane, and propane.
Blended fuel is necessary to overcome the weight demands of canisters of pure propane which, under conditions common to backpacking, would require the use of heavy steel canisters to safely contain the vapor pressure of common propane.
Blended fuels also address the need for adequate fuel flow at low temperatures.
Canisters containing blended fuels come in different shapes and sizes as well as percentage of each fuel being blended.
(The more iso-butane the better the stove will perform at lower temperatures.
However, in cold temperatures you would still want to warm the canister before use as the warming allows the butane to vaporize and properly burn together with the other fuel components.
) Although there is a common standard (EN417) governing canister and valve (Lindal self-sealing) specifications, one can supposedly marry any screw-threaded valve to any screw-threaded canister.
For liability reasons, however, manufacturers tend to strongly endorse using only their canisters on their stoves.
Another concern raised by some is the compatibility of fuel to stoves if brands of the two differ.
This shouldn't be an issue as the differences between stoves are insufficient to require specialized fuel.
If clogging is the worry, dirty connectors on the fuel canister and stove are more to blame.
Keep them clean! Blow out the fittings before attaching the two components and, if available, use the plastic caps that often come with the canisters to protect against dirt when the unit is being transported or stored.
In using lightweight canister stoves: - Maximize heat transfer by using a wide pot for cooking and use a lid to hold in the steam.
-Adjust the burner to keep the flame low enough to prevent it from shooting up the outside edge of your pot, wasting both fuel and heat.
-Use a windscreen to prevent the wind from robbing heat on its way from the burner to your pot.
-Remember to warm up the fuel canister in cold weather before attaching the burner.
They consist of two parts: fuel (the canister) to which is attached a burner (the stove).
Stoves can weigh in at less than 3 ounces.
Add to the stove the weight of the fuel and you can still come in at less than a pound making canister stoves one of the easiest to carry items, essential to an enjoyable backpacking experience.
Using a canister stove is a snap.
Simply attach the stove to the canister (usually by screwing the stove onto the fuel cylinder which then serves as the stove's base), open the valve and light the burner, adjusting the fuel valve as needed for the cooking chore at hand.
The primary fuel used in canister stoves is a blended fuel comprised of n-butane, iso-butane, and propane.
Blended fuel is necessary to overcome the weight demands of canisters of pure propane which, under conditions common to backpacking, would require the use of heavy steel canisters to safely contain the vapor pressure of common propane.
Blended fuels also address the need for adequate fuel flow at low temperatures.
Canisters containing blended fuels come in different shapes and sizes as well as percentage of each fuel being blended.
(The more iso-butane the better the stove will perform at lower temperatures.
However, in cold temperatures you would still want to warm the canister before use as the warming allows the butane to vaporize and properly burn together with the other fuel components.
) Although there is a common standard (EN417) governing canister and valve (Lindal self-sealing) specifications, one can supposedly marry any screw-threaded valve to any screw-threaded canister.
For liability reasons, however, manufacturers tend to strongly endorse using only their canisters on their stoves.
Another concern raised by some is the compatibility of fuel to stoves if brands of the two differ.
This shouldn't be an issue as the differences between stoves are insufficient to require specialized fuel.
If clogging is the worry, dirty connectors on the fuel canister and stove are more to blame.
Keep them clean! Blow out the fittings before attaching the two components and, if available, use the plastic caps that often come with the canisters to protect against dirt when the unit is being transported or stored.
In using lightweight canister stoves: - Maximize heat transfer by using a wide pot for cooking and use a lid to hold in the steam.
-Adjust the burner to keep the flame low enough to prevent it from shooting up the outside edge of your pot, wasting both fuel and heat.
-Use a windscreen to prevent the wind from robbing heat on its way from the burner to your pot.
-Remember to warm up the fuel canister in cold weather before attaching the burner.