Butane Stoves - Pros, Cons

[Viking1204]

LOL I am learning that! Was online yesterday and learned my options are limited:

• Amazon will not ship to my address
• REI no longer carries them and shipping to my local store for pickup is also not an option
• Big 5 Sporting goods has a generic brand but is in stock
• Home Depot I can ship to store the Gas One cannisters but 8 pack is minimum
• Walmart has them locally, I believe the Coleman branded cannisters

I am probably going to get 4 from Walmart.

I bring along a 5 pound propane tank for my propane firepit. It is fine for 3-5 days if I am careful with the night time firepit use and keep it at 50% or less. I have a few green propane canisters that I think I will use up on the Gas One stove before switching over to the butane cannisters to use after the green bottles are depleted. I am not a fan of the waste but seriously one green 1 pounder of propane lasts me 8-10 days of camping easy. That is how frugal I am on the cooking, they are all quick 5 to 10 minute cooks. 8-10 days of camping is about what I do in a year, although I would like to start doing more.

If you buy the adapter it is pretty easy to refill the little one pound propane tanks. The trick is to put the tanks in the freezer before you fill them to get the most in!

 

[Dead_Raven]

Update on my butane/propane use. I did a week long trip around WV and temps dropped around freezing temps at night, had some trouble with the butane canisters, as they get colder during use and the flame would start to sputter out while boiling water, i would have to switch cans, or keep one in my jacket so i could use it. I ended up buying a 5 pound propane tank so will use it as my primary fuel, but will still throw a can of of the butane i have in with my gear as back up since i have the dual fuel stove.

Yes, I watch a few people on YouTube that overland in winter. Their suggestions are to either take the canisters and pack them in your sleeping bag with you to keep warm. Or use a multifuel setup. I think msr is one of the brands that has some available.

 

[ontos]

We like butane both for overlanding and cooking on the boat. Asian grocery stores are a great reliable source of cheap butane. Look for H Mart groceries or similar. Butane is popular for hotpot and Korean BBQ.