Gas Stoves - Compare Other Fuels, and Improvements in Design

[Nuts]

Yer, we normally balance them on something... When it is well into the minuses we have tried large windshields surrounding canisters And stoves as well as inverting.. always seems a bit dangerous and a chore. We use kovea cylinders mostly. The setup is clean and easy but it Seems less efficient and they never seem to give the constant strong burn i remember from shellite days. Otherwise they (windpro) are a good simple stove... weve had two that have failed, most likely from kinked lines but they are reliable. We really need them to be more efficient (and easily user so) though... sometimes 2/3 cylinders a day for large groups!

[Tony]

Hi Nuts,

Yer, we normally balance them on something... When it is well into the minuses we have tried large windshields surrounding canisters And stoves as well as inverting.. always seems a bit dangerous and a chore. We use kovea cylinders mostly. The setup is clean and easy but it Seems less efficient and they never seem to give the constant strong burn i remember from shellite days. Otherwise they (windpro) are a good simple stove... weve had two that have failed, most likely from kinked lines but they are reliable. We really need them to be more efficient (and easily user so) though... sometimes 2/3 cylinders a day for large groups!

Thanks for that information, I have never used a Windpro, though I am thinking of getting one, I have a Coleman Extreme which works very well down to -20C.

Do you use 230g or 450g canisters as you can save weight with the 450g canisters.

Tony

[Nuts]

Mostly the smaller ones Tony. I have paid close attention to the windpro on private walks and this (adjusting flame, letting things soak and cook through off the stove, getting the setup as warm as poss on cold nights etc) can make a big difference in the amount of gas used. They are strong and simple, just be a bit careful not to wrap the line to tightly (ie back through the stove) when packing. The kink in the line renders them useless (unless you have access to a way to remove/apply/fix those pressure fittings. They also sometimes jam in the valve but that seems to loosen, havent pulled one apart as yet. If your handy I can see if any of the broken ones are still about (they may have been ditched..?)

[Charlievee]

Hey team. Tony, you've raised some good points. I never knew that there had been such advancements with gas stoves. Thanks for the update. The fact that alcohol/metho is a renewable resource has certainly crossed my mind when selecting fuel. Add to this then, the fossil fuels and whatever used to produce those gas containers. I guess we're surrounded by these choices, and we do the best we can with what we know. We go with our hearts and recycle what we can. I guess for me, although I take on board that shellite is a non renewable resource, it still (for me) represents the highest heat, least waste and most efficient fuel source. In the big picture my heart rests easy as the shellite I use in my stove for a years hiking wouldn't get me to work, and I have a pretty small car. I hope I didn't offend. HYOH ; Regards, CV