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Everyone 'knows' about the hazards of putting a windshield anywhere near a canister stove or of letting a canister of gas get too hot. Some brands of stoves come with quite extraordinary warnings about this, threatening immediate explosions and loss of life and limb. However, despite these warnings many experienced walkers don't hesitate to use a windshield around their stove. In fact, under some conditions a windshield is essential if you want your pot to boil at all. Curiously, precious few explosions have ever been recorded. Will canisters really explode, or is this just a myth spread by the stove companies?

ARTICLE OUTLINE

  • Introduction
  • Warning and Disclaimer
  • Contents
  • Sources of Information
  • Safety Standards: EN 417:2003-09, EN 521, DOT
    • Explanation of columns
    • Comments on Rows
  • Canister Construction
    • The Thread on the Can
    • Lindal Valve
    • The Rest of the Can
  • Test Requirements to meet Standards
  • Pressure-Temperature Relationship for Common Canister Mixes
  • Judging a Safe-to-Touch Temperature
  • Real Life Field Use
  • Experimental Testing
  • Experimental Results
    • The Dummy Run
    • The Real Run
  • Analysis
    • Limits to the Test
    • Behaviour of the Canister
  • Safety Summary

# WORDS: 8150
# PHOTOS: 11

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