Inverted Canister stove efficiency vs Climbers canister stove efficiency

[Royal Magnell]

I'm aware of two techniques for using canister stoves in sub-freezing weather. The first is to invert the canister by separating the stove from the fuel thus creating a liquid feed. These seems popular around here.

The second and seemingly older method is to use copper tubing to use a small amount of heat from the stoves burner to warm the canister, thus increasing the canister's pressure to normal levels. This method, I realize is slightly more complicated that I'm explaining and I know that many consider it dangerous.

However, setting aside the fact that it may be dangerous are they equal in efficiency? If not, is the amount significant?

I'd be curious as to how much fuel people find themselves consuming using canister stoves + these two methods to melt snow.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Royal

First off, we have MANY articles on the use of canister stoves in winter time, and they will cover most of your questions. All you need to do to be able to read them is to become a subscriber.

The copper wire trick is well-known, but not hugely effective. That means that in really cold weather you may still end up with a canister containing little but butane – which isn't evaporating.

Once a liquid-feed stove is running the fuel consumption is the same as for a gas-feed stove.

Cheers

[Paul McLaughlin]

You might say there is a third method – the hanging stove. The idea is that with a hanging stove in a tent, you warm the inside of the tent up enough so that the stove is operating in a warmer atmosphere than you'd otherwise have, and since it's hanign it's up in that warm air more than it would be if it were on the ground. Don't have experience with it myself, but it's the way some do it.

[Author]

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