fuel for MSR pocket rocket

[Cameron Wildeman]

I bought a msr pocket rocket this summer, and have some fuel questions. When I purchased it I was told only to use MSR fuel canisters. Yesterday I was reviewing Eric the Blacks gear list, and i noticed that he seems to be using the Snow Peak Giga Power Pro Iso Fuel Gold – 110 canister.

I have no doubt that if it works for Eric, it will work for me. However, in case i come across a situation where i cannot find an MSR canister, i would like to understand the technical details behind deciding what fuel canisters can be used with my pocketrocket (and other stoves).

Can anyone point me to a reputable source for this info?

[Bob Gross]

Cam, most of the small or large canisters that you will find in the stores are a butane blend, and they all work good. I see little difference in MSR, Snow Peak, or one or two others.

The exception to this rule of thumb is Coleman. I get poor cold weather performance with the Coleman gray canisters, so I will be avoiding them in the future.

All of this applies to Pocket Rockets, Gnats, and a couple of other stoves here.

–B.G.–

[Dena Kelley]

Canister fuel is canister fuel- this is like someone saying your Chevrolet can only run off of Chevron gasoline and not Tesoro or Costco's gasoline.

I have an MSR Pocket Rocket as my primary backpacking stove, and I use the propane/isobutane mixes from Jeboil (Jetboil Jetpower) and Primus (Primus Power Gas 4 season Mix) with my Pocket Rocket with absolutely no issues. If it has a compatible thread, and it's a propane/isobutane mix,there is no reason to have any brand loyalty. I generally buy mine at Wal-Mart.

[mik matra]

It is just a marketing thing for MSR to sell their fuel and make more money rather than a competitor.

[Cameron Wildeman]

This is good to know. Thanks all.

[steven franchuk]

The main difference between the brands is the fuel mixture. Most canisters have a mixture of Butane and propane. Cheaper brands like coleman which might be filled with just butane. Propane has a lower boiling point than butane which helps the stove in cold weather. The other issue is that there are 2 types of butane MSR and SnowPeak use isobutane while cheaper brands will use regular butane. The difference between isobutane and regular butane is that the shape of the molecule is different and That difference results in isobutane having a lower boiling point. Which again helps cold weather performance.

for all practical purposes MSR, Snow Peak, and Jetboil canisters will work better in cold weather due to the use Isobutane with some propane. Cheaper brands may have little if any propane and will typically use regular butane instead of the more expensive isobutane.

Other than the fuel mixture the only real difference is the external shape of the canister and the amount of fuel inside. Widder canisters are more stable while narrow canisters my pack nicely into your cook kit.

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