Two years, and I still have stupid questions.

[Max Dilthey]

Stupid Question:

I've never used a Canister stove. I have a Snow Peak GigaPower. I've read a bunch of articles on safe use but I can't find an answer to a simple question:

Once you screw a canister on, do you have to leave it on until it's empty?

If so, isn't it awkward to pack? How do you pack it?

[Justin Baker]

"Once you screw a canister on, do you have to leave it on until it's empty?"
No.

[Richard Fischel]

for storage/packing and reattaching teh burner when you need it.

[Max Dilthey]

So I just unscrew it when I'm done cooking, and the canister will keep its gas until the next use?

[Gary Dunckel]

Max, this isn't a stupid question at all. For years, I would just leave the stove screwed onto the canister over night, or for as long as I would be at the same campsite. Then one time, my silly partner left the "volume knob" slightly open just before he hit the sack, and all the fuel escaped overnight. We were in a bad way the next morning–no coffee, cold oatmeal, etc. Fortunately, we were headed back to the truck that day.

Now I prefer to unscrew the canister and replace the plastic cap that came with it, and place the stove in a Ziploc freezer bag in case it rains overnight. When packing up the next morning for a hike to the next campsite, I disassemble everything and put it in my SP 600 pot, which then goes into a custom cuben bag for secure storage.

[Rusty Beaver]

Yep. The canister is self-sealing.

[Max Dilthey]

Neat! Time to cook!

I've got wood and canisters down now, I'll let you know when I tackle alcohol and white gas.

[John S.]

Make sure your stove adjustment valve is in off position before attaching/detaching canister.

[Max Dilthey]

Information on compatible canisters, videos on use, and basic practices for fuel conservation, safe windscreen use, and canister attachment were all readily available. Just the real simple question seemed to elude me. Maybe I missed it in the manual…

[michael levi]

If canisters leaked gas when you removed the stove… think about it.

[Max Dilthey]

No, I assumed you screwed it on and used the stove however many times you could until the canister was empty, then removed it and recycled it.

[Stephen Barber]

The cannister may give a short "Hssss" when you screw off the stove. That's just due to the very brief time it takes for the rubber gasket to reseal. No worries.

A long continued hissing would be a serious problem.

[Max Dilthey]

Cool, got it.

Thanks for all the help and tips, everyone :D

BPL: A safe place for stupid questions!

[Daryl and Daryl]

Max,

The old Bluet stove had a canister that couldn't be removed until it was empty. It was a real pain.

[John Hillyer]

btw- you are not likely to find anywhere that will recycle the canisters. They are considered hazardous waste. I have found one place that would take them to use as targets to shoot at :-)

[Max Dilthey]

Huh. I guess I'll start a small canister graveyard in my barn…

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

You can buy a small tool that punctures expires canisters which then makes them safe to recycle. Pragmatically though, it's a bit of a pain.

For me, one of the big draws to alcohol is the low cost and simplicity of it. There's no $9 canisters, or 1/3 full canisters that I should be using up but don't really want to bring because I hate to carry two. Alcohol is slow, but it's super cheap and you can bring however much fuel you want. I find canisters to be the nicest to cook with (fast, simple) but alcohol is nicer to plan and carry. They're both nice options that are way better than a stove you have to pump.

[Max Dilthey]

When I find a really interesting craft brew can, I'll make my own alcohol stove and try that, too. I won't be caught dead converting Bud Light. Appearances are everything.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Max

The early Bleuet canisters used a stove which actually punctured the steel canister – a hypodermic-like spike was screwed in. A rubber ring sealed the connection. For this reason you could not remove the stove once it had been attached, until the canister was empty. The Bleuet system is now regarded as dangerous – and I agree.

The next step was the development of the screw-thread canister by Epi-Gas in the UK, in order to allow safe stove removal. They took an existing 'Lindal' valve of known performance and had a steel canister made up to go with it. This Lindal valve comes in many variations and is used in nearly every pressurised canister in the world. Oh, to have shares in the German Lindal company!

You can read lots more about this in the Bushwalking FAQ (which I maintain) at http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/.

The short answer to you question is that the modern canister design ASSUMES you will remove the stove from the canister after every use.

Cheers

[Mary D]

There's no such thing as a stupid question! The only stupidity is not asking the question!

I've been backpacking for 72 years and still don't know everything!

Back in the 1980's when the only canister stove was the Bluet, you did have to keep the stove screwed on until the canister was empty. Now that we have all sorts of stoves/canisters with Lindahl valves, this isn't an issue. Just one example of why learning never stops!

I do put my ear to the top of the canister after I remove the burner–just in case there's escaping gas (in which case I'd put the burner back on in a hurry). I have never had this happen, though.

[Max Dilthey]

It seemed like one of those questions that almost everyone must know, but I'm sitting here screwing it on wondering whether I've just "broken the seal" so to speak.

From what I've read on the BPL threads regarding this stove, the Gigapower canisters and the MSR canisters both work, correct?

(stove is the Snow Peak GigaPower)

[Mary D]

While Snow Peak claims their warranty isn't effective except with Snow Peak canisters (unless they've recently given up that futile attempt to sell their fuel), the Lindahl valves are interchangeable. In other words, Snow Peak will never know what brand canisters you use!

[Gary Dunckel]

Yes, Mary, but MSR sorta might. I usually have to screw my SP Giga another ~1/4 turn to get them to properly engage into an MSR canister. I think MSR's Lindel valve is a bit different, such that you have to screw the stove a little more, a little deeper, if you will.

[Jake D]

I said screw you to the MSR can opener tool and used a screwdriver and a hammer ;)

for me, the convenience of instant on/off and boiling water in 3 mins is worth dealing with canisters. i did the full long trail on one canister. that would have been 18-20oz of alcohol. I think you'll like it.

If you know you're going to cook breakfast you might as well leave everything ready to go. otherwise pack it all up. definitely keep the plastic cap to keep dirt etc out of the valve.

[Bob Gross]

"Back in the 1980's when the only canister stove was the Bluet, you did have to keep the stove screwed on until the canister was empty."

I don't believe this is accurate. What about the Hank Roberts Mini Stove that we discussed here recently?

–B.G.–

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