Two years, and I still have stupid questions.

[. Kirby]

Good to hear that the hissing noise is normal. I have only been using canister stoves for about a year and thought I was removing it too slowly or too quickly or something.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

> You can buy a small tool that punctures expires canisters which then makes them safe to recycle.

Is this tool made by Ruger, by chance?

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Bob

> What about the Hank Roberts Mini Stove that we discussed here recently?
OK, good point.
Can I modify my statement to 'the only widely available canister stove was the Bluet'?

Cheers

[Misfit Mystic]

It's kinda crazy; after 25 years of working as a guide, patroller, SAR, EMT, avi controller, etc. and I still come up with "stupid" questions. I know a whole lot; knowing EVERYTHING? I'll pass. That would take most of the fun out of it…

[James Marco]

Stupid Question??? No sech animal…

Well, generally no, you don't need to keep them attached. However, not all Lindal valves are created equal. Some do not reseal that well. Some not at all, and some with very slow leaks. I have had this happen both ways. One was anoying, the other meant getting a cook fire going. In that case, I would have been better off leaving the thing attached, in the other I had a spare.

Sometimes the stoves, being so cheaply manufactured, can leak. You need to unscrew them as soon as you are done. Dirt, sand, water, ice, can all cause valves to not work quite right. Usually when turning a stove off, of course. And, the temp changes can cause the valve to stick. As the metals warm up, they expand, often leaking slightly if you don't give them an extra crank after a few minutes.

Lots of points of failure with presurized devices, except lighting them, of course.

[Mark Ries]

The can opener on a swiss army knife or like they used to open beer cans b4 pull tabs works fine you just have to puncture the side of the can. I shake my head when I see the tool they sell to recycle canisters

[Paul Magnanti]

You most definitely can recycle the isobutane canisters. Have to empty them first, then you can place them in your recycle bin. Check with your local municipality first, though!

FWIW SnoPeak and JetBoil both sell tools meant for puncturing cans and MSR has recycle info on its webpage. REI, too.

Having said that, I don't think a special tool is needed. :)

http://www.pmags.com/recycling-backpacking-fuel-canisters

[Chad “Stick” Poindexter]

I don't always use canister stoves… but when I do I use a cheapo bottle opener to puncture the empty can when I am finished with it…

[Dave T]

Agree with Chad. I run them down to empty at the end, write "EMPTY" on them with a Sharpie in a couple places, puncture them liberally with a can opener, and put in my normal recycling. Now that I think about it, I got the idea from Mags… thanks!

[scree ride]

Weigh an empty and weigh a full can. Then you'll be able to judge how much you use on an average trip and how much you have left. Then you'll know if the canister is worth repacking or not.

[Mobile Calculator]

…

[Dale Wambaugh]

No problem if it leaks out— just refill it with your bike pump :)

"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing"
— Socrates

Who also said, "the unexamined life is not worth living."

Keep examining!

[Erik G]

Honestly this is a good question, and +1 the only stupid question is the one unasked. :)

WRT recycling, sometimes just puncturing the canister isn't enough, since it still looks like a pressurized fuel container. So, easy solution is to crush it after puncturing it. A hammer or large rock does the trick more than adequately. Also makes an empty canister easier to pack out. :)

[Greg Mihalik]

"So, easy solution is to crush it after puncturing it."

The recycle folks are still going to look for obvious big holes to be sure, so crush with care.

[Bob Gross]

"Can I modify my statement to 'the only widely available canister stove was the Bluet'?"

Meet Roger, our revisionist moderator.

–B.G.–

[Roger Caffin]

Hi James

> However, not all Lindal valves are created equal. Some do not reseal that well.
> Some not at all, and some with very slow leaks.

I have some trouble with these claims. The Lindal Group are VERY careful about the specs on the valves and how well they seal. The outsides may differ between canister brands, but the valve mechanism inside is pretty standard, and reliable. They have to pass very stringent DoT regulations before they can be put on the market.

I have only met one Western canister with any leak, and I am fairly sure that was due to dirt in the valve. I gave it a quick tap with the end on a Ti stake to crack the valve open and flush the dirt out and all was well.

The most common fault, if it can be called that, is when a paint can blocks up and won't spray. That is NOT a fualt of the valve but a user error. They did not shake the can before use for long enough (per the instructions on the label) and a blob of paint went up the intake tube. Cheap paint?

What you can get on Chinese canisters – who knows. I do know that some of them cannot be imported into Australia for safety reasons, which I think are due to the copied valve not working very well. perhaps some of them have crept into the USA market?

> Sometimes the stoves, being so cheaply manufactured, can leak. You need to unscrew
> them as soon as you are done. Dirt, sand, water, ice, can all cause valves to not
> work quite right. Usually when turning a stove off, of course.
To be sure, you get dirt, sand, whatever into a seal or a needle valve seat and it can leak. But blaming this on the stove being cheaply manufactured is just plain wrong. The same will happen with the most expensive seal or needle valve made. My experience here has been that soem Chinese canisters do contain dirt, or fine dust, and this stuff can and will cause problems. I returned the canisters and got my money back.

Should one detach the stove from the canister overnight?
Well, it does not hurt (much) to do so, the Lindal valve is very reliable, and it avoids any chance of damage to the stove in the middle of the night. The one problem you will run into is that the brass thread on the stove will wear against the half-formed steel thread on the canister. But that takes a long while and many cycles of screw/unscrew to happen. When it happens – fail safe! The stove will not connect.

Cheers

[Author]

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