LPG bottle options

[swanny]

Hey all, after some of ur advice/experience regarding gas bottle options.

I ask as i am heading of in about 8 weeks for about 17 odd days into corner country. I am traveling in my truck (Patrol) with my father and my youngest son. I have rounded my cooking opitions down to a portable bbq plate over a fire when i can, but my fall back opition is a 2 burner gas stove.


My drama is soucing a gas bottle that i can carry either in my rear drawer sys, or in space case on the roof, whilst i can see the dangers in carring it in the veh, this is my prefered option, only because of the ease of setting up camp and cooking.

Now, i have seen a number of throw away/non refillabe type canisters, but not sure if they are LPG and would run my stove    , i have a 1kg, and 1.25kg bottle, but both are a touch to big to fit upright in my drawers, so does anyone now of a size bottle that would suit my needs 

As u could imagine it wll cold out where we are going in July, so how does propane work in colder times of the year, i have never used it,  i have plenty of experince with butane and how it will freeze up in colder times of the year, hence why i woud like to keep my second option as gas.

Anyway open to all comments and advice.

Thanks in advance

  Swanny.

[Mace]

Buy yourself something like this.  This is wat the small refill canisters you mention are are used for. We use ours for boiling the billy and quick meals.

Some can be found cheaper.

Refill Canisters are usually about $5 for 4 canisters.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Companion-Single-Burner-Butane-Gas-Stove-/170793243326?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item27c41212be

Make sure you follow the directions about size of saucepans etc youo put on it.

[swanny]

Buy yourself something like this.  This is wat the small refill canisters you mention are are used for. We use ours for boiling the billy and quick meals.

Some can be found cheaper.

Refill Canisters are usually about $5 for 4 canisters.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Companion-Single-Burner-Butane-Gas-Stove-/170793243326?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item27c41212be

Make sure you follow the directions about size of saucepans etc youo put on it.

Mace, thanks mate, but havng used butane in colder areas, i doubt it will work effectively in the part of the country we are heading, have used those stoves heaps and are great during warmer months.

Again thankyou

Swanny

[Hoyks]

There are the disposable single burner butane stoves. They work OK, as long as the temp doesn't get to zero as then they have a bit of trouble getting lit. I used one for a while and it was OK, nice and convenient to use too. The gas doesn't last a long time and you will need a six pack of cans or more. Cheap as chips at BigW/Kmart when on special too.


Or are these the propane bottles you are talking about? What the yanks call propane is what we call LPG, the standard BBQ type gas that you get everywhere.

http://www.kellyscamping.com.au/p/1165592/coleman-portable-gas-bottle.html

I'm not sure of the thread, but I think it is a standard thread to fit high pressure (non regulated) Coleman/Gasmate gas stoves. An adapter is available to make a fitting for a 9kg bottle and regulator screw into them too.


There is also an adapter available from the US so you can refill them at home from your 9kg, but don't tell anyone.

[Mace]

Mace, thanks mate, but havng used butane in colder areas, i doubt it will work effectively in the part of the country we are heading, have used those stoves heaps and are great during warmer months.

No worries,

LPG (Butane Propane mix) will also "freeze" usually at the jet or in the regulator/outlet when the temp gets near zero, because the butane content boils (becomes gaseous) just below 0 degrees C.  Propane boils and becomes gaseous at a much lower temp (-42 plus I think).

So, it would be great if you could get pure Propane for your BBQs in cold conditions, but you would probably have to go to a specialist supplier.  With  the usual LPG sold you will allways have problems as there is allways some butane content.

Wonder wat they use in Antarctica?

 

[Roo]

the trick to using butane in cold weather is to keep the cylinder warm. one trick is to put it in your swag so it isnt ice cold when you want to light the stove. Plan B is before bed, boil the billy and fill a thermos, then you can warm up your butane cylinder in the morning in a nice warm bath while you have a warm cuppa....or wait for the billy to boil again for a hot one.

[fuji]

Hi ya
If you have a space case on the roof can you not tie down a larger gas bottle. I tied down two on our roof right through the Kimberleys. Just curious.
Wayne

[Mace]

the trick to using butane in cold weather is to keep the cylinder warm. one trick is to put it in your swag so it isnt ice cold when you want to light the stove.

I allready sleep next to the two coldest feet in Australia!  I am not a masochist!!  I cant take any more fridgidity .

 

[Garry H]

have you thought about using a diesel (or fuel) stove, the Kimberly Karavans have them, not sure how good they are though......

[Hoyks]

Well, that is a whole new thread.

Dual fuel stoves are the go. 1L of unleaded or Coleman fuel lasts me for days.

[cheif carlos]

have you thought of a long hose - not sure of the max legal lenght and just leave the bottle on the roof and have reach up and turn on the bottle each time you want to use it

[xcvator]

Better check regulations before carrying a gas bottle on the roof, it's highly illegal in Vic
keith

[swanny]

Great info all, thankyou heaps.

I guess i'm leaning toward propane as an easy option, but does anyone know if the throw away type canisters can be fitted to ur standard 2 burner stove ?, or do i need some fittings to make it happen, or indeed do i need a purpose designed stove to run these type of canisters?

Again thankyou for ur replys.

Regards Luke.

[Hoyks]

I think you need an adaptor. Best bet is to go into a camping shop and have a look at the bottle and see what you need to make them fit your setup.

[cruisindub]

Better check regulations before carrying a gas bottle on the roof, it's highly illegal in Vic
keith

if you can't store gasbottles on the roof,illegal.
Can't store gas bottles behind the car,at the rear etc,
and eyeryone says to not store gas bottles inside the car, what are our options?

[britts]

You can but the LPG hose for the coleman hot water it should be the same conections.

[fuji]

Xcavator
Thanks for that, you would think being in the police force, I would know it was illegal but I didn't know. It was never covered in lectures etc. 20,000 kms arounf Oz and none of the boys in blue even looked. Surprised the RTA didnt see me and the zillion other cars with bottles on roofs. Lol thanks
Wayne

[UIZ733]

Bought one of these from Ray's ; http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/gear/cooking-and-heating/dual-fuel-stoves/dual-fuel™-sportster™-ii-stove.aspx
Cost $72. Excellent bit of gear.

[cruisindub]

Bought one of these from Ray's ; http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/gear/cooking-and-heating/dual-fuel-stoves/dual-fuel™-sportster™-ii-stove.aspx
Cost $72. Excellent bit of gear.

Looked at the dual fuel stove/cooker
Wondering, do they make your pots black? Make fuel smoke?  Smell etc.?
How adjustable are they? Are theysimple to use?

How do they compete with clean gas?-

[graham]

Swanny have you tried a gas supply  company (BOC, Supagas,CIG) i know you can get small canisters of selected gas from them( 400mm long x50-75mm dia) seen them the other day while chasing up some other gear . or you could get one of them U-BUTE cookers . i have one myself, for cooking while travelling in the car , a two burner unit, hot plate all in a big plastic carry case (about 700lgx 300w x180 deep) , so that might work for you and you could most probably carry it on the roofracks  dont know about your requirements , but might be an option you can get them off fleabay for well under $100.00       cheers Graham

[TOPNDR]

I'd suggest if you don't care for your family, carry a gas bottle in the back.

A young plumber, new to Darwin last year, is no longer. A gas bottle in the back of his work truck exploded as he started the car to go to work. 

I know it sounds callous, and the chances are slim that anything will go wrong, but if some one you love was in the back of that FJ Cruiser, they'd not be now!

[LJs GU]

X2 TOPNDR...

I have a client who lives(d) opposite to that poor bloke.  They had to spend a few hours finding and collating body parts apparently.  Some poor by stander on his morning walk was found aimlessly wandering around from the 'shell shock' as well.

I'm sure the young plumber would've thought that it'd never happen to him either... Just not worth the risk.
LJ

[chisel]

There are the disposable single burner butane stoves. They work OK, as long as the temp doesn't get to zero as then they have a bit of trouble getting lit. I used one for a while and it was OK, nice and convenient to use too. The gas doesn't last a long time and you will need a six pack of cans or more. Cheap as chips at BigW/Kmart when on special too.


Or are these the propane bottles you are talking about? What the yanks call propane is what we call LPG, the standard BBQ type gas that you get everywhere.

http://www.kellyscamping.com.au/p/1165592/coleman-portable-gas-bottle.html

I'm not sure of the thread, but I think it is a standard thread to fit high pressure (non regulated) Coleman/Gasmate gas stoves. An adapter is available to make a fitting for a 9kg bottle and regulator screw into them too.


There is also an adapter available from the US so you can refill them at home from your 9kg, but don't tell anyone.

These are the go.  I always keep one as a backup.  Saves having 2 larger bottles.  They work just fine.

[xcvator]

Xcavator
Thanks for that, you would think being in the police force, I would know it was illegal but I didn't know. It was never covered in lectures etc. 20,000 kms arounf Oz and none of the boys in blue even looked. Surprised the RTA didnt see me and the zillion other cars with bottles on roofs. Lol thanks
Wayne

Yeah, I think it goes back to when cars were being converted to gas before there were any regulations and any man and his dog would do it. The authorities realized that the gas bottle on the roof could become a highly lethal projectile/bomb in the case of an accident and outlawed it.
Just a bit more useless information for you   

[UIZ733]

Coleman operate similarly to gas. No black pots etc. Very hot flame.