Welcome, guest [login | register]

Posted by Bill S on October 23, 2006 at 8:51:34 pm EDT
In reply to Fuel Canisters posted by Jonathan on October 23, 2006 at 8:02:21 pm EDT

REI.com doesn't list the 225 and 450 gram canisters, which are much less than the 100 gram per gram of fuel. But it looks like some of the other companies have discovered the huge markups they can charge for the small canisters. Although that's less for the Snow Peak than I recall. My last 2 were a Primus 450g @ $7 (0.016/g) and a Markill 227 g @ $5 (0.022/g, but that's a more expensive isobutane mix, with my last Primus 225 g costing $4, or 0.018/g). At 2 ounces/person-day (summer usage, mostly heat water for rehydrating freezedry plus a couple cups of coffee), that's $0.62/p-d for the Markill half-pounder, $0.45/p-d for the Primus one pound, and $0.76/p-d for the Snow Peak tiny quarter-pound canister, getting awfully close to double the cost of the 450 g canister for the same amount of fuel. In terms of carry-out weight, the larger canisters are also less weight as empties per person-day.

For comparison, buying white gas in the much more expensive quart containers, the liquid fuel equivalent is about the same as the half-pounder canisters in cost per person-day, but drops to about half that if you buy it in the gallon containers. Plus the fuel bottles are reusable, and weigh less per person-day, and are easy to judge at the start of the trip for amount of fuel needed. (No, don't ask why MSR "superfuel" costs as much as a gallon of regular old Coleman fuel - I have no idea, other than it having the MSR label).

Another consideration is that the tiny canisters are basically 2 person-days, the half-pounder is 4 person-days (or 2 people for a weekend trip), and the full pound (450 gram) is close to 8 person-days. You can be conservative on your fuel usage and cut that to somewhere between 1 and 1.5 ounces per person-day. But you have to have a good idea of how much is left in that partially used canister (I weigh the canisters after each trip and mark the weight with a grease pencil, subtracting off the empty canister weight, so I know whether to take a spare canister).

Replies

View: flat | threaded

• Re: Fuel Canisters - Cowboypacker 01:56:13 10/24/2006
  • Stoves - newer isn't always better. - SteveTheFolkie 13:01:38 10/27/2006
    • Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - Bill S 17:28:14 10/27/2006
      • Re: Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - SteveTheFolkie 10:43:55 11/08/2006
        • Re: Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - Bill S 11:36:13 11/08/2006
          • Stoves - seward (Guest) 13:58:13 11/09/2006
            • Re: Stoves - Bill S 15:30:21 11/09/2006
        • The lightest stove - - SteveTheFolkie 10:46:17 11/08/2006
      • Re: Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - Chumango 07:49:32 10/30/2006
        • Re: Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - Bill S 14:11:08 10/30/2006
          • Re: Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - Jim S 22:14:34 11/10/2006
            • Welcome back, Jimmy!!! - Bill S 11:27:00 11/11/2006
              • Re: Welcome back, Jimmy!!! - Jim S 12:35:59 11/11/2006
          • Re: Stoves need tender and loving maintenance - Chumango 14:51:21 10/30/2006

Post a Reply

Before replying, please read the complete thread.