Canister size questions

I got a new micro rocket burner as I prepare for a 7 day back country trip . Normally I would need 1 1/2 to 2 Lts of white gas for my whisper light. 

So my question is since grams are going to count on this trip ( big elevation but not great altitude  ) how many hours of burn can I expect from a 4oz and 8 oz canister of 20/80 mix 

Paul 

Can't answer your question directly because I don't measure fuel use by the hour. Using my Micro I figure about 5g per 16oz boil. That is actually more fuel and water than my average boil in the field, but I use that for calculating to create a built in cushion. Windy conditions or cold weather requiring extra hot beverages aren't a concern that way and I have a little extra in case I meet someone who has run out.

This may or may not help:

http://zenstoves.net/

I mostly just boil water two times a day (about two cups at a time). I figure an 8oz canister will last me about 8-10 days when solo. And this is very conservative as I leave a sizable margin for error (maybe I'll decide to fry something or have more coffee, etc..)

I've done an 8 day trip at higher elevation (between 9-10K feet most days) with two people boiling twice a day, sharing a large pot, and we did not run out of fuel using an 8oz canister.

Hikin Jim has some great stove info:

https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/?_sm_au_=ijVVLGK47P2vQr4H

I think this is the article you want:

https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/search?q=how+much+fuel&_sm_au_=ijVVLGK47P2vQr4H

Thanks gentleman. I should be able to figure this out from there . 

Patman I'll be hanging around the 10,000' area and 2 people per stove. But I like my backcountry tea and boil most of my trail water.

so I'm look at boiling almost a gallon a day.

Paul,

The small over-canister stoves used in conjunction with a wind screen give me about 3-4 days use under the conditions and production you describe.

Ed 

BTW, Paul,

Water for two is close to 2 gallons/day, often more.  So getting four days is a very good yield.

Thanks for that . Of course I'm talking about imperial gallons lol. The odd fish and pancake fry. 

The problem here is that everybody's way of wasting fuel, er, I mean, efficiency of using fuel is different. By years of experience, I run close to 2 ounces of fuel per person-day if I am simply boiling water for oatmeal  for breakfast and freeze-dry for dinner, plus a cup of hot chocolate at breakfast and a cup of tea for supper.

This assumes a hiking summer day at about 10-15 thousand feet altitude.

In winter, where I have to melt snow for the water, 8 ounces per day is typical.

I find the same numbers for white gas and compressed gas fuel.

YOUR MILEAGE WILL VARY according to your personal habits. On some trips, I get 1.5 oz/person-day, while on others it is closer to 5-6 oz.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET A GOOD ESTIMATE IS TO RUN A SERIES OF TEST RUNS AT HOME

Part of the variability is - with your liquid fuel stove, how efficient are you at priming the stove? I have seen "experienced" backpackers who will use 1 oz per person-day and others (with "decades" of experience) burn double or triple the fuel, thanks to leaving the stove burn between courses of the meal ("I don't want to have to re-start the stove" --- frequently compressed gas users who don't want to waste matches).

Ummmm....Ed, some people might interpret your comment on the windshield the wrong way - that is, having a windshield placed in such a way as to reflect the heat back onto the butane canister....which can lead to an overheated canister. I have seen canisters explode when someone did not know to use a windshield that shields from the wind, but not reflecting the heat on the canister or fuel bottle.

Bill S said:

Ummmm....Ed, some people might interpret your comment on the windshield the wrong way - that is, having a windshield placed in such a way as to reflect the heat back onto the butane canister....which can lead to an overheated canister. I have seen canisters explode when someone did not know to use a windshield that shields from the wind, but not reflecting the heat on the canister or fuel bottle.

Good point! 

If using a wind shield one also must insert a heat reflector (normally the same foil as used to make the wind shield) between the burner and the canister to shield the canister from radiating heat.  Most wind shields come all the way to the ground causing heat to build up within the confines of the shield.  This heat is also a safety hazard, so not only do you need to use a heat reflector between the burner and canister, but you should provide some means to ventilate the air space around the canister.  Elevating the wind shield one inch off the ground will suffice.

Ed

For me 3 oz per person is safe daily number, covering unexpectedly cold weather and other possible situations with reasonable margin of safety.

whomeworry said:

This heat is also a safety hazard, so not only do you need to use a heat reflector between the burner and canister, but you should provide some means to ventilate the air space around the canister.  

That's true! Once I covered my stove with wind shield really tightly and completely forgot that the weather is too warm for that. The excess heat under the stove caused the plastic regulator knob to begin melting, I've even left my fingerprints on it while trying to shut it down. It was really close to explosion of my gas canister.

I make a 16 oz cannister of MSR fuel last me a long time, often as much as a month by cooking one meal a day. I cook pasta or Ramen noodles. 

I only bring the water to a boil, then add the pasta, turn off the heat, stir and cover with the pot lid, then wrap the cook pot in a extra piece of clothing to insulate and set to a side. I will then do something else for 10-20 minutes, then remove the insulation and cover, and its cooked. 

No need to simmer any thing that only need water at boiling and just below for 10-20 minutes. The water temp will only decrease by 30 degree from 210 degrees (boiling) 180 is still warm enough for dehydrated foods to cook soft.

I have done this method of cooking for almost 40 years since my first cannister stove back in 1978 in Alaska.

BTW I don't use a Jet Boil pot, just a 1 qt MSR stowaway pot with a sealable lid.And for the last 16 years I have used a MSR Pocket Rocket stove. I generally buy the 16 oz mixed fuel MSR or simular brands of fuel. The cannister is the biggest and stands well when cooking on the ground.

Ed 

BTW, Paul,

Water for two is close to 2 gallons/day, often more.  So getting four days is a very good yield.

I should have have said per/person

Ed 

BTW, Paul,

Water for two is close to 2 gallons/day, often more.  So getting four days is a very good yield.

I should have have said per/person

Buy two fuel canisters. One of each size you plan to use, put stove on them and run both at full blast, wide open, and measure the burn time , of each. That will give you the least amount of time your canister will burn on your brand of stove. You can figure your burn time ,on the way you use your stove from there. 

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