observation on coleman white gas compared to propane.

[parnold]

You can be sure that Coleman fuel will go up in price also. I can buy Naptha in 5 gal containers, but it cost me over $6.00 a gallon at distributor level. Street price is $66.00 for 5 gal can.

[avcm]

The first thing that comes to mind s the safety of using propane. I think it is much safr to use than white gas.....what do you think?

[parnold]

The first thing that comes to mind s the safety of using propane. I think it is much safr to use than white gas.....what do you think?

They are both safe if you use common sense. I personally would lean toward propane, but that's pure opinion.

[Zollinger]

I use more white gas than anything. IMHO it's cheaper in the long run and I like to fiddle with lanterns and stoves anyways. My husband on the other hand likes propane, but I win cause I do all the cooking! I have had my share of problems with the off brand 1# propane tanks. We have had several that the valves have stuck and we lost most of the propane.

edit: stoopid typos

[madjack]

...propane is my friend!!!...I have (mostly) gotten away from Cgas appliances and mostly use a 20# propane bottle with a distribution tree...since I mostly cook out on a table, this set up suits me...this gives me one outlet for a stove, one for another appliance and a lantern on top...after so many years of messing with Cgas/Wgas this is the cat's meow to me...I keep a few of the 1#cans around but rarely use them and I don't refill them because of problems with the valves not resealing once used..................
madjack

[doug hodder]

I'd think than anyone that has some real concerns about the safety of white gas ought to stay away from it. Just treat it like any flammable liquid. On the + side of white gas, it can also be used to start a campfire if all the wood is wet and it's miserably cold, and you can heat up water for the tanks on those with the little propane bottles that are locked up due to temperature and altitude. Liquid fueled stoves can also run on a variety of fuels unlike a propane one. Doug

[Ratkity]

I've had those little propane (1 lb) bottles freeze on me during some winter camping. Frustrating! I guess the larger bottles don't suffer from that problem.

Hugs,
Ratkity

[Shadow Catcher]

From what I can find the lower boiling point is -44 F and I seriously doubt many of us are going to be camping at that temp. Comparison of efficiency is Naptha is 127,500 per gallon and propane is 91,690 BTU per gallon and Diesel is 138,700 BTU.
Price per gallon of propane in Ohio averages 2.687 (current price).
I personally do not like the idea of disposable 1# tanks and the risks of refilling do not seem worth it.
We will carry our backpacker Coleman dual fuel stove as back up.

[teardrop_focus]

slowcowboy

1. how much time or use do you get from one gallon of white gas.

2. any thoughts on the price comparision and use of propane against white gas?

any thoughts on high input cost compairsions of white gas to propane for camping this summer and still being able to enjoy the teardroppin experience.

I don't know exactly, but I think I could camp for a week straight on a one-gallon can of CF, three lanterns and a stove. Maybe just 5 days and nights... depends on how many of the three lanterns I have burning at any given time.

You're asking us, basically, for a fuel energy budget for living outdoors... Otherwise, the cost comparison for "camping" is somewhat irrelevant. You should use what you're setup to use!

I buy my Coleman Fuel / Camp Fuel / Naptha / White Gas locally by the gallon where it's just over $10 per. The 1 lb propane bottles here are $2.97 or something. I'm not setup to benefit from larger doses of propane, but then again I'm not the Feeder of the Multitudes/Master Chef like Madjack!

[Wolffarmer]

I've had those little propane (1 lb) bottles freeze on me during some winter camping. Frustrating! I guess the larger bottles don't suffer from that problem.

Hugs,
Ratkity

It doesn't matter the size of the bottle. what matters is how fast you pull vapor from it and the ambient temp. I have frozen up 120 gallon tanks. Neat to see all that ice on them in the middle of summewr. The less liquid you have in a bottle, the less vapor you can pull before it freezes. I lower the ambient temp, the less vapor you can pull.

Randy

[Wolffarmer]

Aman Cowboy to what we do out here on the farm/ranch. We use to to fill our 120 gal weed burner tank from a 1000 gal tank. To get it to flow faster ( no pump remember ) we would heat the 1000 gal tank with the weed burner. Once we caught the 1000 tank on fire. Talk about a hot time in the ole town tonight.

A valve on it was leaking and making some good flame. Didn't know rather to fight it or run. Or if we could run fast enough or far enough so I got the garden hose and kept the area some what cool while my dad got in there with wenches and finally got it closed.

Kids, don't do this at home.

One of the biggest dangers with propane is that it is heavier than air and if it gets free can settle into low places. Which come in handy when you want to take out vermin like badgers, rock chucks and such. Fill the burrows with propane and light on fire. The earth does rock and roll. Yeee Haaaaw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf3WKTwHpIU
Randy

[parnold]

Hey Slowcowboy,
Any thoughts on putting a drop of machine oil in the little can prior to hooking up. Might this help with the occasional sticky valve?

[High Desert]

in regard to direct cost comparisons of propane and C-fuel, here is what Coleman advertises;

1 gallon of C-Fuel is equal to five 1lb propane bottles. This is printed on the boxes for all the new liquid fuel lanterns.

At even $2.50 per 1lb bottle vs the local price of $8.88/gallon for C-fuel, liquid fuel wins. Using a larger tank propane is cheaper than either of the above options, but it's harder to hang the lanterns around camp with all those hoses running everywhere if you don't care for refilling the small bottles

Whatever you like, it's nice to have choices. Also, there are kerosene pressure lanterns that are probably the cheapest to run. And if you really want to spend a few bucks, there's always butane appliances!

[CAJUN LADY]

Cowboy, common sense should be used 100% of the time, not just sometimes. Book sense is all great and good but if I had to rely on someone to "have my back", I'd rather it be someone with more common sense.

Oh, and I prefer propane too and I let the professionals fill my bottles. It doesn't cost that much more for them to do it. I'm trying to get away from the 1# bottles. My neighbor gave me a 11# bottle, short and squatty looking and I love it.

Anyway, my thoughts.