Gas or propane what do you like better?

[Mos6502]

The nice thing about white gas is you can carry as much or as little fuel as needed. If you want to get away from the car for a night, you can go hiking out without carrying the propane tank with you, just taking what you need. With propane you're more or less stuck with whatever size containers your stove will take.

 

[Kerensky97]

I'm a die hard white gas user. Those 1lb canisters never seem to last more than a few meals but the gas tank on my Coleman seems bottomless. And if you're not re-using them, the 1lb canisters produce so much waste and so few places recycle them.

And all my whitegas equipment is a duel fuel versions so I can run off unleaded in an emergency (although technically non duel-fuel whitegas stove can run regular gas in an emergency too).

 

[dcg141]

I'm a stove junkie myself and I have lighting of all kinds but I collect Coleman lanterns and usually carry at least one with me most of the time. Something about a 40-70 yo piece of equipment that still works is so cool. I have one 2 burner white gas stove from the 60's that I use on occasion but my go to stoves are 2 burner propane units for car camping. Motorcycle or kayak camping I have a Coleman Exponent multi-fuel 550 that I really like.

 

[rnArmy]

Propane. I had some Coleman fuel stoves and lanterns decades ago, but when I "discovered" propane, I swapped them out. No more having leaking Coleman fuel cans, having to pump up my lantern and/or stove, no more having my hands smell like Coleman fuel, seals not sealing, etc.. I totally get the nostalgia thing, but at the end of the day I want it simple and reliable with no fuss. Those one pound green cylinders seem to last a long time.

 

[huachuca]

White gas - I'm still using the Coleman 413F stove and 228H lantern acquired at a yard sale during my college days in the late sixties. The oven was purchased around the same time. Coffee goes on a single burner 533 that is maybe only twenty years old. My room mate from those days and his wife joined us for a recent trip to the Four Corners area where the photo below was taken. Its hard to beat good friends, cold beer and the hiss of a liquid fuel lantern.

 

[Herbie]

This is definitely an "all of the above" thing for me.

I have dual-fuel white gas stoves, with propane adapters (tri-fuel!), and butane stoves with propane adapters, and straight propane stoves. I also have an elevated firepot that works great for running the dutch oven on charcoal or burning wood for a fire. I take what I need for each trip.

Snow camping? White gas all the way. Same if I'm going to be on a really long trip and want to be sure of fuel supply. If I were going back to southern Mexico or touring South America, then butane is harder to find and propane can require a LOT of carried adapters to ensure availability.

For weekends or when I'm solo and I know my needs are few, then I go with a butane catering burner because a single canister will be enough and I like the flick-of-the-wrist lighting (and easy re-lighting, which is where my white-gas stoves fall down.)

If I'm cooking for a big group when I know I need long cook times, or I'm running special equipment like my skottle, then it's propane. This is especially true f I'm headed to an area where there's a burn-ban in effect but propane firepits are allowed, definitely bring my 5lb tank, the firepit, and the propane stoves at that point.

More often than not, it's a mix. I always have the butane burner in my van, so it gets a lot of use as a "second burner" when I'm cooking the main dish on another stove (or skottle, etc.) but I need to steam veggies or cook a starch.

 

[whitenoise]

I'm in the same boat, wanting to switch to a single fuel for cooking. We have used a $20 Asian-store butane burner over the past 3 years and like it for its convenience, but I've decided that its too bulky (for my setup) and not good enough in cold/high altitude. After some research I feel that isobutane is the best fuel for North American travel, reasons being:

1) Canisters are less bulky than propane. Also multiple sizes available so its more versatile.
2) More expensive than propane but a lot more efficient (mostly due to stove design). In any case cooking fuel is a tiny part of the overall cost of travel unless you're a full-timer.
3) No smells or mess like liquid fuels, just connect and start cooking.
4) Great light-weight and windproof options for stoves.
5) High altitude and cold weather performance is at least comparable if not as good as propane and liquid fuels.

I've been using the 1.8L MSR Windburner which is unbeatable for boiling water. The medium-sized canister I use now (pic shows small size) lasts a REALLY long time, its basically 4 minutes or less of use per meal, and I think its good for at least 20-25 meals. Got it on sale and couldn't be happier with it.


The other "stove" I have is the Kelly Kettle. A few twigs and you're on your way to boiling a half-liter of water in about 3-4 minutes. It was an awesome piece of kit on a recent trip to India where none of the other 3 options (propane/butane/isobutane) would have worked.


Yesterday I bought the MSR Whisperlite Universal (on sale) which in theory can handle larger pots and is more stable than the Windburner. More importantly, it can run on any fuel, gas or liquid with just a jet change. I chose it over the Coleman single burner white gas stove for its ability to burn isobutane.

So the plan starting this year is to use the MSRs for North America with isobutane, and the Kelly Kettle+MSR liquid fuel for any place where gas fuels aren't available.....

 

[Buliwyf]

If I can't eat out on vacation, it's charcoal, wood, or this:

 

[Mos6502]

After experiences with various stoves, my favorite turned out to be this Primus 71L:

It's the least fussy, most reliable stove I've used. Fewer parts, fewer problems.

 

[craig333]

The gas stove and lanterns are rusting away. I can't bring myself to toss them but I can't see using them again. Propane for cooking (I don't use the little cylinders, tap into the camper propane) and battery lanterns.

Just broke the glass on gas lantern just cleaning out the shed. I can toss the battery lanterns off a cliff and they still work. Plus I just don't need that much light anymore.

 

[pluton]

Car gas and white gas stink when being burned. Propane stinks a lot less. Easy decision for me. Some folks love the smell of petrochemicals.

 

[Mos6502]

I'll just leave this right here.....

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rosewill-1800-Watt-8-Temperature-Setting-Induction-Cooker-RHAI-13001/206414392?cm_mmc=Shopping|G|Base|D29A|29-15_COOKING|MULTI|NA&gclid=CjwKCAjwg_fZBRAoEiwAppvp-SudbQCummDkyzGE_in29jSpEC0XITuw4aO1Kq5OeMW51ThvhWd3VBoC4zIQAvD_BwE&dclid=CMW3g-bpidwCFUy6Twoda9ACVQ

1800 watts and won't work with aluminum cookware... very handy.

 

[whitenoise]

How big is your battery bank and inverter?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

 

[dman93]

I recently had to use the Stansport propane converter I bought “just in case”, with my two burner Coleman white gas stove. Well, I had one of those “cases”, and it worked great ... reminded me that propane has some advantages. With one green can it doesn’t take up much space and will always be with me now.

 

[Mos6502]

Flexibility/portability is a primary consideration for me, so electric anything won't cut it. If I want to hike off for a morning, day, whatever, don't want to turn around and come back just to make some hot coffee.