Is kerosene for a stove readily available in Mexico, Central America & South America?

[magentawave]

Is kerosene for a stove readily available in Mexico, Central America & South America?

I was thinking of getting a kerosene stove and have questions about cooking with and finding kerosene in Mexico, Central America and South America...

1) Is kerosene readily available in Mexico, Central America and South America?

2) What kind of stores typically sell kerosene south of the US border?

3) Do kerosene stoves stink and/or create soot when used inside?

4) Any feedback on the Coleman Exponent multi-fuel stove? Is it as good or better than the old Coleman Peak 1 stove?

Thanks!

 

[perkj]

I can answer #3 and #4.

#3 - Kerosene stoves will require a pre-heat to get the stove's generator or fuel tubing hot enough to vaporize the kerosene. If its not preheated enough and you attempt to light you WILL get stinky black smoke and soot. Once lit however, Kero burns very clean. I personally would always light a kero stove outside first and then bring it in once its lit. I'd also turn it off outside so the remaining kero gas in the gen doesn't escape in the house.

#4 - the colement exponent 550b multifuel stove and the coleman peak 1 550b model are the exact same thing, just different colors. The stove will burn better on coleman fuel/white gas, meaning it will be quicker to light and you'll have much better simmer control in the low range. When burning kero, you will need to utilize the kero generator and you'll need to preheat with heating paste or dentured alcohol....this pre heat can take up to 2 mins. Once lit, you'll need to keep the 550b in the mid-to-high range to keep the gen hot enough to vaporize the fuel and not get sputtering. The US military used this stove specifically b/c of its ability to burn kero. a low simmer on kero can be done, just need some practice with the right tank pressure and ensuring a good pre-heat on the gen. I personally love this stove.

 

[magentawave]

Thanks. How do you pre-heat with alcohol? Is there a little place on the stove where you pour the alcohol?

 

[perkj]

Just in the burner bowl. I tilt it up on one side so the alcohol will accumulate right under the gen and then when the gen is nice and hot I put the stove flat and light

 

[magentawave]

Thanks again. Is Coleman fuel the same thing as white gas? And if I used Coleman fuel would I need to take it outside to light it or does it burn clean enough to be inside from the start?

 

[perkj]

Thanks again. Is Coleman fuel the same thing as white gas? And if I used Coleman fuel would I need to take it outside to light it or does it burn clean enough to be inside from the start?

CF and White gas are the same thing. you can burn CF inside (again always lighting outside), but CF will give off more fumes (smellier) than Kero once burning properly....kero doesn't really smell if its burning properly. with either you want to make sure you're not in an air tight room or anything as CO2 will be given off and O2 will be consumed.

 

[BigSwede]

CO2 will be given off and O2 will be consumed.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't some CO (carbon monoxide) emitted as well...

 

[perkj]

I'd be surprised if there wasn't some CO (carbon monoxide) emitted as well...

lol I meant CO (though I'm sure there is some CO2 as well)

 

[UK4X4]

Yes kerosene is available in latin america...we use it for fire lighting, but its always arround in shops
especially in the remoter areas, the local stores almost always seem to have it for fires or lamps

in cities its a bit more dificult to find, but its arround

 

[magentawave]

Does anyone know if a camp stove exists that...

-Can be lit indoors and safely used indoors.
-Doesn't stink.
-Uses fuel thats easy to find in Mexico, Central America and South America?

 

[AndrewP]

Does anyone know if a camp stove exists that...

-Can be lit indoors and safely used indoors.
-Doesn't stink.
-Uses fuel thats easy to find in Mexico, Central America and South America?

You are worrying about nothing. Any burning hydrocarbon is going to make a small amount of CO. Do you cook on a gas range at home? That's the amount of CO you'll be dealing with. A kerosene stove will work fine, but will stink on shut down. This is completely normal. I'd use propane(availability might be an issue), or a Coleman stove and burn gasoline. That can be used inside and does not smell that much. Since you'll be travelling, a gasoline stove is likely the best bet, since gasoline is available basically anywhere.

Everything is a bit of a compromise-you just have to deal with it.

 

[magentawave]

I wasn't even thinking about the CO issue until I started reading posts here where others were saying to not use these stoves inside. That was a bit confusing since I've been using a Coleman propane stove inside for the last two years. Whats the difference when it comes to CO between a Coleman stove (or any other camp stove that uses propane, gas, kerosene or alcohol) than a regular house stove that burns butane? Does the house butane stove not produce CO?

You are worrying about nothing. Any burning hydrocarbon is going to make a small amount of CO. Do you cook on a gas range at home? That's the amount of CO you'll be dealing with. A kerosene stove will work fine, but will stink on shut down. This is completely normal. I'd use propane(availability might be an issue), or a Coleman stove and burn gasoline. That can be used inside and does not smell that much. Since you'll be travelling, a gasoline stove is likely the best bet, since gasoline is available basically anywhere.

Everything is a bit of a compromise-you just have to deal with it.

 

[madmax718]

Propane and butane stoves are fine when used as stoves-they do generate water as a by product. Most of the reasons for venting is to reduce water by product, and to reduce co2 lingering.

It all has to do with how tightly sealed your home is. The older homes didn't matter as much because they were alwys drafty.

 

[Red90]

Sure. all the Coleman stove will burn gasoline fine. Coleman fuel is simply gasoline without additives.