Gas canister half full vs flexibility of multi fuel stoves

[hemdale]

Hi guys,

Seems probably obvious but I wondered what you guys can do when you have a gas canister half full... You probably have to bring a brand new one along with you...so the small stove is no longer that small if you have to carry several gas canister.
Just wondered if I might have made the wrong choice since maybe a fuel stove or meth stove can be refilled to a full capacity every time you go outdoor.
The multi fuel stoves are heavier and take more space but at least, you know how much fuel left you have.

Thank you for your feedback and opinions

 

[johnboy]

I take along a partially used cannister and take a spare as well.

I generally use the 250g nominal cannisters with a 100g as a spare or a 250 for a longer trip..

 

[roger-uk]

I take along a partially used cannister and take a spare as well.

I generally use the 250g nominal cannisters with a 100g as a spare or a 250 for a longer trip..

I do the same or with screw canisters take a new full one and use the partly filled ones with scouting [Cubs] teaching the kids how to brew as part of their badge work.

 

[bilmo-p5]

If you're that concerned about it you should be routinely monitoring your gas usage so that you can pack the optimum canister configuration for a particular trip.
Example; if you have a 200g can with 100g left in it and you use 25g/day, then that part-full can should do you for a weekend, but if you were going for a week it might be better to either supplement the part-full can with a full 100g can or leave the part-full can at home (for another time) and take a full 200g can.
Whether you use gas or liquid fuel, once you start using it you are going to be carrying dead space.

 

[rg598]

I weigh my canisters, so I know how much fuel I have left. Since I know how much gas I plan on using, I can decide if the half empty canister I have will be enough or if I need a second one. A white gas stove will usually end up being heavier, even if you are carrying two canisters for the other one. Alcohol stoves are lighter (some of the home made ones), but don't have the same heat output and can be a hassle.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

It is for that reason that i recently retired the double burner gas stove used for family camping trips and replaced it with the Coleman dual burner petrol stove. Having a large gas cylinder which needed to be swapped for a new one (at few and far between locations) was always too much hassle, and it would run out at the most annoying times. With the big petrol stove i can keep it topped up with fuel readily availiable from anywhere.

I did hear somewhere that weight for weight, gas outputs the most energy, so if you can find a way to make it work for you then so much the better. Maybe planning your meals so that the last meals of a trip can be happily eaten cold if your fuel calculations have been a little out....

 

[ged]

...I did hear somewhere that weight for weight, gas outputs the most energy...

That's about right for LPG, it's a bit better than Diesel if you don't count the weight of the container, the burner, etc. Part-full containers are always a problem with gas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density#Energy_densities_ignoring_external_components