Pressure Stoves

[PDQ Mobile]

^^
Yes agree with all of Pete's comments.
I had assumed that all separate bottle multi fuel type stoves had the hot "through flame" vaporizer tube.

[drossall]

Indeed as changeover method it is arguably better than having to add meths to a hot stove.

I have found, with my paraffin stove, that it's possible to refuel and relight without needing to use meths to preheat again. Must get that stove out again.

[iandusud]

I had it drummed into me to never light a stove in the tent (bearing in mind that this was when I was camping in a small two man ridge tent). I think this was all the more impressed upon me by the fact that when we were family camping when I was much younger my father had bought a double burner pressure stove of unknown brand, and this stove had a propensity to flare up dramatically and unexpectedly (he gave up on it in the end - which for my dad is saying something). However my Primus stove had never displayed such behaviour and one snowy night out on the South Downs I spent the coldest night ever. I should add that my sleeping bag was totally inadequate but I was wearing every thread of clothing I had, including my boots, and I was frozen. In desperation I decided to light the primus in the tent if only to get some partial relief. I'm happy to report that no flare up was suffered.

[pjclinch]

I think it's mainly legal box-ticking that has tent and stove suppliers say DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COOKING IN TENTS in their official instructions, but the reality is that most of us do from time to time: very much helps to have a decent porch, as discussed elsewhere. Having said that, cooking outside as a first option is generally a good idea.

For priming (main source of flares IME, though I've never been big on pressure stoves even while owning one) practice does seem to improve things. Some long-term pressure stove users I know never get a hint of a flare, there have been a few where I'd not want to be within 5m of them...

Pete.

[Thehairs1970]

Inverting gas cans... note that to play this game you need a pre-heat loop that goes through the flame (this is typical, certainly on "quality brand" stoves, but not a Given). And as noted above, wait until that loop has had a good warm-through before doing it.

I do have a pre-warmer loop on the stove but the problem, I think, was that the stove had been turned off while the bottle was upside down. I think this led to a drop in pressure in the pipe and although the stove turned off, a small amount of fuel did not get to the burner. This then liquified in the pipe. When I next turned it on, the pressure led to the liquid fuel being pushed through and hence the flare up.

[boblo]

I do have a pre-warmer loop on the stove but the problem, I think, was that the stove had been turned off while the bottle was upside down. I think this led to a drop in pressure in the pipe and although the stove turned off, a small amount of fuel did not get to the burner. This then liquified in the pipe. When I next turned it on, the pressure led to the liquid fuel being pushed through and hence the flare up.

Yeah, don't do that - obv.

Unless the gas stove is fully heated up, keep the canister upright. I had one of the very first gas stoves with a preheat tube and it had to be lit with the canister vertical for this reason. After a couple of minutes of heating, you could lay the canister down to liquid feed gas into the burner.

Less of a problem these days as Butane/Propane mix is much more common which helps reduce the need for preheater tubes.

[LollyKat]

....being closer to the ground the Nova would be more stable.

I agree -- but it doesn't have the same class as brass!

I have found, with my paraffin stove, that it's possible to refuel and relight without needing to use meths to preheat again.

Yes - we used to do this on family camping holidays in the 1950s.

[iandusud]

....being closer to the ground the Nova would be more stable.

I agree -- but it doesn't have the same class as brass!

Can't argue with that.

[hamster]

I'm a fan of pressure stoves for longer trips than overnight. I have a Coleman 550B which is a bit of a lump but burns with only a short flare and is very controllable. My alternative is an MSR Whisperlite - a good alternative, lighter and with a big choice of fuel bottle sizes. Its only downside is it flares strongly on ignition. I use Aspen 4T petrol substitute whichis far cleaner than unleaded, has no additives and far cheaper than Coleman fuel. With a big MSR bottle there's more a week's supply, even cooking pasta for 4.
For a quick overnight I tend to take a Jetboil. Trangia pans(and especially the kettle) beat anything, but I would only take the Trangia stove if cooking in the back of beyond where reliability trumped everything.

[iandusud]

My alternative is an MSR Whisperlite - a good alternative, lighter and with a big choice of fuel bottle sizes. Its only downside is it flares strongly on ignition.

What do you use for priming?

[hamster]

It doesn't need priming - you run a little fuel into the pan underneath first, then turn off the fuel feed. This heats the vapouriser and then off you go just before the pan empties.
By comparison, the Coleman has a patented system which seems to run a little liquid fuel inside the burner stack, with no sooting etc. and minimal flaring. It doesn't require the start-stop-start approach of the MSR.

[iandusud]

It doesn't need priming - you run a little fuel into the pan underneath first, then turn off the fuel feed. This heats the vapouriser and then off you go just before the pan empties.

That is priming! I suggest you use meths to prime. It burns clean and hot and will probably eliminate the flaring up. I always prime with meths and a little goes a long way so you don't need to carry much.

[climo]

We use a primus multifuel and cook on petrol. Preheat is easy. Turning it over isn't a good design, it's difficult to judge the moment to turn the stove off, I tend to shut the valve off too early and the bottle is still pressurized which means I get sprayed with petrol when I unscrew the pump to refill the bottle. I'm sure this is operator error! More importantly the 3 pronged spreader on the burner can pop off and get lost (don't ask) making the stove useless. We carry a spare.
For all that the stove is a good controllable burner but using gas is easier on short trips.

Paraffin is easier to burn but not easily available, for us it's a non starter.

In france we had problems filling sig type bottles at new style petrol stations as the nozzle will not go far enough into the bottle to disengage the pump auto cutoff system therefore no petrol would be dispensed. This can be a real problem.
With a multifuel you can use gas but be aware that screw on cartridges aren't always to be found at least in france. We have an adaptor for the old style puncture cartridges to screw thread.

There's not perfect solution.

[drossall]

When I was in a joint Venture Scout/Ranger Guide Unit, we walked over Kinder in the snow. Impressed by the Unit's Primuses, I'd bought, by then, the Hipolito (paraffin) pressure stove that I still have. (Couldn't afford an actual Primus, but over the years it's had so many Optimus spares that it's now a bit of a Frankenstein. Including a new cap...)

I'm sure that the Guider who recorded our adventures wouldn't mind my sharing this true event. Happy days.

[Lookrider]

https://www.campingworld.co.uk/en/gb/Tr ... -9558.aspx

Never read all the posts
But these are great for flameless cooking and in reality no tools or little equipment