[pct-l] fuel cannisters

[melissaaspencer at hotmail.com (Melissa Spencer)]

Mike,

We all know that pressurized stoves don't perform as well at high altitude 
and cold temps, I have had mine poop out in similar conditions (and then 
work fine at home).  But, there may have also been something was wrong with 
the canister.  At work, we are constantly testing stoves (at room temp, sea 
level) and I have found that as many as 1 in 30? canisters have problems.  
The little moving part inside the threaded part (that allows you to remove 
the stove and the gas doesn't leak out) gets stuck slightly and either 
causes it to lose pressure slowly or not work at all.  I have also noticed 
that they can sometimes lose pressure if they have been sitting for a while 
(>6 months).  Also, even though MSR stoves FIT on Snow Peak, Jet Boil and 
Primus fuel canisters, I have heard of--and have seen--problems with doing 
this, more than once.  In fact, Snow Peak issued a notice to retailers a 
while back ago to tell people not to put Snow Peak stoves on other canisters 
or Snow Peak canisters on other stoves.  They were seeing that sometimes the 
connection was not perfect and fires were starting.  I have seen it happen 
personally and it is very scary.  Some retailers don't know about that and 
will tell you that you can use any of the fuels.  I would try to stick with 
the brand of the stove you have.

Melissa


>From: "Mike Saenz" <msaenz@mve-architects.com>
>To: "Jamie Rae Whiteley" 
><jamierae@letterboxes.org>,<pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
>Subject: RE: [pct-l] fuel cannisters
>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 08:48:06 -0800
>
>Just got back from Fobes/Saddle Junction (Sect B. Pics and report to
>follow!)
>I used a pocket rocket on this trip and I wish I hadn't....
>
>The fuel canister had about 20-30 minutes of burn left in it. I was at
>8k and the temps were somewhere between the low 40s and the mid 30's (it
>never got to freezing).
>The pocket rocket, with it's low fuel level, didn't boil 3 cups of water
>after burning at full blast for about 20-30 minutes! It burner out
>before the water boiled and I had to use less-than-boiling water fro my
>chicken noodle soup dinner.
>
>I've heard that canisters didn't perform well at high altitudes or low
>temps. I have a white gas stove for my high elevation hikes. But this
>was the first time my pocket rocket didn't perform well. I don't think
>it was altitude, being only 8k (I've used my pocket rocket at 10k+), or
>the temps (it was cold, but not freezing). I think maybe it was the low
>level of fuel and maybe less than adequate pressure inside the canister.
>
>
>Michael Saenz ,  Associate Partner
>McLarand    Vasquez    Emsiek   &   Partners,   Inc.
>A r c h i t e c t u r e  |  P l a n n i n g  |  I n t e r i o r s
>MVE          MVE    Institutional         MVE    S t u d i o
>w  w  w   .   m  v  e   -   a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s   .   c  o m
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
>[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Jamie Rae
>Whiteley
>Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 7:04 PM
>To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>Subject: [pct-l] fuel cannisters
>
>We're fixin' to take a little walk in a couple of months and were
>wondering about the availability of isopropane fuel for the pocket
>rocket. I'm the cook and I'm kind of partial to this stove, but am
>willing to be flexible if need be. For all you PCT alum out there-can we
>do it with the pocket rocket or will fuel just be too scarce?
>
>jamierae/shawn
>--
>   Jamie Rae Whiteley
>   jamierae@letterboxes.org
>
>--
>http://www.fastmail.fm - Same, same, but different...
>
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