[pct-l] Cannister Stoves

["Kurt Herzog" <kpherzog@cdsnet.net>]

Mike said: (Cannister Stoves) "Am I missing something here? "

There are three things about cannister stoves that outweigh their nice
features, for long trips like the PCT.  The first is it is difficult if not
impossible to find cannisters for sale at most resupply points.  The second
big problem is that it is illegal to ship the cannisters to yourself in a
resupply box, by mail.  (It is also illegal to ship gasoline, but it is much
easier to find it for sale).  Lastly, you can most easily share fuel with
other hikers if you have a gasoline stove.  It's easy to scrounge a few
ounces of gas from someone in an emergency, since that's the most common
fuel out there.

I used a Hank Roberts (Gerry) stove for years and years.  I was always
afraid of running out of fuel, especially when I had a partially used
cannister, so I always carried a spare, which of course increases the fuel
load.  I had few problems with the stove, thought the problems I did have
turned out to be catastrophic.  In several instances the removable
cannisters did not re-seal, and vented their contents... leaving me without
fuel.  That's one of the reasons I always carried a spare.  A bigger problem
was the failure of the valve and/or generator mechanism.  I was never able
to find spare parts as replacements, requiring me to get a whole new stove
several times.  I finally abandoned the stove altogether when the cost of
the cannisters rose to around $3 each (back in the '80s) and my local
outdoor store stopped carrying them.

Good luck . . Kurt
kpherzog@iname.com




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