Gas consumption (canister)

imported
#1

Yes, I know it depends on the person, the winds, windscreen, temperature, pressure and the county’s name…

but I beg you to toss some numbers out there.

What is the size of gas canister you’ve carried on the Colorado Trail and how much water could you boil with it?

For reference, the most common size of gas canister seems to be the 100 - 115 grams of fuel canister. It’s often the ‘4 oz canister’ because it has 4 fl oz of fuel in it but it weights 8 oz (220 grams)!

Let’s call this the 4 fl. oz canister. They also make one twice this size… let’s call that the 8 fl. oz canister (it must weigh 12 oz or so…)

uncollected

#2

Depending on how you run your stove, you can get 30-45 minutes burn time per “4 fl. oz. fuel canister”, and double that time with the “8 fl. oz. fuel canister”. Should you boil water twice per day at 3 min. burn time per boil with a high flame, a “4 fl. oz. fuel canister” would last 5 days.

Bernard

#3

If those numbers are too heavy for you, what about Esbit? If you boil three cups of water a day, one ounce of fuel per day should comfortably cover you. And the tabs are a heck of a lot less bulky than metal cannisters!

Matt

#4

There is a lot of info at Backpackinglight.com regarding this topic. Try this link:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=6264

One thing I have learned is to run my stove at about half throttle which is more efficient though it does take longer to reach a boil. But then, who’s in a hurry–take the extra time to enjoy your surroundings.

Don A.

#5

About 12 boils (assuming two cups of water) for a 4 oz canister

About 24 boils for an 8 oz canister.

If you do one meal a day, you’ll have 12 days of fuel with an 4 oz canister.

Two meals a day? About 6 days with an 8 oz canister.

Simple and too the point. I’ll leave the more precise figures to the gear geeks. :slight_smile:

Rule of Thumb

#6

"If you do one meal a day, you’ll have 12 days of fuel with an 4 oz canister.

Two meals a day? About 6 days with an 8 oz canister."

er… those two contradict each other. I presume you mean 6 days with a 4 oz container in the 2nd line.

err

#7

Realistically speaking for me, a dinner boil is more likely to be at least one liter (34 oz) - 14 oz for my freeze-dried entree and 16 oz for a hot drink, plus a tad left over to clean out the meal pouch before chucking it in the trash bag. Breakfast is another half liter (17 oz) for tea and a hot item.

I always figured to get 6 x one liter boils out of a small 4 oz (net)canister and either 12 or 13 x one liter out of the larger 8 oz (net) canister. Don’t forget to factor in altitude, which can increase the number of boils you get only because water boils at a lower temperature as elevation increases.

I have a poor memory, so I always put a mark on the canister every time I use it. This gives me a rough idea of how mmany boils I have left. Comes in handy at resupply stops - is that partial canister worth carrying until the next resupply, or should I cut my losses and buy a 2nd new canister, and if I do, which size?

Remember to sleep with your canister to keep it warm so it lights easily and burns efficiently on cold mornings. That cam makes a difference in the number of boils you may get out of it.

YMMV

Wandering Bob