bottled gas stoves & replacement cartridges/bottles

[ADedden]

At then beginning of May, I'l be starting the Transam at Virginia ( Dulles) with a friend. And looking at the topics on cooking & stoves I'l still have a choice to make about what type of stove to use and I'm leaning towards the use of a bottled gas stove, with replacement cartridges. The tour will be mostly Do-It-Yourself cooking on the way for about 3 months. So the question is what type of cartridge or brand ( is their a universal connector ) to use if it's going to be bottled gas. Or better not...because in Europe bottled gas is everywhere available and I'l be walking into trouble or a lot of planning ahead... Ok hope you'll haver some advise for me.

[dkoloko]

If you mean isobutane canisters by "bottled gas", I have found these chancey to find on tour. I carry an extra canister.

[ADedden]

Thanks, that's what I mean. The Coleman, Weber, Primus type of cartridges with Butane/propane stuff. OK than we'll be riding with an MSR Whisperlite and a FyreStrom for gasoline free coffee in the morning and try to get the cartridges where we find them. Grtz A

[DanE]

The canisters sold in the US have a threaded fitting. In Europe they come in the threaded type as well as an unthreaded fitting. The unthreaded "Camping Gaz" containers are popular in France. You do not want to buy a stove for the unthreaded variety for use in the US. If you wish, you can buy a MSR Superfly stove which has a mount which works with either type of canister and then your stove is suitable for using in the US as well as Europe.

The canisters can be difficult to find in the US in remote areas such as where the Trans-Am goes. Walmart generally carries them and they can be found in backpacking stores in the mountain areas as well as hunting and fishing supply stores. You can go a long time between places that sell them, and often you have to track them down as most places do not carry them.

[ADedden]

Ok DanE,
Thanks for the details on the fittings, very useful. I will look for the threaded fitting here so I'll be fine overthere. Indeed as you describe finding the canisters can be hard and starting at Walmart for a supply is handy. Ok we'll be fine, thanks for the advice. GrA

[staehpj1]

Ok DanE,
Thanks for the details on the fittings, very useful. I will look for the threaded fitting here so I'll be fine overthere. Indeed as you describe finding the canisters can be hard and starting at Walmart for a supply is handy. Ok we'll be fine, thanks for the advice. GrA

In my experience even Walmart can be spotty when it comes to availability of isobutane canisters.  They do not stock the same items in all parts of the country.  I have been to quite a few walmarts that did not carry them.  In 2007 on the TA I looked for them for a very long stretch of the ride.  From after Pueblo to the Virginia line I didn't see anywhere that had them, except one place in Illinois that was closed when we went by.

I think availability of canisters is better now than it was then, but I'd still advise carrying a spare or arranging to have them mailed to you via USPS general delivery when needed.  If you do mail them you need to label the box:
"ORM-D, consumer commodity, surface mail only"

There are limits on the size and number of containers allowed in a package.  I think it is safe to mail 3 or fewer of the smaller canisters.

There does not seem to be widespread agreement on what is or is not okay, even among postal employees, but I have never had a problem mailing a couple 4 ounce canisters.  This usps document seems to verify that isobutane camp fuel is ok if you follow ORM-D labeling:
https://about.usps.com/posters/pos138.pdf

 

[ADedden]

Ok thanks, staehpj1. We'll be starting at the Virginia side of the TA, so my guess is that for that part we'll be fine finding canisters. For the rest IGWT, but thanks for the details on how to send them by mail so we'll give that a try also. But indeed we're about 11 years ahead now, so some availability should have changed due to the increase of outdoor sports etc. and we'll still have backup from that MSR stove ( not my taste but it works) Ok we'll keep it posted for now. Grtz A

[staehpj1]

Another new troll or bot reviving a zombie thread.  They just keep popping up!