 i have been looking long and hard on the net trying to decide whether to get a multifuel stove (wont be running it on petrol or deisel or any really dirty fuels) or a gas cartridge type stove if i was going to get a cartridge stove it would probably be the primus eta express or the msr pocket rocket and titan but if i was going to get a multifuel it would probably be the msr whisperlite internationale or something else, im not so sure about the multifuel stoves i just cant decide though, i love the variety of the multifuel but dont like the packsize and weight. but it would work down to lower temperatures than the cartridge stove i suppose what i'm asking is; what is the lowest temperature a gas cartridge stove would work well to and is there such a thing as a multifuel stove that will also rum on a gas cartridge. i havent really got much of a clue abotu the multifuel stoves so am unsure help will be much appreciated
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 I can't say about the temp. range of gas (depends of the mix though) but yes you can get ones that run on both LP and multi fuel. Primus ( website here) have the gravity II MF and the etapower MF. I'm sure if you look around then you'll find many more that do the same.
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 If your just thinking about getting multifuel stove for the cold weather use then maybe think about getting a gas stove with a line and preheating tube because after it's lite you can turn the cartridge over and it become a liquid fuel stove.
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used crux gas stove below freezing---- maybe -3 or 4 and made coffee after a -10 c night---kept gas cannister in sleeping bag----carry 2 x100 cannisters so i can swap them about for best advantage
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i've heard of a few people putting their cannister in the sleeping bags at night and that probably works fine, but i will probably be using the stove for ever meal for boil in the bags and dehydrated meals mainly so will the canister stay warm in your rucksack. will the problem be fixed if i get a gas stove that has an inverted canister cant really look at the primus site very easily as it's in another language, will look into it though, is the primus gravity stove any good in the cold?
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i've just been looking at the primus etapacklite, it looks like a very good buy, much better than the gravity, comes wtih windshield and pot. it also has been reviewed very well does the preheating coil and inverting the canister combat the problem of cold weather
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| Edited: 05/11/09 08:01 |
Oh yes...makes a huge difference.... someone on here will come along with all the science (vapour pressures, partial vapour pressures of gas mixes, surface area effects etc etc etc)...but what it boils down to is this..... In cold weather, butane is slow to to evapourate into a gas in the cylinder so you will get low pressure and, hence, a poor flame. Yes, propane and isopropane mixes help....until all the propane evaporates off..... by inverting the cylinder and feeding the liquid gas into the pre-heater, the dynamics change completely. I cant remember the actual figures...but lets say 1cc of liquid butane turns into 100cc of gas butane....and...lets say you need 100cc of gas a minute to get a decent flame..... Using the gas conventionally, you need 1cc of liquid to turn to gas every minute to get the flame (cos you need 100cc of gas) or turn the cylinder over....you only need to force 1cc of liquid into the tube (where it turns to 100cc of gas in the preheater)...so only need 1/100cc of liquid to turn to gas in the cylinder to get the same pressure.... Its not as simple as that...but thats the principle.
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 Gas works pretty cold in practice. A couple of years ago I saw a lecture on the RSGS circuit about a chap doing a ski tour across the high Karakorum: I think we can safely assume that it got pretty cold, and they used gas for all their cooking and didn't report any problems. Multifuel stoves that do gas as well as LF tend not to do gas as well as a pure gas stove, because they have a much more primitive burner-head (I have the original Primus MFS, and it works on gas but it's distinctly second best to my Primus Gravity gas stove). So I'd only take that route if you really want multifuel capability. For me personally that means "am going to places where I can't get gas cannisters but probably can get petrol or parafin" as I much prefer gas to LFs: easier and safer to use and more controllable. For gas cooking I either use the gas conversion to a Trangia or a Primus Gravity. Both have remote lines to the fuel and that makes them heavier and bulkier to carry, but much, much easier to cook with. Aside from the ability to turn the can upside down it makes them easier to wind-shield and much more stable and less prone to spills and getting knocked over. I personally rate that above minimum weight and bulk (I do have a wee OD Cap3 titanium stove that mounts on a can, but I only use it if I'm being a weight-weenie). Last time I used my multifuel stove was kayaking around the Shetlands for a week where I couldn't assume any random village I landed at would sell gas cans. But most of the time, especially if it's a single trip with no resupply, gas is my preference and with a pure-gas stove. much better than the gravity, comes wtih windshield and pot My Gravity came with a windshield, but it's a folding one which requires much less space to pack. And I didn't want a pot, I already had plenty in a selection of sizes. The eta will be more efficient, but in practice if you're going to carry a 200/400/whatever gas can as it's sufficient for the trip then that's not as big a point as you might initially think and you are paying more and carrying more for that. Doesn't make it a bad stove, but it does mean it isn't a no-brainer. Pete.
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i can see that its not straight forward making the choice is it. lets put it this way, is there no point in getting a multi fuel really unless you are going to be using it in places where the availability of lp cartridges would be a problem. its starting to seem that way, and atm that isnt the case with me, i thought the cartridges would be a problem at low temeratures but what i could understand from from the posts above that inverting it will stop any problems, i think  the obvious choice for me then would be the etapacklite
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RE the primus website you can click the little union jack top right or if you google primus stoves (to elliminate other companies called primus) then there's the american website although the link i sent is the UK specific one as well as sweeden's own. HTH Andy
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mattias---my stove has no preheating but i seem to manage ok-----will the gas stay warm enough in rucksac? depends how cold it is but a 100 cannister can be put in my jacket pocket if necessary
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| Edited: 05/11/09 21:44 |
lets put it this way, is there no point in getting a multi fuel really unless you are going to be using it in places where the availability of lp cartridges would be a problem. I would say no. It'll cost more and weigh more and, with gas, not work quite so well. I have multifuel and gas and meths stoves in the cupboard. I almost always use the gas stove by choice. Aside from fuel availability issues, I might use the liquid feul option if I envisaged a lot of snow melting (it runs hottest and fiercest) but I know I could use gas for that. Pete.
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