On Northern Kalifornia Gatherings and Campouts, one member picks up old recycled cans of Coleman fuel and sells it for $6 USD per gal. I pick up some each time we camp. Duane
Cans get dropped off at a hazardous waste facility, my friend had a source for these where an attendant set the cans aside for him. I believe that source has dried up or a new person handles the site. Duane
In the uk panel wipe (white gas) has sky rocketed in price and is no longer a cheap alternative to coleman camp fuel (actually maybe it still is cheaper but not as much as previously). Anyway, I found a supply of heptane which if you look up coleman camp fuel msds in Europe is exactly this. Buy Heptane | PS Composites It's used for making molds like rubber masks, so try looking for somewhere that sells this, and see if they sell pure heptane. Note : it does not have an expiry date so should be good to store for some time.
As long as it burns well is all that matters. White Gas is a racket and is obviously some sort of monopoly. It is called Shellite here in Australia and they seem to charge what they want for it...currently $13 AUD per litre. I use my stoves every day outside and I now use kerosene 90% of the time as it is cheaper mainly but it also burns hotter in my Nova and is safer. I buy fuel in 4L lots then repack into 1L and I feel safe doing this with kerosene but shellite is something I'm always extra cautious around. I did have a quick look for heptane here in Oz but...it may exist under other names. I did use regular unleaded for a while but especially on any stove with an exposed jet such as the Nova or Dragonfly it can soot up the top of the jet and once this happens it is difficult to clean. Regular unleaded in the Soto Muka runs fine and I suspect the same in the MSR Whisperlite as well and it is 1/6 the price of Shellite. Kerosene is half the price of Shellite so still not too bad. I use about 500mls per week but sometimes more.
Interestingly about heptane: "Heptane is commercially available as mixed isomers for use in paints and coatings, as the rubber cement solvent "Bestine", the outdoor stove fuel "Powerfuel" by Primus, as pure n-heptane for research and development and pharmaceutical manufacturing and as a minor component of gasoline (petrol)." From Heptane - Wikipedia
“Shellite” (also sold as Recosol R55 — it’s the same product) varies widely in price. Buying in bulk (eg 20 litres) reduces the price. I just saw prices ranging from $98 for 20 litres up to $163. All the Shellite/Recosol R55 comes from the same refinery (and I’m not sure if it’s refined here in Australia or imported). One of the large Australian hardware stores (the one with the hammer logo) promises to match lowest retail prices. I’ve done that before for Shellite, but usually buy in 200 litres split with other lamp and stove nuts. Tony
I'm with @snwcmpr ! Coleman fuel was, and still is, our go-to fuel for any stove of lantern that burns camping gasoline. That stuff stays good for decades, if properly stored! K1 water-white deodorized kerosene is what we like for our kero-burning appliances. IMHO, both fuels are not "rackets", but rather blessings!! - Doc
I second this opinion! It seems to me that the more successful we are at finding substitutes for Coleman fuel (Shellite, Crown, etc.), the sooner it will become unprofitable for Coleman and others to offer it for sale! - Tom
I'm still burning the yellow HEET I bought years ago. Need to bring more in from the fuel storage shed. When it runs out I'll try bio ethanol. Less toxic.
Vermont is so rural. I'm sure that there are a lot of off grid homes among other uses who use kerosene for heating and cooking. Very cheap.
Kerosene would be popular in the back country I think as it is quite safe to store, pour and ignite relative to gasoline which can ignite from a spark. Obviously not all fuel stoves run kerosene although I don't think I have seen a gasoline heater although maybe there are some. I go back and forth between kerosene and shellite on the Nova (kero only mostly) and the MSR Dragonfly (shellite mostly) although they both will run gasoline or kerosene. The Soto Muka I run shellite only and it won't run kerosene. I like the easy way shellite ignites but the flip side is safety...you just have to be more cautious with it. Kerosene also has a higher S.G. than shellite so it runs a lot hotter in the Nova which uses a single jet for shellite and kerosene.
When I’m not burning twigs I use meths (denatured alcohol, purple potion). With the help of @presscall i run all my non bio equipment on it, stove, kettle and lamp. I’ve just found that Charlies in the UK are selling meths at £6 for two litres. That’s the best I’ve seen since pre-Covid for small quantities.
