O-rings can be inprovised using gasoline proof teflon tape. Cut off a suitable length, then twist/spin it into a round string.Use this to wrap the connection in place of a spare o-ring when you don't have one. Large o-rings can be woven this way, like the kind MSR uses on their fuel bottles.Pieces of plastic bag, electricians tape and the like have also worked as temporary fixes in the same manner. MSR stoves have an o-ring where the fuel line connects to the pump. They last a long time if the female sockets are packed with grease. Anything will work, just so the rubber o-ring is protected from the abrasion they take with constant assembly/disassembly. I learned to use the skin oil from the side of my nose to lube the fuel line tip, when nothing else is available. It works, but is an odd habit to explain to people!
I find it much easier to get O-rings than fuel resistant Teflon. Actually never heard of it. I wet the MSR fuel line with saliva before inserting into the pump. Yonadav
The yellow teflon tape here in Canada is sold for use in fuel systems, and is fairly common. It is a little thicker than the white plumbers tape and comes in the same kind of small roll. Teflon tape is a standard item in a repair kit for engines in the bush, and has many uses in getting things to seal. My experience is that saliva works well in the summer. At 20 below, I wouldn't want to lick a piece of metal. Waxy or oily stuff works better in the cold, and doesn't freeze things up. In the summer, waxy or oily lube can attract grit and sand, and saliva is a good choice then. No sand around in winter.
Using the skin oil from the side of your nose is a very old clock repairer's trick. It is a practice that is centuries old. The natural oil is termed "Nasal Sebum". It was also widely used in fishing reel lubrication. Ain't it funny what trivia sticks in your memory? Steve.
Well, like with that teflon tape, I've never been at 20 (F) below. Even my deep freezer does not get that cold. The lowest temp I ever encountered was like -15F, one day in Minnesota, and my longest exposure to it was the time it took me to get (I mean run) from the car into the hotel. Yonadav
With all due respect to xgk81 I operated track equipment in Dawson Creek in the '80s in the winter at temps down to -40. (doesn't matter C or F, its all the same) When you spin her around and break through the ice and snow, you get dry, frozen sand and ground clay that sticks to everything. Doesn't matter if its got oil or spit on it, by the end of the day it's dirty, gritty and, of course very very cold. btw....pee doesn't freeze before it hits the ground at -62 F. Urban legend, did lots of trials. Stan
I thought it was spit that froze on the way down but it was -70 not warmer. Can't remember if it was C or F. I'm not anticipating experiencing those temperatures any time soon especialy with summer coming. I've used the teflon tape thing myself on propane fittings before with good success. Re MSR hose connection. I've always given it a lick and the o-ring has lasted 3 years so far and wasn't new when I got the stove. It's not so nice though if the stove had recently been dismantled. Brings back memories of syphoning petrol(the leaded kind).
And to be practical, pee is the always available warm fluid one may have to use to free ones self when you have frozen parts of yourself to very cold metal by touching it with bare skin. Especially ironic when you have frozen yourself to your stove, and have no means to make any other kind of warm fluid to thaw yourself free. Any kid raised in Saskatchewan knows this trick, from personal experience. Only the very skilled can do it solo. The less experienced need help from others. A memorable experience and not likely to be repeated. Don't forget your thermos bottle to keep some hot tea handy, just in case. A person has to know these things to go solo in the bush in winter. I'd like to see one of those TV survival shows demonstrate on air. Removes the romanticism a bit. 8-[ An Australian neighbour told of the pee trick for stopping the sting from a jellyfish, but I don't know if this is true...
Peeing on jellyfish stings is well known and not just in Australia. Dont know if it works on their famous box jellyfish. Get stung by that beast and you're gonna die.
Agreed, had to go and get a kettle full of warm water a couple of times to get kids tongues unstuck from swing stands, flagpoles etc, in the winter in Dawson Creek. Don't know how long I would have lasted in my job as a teacher if I "whipped it out and pee'd on the kids tongue". Probably a matter of minutes. Stan
Back in the late seventies I went to see the world finals of the Ice Speedway in Eindhoven. The metal eyepiece of my old Nikkormat camera got iced onto eyelid and undereye skin. The solo pee trick would have been a magnificent feat to attempt in the middle of the crowd. The assisted pee trick didn't work as the friends I was with used up all their's laughing. I had to wait for one of them to go and buy a cup of coffee, wait for it to sufficeintly cool, and then wait for them to finish arguing who would have the pleasure of pouring it down my face to detach the camera. Luckily they eventually did it carefully, but only to avoid damaging the camera! Cheers, Graham.
