CJ1 sez: So... Let me get this straight. You don't want a JetBoil because you somehow believe that the canisters are going to explode?? While in your pack?? Can you point to even a single documented example of the thousands (millions?) of these canisters sold where this has actually happened? Not liking JetBoils is one thing... But making up baloney to get people afraid of them is, well, baloney, and just plain dumb.
of all the fuels we commonly use White spirit is the easiest to light. Propane is only a little bit easier than kerosene vapour (kerosene vapour is hard to accidental get in the first place though) Ive seen a Gaz cartridge changed incorrectly inside a hut where cooking was going on resulting in most of its contents sharing the same space as those running cookers. Nothing happened beyond a lot of loud unprintable words. Ok luck was watching that day. A gas cartridge isnt going to spontaneously combust just like our bottles of Coleman fuel dont just catch fire for the fun of it
When I was a kid, road tripping with my parents, they'd stowed a bag with a piercable canister inside too close to the hot air vent in the car. During travel it ruptured violently. Good thing dad managed to keep the car on the road, and that no spark or lit cigarettes were present. As it was it only left us with ears ringing. NOT fear mongering here just saying it can happen. User error no doubt, and very avoidable but still possible. I'd think a parked car in the summer could reach those temps aswell.
I don't like Jetboils for mostly baloney reasons. If people have fears or concerns those are real even if unfounded or based on circumstances with extremely long odds. It's maybe irrational or a phobia but not dumb.
Some people have a fear of being killed by a car or other vehicle. Others are afraid of being killed by something falling off an aeroplane and landing on their head. These people are so paranoid that they never leave their houses. Sure, they can not control their fears, but sorry, I call it dumb.
“Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.” Choosing to be afraid of something that is not going to happen, that has not happened with the cartridges under discussion, that there is no evidence that has ever happened... that IS dumb. Especially when the whole exercise is performed just for the purpose of trashing something you don't like that others enjoy. What next? A thread about how important it is to stay home and out of the woods during "Bigfoot season"?
We don't have that issue in the UK but boating on Loch Ness maybe? I took it as a view on gas cartridges in general rather than the Jetboil.
The last accident I read about involving compressed gas was several years ago in Oklahoma. A family went to their country cabin for the weekend. They were lazy and used a propane torch cylinder to inflate their air mattresses. When the weekend was over they were packing to go home. Someone opened the valves on the air mattresses and released the propane. When the fuel to air ratio in the cabin reached a critical level it was ignited by the cooking stove and the cabin was reduced to kindling. Since reading of this unfortunate accident I am still not afraid of either air mattresses or propane torches.
Morning, All, Been away at a Living History event, and just got back at 1AM today. In regards to this thread, and some of the comments made therein: "There is nothing to fear, but fear, itself....." I think that pretty much sums it up, at least for me. I have absolutely NO "worries", or "fears" that my gassie cartridges will explode in my pack, nor do I think they are inherently dangerous to use, IF the user has his/her head screwed on right! All this hubbub reminds me of my dear and much loved Mother-in-law, who sold her very nice BBQ because, as they complained to me, "it blew up on me"!!! Of course, it did NOT "blow up", but rather, she created a problem, and did not use it correctly. She turned on the propane, then went into the house to get her matches. Back at the BBQ, she lit a match, opened the lid of the BBQ, and tossed the match inside, then closed the lid. Of course, the match ignited all those fumes that had built up in side the BBQ, and the force of that ignition blew the lid fully opened again, and quite forcefully!!!! I am only glad that Mom was not hurt, and thought she remains fully convinced that the BBQ was at fault, and that it "blew up" on her! I always gently remind her that SHE was the problem, and that she is very lucky to have survived that incident with no damage, and only a very quick scare!!!! The comments about "danger" should be considered, as with all things that have to do with fuel, pressure, and ignition sources. But, to say that any proper stove is inherently dangers, is to make a mountain out of a molehill, and absolutely not factual, IMHO. For what it's worth.... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
First of all I must apologize for not reading the entire thread. Did read the first and last page tho. I do now not use gas-canister stoves because I have heard that the weight to power ratio of the fuel is lower than gasoline. Thats why I use an Optimus Svea 123R instead which has about 70 minutes burning-time with 1,2DL, while a canister has about 70 minutes with 230-250 gram. There is also a lot of more reasons why I use the Svea, and I can assure you I have tried both Jetboil and other similar stoves. Somebody have probably mentioned it, but we had an accident here in Norway where one man died and his family got burn injuries. This was during the winter and he had a 11kg propane tank to make coffee with which was not turned off or leaking in a cold-pit they had made in the snow, when he woke up an went to make coffee in the morning, the gas ignited, and the tent went up in an inferno of flames. The lesson to learn about this, is that one should set out the canister outside the tent at night in free air. In another case, somebody also here in Norway used a propane/butane lamp in a sauna. When the thing go to hot, the canister exploded and the walls moved about 5 cm. But I would not say I am afraid of using propane/butane. Just use it right like one does with any stove and you should be ok.
"Choosing to be afraid of something that is not going to happen, that has not happened with the cartridges under discussion, that there is no evidence that has ever happened... that IS dumb. Especially when the whole exercise is performed just for the purpose of trashing something you don't like that others enjoy" If you really wanted to make this happen you could put a cartridge in a black tramping pack and take it to Libia or Austrailian Outback where sooner or later you will get a day over 50C and you might just get it to rupture maybe. Of course you still need an ignition source for anything bad to happen beyond making your food taste funny. Ive had more accidental fires with white gas than real gas. Even had the fire brigade turn up to one although there was nothing for them to do. I have seen photos of a fire caused by a gas lantern but a dumb kid had accidentally loosened the fitting
I took a JetBoil Sol Al on a recent tramping trip to New Zealand, I used the stove to heat water for 2, we only boiled water in it as we only ate cook in a bag meals and boiled water for coffee, tea and cuppa soups, we walked for 8 days and we used just over half of a 230g canister, while speed to boil water was not important on this trip, we had to keep a close eye on the stove as the boil times were very quick, much quicker than the other canister stoves that I normally use (and I have quite a few including an old JB PCS). My tramping mate was blown away by the speed and efficiency of the JB Sol. According to my information gasoline has considerably less weight to power ratio than gas-canister stoves, Propane/Butane mix has 0.050 MJ/gm to Gasoline which has 0.043 MJ/gm (denatured alcohol is 0.026 MJ/gm), and it is my experience that for backpacking gasoline stoves have a much higher risk factor than canister stoves and are a much heavier option, the main advantage is that Gasoline stoves can work in much colder temperature, that said I have used one of my canister stoves at around -20C with no warming of the canister.
I agree with Tony, have only seen someone talk about the power to weight ratio and have not thought so much about it myself. Yet in my country gasoline is much cheaper to use than propane butane, and I would not say that the Svea 123R is so much heavier "dont have a gas burner to weight with the canister at the moment" . Have used a gas lantern "Primus micron lantern" during about -15°C without any problem or preheating of the canister. But when the tank got about 20% full and a bit colder, the lantern started pulsing a bit but almost not noticeable.
