British Army Cooker No12 on White Gas/Coleman Fuel

Hello all.

I am quite ignorant about stoves so please forgive if this question is silly, but I was wondering if it’s possible to run a British No12 on white gas/Coleman fuel? Would using this fuel be risky or damaging to the stove?

The reason I’d prefer white gas is that it burns cleaner and won’t soot up my cookware as much. Also, it doesn’t smell as strong as kero, and burns hotter (I believe).

If the No12 can’t run on white gas, is it possible to modify it so it can?

Thanks a lot,
Melo.

 

I don't have a horse in this race but , have you tried running ultra low sulphur diesel in the stove . may help with the smell . In the multi fuel stoves I have the diesel jet is smaller than the rest . I believe diesel is the designed fuel for the stove . Good luck in your quest for a clean burn .

 

British no 12 jet

 

Thanks! If I changed the fuel, I wonder if I’d have to change the jet? Another reason I’d like to run it on coleman fuel is that I have a few other stoves that run on it, so it’d be great to have one fuel to rule them all.

 

Thanks for that link - I trawled the forum looking for info before I posted but I missed that thread.

In that linked thread, are you suggesting it’s not worth the risk running it on white gas because if the tank/pump leaks, the thing will explode?

Or is it that you think it’ll be ok to run it on white gas as long and the non return valve is in good order? If this is the case, would a pressure test suffice?

Also in that thread, you say you use a kero jet. Would I need to use a white gas jet or would the factory jet suffice?

Thank you kindly.

 

The 12 is designed to burn diesel & does so very cleanly - no worries there.

 

Not silly! This is a very important safety question, it's good that you asked.

There's a difference between burning white gas, and burning white gas safely. White gas is enormously more volatile than kerosene or diesel, and Coleman stoves meant for white gas have a set of redundant safety features, all designed to prevent a single point of failure from causing a bomb to go off. Blowing up customers is bad for business.

The number 12 lacks almost all of these features. One failure can cause an enormous fire, in so little time that your first indication there's been a failure will probably be the fire itself.

I'm not trying to be dramatic or hyperbolic, this is burn down your house and send you to the burn ward level risk.

We'll all be happy to help you find another white gas stove, if that's the fuel you'd like to stick with.

 

Well said @Marc

 

My interpretation.
He is saying be very careful... it can quickly get exciting.
You are free to use the "not recommended" fuel in any stove that you use. If you do not know how to use the stove your excitement might increase more quickly.

Personally....
I do not use the Optimus 111B. It is a white gas stove with the safety features of a kerosene stove. It isn't fun for me.
My fun is in using old things the old way.

 

Actually it's just fine to have more than one fuel: white gas, kerosene, and alcohol. Part of the interest, and it allows the use of many very different stoves.

 

I like keeping multiple types of fuel around since it allows me to have different cleaners. White gas, kerosene, and alcohol can all be used to clean parts. By keeping multiple fuels around, if one won't clean it, I can just try another.

 

Thank you all. I totally get that there are many great reasons to have and use multiple fuels, but when I’m camping and packing light, I’d prefer to use one fuel (white gas) for my stoves if possible.

So it would be great to hear if anyone has any pragmatic ideas about how I could more safely and effectively use white gas in a British military No 12 stove (change burner/jet? Pressure test tank/pump?). The vibe I am getting is maybe not, but I’d really love to explore the possibilities and give it a shot.

Thank you kindly,
Melo.

 

If you figure the amount of fuel you need for a camp, the weight is the same for 2 fuels as one, apart from the containers. Not a real issue

 

2 is one, one is none.
I always consider backup.

Another idea, if you want one fuel, change the stove you choose.

 

If you're taking a number 12, you're not packing light.

Look up how Coleman safely burns white gas in their stoves and lanterns, and why.