This was my first stove. I found it in an US Army 'Conex' we were cleaning out around 1978. It's a 1944 Coleman model 530 'Pocket Stove'. I used this stove for the next 20 years while I served in the Army. I've fettle it several times. While stationed in Germany I had a friend that was a Cook. He gave me a couple spare burners for it. I've torn it completely down a couple time to painted the tank. I haven't had to work on it since I left the Army, must be the quality of the fuel. The stove has gone with me on most adventures, when I was younger I used it as a backpacking stove until about age 40. Now it's reserve for canoe trips.
Hey, Sweepr, Nifty old Coleman, you have, Lad!! It's also very interesting that you've had less problem with it, once you stopped using military gas, if I read you right. Thanks for sharing it with us, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Sweepr--i also have one of those..i don't run it much and then just to try it out and make sure it still works--so the question is how long will a tank of fuel last on a canoe trip?? i go out for long trips and while i don't mine filling my Peak One every day or so having a stove with a big tank might be worth taking--
Dave I can't answer that. I took this stove as a backup to this old cast iron 3 burner, w/a spare single and It's been WAYYY to many years since I used it regularly. |imgRemoved|
Fascinating how that car-camping site looks like every one of mine! (Except for the LPG, I hasten to add.....) 8)
Actually Ed That pic was taken on the Allagash River @ the falls 4 days down river. They have prepared campsites that you must use and there was 11 in the group, most newbies to camping and/or trip canoeing. That's why all the firepower. I'm not going to use it again, I now have 3 Coleman 502s I'm taking for group paddles. I'm building a Wannigan for group paddles to put them in. The 'Pocket Stove' is for my Solo Trips.
But I'm very familiar with pots and pans and coolers and every manner of gear on the picnic table seats, not to mention the table itself!
Ed it does look a lot like car camping. We used my aunt's house as a starting point. She has done the river many times, and most of us were cousins doing the river. The amount of 'stuff' that went down that river you'd have thought there was a truck suppling us. A wee bit of overkill. That's one of the reasons the cousins aren't going this year, I want to see if I can get the weight down.
Here's the nearest I could find in my photobucket set; I don't know what we'd do car camping without at least two picnic tables-- we hope to get at least one cleared enough to sit down to! 8)
Hi sweepr Great Coleman military stove and I love the photo of your campsite. Those Coleman stoves are really well made and served the US GI in WWII. Just one thing, the stove you show is the Coleman 520. The 530 was the civilian version based on the 520 and was produced from 1946 to 1949 (though so far I have only seen ones dated 1946 and 1947). The 530 was nickel plated and did not have the fold-out feet. The aluminium case was also slightly different. Here is a 530:
I have the same stove I commandeered while serving in Uncle Suckers Army. Mine was brand new as issued to us here in Alaska in 1974. Like the issue lantern they both were made to run on mo-gas. I used mine right up to the day I bought my 111 in down town Fairbanks. Still have the old hiss-er around somewhere. I did however wear out the pot and pan set that came with.
