Multi fuel stove users: what have you burnt?
 

Basically, I have a multi fuel. I liked the idea of the versatility but, as yet, I've never used that versatility to the maximum.

I usually burn gas canisters when I'm camping locally as it is so easy to set up. When I go further afield, I tend to use Coleman's fuel. I could go for unleaded, but I have read that cooking with petrol is not that healthy, so I don't do it now, unless I have nothing else.

One I have never used is kerosene/paraffin. Having recently bought an 80 year old SVEA No.1 stove at a car boot, I decided to ask.

Which fuels have you used and how do they compare in terms of how long a litre lasts and how much a litres costs. In other words, how much grub they'll heat per £/$/€ relative to other fuels?

Thanks for the two comments so far.

Just a reminder, though. I am specifically interested in those fuels that can be used with a multi-fuel stove. Of those fuels I want to know which gives its users the biggest bang for the buck.

I too use a wood-burning stove but for me that would not come under the category of mutli-fuel stove fuel.

The "Other" category is more for things like AVGAS etc, in case anyone has ever used that!

I have an MSR Whisperlite, runs well on unleaded but sooty at the start, runs really well on panel wipe solvent (naptha) have used assorted gas stoves, no go at lower temps and trusty old paraffin primus, I also have a Kibbutz made wood burner which is fun but not serious.

I've got a Coleman Dual Fuel...

I only ever use Petrol and it works great (I put a cap of FI cleaner in the mix every 50 uses to keep the jets clean).

I've used Coleman fuel in it which is expensive. The only benefit I got was that it burnt without an odour.


Stick to burning petrol and as long as you're not in the Antarctic, you should be able to source it..

I have an omnifuel.

It runs best on paraffin/kerosene, in that by using this fuel it runs longer than with any other fuel, also not too unclean. paraffin is also the cheapest fuel here. Not quite so hot as with petrol but is my preferred choice of fuel. sadly you can't run it down to a slow simmer without the heat exchange/vapouriser getting too cool and reverting to yellow sooty flame. to control heat you need to lower or raise the pot.
diesel works but takes a while to run properly.
petrol works but flame very hot.
gas untried as I have a little £10 gaz stove that runs on 270/470 cartridges, this is by far the better stove for cooking or a quick cuppa as I can simmer gently and can deploy in about 5 seconds. It will also run at low temperatures as these canisters are a mix of butane and propane.

I like the idea of camping Gaz but I REALLY hate the environmental impact of having these disposable aluminium bottles in land fill just so I can have a cuppa.

I think parafin/kerosene gives the best theoretical "bang per buck" cost but that's not really a massive issue really.

For convenience you can't beat a little Camping Gaz Bluet Micro or similar.

For ease of finding fuel and reliability it's got to be a Coleman; Feather or Sportster running unleaded.

If I'm static camping i.e. by van then I use a 70 year-old Radius parafin stove and a big old Primus/Svea. They run forever on a tank of Esso Blue so can be put into service to knock up a huge Chilli, Spag-Bol or Bunny Stew for a large group.

I jabbered again; in answer to your question...... Petrol

I sometimes use the Coleman canisters.

They thread on to the stove, so in principle, they should be refillable. The packaging says recyclable, so I'm hoping that is the case. Very hard to know who to give it to, if it is to be refilled by Coleman or the like...

If gas is tempting, then perhaps that system is best for you.

Interesting, I should try that on mine (never cleaned it)

Search on the net for how much heat the different gasses/liquids can deliver. I think the measurement unit is BTU, then find the prices and its an easy calculation to find the cheapest fuel compared to efficiency.

BUT cooking fuel is one of the lesser expenses, so who really cares ;-) normally the problem is finding the fuel, so you take what you can get.

dried camel dung works a treat no need for a stove just light and whack a dough ball in their and voila crusty pooey bread - lovely stuff

I to use a coleman dual fuel, I use unleaded as well, but also never cleaned it !
What is FI cleaner Ted ?
Cheers
Paul:innocent:

Could be Fuel Injecter Cleaner, mainly for cars. Sounds like a good Idea.

Yup. Fuel injection cleaner.

An Aussie guy, Ken Duval told me the trick.

It burns VERY hot violent and blows all the shit out of the generator. I can't confirm that it actually works but my coleman is 5 years old, been ran only on cheap unleaded and is still burning strong.

If you really want to save on fuel when cooking, use a pressure cooker. They typically save 50% or more.

:-) (you definitely like cooking!)

Unleaded in a Coleman 533. No problems. The smell doesn't seem to taint the food and the convenience of being able to fill up from the tank is fantastic.

:)

MSR International
 

sooty on Benzin at start up, but burns ANYTHING

I just unhook carb hose at tank and fill up bottle, no need to carry any other fuel... I have 6 gallons on board

Zig :scooter:

I have a 22 year old Coleman Multifuel stove and have only ever used unleaded fuel/Coleman Fuel(Basically kerosene). I have never had to do anything to it, apart from sticking some cooking oil down the pump to lube it now and again. I always carry a spare litre of unleaded for the bike in a Sigg bottle anyway, so why not use in a stove as well.

Just a little correction to avoid confusion; Coleman Fuel isn't kerosene, it's naptha which is really just very refined petrol with without any additives. It burns really cleanly in petrol stoves with hardly any smell but is stupid expensive at around £5.00 a litre. If you're lucky, the panel wipe that your local auto-paint supplier stocks is the same thing for about £10.00 for 5 litres. (some aren't 100% naptha)

I run my stoves on panel wipe once in a while to give them a clean through and also if I'm camping without my bike.

Well, there have been a few more posts on here and a stack more votes. This is great. However, I'd just like to draw attention to the main aim of the thread. This is not supposed to be a "My stove is a..." thread.

The idea was to see if there was a consensus on which fuel would make a multifuel stove most efficient either for the shop-lacking or funds-lacking overlander.

In other words, if resources/shops are scarce what would be the best fuel to use. In this case, unleaded seems a logical favourite. My only concern is about any health implications.

The other perspective is, if fuel is scarce, and camping suppliers also, which fuel will give you the best economy: ie cook the most per litre, if you are far from the next space and evey cc of fuel counts....

Those were the sorts of perspectives I was trying to get from other users.

Assuming voters have read the poll question it looks like unleaded is a clear winner.

I vote unleaded
 

And as I have lowered compression and retarded timing on my airhead...I vote unleaded regular the cheapest...I can run 82 octane now.



Zig

Some info on fuels for those that are interested .
Zen Backpacking Stoves - Backpacking Stove Fuels

Gasoline would be the most economical alternative for many as it can be siphoned from the bike tank.
But diesel for farm tractors is not taxed at such a high rate as diesel for road vehicles .Therefore ,if you ask nicely, many farmers will fill up your 1 litre jeigerfuel bottle for you for a much reduced price ,in fact most would just give it to you for free .Consequently, farm diesel is by far the most economical fuel for your multi fuel stove .:thumbup1:

Found this on the MSR Site for the DragonFly. I've been curious about this sort of stuff. As far as the economics, it will vary a lot by where you are. Gasoline and Diesel in Turkey are ridiculously expensive, in Turkmenistan...not so much.

Burn time (white gas) per 600ml / 20 oz. of fuel 126 minutes
Burn time (kerosene) per 600ml / 20 oz. of fuel 153 minutes
Burn time (diesel) per 600ml / 20 oz. of fuel 136 minutes
Boil time (white gas), 1 liter 3.5 minutes
Boil time (kerosene), 1 liter 3.9 minutes
Boil time (diesel), 1 liter 3.5 minutes
Water boiled (white gas) per 100 ml of fuel 5.3 liters
Water boiled (white gas) per 1 oz. of fuel 1.6 liters
Water boiled (kerosene) per 100 ml of fuel 5.7 liters
Water boiled (kerosene) per 1 oz. of fuel 1.7 liters
Water boiled (diesel) per 100 ml of fuel 5.7 liters
Water boiled (diesel) per 1 oz. of fuel 1.7 liters

I know it is off topic. But beware of burning Euro Unleaded long term. IT has all sorts of pollutants in. Your Fine out of Europe though.

I Used Diesel in my Primus Omnifuel for 3 months and it wasnt a problem. Little Sutty though.

If you can, use kerosene, it seems to burn better with this than any other fuel. Leastwise mine does.. wont lower down to a slow simmer though ( on any fuel).

by euro unleaded I expect you mean E10 fuel. that is crap and even my bike does significantly less mpg using it. the non E10 is fine.

Do you refer to the effects on the stove (less efficient burning/clogging it?) or the the people using it / meal cooked? (I got confused with "pollutants" like "smelling the fumes or the fumes getting in contact with food")

In Europe you get Euro 95 unleaded. You can get it in bigger cities outside of Europe too. Moscow etc. It is more refined that non-European fuel and is filled with additives like anti freeze/anti-oxidants/detergents ect

I am no chemist but i certainly wouldn't want it tainting my food if i can help it.

The Coleman fuel you buy is expensive but is clean and safe burning.

Don't know about you, but I cook my food in pans :cool4:... There is no tainting.

Fair enough, you won't be browning toast or melting marsh mellows but so what !

In my mountaineering days I used a 1 litre Primus Optimus stove, burning paraffin/kerosene. I also sometimes used a Camping Gaz single burner cooker and also a lantern if weight was not an issue.

Unfortunately, in Germany, it seems difficult to source paraffin (seems Health & Safety laws restrict it's sale in case young children drink the paraffin ????). I can still source paraffin, but only at large outdoor shops.

Camping Gaz is also a problem if travelling to foreign parts. Obviously, you cannot take the Gaz on an aeroplane and there is no guarantee you will be able to purchase the Camping Gaz in the new location. Had this problem in Vancouver.

I have a Primus Omnifuel and am buying a Primus Eta MF (Multifuel) stove. The Eta stove is claimed to be perhaps twice as efficient as a conventional ones and it can use screw in gas cannisters, petrol or paraffin/kerosene/diesel. I plan to use either Primus fuel (naptha) or standard unleaded petrol from the bike. I don't see a situation where I will not be able to find petrol.

If I want to do a two or three day solo walk, then I may just take the Eta MF stove with a small gas cannister, to save weight.

I read stories of petrol and diesel clogging up the burners, but don't understand why there should be a problem. The old Primus Optimus with paraffin just needed to have the jet pricked out regularly (I always did it prior to lighting the burner) and I used to fill it through a strainer to remove any dirt. Might try carrying some methylated spirits to prime, if this proves cleaner.

So, I think, petrol would be the favoured fuel in most cases for me. The Eta Multifuel stove should give me higher efficiencies and so use less fuel. I will see how the burner turn down ratio (for simmering) is with different fuels).

In terms of the poll, kerosene being the cheapest fuel, will likely be the most economic. However, in the grand scheme of things, this fuel cost is far less important for me than fuel availability.

Grey Beard

Previously I used a Primus army version which collapsed into a box, and I burnt kerosene in it, what sucked was fuel for "on the road" as I had to carry a fuel flask only for the bastard stove as welldoh. That stove got stolen (luckily), and I managed to get a second hand Coleman 533 stove, it's the bees knees, burns what is on the fuel tank with zero problems, even low octane leaded fuel gone through it several times and it just works. Awesome product and highly recommended.:thumbup1:

P.S. I believe the 533 is called Unleaded Sporter II now, it's solid made in steel and will not break, they also have a featherweight version which weighs a few hundred grams less, is made of less solid materials and gives about 300 watts heat less. I would not use money on the lighter version as on mc tours solid bulletproof is better than flimsier and less bullet proof, but other may disagree in this opinion. Due to my solid bulletproof rule of thumb I also use stainless steel pot to cook in, not aluminium or titanium. The weight is not that crucial on a bike, but solidity is a great thing, bumping around and maybe smashing around a bit, less rigid materials suffer greatly. Also I can clean out my pot with sand or stainless steel buds or whatever in hand.

I just whack the bread in a dry frying pan and it browns that way better still add oil, butter and or egg for even tastier bread.:scooter:

cooker
 

Hi all,

Amazing, the effort same are putting into the use of a cooker. My coleman featherlight is running like a clock, but being lazy, I prefer looking for some food outlooks. Particularly, in third world countries, where things are cheap.
Couldn't make my own chai, to the same standard, as there is on an Indian road stall. The same goes with most local foods. Get memories and leave some money behind and we all enjoy it.

Cheers

RM

Thanks for the imput. It's an interesting approach many should consider to try, including myself.

But if for some reason you happen to be just camping for a few days in Australia or Europe, where there are certainly less chai stalls on the side of the road (and fuel is not cheap), what could be a good option apart from burning cash (in my experience bills/notes burn more efficiently than coins)?

I've only ever used unleaded in my Whisperlite.

Cost, availability, bulk, and the waste issues of the canisters themselves rule out gas for me.

I don't really see that economics are that important when choosing between liquid fuels, because the fuel consumption/day is so tiny relative to what I'm using in the bike. The fact I've always got unleaded (and if I can't find any I'm in bigger trouble than eating cold food) trumps any running cost difference to using paraffin, etc.

Optimus 8r
 

I bought a second hand, old version optimus 8r because it even seems to able to run on water (you know what I mean). There are newer version but they are not as good as..

It's a little bit heavy but it's capable of burning unleaded fuel so I don't have to bring a spare fuel bottle.

Haven't tried it yet but I have great expectations.

I'm hypersensitive to a lot of things, petrol fumes is one them (yeah, I know), so petrol isn't an option for my stove. Up until recently I used a combination of an alcohol stove (Evernew) and an Optimus Nova+ which I used lamp oil in.
After experimenting with Etapower pots (they have a heat exchanger), I went for an MSR Reactor stove (the pot has a heat exchanger too).

Heat exchangers save fuel, and the MSR is a fuel miser. Yes, it uses gas canisters, but I puncture the canisters after use, so they can be tossed in ordinary garbage. I still carry my tiny titanium alcohol stove because the stand of it doubles as a wood stove, and the evernew stuff takes up almost no room and certainly no weight. This gives me three options when out and about, but my gas stove sees the most use.

I have made a pot cozy for the Reactor-pot, this way I can boil whatever I want, and then let it simmer in the pot cozy, saving even more fuel.

I try to save fuel generally. Not because of the money (which is miniscule, all things considered), but because it allows me to carry less/cook more days.

I solely use 450grms gas canisters (the big butane ones), because they last the longest per overall weight.

Now, why don't I just buy food at stalls? Well, I like to prepare my own. I like to make my own coffee, I like to camp out and do a bit of writing, and I like to be out there with no people.

This is the reason I also row (on the ocean - think sea kayaking, but with a rowing boat) and do trips like that.

I like the camping experience. If I had to buy everything from stalls, I'd simply stop traveling by motor vehicle or go on rowing trips camping. I don't carry all of my stuff on my back, so there's no need to be dependent on food stalls: I can get my coffee and food how I like it, when I like it.

And when I feel like buying food from somewhere I can do that too. Having camping gear doesn't preclude nice hotels, B&Bs, restaurants or anything else. It merely gives me that bit more choice.

good post twoupfront.

I much prefer my little gas cannister stove to anything else I have. ( omnifuels and a twin burner + grill )

Thanks, Oldbmw :)

With my unleaded petrol Coleman 533 stove I have burnt pasta as well as beans and rice. Rice gets particularly sticky to remove when washing and it leaves some traces, so I do not recommend to burn it... haven't tried burning other ingredients (sorry for the bad joke, I don't if the it works in English, but in Spanish we say "quemar la comida=burn the food/meal" and could't refrain:blushing:)

Works well in English too :)

An MSR cook set has a 'heat exchanger' that they claim improves the efficiency by taking the hot air that other wise blows away and sending it up the sides of the pot. It also is in contact with the pot and the air so it helps get the heat out of the air and into the pot.


Other factors to improve efficiency are
Using reflective screens both around the pot and on the ground. Some cook sets perform better with wind, others don't.

Weight -

The gas canister stoves are light ...if you only have one canister. Most people have two, one in use the other for when the first runs out.
The Coleman feather light (422?) weights more than one gas canister and gas stove, but less than the gas stove with one full canister and one half used. Add to this

the convenience of having fuel availability in most places
the ability to fly with it

I think the Coleman stove wins out. I find mine is easy to light once primed the first time, the next day I can light up with very little priming! That continues until I have to empty it for flying. For flying I find it best to empty most of the fuel, then burn the last bit as this removes the stuff in the pipes (that does not easily evaporate if you simply try to empty it totally. Camp.
As regards simmering, the stove does it much better than a MSR GXK hat I also have. And it is a lot less flare on priming(and the MSR wants that every time after you disassemble it for transport or an overnight camp.

The costs of heating are usually a lot less than the food!

Magic Flame aka Hobo stove
 

Magic-Flame next generation ... most efficient wood stove ever
invented ..... with optional alcohol burner, but not needed.

found here: Magic-Flame NG Hobo-Stov Testwinner

We have purchased many, as income stream while touring..... it works.

xfiltrate

Is camping gaz really hard to find in S.America?

Excellent point but since youve burned hundreds if not thousands of gallons of petrol in your time as I have, isn´t there some kind of hypocrisy we both practice?:oops2:

Absolutely.... As with most environmental issues.

However. Unless I design some kind of perpetual motion engine, I don't really have too much choice with what I fill my bike up with. I could walk or pedal I suppose.

Camping gaz is just adding to our 'Throw away' society. It's un-necessary. Convenient yes.. Lazy yes..

Half way up Everest, no ones going to give you grief for using gas cannisters. Making a stockpile of non-recyclable junk at a weekend in Wales isn't really helping.

The same way people serve you Tea in Polystyrene cups when they could just give you a mug or insist on supplying thousands of individually wrapped sauce sachets when a bottle of ketchup would do just fine.

It's our brain dead society in action. F**king up our planet for ourselves.

It winds me up. Especially when you visit some of the most beautiful places the world and they're covered in rubbish.

I'm noooo wayy perfect or immune to it. But as travellers and lovers of the world/environment, we can all make a bit of a difference where we are able to. Cant we ???

Rant over :scooter:

I hear what you're saying Ted. I have the butane canister equipped stove, along with a multifuel stove and the old Bleuet Gaz stove. I use the canisters on my motorcycle and bicycle trips even though I literally feel bad each time I throw one away. Which sometimes means lugging it with me most of the day until I can find a proper disposal site. The main reason they're so popular is that they're clean and convenient. I've sloshed Kerosene all over my bicycle panniers in Belize and White Gas leaked from the bottle on a motorcycle trip on rough roads. I wish they would make the Butane canisters refillable just like our propane tank out back.

...Michelle
www.scrabblebiker.com

I think the majority of blame lies with the companies who make them. With a little expense, they could make them easily recyclable. Should be law.

Like i wrote yesterday in a thread - who is wake up from the dead:

I hasnt decide it yet, but i dont see much alternatives to this one:

Campingaz Kocher Camping Duo(TM) Grill CV

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...OL._AA115_.jpg

http://www.amazon.de/Campingaz-Kocher-Camping-Duo-Grill/dp/B0026JPAM6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349801545&sr=8-2

The small gas bottles are easy to store between the luckage. The used one can i transport in the roofbox, till i`m at home.

I would prefere a 5kg bottle or two of them - but they are to big and bulky for transport them inside - and also not legal (at least in europe).

But maybe you know a setup who would fit my needs better?

Surfy

The eco fuel
 

Aspen Allkylate petrol tried this the other day in my old Coleman peak stove burns really clean even before it's warmed up. The tec details say it has no harmful benzene or aromatic hydrocarbons and works out at £2.2 per ltr cheep compared to Coleman fuel

I used white spirit in my optimus 8r the first couple of year when i move to switzerland , i thought i was the same as white gas doh . It burns very well and very clean. Now i used the fuel from my bike, works fine as well , but it make a lot of black sod.

:chef: Optimus Nova stove but I prefer to use this one below using whatever I can find, from camel dung to nice Swiss wood!
Wood gasification stoves- hard to beat free fuel
Only downside is cleaning the pot! but Astonish oven and cookware cleaning paste does a good job.

(Ted's going to Like this!)

I actually made one of these using some large aluminium tins. Interference fitted inside each other and holes drilled in all the right places.

They do work but they require constant feeding with very small twigs. Turn your back for 2 mins and they go out.

Never tried burning anything but twigs though.. Ain't got any dry poo lying round (these days ;) )

starts with twigs but progresses to 2inch thick chunks! and it does not go out easily!

Your's is a lot bigger than mine...

The stove that is :innocent:

My Korean 8R copy is happy on petrol, panel wipe or Coleman fuel. It will burn white spirit at a push. You can also let off a green heat gel sachet in the lid in an emergency. It won't burn Gun Wash which is a type of extra volatile white spirit. The jet is obviously wrong for this.

Andy

Alcohol or Meths
 

I used to use a Colman Multifuel and it was great and lasted a long time. But I was in Arabia and could not get a replacement generator (that dohicky that pre-heats the fuel). So I went back to basics with my old army stove which burns alcohol, I have two. I got a honey stove and an espirit holder, so can cook full meals and they pack down very small. I even made a burner out of a Axe deoderant can. Not as good but it worked.

I also have a small table top BBQ I got in Salta, Argentina. Great for charcoal/wood fires when I want, to save on alcohol and can find the fuel, it straps onto my top box perfikt.
I can use the BBQ as a stand /windbreak for the alcohol burners and I also have a plate for the BBQ to act as a food warmer.
The honey stove (S/S) will also burn just about anything including plastic but that is a bit hard to clean off.
I know this sounds a bit much, but I live on the road for anything up to a year when travelling.

I once heated.....ok.... erm "warmed" a tin mug of coffee on my exhaust, so that's another vote for unleaded!

Hey seriously there's a lot of spare heat floating around on the bike must be able to use it somehow to heat food. Pastie in a tin can wired to the front pipes.

:offtopic: back on topic - Coleman stove with unleaded every time.

There was a chap whose name I can't remember did the German Winter rallies with a heat exchanger built into the outfits exhaust. Copper pipe took heat from the engine coolant round an insulated pot mounted on the sidecar chassis. It worked like a slow cooker, so one blast of the stove at breakfast time to do breakfast and start the crock pot contents gave him two hot meals a day. :offtopic:

Probabaly mentioned above but I've been playing with alternatives on my Optimus:

Panel wipe is a painters degreaser that costs about 1/10th of Coleman Fuel, has no nasties in it and actually seems easier to get. It burns well. :thumbup1:

Gun Wash is a general industrial degreaser. This has very low heat generating capabilities and judging by the steam may even contain water :thumbdown: which is unfortunate as my employers buy gallons and view it as a "consumable" :innocent:

Andy

Does anybody have the Coleman Pulstar multifuel?
It looks like the lightest of the coleman multifuel stoves.
cheers and happy new yearbier

+1 for the old 533's and their brethren.

I used an early Coleman Peak One on at least a twice-daily basis during a year-long horseback trek. Never missed a beat and I fed it a pretty varied diet ranging from Coleman Fuel, white gas, kerosene, and both leaded and unleaded gasoline oft mooched from other campers and travellers. Often these fuels were combined with one another, whichever fuel remaining in the tank was combined with whatever came available next.

I've had it for over 20 years and it's been pounded to death inside horse and mule panniers and on nearly every offroad or touring motorcycle trip I've ridden. The tank has never leaked liquid nor fumes in my luggage when allowed to properly shut down.

I'm a bit of a stove whore. I've got buckets of both the old standbys from Svea, Optimus, Trangia, etc., and a couple of "modern" rigs (Whisperlites, et al), all of which I've used at least a few times then parked them permanently, returning to that brick of a Coleman.

I only recently replaced the generator. Not due to failure, but because I figgered it might be overdue.

I've no idea how they compare with their more modern, lighter and increasingly more fragile counterparts in terms of fuel consumption and don't much care because they work. Just wanted to cheerlead for simplicity and ruggedness in whatever you may choose.

Maybe i have also to give my feedback here.

On our Trans-Africa we bought a new coleman unleaded and used with coleman fuel.

http://www.trekandrun.com/reviews/co...rner-stove.jpg

We had just two months, driving the west route. After 3-4 weeks the generator died (using coleman fuel).

We was not happy with the device. For short trips it is ok, but for extended trips it makes us mad. You have to clean the pan after each use, all is full of rus.

When you dont have unlimited water and stuff to clean and dry - you should avoid to use unleaded (also with the factory coleman fuel).

We bought a gas bottle with burner in Congo-Brazzaville - and dont look back.

Surfy

BTW: you find campinggaz bottles all over in africa

Lizrd,
Like you I have beat the shit out of my MSR Wisperlight International and burned a little of everything in it.
The shaker jet works and you get used to the flame needed to get it rolling.

You can't break it unless you destroy the pump trying to rebuild it using the wrong instructions. There is a new style and an old style

A couple of days ago it wuld not run right so I completely stripped it on a picnic table, including the burner and cleaned everything with an old toothbrush. There were carbon chunks inside the burner after 15 years. I would suggest a periodic stripping and cleaning cause it's so nice when it runs right

It is running perfectly again.

One nice thing is the generator can't be clogged permanently.
And it starts in the cold or at any altitude and it burns HOT.

The weak point is the nylon pump otherwise it is bullerproof.

Many times I have emptied the separate fuel bottle into my tank to go a few extra miles.

BtW the fuel bottle is beat to shit, I use a 1 liter bottle. Sigg, no leaks but I think the MSR bottles are just as good.

Well that my story, my stove has been RTW thru Russia, Mongolia and to Sud America, all over the USA, to the Arctic Circle and so on.

My MSR Titanium Titan 2 pan kit is beat to shit too, keeps going on the stove and in the fire. No issues but the suckers have gotten real expensive.
bill

an very odd thing. I was leaning towards a coleman 533 as i have seen some in use and they look very convenient. Just did a bike rally to the French Enfield club and the guys I was with had 5 533's between them. They could never get more than two of them to work the same time. My little gaz stove worked flawlessly and was the only thing that could simmer. I am now convinced it will be my stove of choice on bike and the bigger gaz stove ( two rings and a grill) will be used when I go camping by car. I have found the primus omnifuel ( was left in my saddle bags from last trip). no inclination to use it at all.

The thing about Colemans is that there are A LOT of them knocking about. Probably all been running on petrol, leaded fuel, this n that... They get some abuse.

They too are very simple stoves and easy to work on.

Top tip is to put a cap of fuel injection cleaner in with a few tanks and clear it out.

Mine's still running great after 6 years of hard use.

At least two of them could not hold pressure and were leaking fuel. I think from the pump.

Both very cheap, replaceable parts that are easily available.

A simple o-ring and a perhaps the pump leather.

Maybe so but it spoiled their week away to France. luckily 6 of them travelled together so they did manage to cook some things, had any of them been alone with no cooker getting the parts on their return for 2p would not have helped.

the more I look into it the more I am convinced that my little £10 gaz stove is the better choice.

Camping gaz is okay if you can buy the bottles. That ain't happening when you get out of camping shop.zones. Any bit of kit will let you down if you don't maintain it. A Coleman needs 2 quid spending on it every 5 Years. :D

www.touringted.com

I use 470 canisters, they are a mix of propane and butane so will work in cold weather ( below 0C. One canister usually lasts me for a fortnight or so. I always take a spare so when I use the one on the burner I buy another spare as soon as I get the chance.

I admit I don't usually go outside of Europe, if I did my priorities might be different.
None of the groups stoves had any age to them, my £10 gaz stove is 15 years plus now. and are available easily. Certainly I could buy a new stove easier than get a part for a petrol stove.

I have a optimus novs+ I have used overland (africa) and locally.
I have run it on -
Proper stove fuel from a camp shop
petrol
paraffin
kerosene
diesel
cooking oil (blended)
Red diesel/marine gas oil
And some various blends of all of the above.

It worked well on all but takes a bit longer to get up to heat on the oils. It also says dont run it on unleaded, but I suspect thats more from the health issue as it goes fine.


I think petrol is the easiest most available and best heating to run on. But you can also chuck anything in and cook, just avoid the bottom three as red diesel particularly clogs it up after a bit!

I don't have a multi-fuel stove. I have the old standby, MSR Whisperlite.

And I burn unleaded gasoline in it. Yup. Works fine.

I've also put Coleman white gas camp stove fuel in my bike in a pinch, and it works fine too.

Jamie

Mostly my eyebrows using petrol in that bloody awful Coleman I used to have! doh

The dual fuel ?? 533 sportster ??

Never had eyebrow moments on the few I've used..

I have a Trangia that uses methylated spirits and it seems fine. Dunno if its possible to use other fuels in it though. Can anyone tell me?

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Have a look here

Trangia Fuel

Coleman
 

The problem using petrol in Coleman dual fuel stoves is the seals perish over a period of time, I never seem to get longer than 3 mths out of them.
They are very good when the work tho.

Cheers
Paul

Standard unleaded in my Coleman. Never used anything else in 8 years. Running like a beast.. FI cleaner every now and then is all you need.

I run my msr on alcohol normally meths or rubbing alcohol but have used vodka once!

the burn is very clean too not sooty! Very efficient and very hot!

failing that I use gas but you can not take the canisters on a plane!


I

I use pump gas in all my MSR stoves, Simmerlite, Whisperlite and Dragonfly. Never a problem.

My new MSR Dragonfly arrived yesterday. With all the info in here, all should well. Cheers:thumbup1:

Technically I should have voted for kerosene as being most economical. It has more energy in every drop and the cost makes it more economical. Cost comparisons can give different results in other places or times.

But it is harder to light and takes longer to warm up to operating temperatures. I answered unleaded in your poll because it is just easier to work with and I usually fill the bike's 20-litre tank late in the day.

I prefer Primus Omni-lite over the Coleman I had.

I also used plenty of unleaded in a Svea 123 with only mild clogging -- it would clear up after sputtering a bit longer than when burning Coleman fuel.

After using standard 'pump' petrol in my colemans for the last 7-8 years I finally had a failure.

The generator finally blocked and could not be unblocked where I was. Considering the abuse and crap fuel this thing has been running on, I'm seriously impressed it lasted this long.

Of course, I could have/should have a spare generator with me (£15 on ebay and 5 minutes to fit). I have one now.


However, once home I managed to clear the old one out. I removed the generator pipe and soaked it in solvent for an hour.

I then used my MAP Blow torch (Propane/acetelyne mix available from any hardware store) and attacked the generator. I got it glowing red. Far hotter than the stove can burn. The carbon deposits jetted and 'whisped' out of the pipe. It's like new now. Obviously not a campsite fix but shows you can clear them.

Total respect for these stoves. I've just bought a new Coleman 442 Feather Stove for my next travels. A little smaller with the same gubbins.

So far I never owned a petrol burner (exept my bike). There was very cheap food ready to eat available in Africa, Southamerica and Asia just at the side of the road for less then 1 Dollar per portion. For Europa i used a 5 Euro Gascooker made in Chine :)

Agreed... But without caffeine first thing in the morning you might as well set fire to my tent and put a headstone up next to it.

I'd carry BBQ and a 10kg bag of charcoal if it guaranteed me a brew in the morning. :innocent:

Couldn't agree more Ted . I carry my Coleman for a coffee fix, that I could cook food on it is an added bonus although mostly cant be bothered .

Gareth

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cRvxOueUOc...man-island.JPG

I`m too can now report my experience with the coleman unleaded, after our 2.5 week island trip and using it daily (wildcamping).

We start with a full tank (coleman fuel) and had the same experience than bevore in africa:

It need his time 3-4 mins to produce a blue flame (yellow flame will produce more soot) - but also then you have to handle a dirty soot bottom.

The power is ok, not like gas but quite ok to cook on two flames.

After the tank was empty we use the unleaded fuel from the gas station. With that fuel you will need 6-7 minutes before the yellow flames get blue. Also it produce more dirt than on coleman fuel.

If you use the coleman mit yellow flame, the bottom of you pan will be black of soot also when you use it once, will makes everything black what get in touch, finger, towels you use to dry them, every place you put will put it. To wash it, need time, hot water and effort.

We dont love that device, but we also dont find a device who is that handy for a mobile 4wd overlander kittchen setup.

It is bulky, but if you try to replace it with gas - you end up with more space used, or a less practical if you look to a windshield and so on.

For extended travelling we will carry not just a spare generator, we will carry a complete Tank/Pump/Generator Combo. Remember that our first generator died in africa, after 3 weeks using (twice a day).

As you see, we dont love the device - but currently we didnt find a way arround the coleman. But a way to live with it ;-) For Weekends the soot stuff dosnt hurt. On extended trips it is uncomfortable to keeping your stuff clean, your towels clean.

Of your Kitchen-Setup is not mobile, you did built a kitchen in your drawers at sample, i would intend to use a campinggaz gas setup.

The blue gas bottles we did find everywhere on remote places, from asia till africa.

Surfy

Use a Trangia if you can't get gas use meths available anywhere.

Margaret

You can get these blue campinggaz gas bottles near anywhere.. You can see these blue bottles on hiking hats in Island till remote villages in africa or asia.

With unleaded fuel for the coleman cooker, you can too restock near anywhere too. So the restocking issue dont count really, I think.

But I guess the trangia hasnt a problem with soot....

Surfy

Coleman 502
 

This weekend I was going though a few old boxes of childhood possessions that had been stored at my late grandmothers home.

In one box. I found my old Coleman 502.. from 1978... Complete with half a tank of what was gasoline in 1978..

I dumped out the viscous yellow liquid, added about 3 tablespoons of fresh unleaded from my tank.. swished it around & dumped that out as well...

Filled it with fresh unleaded.. pumped it up.. and it lit and runs like a champ..

I think I'm taking this one to Yosemite with me.. Since the last time I lit it up was about the last time I was at Yosemite..

The definition of "near everywhere" depends on what's "near". I.e. how many miles and how many meals does each cannister cover?

If you have a truckload of space, carrying 3 or 4 cannisters through remote villiages might be easy. With 60 or 70 litres of luggage space on a motorcycle taking an extra cannister or two is a more difficult choice.

It also depends on what's cooking. For heating water for coffee, instant meals, a gas cannister may last a while. If you start with a browned onion or cook whatever you found at farms or markets then a cannister doesn't go as far.

Everyone has a different definition of "cooking" and makes different trade-offs if they have limited luggage space. I don't want to spend time every 3 or 4 days looking for a cannister. I DO spend time looking for gas anyway. Even on a single trip, some days or areas are great for buying prepared food and in other areas setting up camp and cooking a good meal is a great end to a riding day.

I just haven't seen those cannisters being as easily avaliable as pump gas.

A good thread.....have to comment on the coffee though. I agree with the morning coffee fix as well - if I could walk around with a permanent drip of coffee infusing into my veins I'd be happy.

I use a Coleman twin burner and use the Coleman fuel or Shellite fuel. Never tried the Unleaded though. Here in Oz I spoke to Coleman who suggested that if you start using one type of fuel it's best for the stove to continue using it..(but they may not be aware of the nifty tip of injector cleaner for the carb).

I get good economy out of the Shellite - I have used a twin burner for a week on a tank of it and a Coleman duel fuel single burner lantern for about the same time. I also have a single burner Coleman that has about a 3 hour cooking time per tank but it works like a blow torch - a bit hard to control the flame.
I do like my Gasmate butane cartride single burner, but bulky for the bike - usually sits in a day box in the back of the forby. The little single burner butane (Gaz size canister) burner I use has small canisters; I can cook 8 meals plus 1 cup of hot water per meal (supposedly one hour burn time per can). Not bad. Off course the meals are heated cans of stew or some such concoction takes about 6 minutes to boil and heat both water and can food. I use can foodstuff where I possible because I don't want to use dehydrated food types that require water to be added, as there is absorbable liquid in the cans and other food types (eg:can fruits) - not a problem if water isn't an issue though.

So I find the ColemanFuel or the Shellite the most economical, AND I agree on the gas cartridge problem developing around the countryside here in Oz. Some people have a nasty habit of dumping them in the scrub and its not unusual to see, in some places, a swollen can from heat lying around like a small bomb ready to go off - always a worry what we throw in the garbage and into the ground.

Cheers

To make your coleman run like new, just replace the generator.

I now carry one as a spare. Even though my last one lasted 8 years...


I had the facilities to clean my generator and it's like a brand new stove. It now ROARS again with a nice blue flame (running unleaded).


Coleman replacement generator for Coleman 442 533 sportster stove - 533-5891 | eBay

Thanks TT....not sure why the coleman goes like a blow torch.....its not that old......it has done since leaving the box and the 1st burn......its not a problemto live with just annoying at times when not in a mood to put up with its shennigans

I bought this a while ago. It was much fun for having a fire in the evening the first few times. Trying to cook on it failed. Tried to get a fire going with some tinder and a spark. That was a hungry night...:(

It's lightweight, easy to stack and quite stable. No risk of potatoes rolling in the grass...

Anyone else using something like this?

Yes and IMHO, it's one the best wood gasification stoves out there- better than my original Bushbuddy which was great but did not have a sufficiently large enough burn chamber so had to be fed too often-
Lightweight and very efficient-
Fits packed inside an SS-MSR tin
The secret in lighting these is to use tiny tinder- a common mistake is to try to light a too large a piece of wood from cold.
Bring the heat up steadily then add larger pieces- and watch the magic of wood gasification (see pic)
If using 4 wheels, I carry pine kitty litter- (:blushing: so I am always sure to get a fire going even if I can't find any wood / dung lying around) one fill up cooks for 80 minutes!
Dung fires are brilliant in terms of recycling- add cow dung ( burns hotter) to horse or camel dung. Adds a distinctive flavour too !:Beach:
Three cheapo tent pegs anchor it through the bottom holes for greater stability.

Oh wow! I never got it burning so well! I'll give it try soon again. Perhaps the secret lies in the litter;) because 80 minutes!! I usually struggle just to keep it going. .. but only used.. 5 times or so.

Fortune and Glory, kid. Fortune and Glory.

coleman twin burner stove
 

Hi I have used coleman twin burner for 3 years now and have only put unleaded in it works fine. has any one used a mixture of fuels ie petrol/paraffin/diesel mix in same tank full

Soon I start the next trip.

As a so called "burned child" - who the Coleman died after 3 Weeks - I start prepared this time:

I carry an extra generator AND and an complete extra Pump/Tank/Generator Unit.

I still dont find an alternative in kind of capability and weight - who can replace the coleman dual flame.

Surfy

When you get home you can fix the old one.

I used a hot blow torch. Propane/Acetylene mix. £10 in Toolstation etc.

First soak the generator in petrol overnight.

Get the generator glowing red for a good ten minutes. Move the torch slowly up the generator pipe. The extreme heat vaporises the carbon deposits. I then used a very thin steel guitar string (8 gauge) to pull anything else through.

It's like new now.