Safe to transport gas stove on bumpy ride?
 

Our Coleman Sportster II Dual Fuel got a stuck one-way check valve which rendered it pretty much useless. We ordered a replacement from the UK which took 3 weeks to get here, only to realise that all mechanics and metal shops of the village we´re at are unable to remove the old valve from the stove. So it´s very close to a brick and we are looking into buying a simple gas stove, which is the only type of camping stove we can find here. :(

It´s a simple head that sits on top of the gas canister, typical CampingGaz stuff.

Problem is, we´re on bicycles and about to embark on a bone-jittering two-week ride to Salar de Uyuni, with conditions that have been described from horrible to hell.

Is it safe to transport such a stove after the gas canister has been pierced and used at least once? What if we take a spill on the stove while riding... spillage, potential for explosion?

Thanks for any info.

Alexandros

It depends on the type of cylinder, some are self sealing when you unscrew to burner and I have carried these along bumpy roads on my bicycle with no problem at all. Just make sure all cylinders are packed well away from any sharp objects, you could wrap them in your spare clothes.

Even if you did split open the canister in a crash, on a push-bike, you're missing the most important component of an explosion; a source of ignition.

The likely worst-case is you'll hear some hissing, get a whiffy smell and have no way of making a cuppa in the morning.

The screw in cartridges should be safe enough, but I would unscrew them from the appliance to prevent leakage and make for easier packing.

I don't like the pierced cartridges so much, as you cannot remove them from the appliance for packaging (well you can of course :oops2:, but then in my experience, you have a cannister spewing liquid gas everywhere!).

You can buy an adaptor, which fits the pierced cannister and has a valve on it. So when your ready to pack, just unscrew the cannister from the burner, etc. and pack. It should be as safe as the standard screw fitted cartridge. If you leave the cartridge connected to the burner when packed, the burner valve could get turned on. I don't think there is much danger of an explosion, but you may have to eat a cold uncooked meal that night. The cartridges are quite strong - try piercing an empty one. It is possible, but it isn't likely to happen in a normal bicycle accident.

http://www.globetrotter.de/de/shop/d...20a7641acd8a33

Grey Beard

Thank you for the informative replies.

We opted to wait for the replacement stove to be delivered and ended up not testing the cheap gas cylinders they sell over here... quite glad we did, because the Lagoon route through SW Bolivia was quite bumpy indeed.

Wish a had a DRZ/YZF to do it the fun way, but instead had to cope with a rigid touring bicycle and my own cartilage as suspension. Oh well.

Thanks:thumbup1: