Carrying a stove

is it a good idea to keep a gas canister attached to your stove whilst backpacking.
the reason being it fits into the stove and uses less space but is it more likely to leak than carrying the stove and gas seperately? any suggestins.

I have a tiny stove, so I take mine apart and it fits into my pot. I wouldn't leave a canister stove assembled-too much of a chance the valve might get knocked around and come open or something on the stove might get bent or broken. Besides, it only takes about 30 seconds to put them together, one of the big advantages of a canister stove. Mine actually takes up less space when disassembled-I can fit both my stove and a small canister into my Primus Litetech pot.

If you're talking about a white gas stove like an MSR or optimus stove with a pump bottle, no, don't leave it attached or you'll break things, disassemble it and pack it up sanely.

If you're talking about a stove that uses a butane cartridge that is punches through (like the bluet stoves from europe) forget it, you have to leave it attached.

If you are talking about a canister stove that uses isopropane/butane canisters (MSR pocket rocket, snow peak, primius micron, crux, etc.) Tom gave you one answer, which I'll more or less stick to, however I have a different experience with such stoves.

The top of these canisters have a little valve called a "lindal valve" on them. it has a little ball in it
that the poky centre of the stove pushes down out of the hole to let the gas out. when you unscrew the stove from the canister, the ball pops back up and seals the hole.

I *have* had the lindal valves fail on canisters. usually in colder weather, but I figure it can happen anywhere. So, the answer I will give you is "usually you can unscrew it" . the problem is that if the lindal valve does not reseal, all your fuel can leak out slowly. so I unscrew my cautiously, and then test to see if there is any gas coming out the valve after (be careful using a "spit bubble" in cold weather or you'll get water in there that if it freezes *will* make the valve fail - I've used a dribble
of alcohol to see if it bubbles, or test with your finger over it. my failures would have been felt with
a finger over the hole). if there is gas coming out after, and you don't want to eat cold food the rest of your trip, screw your stove back on fully, tape the valve in the off position while you're transporting it, and don't take the stove off till the canister's done.

I've never seen a Lindal valve fail, but then again, I'm not out in -30C weather either. So, as Phat says, it depends.

I also assumed you meant butane canisters not fuel bottles. I'd never leave a stove and bottle together. I will leave the pump in the bottle since that actually protects the pump, but I would carry it outside the main pack in a pocket or separately in my sled.

The old puncture canisters are another story. I didn't even think of those, since you so rarely see them any more.

Thanks Phat for the elaboration.

I have used Bleuet stoves in my young days many times (after all, there was nothing else...). This one was a pain in the a** to pack properly and safely, even in a not-so-UL rucksack. A more evolved model had a screw-on, resealable cartridge, but nobody trusted it, so with packed the stove "whole" anyway...

I leave the Pocket Rocket attached to the cannister for the whole trip. Makes it easier to use the stove.

To protect the stove portion I put a bottomless 2 liter gator aid bottle over the whole thing. The gator aid bottle pressure fits nicely with the larger stove cannisters.

This is not an original idea. Another contributor suggested it several years ago and I have done it this way ever since.

Detaching the cannister works for my packing system. However, I, too, have had a lindal valve leak. Ever since I have put a little spit on the valve hole. If it hasn't sealed the bubbles that form make it obvious. The fix is to attach and detach the burner again. That has always resulted in a proper seal. In other words, the leak is a transitory phenom.

Yes, I've had the leaks as "transitory" - but I've also had ones that after attach and re-attach didn't reseal again. those were a pain! None of he times I've had a leak
have been at -30 - more like "cool weather - down to freezing or so" - I don't even *think* of the word canister stove if the weather is going to go much below freezing.

And as I mentioned, the spit trick works - if it's above freezing. don't to it below or
you get water in there and it'll make the problem happen!

dale***

My coleman xtreme stoves I always disconnect to travel, but leave em connected in camp and over night. Same with screw on butane cannisters, but I NEVER disconnect one of my whitegas stoves from the pump and I only unscrew the bottle to refill it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

If the weather is too cold or while snow camping, I bring my white gas Whisperlite Internationale stove, with the pump attached always. I have no issues this way. This last weekend, I did use my Pocket Rocket with Snow Peak Iso/Pro fuel. Must be a winter blend as I had no issues in below freezing temps in the morning and snow around me one morning in Yosemite.