...that is, progress made using up my stockpile of partially full fuel cannisters As someone commented recently (Oregon Mouse?),it is a pain coming home from a trip with partially used backpacking fuel cannisters. You hate to take them on your next trip because of the extra weight, yet there they are, sitting in your garage, growing in number every year! Well, I decided I had to take a stand, so we took 10 partials on our carcamping trip this week to Pinnacles. Used up 6 them in 4 days...of course by the time summer is over, I may be back up to 10 again!
I'm fortunate we spend a lot of time car camping on the New England Coast chasing striped bass with fly rods. I'm not fond of running out and having to cool off a bit and swap, but it get's er done. I only have 3 that are pretty low, so I actually just bought another 8 oz.
Only 10 half empty canisters? I have TWO boxes of these - probably 50. I gradually use them up car camping and taking them on shorter trips where the extra weight does not matter that much. Problem is that over time, I end up with more than I can use this way.
When you do finally dispose of them be sure to punch a hole to let out the pressure before tossing in the garbage.
I've been more or less living in a tent in Europe for 2 years, and I have taken draining canisters to an art form. I favour the 'Yanni' approach of adeptly swapping pots and gradually decanting gas canisters until their final breath. Fine for car camping - not really that helpful if you have to carry them out bush. Congratulations on killing 10 of the little blighters! Reggie
PS Yanni https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanni was truly at his best Live at the Acropolis. How can one man play so many keyboards at the same time?
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Recycle those canisters, please! If you (1) make sure the canister is empty (let it sit outside with the stove on it and the valve turned on full for 10-15 min.), then (2) punch a couple of holes and (3) let it sit outside overnight, you can recycle those empties! Mine go in my curbside recycling. Just be sure to follow the directions above so you don't start a fire (or worse) in the recycling facility!
My recent trip to California, which was supposed to include car camping on the way down and back, ended up in motel rooms both ways due to rain, cold, and wind. So my hope of using up several partial cans was a bust. I'll try again later this summer.
Also, since my backpacks (woefully shortened due to aging) will be mostly 1-2 nights, that's another opportunity to use up the partial canisters.
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
I'm fortunate to have metal recycling dumpsters at work where I can recycle any kind of metal scrap myself. However, Pinnacles Nat'l Park where I was at had a notice posted asking that empty gas cans be given to them for recycling. I've seen other Nat'l Parks do the same, though I don't know if that is wide-spread. Worth checking out, if you are camping
Everyone in my family in Greece has a single burner camp style gas stove for making Greek coffee right on the kitchen counter. It's one of those Campingaz that punctures the can and the stove must then remain in place. Some may have upgraded to regular propane single burners already. The kitchen cook stove is not used for making coffee; I don't know why. Maybe it's cheaper this way?
So you could take up drinking Greek coffee at home and gradually use those canisters.
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