I have a very old lightweight backpacking stove that I am trying to find fuel for. My guess is it is from around 1977 or so. On the base it says "Medalist" and I believe that is either the brand name or the model. On the other side of that it says "Sierra Stove - US Patent 3,648,680" Below that are instructions for lighting, etc. If I remember right - from about 25 years ago - it uses a fuel canister that has a rubber bud on it that the male end of the controller goes into. Neither REI nor Sports Authority have any such canister. It's a 4-piece unit (top, base, controller, flame exit thing) and is only about 5 inches in diameter. If anyone can help me find where I can buy fuel for this stove, I would appreciate it. Otherwise, I guess it becomes an historical backpacking artifact!! Thanks.

If you can post a picture, that would help (see how to post pictures instructions).

However, I looked at the patent application. From the drawings accompanying the patent application, the stove appears to be a variation of the Hank Roberts Mini stove. If the canister sticks out to the side, then that is what we are talking about.

Finding a fuel canister for it may be impossible. The stove uses a puncture-style canister, which I don't think is made anymore. The only puncture canister I know of is the Gaz 206, which is virtually impossible to find in the US and if your stove is what I think it is, won't fit it anyway because of the shape of the canister.

There was a company making a conversion kit a few years ago, but it seems to have gone out of business.

I think Jim Shaw has one he modified to run on something else, but you would be better off just buying a new stove.

The design is a good one, but for some reason-probably cost, manufacturers went to a vertical design where the stove sits on top of the canister.

The new canisters either screw on and off with a sealable Lindal valve or the sealable Camping Gaz style valve.

Tom,
Thanks so much for the info. You are correct, the canister does stick out to the side. It looks like I'm out of luck with this old contraption. I remember it being good in its day! I appreciate the help.

That's what I thought. If you look here, you will see a conversion, but it seems like a lot of work. There are a few pictures of the Hank Robert stove as well.

spiritburner

Ignore the posts about the conversion kit-the site is long gone.

Two summer ago, I planned a trip to the Sipsey wilderness area in AL and was living in a hotel and didn't have gear with me. I didn't want to buy all new gear for the weekend trip so I made do with junk from Acadamy Sporting goods. A person at the hotel gave me two stoves. One of them was a stove that sounds like the one you are refering to. I found some canisters that I thought would fid but were not compatible with the old stove. I gave that one back but kept the other one. It is labled 1953 and is a pump style stove contained in an aluminum pot with a cup that is used for the lid. It still works great, problem is it,s way heavy. Buy a new stove if you want lightweight and reliable. Or, better yet, go with an alcohol stove. You can make one. Check out Make your own gear.

I just noticed this thread. This sounds like the old Gerry stove. You can sometimes find fuel for them at Big5. The Hank Roberts and Gerry are the same stove. The canisters do not puncture the burner has a needle that slips into the rubber knob valve on the gas canister.