Camp Stoves

[JC5123]

A BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the amount of energy required to raise 1 lb of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. You will usually see propane burners rated in BTU's, but what they mean is BTU's/hr.

Here is a simple way to see how many BTUs you need for your pot size.  Water density is 8.3 lb/gal.  To raise 1 gallon of water (1 x 8.3 = 8.3 lbs) from 70 to 212 deg F in 1 hour you will need 8.3 x 142 = 1,178.6 BTUs.


My google fu is strong today. 

[Timothy]

Modern Coleman stuff is pure crap compared to older models, especially the 2- or 3-fuel versions of the stove.

I know!

About twenty years ago, I spent the better part of five months in Wichita, KS at the Coleman plant there doing a dismantle/decommissioning of the lantern mantle manufacturing facility.  They were still making the lantern mantles with radioactive thorium at the time and were changing over to the less toxic material they've used since.  It was kinda cool to take apart and clean, survey, catalog and release (if it was clean) the parts of these two knitting machines they had used since the late 19th century when they were built.  They wanted to keep them and display them in their museum and we were able to give them back about 85 or 90% of the mechanical assemblies.  The rest was stored, labeled and shipped off to a radioactive burial site of who knows where.  The machines will never knit again but they were happy anyway!

Anyway, long story short, we were given almost free reign to pick through their company store and get some of their best camping gear at rock bottom prices.  I was broke at the time and had to pass but it was the good stuff, still made here in the US and sad I couldn't buy any.

[TAB]

i'd check Craigslist and grage sales for one of the olld school colemens.  They last forever.  the new stuff is pretty much junk.

[CJS3]

I've got a propane camp stove I bought in 1992. Store brand (Academy Sports) stoves work just as good as the name brand, and at a lower price. The small propane cannasters are refillable from the larger tanks, so you just have to keep your empties. They are also good for running the wife's heater and my Coleman portable propane grill.

[TAB]

I've got a propane camp stove I bought in 1992. Store brand (Academy Sports) stoves work just as good as the name brand, and at a lower price. The small propane cannasters are refillable from the larger tanks, so you just have to keep your empties. They are also good for running the wife's heater and my Coleman portable propane grill.

while the small tanks are refillable, federal law says its illegal to transport them.  Honestly they are so cheap why even bother. you can buy them anywhere for about 4 bucks each.  or like 2.50 if you buy them in a 6 or 10 pack.

[Sponsor]

[CJS3]

while the small tanks are refillable, federal law says its illegal to transport them.  Honestly they are so cheap why even bother. you can buy them anywhere for about 4 bucks each.  or like 2.50 if you buy them in a 6 or 10 pack.

For a $20 trade in (large tank) you can fill the small cannisters all year long (our winters aren't that bad). I've never had a fed (ranger) stop me for carrying propane cannisters, even when camping in a National Forest, and I don't ship them anywhere.

That reminds me, I need to go to the grocery store and replace one of my tanks.

[PegLeg45]

i'd check Craigslist and grage sales for one of the olld school colemens.  They last forever.  the new stuff is pretty much junk.

+1


Also (with your skill-set), have you looked into just building what you want?

[Timothy]

+1


Also (with your skill-set), have you looked into just building what you want?

Not until now I haven't.  Thanks Chuck, for reminding me that I work 50+ hours a week, 50 weeks a year for a SHEET METAL FABRICATION company!  Sure wish I knew some welders, break operators, punch press guys and maybe a design guy to do all the work for me!

 

Still interested in more comments though.  I doubt I can by the gas fittings, hose and other sundry parts for less than a mid-range stove though.  The sheet metal is a no-brainer but the raw material costs and what my company would charge me for use of their equipment, even though I'm the one doing all the work, would be an hours shop time, about 100 bucks.  I'd make it all out of 304 SS so I wouldn't need the powder coat line, but making one of anything can get pricey!

[PegLeg45]

Not until now I haven't.  Thanks Chuck, for reminding me that I work 50+ hours a week, 50 weeks a year for a SHEET METAL FABRICATION company!  Sure wish I knew some welders, break operators, punch press guys and maybe a design guy to do all the work for me!

 

Still interested in more comments though.  I doubt I can by the gas fittings, hose and other sundry parts for less than a mid-range stove though.  The sheet metal is a no-brainer but the raw material costs and what my company would charge me for use of their equipment, even though I'm the one doing all the work, would be an hours shop time, about 100 bucks.  I'd make it all out of 304 SS so I wouldn't need the powder coat line, but making one of anything can get pricey!

I guess it's like the old "mechanics driving crappy cars" thing....last thing you want to do is build/work on crap for yourself after doing it for someone else all week.......   

Like you said, I doubt you could build it cheaper for yourself......BUT I bet it'd be a heckuva lot stouter.    


The best/most used cooker I ever built for a guy was the cheapest. A 15" car rim with a 2" x 6" piece of black pipe welded up through the center and a 3/8" nipple welded in the center at a 90 degree angle. Cap the 3/8 nip and drill a 1/8" hole and make up the gas line. Tack a 15" round piece of 1/2" heavy duty expanded metal on top and weld on some legs and you got a general purpose cooker for frying turkeys, boiling peanuts etc, etc.. Looked kinda like an old burner out of a tobacco barn.   

[ske1eter]

I voted for the cheap propane powered Coleman. Yeah, it's not built like a tank but we've used mine for several years at our tri-annual trips to watch races at the Texas Motor Speedway and so far it's been great. Yeah, you aren't supposed to re-fill the tanks but, oops, I have/do. If anything, the temps/BTU's are higher than anything I need but otherwise, it's worked great.