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Luc
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 9:55 am 
I'm now seeing Sterno and Coleman branded fuel cans using what appears to be the same canister as the MSR & friends. They fit my reactor and superfly just fine, but are they the same fuel, and if not, is the fuel inferior or...?

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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 11:39 am 
I've seen Coleman butane/propane mix. MSR IsoPro, SnowPeak and Jet Boil are isobutane/propane mix. I stick to isobutane/propane mix for mountains. Butane would be okay for warm weather trips.

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Luc
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 1:42 pm 
Ah, gotcha. But the next question is if butane mixtures are good/ok to use in my stoves, and won't gum them up? Using msr reactor and superfly. Different performance, but just as compatible?

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Jaberwock
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 2:43 pm 
Every iso-butane canister I've seen has been made by the Kovea group in Korea and white-labeled by MSR/Snow Peak/Jetboil/etc., would be surprised if Coleman/Sterno was making their own.

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Luc
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 3:32 pm 
Yeah I have the canisters and they're clearly the same or very similar, and they thread right onto the msr stoves, and also fire right up. I guess I'm wondering if the contents will treat my stoves OK.

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Randito
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 5:23 pm 
Luc wrote:
I guess I'm wondering if the contents will treat my stoves OK
The difference between the various formulations is the all about low temperature performance. If you plan on using your stove in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit it's something to consider.

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Malachai Constant
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 6:39 pm 
The canisters are all made in the same Korean plant. They will fill it with whatever you specify. The cost varies. Isobutane is more expensive than Nbutane but has a lower boiling point. Propane is cheapest but requires a thicker cylinder like the big green Coleman ones for car camping. If you mix it with butane it comes off first leaving butane. You can find test telling which works best in the cold.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 7:52 pm 
boiling points: n-butane 31F isobutane 11F propane -43F

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Riverside Laker
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 7:58 pm 
Which fuel has the best energy/mass ratio (for warm weather)?

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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 8:18 pm 
n-butane has very slightly (<1%) higher energy density than isobutane when measured by volume, a bit higher than that when measured by mass. Propane has lower energy density than either when measured by mass, higher (3-4%) than either when measured by volume. By my rough calculation, an 80/20 isobutane/propane mix vs. butane is practically a wash on paper. I have never detected any difference in fuel use (mass) in my bench tests between various brands and mixes. That is, per my ability to measure with a digital scale with +/- 0.5g accuracy, it takes the same mass of fuel to boil a given volume of water with all fuels, assuming same conditions, e.g., same stove/pot, ambient temperature, wind, starting temp of water, starting temperature of pot.

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Malachai Constant
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 8:19 pm 
Usually the higher the carbon content the more btu per gram. Methane ch4 is lowest then ethane c2h6 then propane c3h8 butane and isobutane should have same as both c4h10 but nbutane is slightly higher due to density. The differences are also dependent upon v/j as lighter gasses are less dense in liquid form.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Kim Brown
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PostSat Sep 29, 2018 10:15 pm 
Dorks. embarassedlaugh.gif Reminds me of this thread.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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PostSun Sep 30, 2018 9:27 am 
bite me bart.gif

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PostSun Sep 30, 2018 10:11 am 
I'll never be able to go to a store and just buy a can of gas now. lol.gif

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PostSun Sep 30, 2018 10:24 am 
Ah, my testing has made my decision making easy: -- Buy the least expensive isobutane/propane mix, usually Snow Peak or Jet Boil -- Keep track of use on each trip, estimate fuel needs for future trips based on historical use and bench testing, pack at least 20% extra safety margin, more if cooking high lakes fish or melting snow for drinking water -- Buy big (450g net weight) cans for long trips to save weight -- Use this gizmo and a digital scale to top off tiny (110g net weight) cans for overnight and day trips -- Use fuel saving techniques, e.g., in summer letting snow melt water warm via ambient warming before boiling, putting next batch of water in MSR Reactor pot immediately after use, pack black plastic garbage bag for solar snow melting

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