Shelf life on propane canisters?

[marylp]

I see them too Sarge! Sasquatch is wearing the skirt I gave him last Christmas! How cute!

[Rick]

There's little difference between CNG (natural gas) and LPG (propane). Folks cook on CNG stoves indoors everyday. CNG has a safety advantage because it's lighter than air while LPG can "pool" if there is a leak presenting a potential fire hazard. You should never store LPG tanks on their sides or indoors for that reason.

On the flip side, LPG is a bit more economical because you'll use less LPG to do the same work when compared to CNG.

[mattco]

If you want to be sure, and especially if they're the smaller canisters, weigh them on a gram-accurate scale. Weigh them when new, weigh them after each use, baseline how much you use per meal. If you don't use them for a year, weigh them again to make sure none have outgassed. Make sure you know what kind of gas it is - if it's plain old propane, that's not very complicated, but there are a variety of mixes out there in the smaller hiking/camping size cartridges. It's good to know the performance characteristics of your gas at different temperatures - some deal better with cold temps than others. All in all, they seem to last at least a few years with no problem in my experience.

[marylp]

Thank you, Mattco, I have started a small collection already and weighing them is an excellent idea. Mary

[mattco]

Great. Uh, I forgot to mention it, but just in case it's not self-evident, use a permanent marker to record the date and weight on each canister as you go along. Once you know your baseline use (x grams/cup of coffee...x grams per meal when cold/windy...), you can also annotate that on the bottoms as a reminder. This way, when you're packing gear, you don't have to think too hard, waste time, or overpack. I hope I'm not being too wordy or too stunningly obvious. :-)

[crashdive123]

Good tips Mattco.

[marylp]

Great tips!! I would have never thought of it, I'am just learning this stuff.

[HOP]

You can get an adapter to refill the small canisters from the bigger tanks or bottles.

[A190]

Ive got propane bottles 15 years old. Just opened one up last week and it worked fine..................

[crashdive123]

Thanks for the update. It's always good to hear practical experience. When you get a chance, head on over to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself. Thanks.

[BH206L3]

I always been partial to wood, since the woods are full of it and all you need is an axe. But I have to admit, those new Coleman Propane stoves are the way to go, with a 20 or 30 lb propane tank. Those little canisters are ok I guess, just seems to be an expensive way to buy propane. One of the things I like is that Coleman Calytic propane heater. Anybody have one?

[crashdive123]

I've used a catalytic heater when I lived in the Seattle area. I used to spend the weekends skiing in the Cascades. Couldn't aford a room, so I folded down the seats of my Pinto hatchback and slept in the back. Built a little platform for the heater......it's amazing that I didn't blow anything up.

[Rick]

Pinto hatchback. Ah, it was a good life wasn't it?