I Am Panicking About The Gas For Cooking!!!!!

[magnolia1]

God I am so paranoid

We have the double burner that Peachy so kindly sent us.
Found out that we can use the calor gas bottles from Dh's work (for free!!!!) but they will put the correct regulator on.

I am shitting myself. I hate gas at the best of times but have visions of expolsions

I've never heard of one exploding. But whatever you do, try it out at home before you go. I remember well having to swallow my pride and ask some very bemused neighbours whilst DS whined about being hungry and DH swore whilst putting up the tent. Not a great start to our first camping trip.

don't worry just turn off the regulator when you are not using it. they are pretty safe

I insist it's never brought inside the tent, or stored in the house at home, but that's cos of an episode of Casualty I saw and is similarly paranoid. Shouldn't be a problem outside.

I think they are reasonably safe, but I don't like to use them. Completely irrational I realise, but I worked with a man who set fire to his tent when his gas exploded - he was quite badly burned as the cooker was placed by the tent entrance. The man in question was undoubtably a heavy smoker and drinker though, so it was probably more to do with that than anything else!

But how does that happen? (genuine question) If there's a regulator on it, and its connected to a cooker, how does the flame get in the gas bottle? Surely that can't happen. Did he leave the gas on on his cooker then blow himself up lighting a fag? They don't put that on the Health warning on packets...

Some makes, if you only screwed them halfway on, the gas could leak out around the fitting.

But if you're being alert and using it properly you will be fine.

I think that was probably EXACTLY what happened! Unless you are very drunk/negligent I can't see how else it could happen

Like Peachy I wont have it inside the tent, we also have a gas lamp and thats only for outdoors use. Dh did actually almost torch the camping shop when we tried the torch but that was their fault, they'd set it up wrong LOL

Agree try it out at home. you'll be fine

Ok, will try to stop panicking

Dh asked If I wanted to stay at home

First don't panic!

Second yes accidents do happen but usually when people are drunk and not paying proper attention.

*Take your time and make sure all the connections are secure.
*Use a sturdy fire retardent surface to set up the cooker on.
*Don't set it up close to the tent or if it is one of those huge tents complet with kitchen and living room keep it away from the walls and keep everyone out of the tent or at least in the front area (OK not practical if peeing with rain.
*Try and block winds and draughts that might blow out the flame

• Turn off at bottle when not in use.

We went camping in June. We had one of those single gas cookers with the butane canister, one of those aerosol things. The canister dislodged en-route. Lit it and flames went everywhere. Had to wait for it to burn itself out. Apparently you're supposed to remove the canister between uses.
Luckily fellow campers came to the rescue with water and damp tea towels and they made us a cuppa afterwards. It was pretty scarey though. Cooker wasn't usable afterwards and I won't use one of those cookers again anyway.
This time we're using one of those little camping gaz things. We're going tommorow..yippee!
SK