Scared of using propane (Camping) Tips needed!!

[SoCalLiving]

We are going on a 5 day camping trip at the end of the week. It's a ~6 hour drive non-stop (so obvs will be longer in the end).

Just FYI, both of us have been on family camping trips as children and I was in the Girl Guides so did a lot of camping with them. However, neither of us until earlier this year have been camping in over a decade. Our camping trip earlier in the year went fine, it was freezing as it was the desert in February but overall we had a great time and want to do more camping. As it was just an extended weekend we didn't bring a stove with us and just ate sandwiches and other non-hot food.

Yet, now we're going for slightly longer this time around, we were thinking it would be important to actually buy a gas stove to cook with. Especially as where we're going is up in the mountains without as easy access to stores and the cafe at the campsite is closed until the end of the month.

However, I am pretty scared about using propane with the gas stove. The idea that it can blow up and kill you kind of terrifies me. I'm scared of the thought of transporting it in a car (and in a car on mountain roads) and then using it at the campsite. DP seems nervous about it too.

We also have the problem of trying to dispose of the propane tank at the end of our trip. We live in an apartment so don't really have a safe place to store it, and I'll need to rent a car (don't currently own one ourselves) just to take the empty tanks to a recycling center when we get home.

In my position would you bother buying a camping stove to use, or just make do with non-hot food? Or would you just suck it up and buy one? Any tips on how to use one?

You could always use a Trangia (google will throw up lots of info) - they use meths and similar. Very safe - duke of edinburgh award schemes use them I think. Safety fuel bottles available - fuel available everywhere in different guises.Not the fastest of things but hey you are camping/chilling/pour another glass of wine. Great for cooking real food.

Going 5 days camping without hot food is going to be difficult and possibly put you off for life.

I have one of these stoves which gives me enough space to have the kettle on at yhe same time I am cooking.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15900930/campingaz-elite-camping-chef-folding-stove-15900930

You can buy really simple gas cartridges that you just snap on and off when needed and when they are empty you can drop them off at a recycling centre.

Camping gas cylinders do not just 'blow up' and kill you, be it the small cartridges or larger Calor gas bottles. Yes, some care needs to be taken connecting the bottle to the stove but so long as you doing that outside and follow the very simple instructions you will be fine. The Campingaz bottles only cost a few quid so if you don't want to take them home I'm sure there would be a fellow camper nearby who would take them off your hands. As alluded to already camping with no means to make a cup of tea/coffee or a hot meal is a bit rubbish.

ps - on the Trangia (yep I love them - no moving parts/spares for every bit including pans available) you aren't necessarily committing yourself to a lifetime of meths - you can get gas adaptors (Trangia and 3rd party) to run them off gas if you later decide to go down that route.

It's never crossed my mind to worry about it. Obviously I'm careful connecting the gas but that's as much thought as I give it.

They are really safe OP, I was like you initially and worried. My first camping trip with the kids, I just had to do it, it was a small one which had everything attached all I had to do was turn it on and off! I didn't blow my eyebrows off, and now use a big calor gas bottle and connect it to our camping stove. It's just practice and confidence. Practice at home first, if unsure watch YouTube videos. Obviously don't use them inside the tent, and you might find a windshield helps with lighting. I prefer using long matches, but honestly it's fine.

Hearing your experience has really given me confidence! We just ordered a butane camping stove and I'll be a little nervous using it, but not too worried!

BTW how do you store the gas when at the campsite, when not using? Car or tent? or outside?

I've always been wussy about stuff like this. In science class I was too scared to light a match until GCSE years. In Girl Guides when we went camping I always let other people do the stove business and I did other tasks!

Thank you for this suggestion! My DP and I got very excited about this, but we couldn't order one in time for our trip. We're going to give a butane camping stove a go this time, but want to get a Trangia for our next trip as we'll be doing more camping in the wilderness and will want to pack light.

no probs. For two of you you'll need the 25 model (bigger than the 27 - odd as it seems) I'd avoid the traditional non stick type finished ones. I find the plain ally fine though the Hard Anodized "non stick" is pretty good. Worth shopping around for one. They last years - a lifetime in effect. any questions in future just ask.

We camped with our two (DD/DS) from around the time they were 6 and 4 until both had gone to Uni at which point we acquired a caravan. We're British but the vast majority of our 'tent time' was in France.

A two burner + grill stove running of a Camping Gaz 907 cylinder of Butane*/Propane mix was just fine. I suspect that gas cylinders over the pond are different to Europe. We chose Camping Gaz over the UK Calor brand because it's widely available throughout the EU. As long as everything such regulator, hoses etc are in spec and their safe lives - hoses should be replaced every 6(?) years - and you're ultra careful with ensuring connections are OK it's no more dangerous than natural gas at home.

Most people say you should cook outside the tent. If it's big enough, well ventilated and you are sure you've a way out if a hot pan catches fire then inside and near the door may be acceptable - depends on how you view risk.

*Butane can be a problem in cold weather as the liquid in the bottle cannot evaporate fast enough. If you're wanting to use it in sub-zero temps then Propane is the thing to go for.

We camped in EU and also went with camping gaz models. Very easy to find outdoors shops to return empty bottles and pick up full ones of camping gas. Ours you simply kept in the two burner stove- it slides in on it side in its own compartment and after that the two burner stove operates exactly like a hob at home. We did have a shade gazebo that we would put our camping table under and cook, sit, eat there outside. Tents we got were just for sleeping in. We had the shade gazebo and a hammock each for chilling out and most campsites have a swimming pool and play ground.

I use one of these, OP, https://www.outdoorclothing.co.uk/equipment-c153/camping-c237/stoves-c180/blaze-cooker-p16963/s57623?cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2df4h4_I_wIVEu7tCh1T6g23EAQYAiABEgKUJvD_BwE which runs off these screw in canisters: https://www.wowcamping.co.uk/productDetail/coleman-c500-screw-on-gas-cartridge-70-30-butane-propane-mix__trashed/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgOfNp4_I_wIVxNLtCh0guAmpEAQYCCABEgL4MvD_BwE

Have you now got one of the little ‘suitcase’ stoves that runs off the canisters that look like aerosols? They are very easy to use, just lay the bottle with the slot in the correct position and lock into place with the lever. The important safety tip is to not use a pan that extends over the gas compartment, which spreads heat over the gas.

Whatever you use, making sure the fuel and connector suits your stove. On gas bottles (the big ones) Calor / campingaz/ flogas / butane / propane all need different regulators. You can often vary the gas you use with the stove but need the right regulator for the bottle.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/50243/cobb-premier-charcoal-barbecue-grill-and-carry-bag

You should get one of these. A camping game changer. You can also get a kettle and pizza attachment.

When in Spain you will see Gas cylinders in the sunlight at most garages. The Cylinder is designed to have room for the gas to expand in hot weather. The Gas cannot explode whilst in the bottle as it has no oxygen to support the combustion.
If you are really concerned I am certain You Tube will have some offerings on how to connect up gas cylinders, get yourself a can of leak detector spray so you can sleep soundly knowing you have no leaks. As mentioned above the small throw away cylinders are more dangerous but perfectly safe if you know the potential issues.
The red protective caps can come off and you then may get a leak and if the pan is too large on the stove the gas cylinder can over heat and explode.
So correct storage and handling of the cylinder
Correct maximum pan size and you should be fine as millions of people are
Oh and never cook inside

You could always use a petrol stove if propane frightens you. The fuel is easily available anywhere, at home or abroad. Lighting them can be quite spectacular but they work in any weather.

I watch from a distance.

I'd buy a large Kelly Kettle and all the gubbins involved, along with a barbeque.

Far less stressful when you're scared of using cylinders.

There is no need to be scared. They are every safe. Watch some YouTube videos, it'll be fine.

I've had a trangia for years (true they last a lifetime I've had it 25 years so far) but much prefer it since we got the gas conversion. Meths leaves a sooty residue on the pans and it's often a pain to get hold of meths.

I would say meths is far less safe than gas because there is the very real risk of pouring fuel onto a little burner and igniting the whole container. Meths burns quite invisibly so easy to mistake off for on. Plus you have to put it out by dropping the lid on the burner and it's easy to miss/burn yourself.

If you cook outside I can't see how you could possibly have a gas explosion. You need a lot of uncombusted gas to light all at once for an explosion and if you left the gas tap on in a field the gas would just dissipate.

Petrol stoves I've not used but must have all the safety concerns of meths but much worse. Mental

Onto a lit burner not little (thanks autocorrect)

PS to break a gas canister would need tools and/or talent

Got to disagree with you about meths and trangia safety. Yes you shouldn't add meths to a lit burner but you'd have to be seriously daft/negligent to manage that. Maybe if you'd been drinking the meths. Also not recommended.

Eh, I'm guessing your aren't in the UK. Seems a weird thing to be worked up over, camping gas cylinders just screw onto a stove, and self seal when you unscrew them. It's not hard or dangerous. Much safer and easier than meths and tragias.

Just make sure you don't get an old stove which pierces the cylinder rather than having a valve. They were fucking lethal but I'm pretty sure they aren't on sale now.

Bit more complicated than that.
There are various gas fittings.
You can use those very cheap tall canisters but have to take precautions against flaring/liquid gas supply.
I still use puncture cartridges sometimes with an adaptor to attach to a screw stove. Pretty safe if you are careful.

Just make sure you don't get an old stove which pierces the cylinder rather than having a valve. They were fucking lethal but I'm pretty sure they aren't on sale now.

I have a couple of those. They are still the most widely available cylinders in some countries. The cylinders you buy now automatically seal up if you are daft enough to unscrew the stove.

I think it’s for environmental rather than safety reasons.

We use Propane in the Motor home but have a Colman twin burner petrol stove for outside cooking its fantastic, fuel cheap and economical, very quick to boil too no matter what the weathers like