White gas vs propane stove for tailgate cooking

I've got a variety of stoves, way too many of them actually. The Jetboil lives in the back of my truck year round and it's great for heating up water fast but it's not that good for actually cooking on. Typically I use one of the Asian stoves that take the butane cartridges that you can find for sale at most Asian groceries along with the packs of butane cylinders (mine also came with an adapter hose that allow you to connect it to a 1# propane cylinder or one of the adapter hoses that connects to a larger tank). My favorite though is my old two burner Coleman fuel stove (I've got three of them). I've got a propane adapter for it but prefer the Coleman fuel although it's gotten stupid expensive and naphtha (Coleman fuel is naphtha- the MSDS list it as light mineral spirits) has gotten harder to find and more expensive when you do. Even the regular ones will run on unleaded gas, you just have to clean the generator a bit more frequently. Make sure that your burner(s) are clean and that your mixture is correct, you want a blue flame, and it won't leave much of a mess on the pots and pans. You can do the old Boy Scout trick and rub the bottoms with soap before use or just carry a scrubbie pad or Brillo pad.

Do not fill any stoves on the tailgate, fill it off to the side so any that spills doesn't get on your stuff, same with alcohol. I've got a couple of alcohol stoves including some I've made, but I really don't like them as they're not that efficient, you can't control the temp well and because it's essentially colorless when burning I've seen more people get burned by them.

Propane, like strait butane, will struggle a bit as you get higher and colder. Putting an insulating pad under it and wrapping it can help. The propane/isobutane mix canisters work better when it's cold; still put some sort of insulation under them if possible and use the stabilizing legs if you actually plan to try cooking and not just heating water.

I've got one of the twig box stove (bushcraft style that breaks down into several flat pieces) but they're not the easiest to cook on either. At least with a proper campfire you can put larger, longer burning pieces of wood in. A bag of charcoal and a Dutch oven is great if you have the room for it. A charcoal chimney helps get the coals going, especially if you have a torch head for whatever type of fuel canister you have. A tripod and chain to hang it over a campfire makes it even more useful.

 

Just to elaborate on what I posted above, and to correct some misinformation here, the boiling point of each fuel type is what needs to be considered.

Butane: +30f
Isobutane: +11f
Propane: -43f

For every 1000' of elevation above sea level subtract two degrees from each boiling point.

Propane is by far the most useful pressurized fuel when altitude and freezing temperatures are considerations. Butane and Isobutane are inferior and will become useless as you approach freezing temps. Propane on the other hand will remain useful much higher and colder than the others. Having a full bottle for the most extreme conditions is recommended.

 

For truck camping I prefer propane. I have a Flame King refill kit and 3 one pound cylinders, as well as a 5 pound refillable tank and the standard 20 pounders for the home gas grill. I have an adapter hose and filter that lets me use the big tanks on the stove, Mr. Buddy heater or Lantern as required.

My VEDC box includes an MSR bottle with white gas and an MSR Whisperlite International. I have never used it, I guess I should do some testing...

Backpacking we use an MSR Pocket Rocket with Iso-Butane.

We have the old Coleman white gas stoves and lanterns, which hold a nostalgic place in my heart. Listening to the rhythmic pumping and then hissing of the stove or lantern reminds me of many years of family camping as a youth. But there is a fair bit of fiddling with them, and it is hard to beat the convenience and instant gratification of the propane. My better three quarters refuses to "mess with all that" for the white gas but will use the propane.

 

You also have to consider the temp of the fuel drops as it boils (burns) off. Anyone car / truck camping in cold weather should keep the propane inside the heated cab. Personally, if its near 0*F or lower I toss a canister in the cab regardless of fuel type. That way I can at least warm food, melt snow / make water, or start a big fire with the blow torch if needed.

 

I guess another point is that if you get an isobutane/butane mix, or propane/isobutane mix, the molecules with the higher vapor pressure will burn off first so you're going to be left with a canister of mostly butane in the first case and isobutane in the second case, potentially rendering your setup useless after burning 20% of the available fuel.

My last post was basically saying it's irresponsible to recommend that folks go out in sub-zero temps with isobutane or an isobutane mix. I don't car camp but I've spent most of my life backpacking and that type of advice could get someone in serious trouble out in the wilderness who doesn't know better.

 

I’m a big fan of white gas. Easily Refillable containers and multi fuel stoves are the bees knees imo. I have an msr dragonfly for backpacking and decades old Coleman stove for car camping.


Coleman stove desperately needs new seals though, and I’ve had ideas about setting it up to run off an MSR fuel bottle.

 

Like MagicToolbox I grew up camping with my parents using white gas Coleman lanterns and stoves. Great memories and I love the “hiss” of the lanterns at night. I still prefer old Coleman lanterns and stoves. But now a days you simply can’t beat the convenience and ease of propane. It does everything white gas does but is simple, easy, convenient and no mess or spills as with white gas. If I’m in the back country for a week or so I’ll do white gas. But for a weekend or a couple days absolutely propane. And I suggest the OP go with propane (whether disposable canisters, refillable canisters or larger refillable tanks).

 

I'd like whitegas more if people made some modernized stoves with it. C'mon, a piezo isn't that expensive to build in.

 

These are $11 on Amazon I have one and I love it.

Gas One 4 ft Propane Hose 1lb to 20lb Adapter Hose - 16.4 oz to 20 lb Propane Tank QCC1/ Type 1 - Allows 5+lb Propane Tanks, Black

$11 Gas One 4 ft Propane Hose 1lb to 20lb Adapter Hose - 16.4 oz to 20 lb Propane Tank QCC1/ Type 1 - Allows 5+lb Propane Tanks, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PSZ549M

 

Heck yeah! That little oven is a game changer for parking lot camping during ski season!

 

I have a propane splitter hose that can run 2 propane devices like a stove and lantern. Works great.

 

Tested used white gas stove one time, realized too late it had a leaky seal on the pump, only after the exterior of the tank had lit on fire. Managed to grab a snow shovel we had and used it to 'fan' the flames with enough air to blow it out. That got the blood pumping for sure.

Back to topic, would definitely recommend propane for car camping and tailgating, much simpler and cleaner.

 

The OP made no mention of the environment in which he planned to use the stove but since it's come up....

Somebody may make lightweight propane fuel canisters for stoves like the Jetboil and Whisperlites but I haven't found them (not that I've looked very hard) but Jetboil makes their Jetpower canisters* (https://jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/parts-accessories/fuel-related/jetpower-fuel-1-pack#learn-more-anchor) and MSR makes their Isopower** (https://www.msrgear.com/stoves/stove-accessories/msr-isopro-fuel/msr-isopro.html) specifically for cold weather backpacking and mountaineering and they're what I've used with those types of stoves.

I don't recall having any real issues with them into the low teens or around 10k ft but I also can't recall ever using them in colder temps or high elevations- that's what liquid fuel stoves are for such as the MSR Whisperlite series, Svea (now Optimus), etc. Interestingly, some of the Nordic militaries still issue alcohol stoves, probably at least in part due to the gas stoves sounding like a rocket taking off. I also tend to avoid colder temps these days. Back when I was younger we used liquid fuel stoves because that's what we had, the canister stoves didn't really take off until probably the '90s? You occasionally had to put a bit of fuel or, as recommended by the manufacturers, fire paste, under the generators to get them going but they're a better choice for sure if you're going to be in sub freezing temps and/or alpine conditions (Colman used to make stoves and tent heaters for arctic troops but I think they've been discontinued- I know they've discontinued most of their heaters after too many retards killed themselves by being stupid). These days I prefer a bit warmer weather and any of the products will work well enough for that.



From Jetboil's website (https://jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/frequently-asked-questions):

All canister stoves suffer a performance drop in cold weather. The colder the fuel, the lower the vapor pressure, and the lower the burner output. As far as the fuel, the output pressure in any canister stove is governed by the temperature of the gas inside the canister. As temperature drops, so does pressure. The result can be noticeably longer boil times and difficulty lighting the burner with the built-in piezoelectric ignitor. Jetpower’s lower firing rate reduces canister cooling and increases performance. Jetpower fuel, with propane, helps to mitigate cold weather problems.

When temperatures drop below freezing, canisters typically need to be kept warm in a coat pocket or sleeping bag so they’re ready to use. We suggest that you keep the canister in a warm pocket between uses and remove it immediately prior to heating your food. Insulating the canister by not setting it on a cold surface also helps. We have had mountaineers use Jetboil stoves up to 8,000 m (26,000 ft.) on Mt. Everest and love them. The pressure in the canister is directly proportional to ambient temperature and as the canister gets colder, the pressure drops and therefore the heat output from the burner drops. However, by keeping the canister warm before use, it is possible to use the stove with reasonable performance even when the ambient temperatures are at and below 0 Fahrenheit.

Placing the canister on or in a small piece of foam to keep it insulated from snow will also help. Altitude in itself is not so much of a problem: the pressure difference between the canister and the environment is also greater for any given temperature, so the effective gas flow rate is higher even when the canister is cold. The reduced oxygen causes the burner to burn richer, which is also helpful in the cold. Finally we do suggest that you always carry an extra canister and keep it warm to swap out with a cold one when necessary and always carry matches or lighter as a backup.

If you are looking to use your cooking system in temperatures colder than 45 degrees Fahrenheit, please check out our MiniMo ,Sumo and Joule cooking systems. These systems feature our advanced Jetboil Regulator Technology to deliver consistent heat output down to 20° F (-6° C).
​

**MSR's FAQ doesn't answer the cold weather question but the description of the cylinder does have this:

MSR IsoPro is a performance-boosting, 80/20 blend of isobutane and propane, with the purest isobutane (5% or less n-butane) of any canister fuel. This clean-burning formulation maintains higher internal pressure at lower temperatures than standard butane/propane mixtures, delivering superior cold weather performance and more consistent output over the life of the canister.​

 

What model Coleman combo is that?

 

The cheapest/basic model that walmart sales. Like around, $40 - $50.