Can I Use Any Brand of Gas Canister?

Most stove companies have warnings on their backpacking stove instructions that only their brand of gas canisters should be used with their stoves.  Really?

A backpacking type canister of gas.

Um, no.  All of the threaded canisters (which at least in North America are all that are available anymore for backpacking type stoves) use a 7/16ths UNEF thread.  They're all compatible with one another from the point of the mechanical connection, and gas is gas.  There aren't any blends of canister gas out there that are incompatible with one stove or another.

And besides that, there's a lot to suggest that all the major brands except Coleman are made by the same company in South Korea.

Caution!
The newer orange label Coleman canisters do not work with many brands of stoves.  The older green label Coleman canisters typically have worked fine.

A few years ago, I noticed MSR changed the shape of their canisters, the hue of their red color, and their caps instead of flat were more raised, had a more separated pull tab, and had a little hole and a square on top.  The following year, Snow Peak Canisters, which had relatively flat caps with “Snow Peak” molded into them became… you guessed it, more raised, had a more separated pull tab, and had a little hole and a square on top, and whereas they had always been labeled “made in Japan”, they now were clearly labeled “made in Korea”.

An old Snow Peak canister, left, and a new Snow Peak canister, right.
Note how caps have changed and that the shape of the canister has changed subtly.

Curious, I started looking at a number of different brands.  They all had the same caps, and the canister shapes were all now the same.

Gas canister from three major brands.  All have the same shape.  All have the same cap.

I looked at Primus, Optimus, Olicamp, MSR, Jetboil, Brunton, Snow Peak, and Burton.  All of these brands now had the same caps and the same canister shape, and all were made in Korea.  The only exception I could find was Coleman which is made in France.

It was pretty clear to me that whereas before there had been a diversity of canister caps, countries of origin, and canister shapes, there now was only one.  They were now all being made by the same manufacturer.

A little research revealed that the Taeyang Industrial Co. Ltd. of South Korea was the largest manufacturer of gas canisters in the world, controlling about 75% of the market.  Then, I found this photo of a Kovea gas canister on-line:

A canister of Kovea brand gas, clearly marked "Taeyang Ind. Co., Ltd.".  Note canister cap.

The cap?  You guessed it, raised, with a little hole and a square on the top, and unlike many of the major brands who for whatever reason don’t want to let on (and I have asked, directly) who makes their canisters, Kovea prints it right on the side of the canister:  “Taeyang Industrial Co. Ltd.”.

So, pretty much all the major brands are actually manufactured by the same company.  The blend of gas and the labeling may vary, but the physical canister is identical.

Before, when there were a greater number of manufacturers, one could interchange canisters because of the 7/16 UNEF standard thread.  Now, they are literally identical.

Why do stove companies say to only use their brand?  Well, to sell more canisters for one, but also for liability.  If you use some other brand of canister and something bad happens, they can say in court, "well, we warned you not to use other brands of canisters."

While it doesn't really matter which brand* of canister one buys, gas blends do vary.  The composition of gas in a canister, typically some mix of propane, isobutane, and "plain" butane, doesn't matter too much in warmer weather, say no colder than 50 Fahrenheit/10 Celsius, but the colder one goes, the more the blend of gas matters.  In cold weather, the general rule of thumb is to avoid butane and stick to canisters that have a propane-isobutane blend.  Propane is generally the best cold weather fuel – but if it's mixed with just plain butane, avoid that brand.  An isobutane blend, even if it contains less propane than another brand, is going to perform best in cold weather.  For more on this subject see What's the Best Brand of Gas for Cold Weather?.

The bottom line?  Except in cold weather, just buy whatever is cheapest.

I hope this is helpful,

HJ

*I'm speaking here of major brands in developed countries.  China, for example, has many smaller manufacturers of gas canisters.  Chinese canisters have reputation for leaky valves and for having impurities in the gas that can clog stoves.  Many travellers simply refuse to buy Chinese made canisters even if they are the cheapest in a given area.

Refilling Gas Canisters

I refill my own gas canisters.  This procedure is not recommended by any manufacturer.  There may also be certain legal sanctions against refilled canisters.  I'm not a lawyer, but my understanding is that in the US refilled canisters may not be transported across state lines and that refilled canisters may not be sold.

UPDATE 26 March 2017:  There is a another method of canister refilling, a method using the G-Works Gas Saver.  The G-Works Gas Saver is cheaper and easier to use than the adapter I used in the below post.  The G-Works Gas Saver is also better in that it does not use 100% butane (which is only good for warmer weather).  Please see:  The G-Works R1 Gas Saver – Refilling Backpacking Canisters II.

There are certain dangers that go along with using gas, even if you're using your stove in exactly the manner prescribed by the manufacturer.  Gas is flammable.  Gas can explode.  Know and understand the dangers before working with gas.

If one chooses to refill his or her own canisters, there are certain additional dangers including but not limited to:

1. Overfilling.  If you fill a gas canister beyond it's stated capacity, the internal pressure may cause the canister to leak, burst, or explode.
2. Gas leaks.  Gas may escape during refilling with or without equipment failures or malfunctions.  Such gas could ignite or explode.  Leaking gas can also be very very cold, and cold injuries could result.
3. Damage to valve or threads.  The valve or threads could become damaged or worn during refilling.  No problem may occur during the refilling itself, but the damaged threads or valve could be hazardous later on.
4. Refilling with gases with too high a vapor pressure.  Canisters come with a specific mix of gases.  If one were to refill with different gases or a different mix of the same gases, the vapor pressure of the resultant mix might exceed the strength of the canister.   Do NOT fill backpacking type canisters with 100% propane under any circumstances.

Clearly, there are dangers to canister refilling.  If you choose to refill gas canisters, you are making a decision to engage in a practice that you know to be dangerous.  If you of your own free will choose to engage in a practice that you know to be dangerous, don't blame me or anyone else for your choices.

That said, I will describe how I refill canisters.  I will also describe what steps I take to partially mitigate the dangers of refilling, but understand that no matter how safe your procedures are, refilling gas canisters is by its very nature dangerous.  You might be able to somewhat reduce the danger, but refilling is dangerous no matter what.

Step one is of course to get an empty canister.  Today, I'm going to refill a Coleman brand standard threaded 220g canister.

Caution
The newer orange label Coleman canisters do not work with many brands of stoves. The older green label Coleman canisters seem to work fine.

A Coleman brand 220g standard threaded gas canister.

The first step in refilling is to weigh the canister.  Why weigh the canister?  I weigh the canister to establish a maxium full weight.  You do NOT want to overfill the canister.  The best practice is to weigh the full canister when you first bring it home from the store.   The weight of the full canister when you bring it home from the store should be considered the maximum full weight.  

What if I forgot to weigh the canister when it was new?  Well, if you weigh the canister when it is empty and then add the capacity of the canister, in this case 220g, then you should also be able to determine the maximum full weight of the canister.

The empty weight of a Coleman 220g canister is approximately 143g 

The empty weight of a Coleman brand 220g canister is 143g.  The capacity is 220g.  Therefore, the maximum full weight is 363g.  Do NOT exceed the maximum full weight when you refill.  If you exceed this weight, the pressure inside the canister may exceed the strength of the canister.  If the canister leaks, bursts, or explodes, very serious injuries could result.  Do NOT exceed the maximum full weight of the canister.

Next, I mark the weights on the canister.  I tend to lose slips of paper, so I mark the canister itself.

The empty and full weights, marked directly on the canister.

Next, I mark the canister as refilled by writing an "R" on the bottom of the canister.  I then put a hash mark next to the "R" every time I refill the canister.  One hash mark indicates one refill, two hash marks indicates two refills, and so on.  

An "R" on the bottom of the canister indicates that the canister has been refilled.  Hash marks indicate the number of refills.  This canister has been refilled one time.

Eventually the valve may become weakened with use.  After I've refilled a canister 12 times, I take the canister to the recycling center.  Twelve is an arbitrary number, but it is a relatively low number.  So far twelve has been a safe number.  I visually inspect the canister and threads/valve before refilling. If it looks bad, it is bad, and it goes in the recycle bin.

Now, after all that, I take out my refiller.

A refiller for standard threaded gas canisters.

I bought this refiller via eBay seller world_wide_2009 who apparently is in Japan.  I believe I paid $37.00 USD for the refiller.  I've had the refiller for at least two years.  With this somewhat expensive but high quality refiller, I feel like there is a) a reduced risk of damaging the threads or valve on a receiving canister, and b) very little gas leaks -- about the same amount as would normally leak when hooking up or unhooking a stove.  Very little in other words.  I've seen lots of scary looking homemade rigs of questionable quality.  I personally would rather pay the extra money and do it right. 

The instructions that came with the refiller were in Japanese but did include helpful pictograms.  Notice that I have the weight written on the refiller itself (88g).  While I'm in the process of refilling, I can weigh the canister without removing the refiller.  I just subtract 88g from the weight displayed on the scale in order to know the weight of the canister I'm in the process of refilling.

Note in the above photo that the connector shown attaches to a standard threaded backpacking type canister.  What does the other side connect to?

This side of the refiller connects to 100% butane canisters.

The opposite side of the refiller connects to the inexpensive 100% butane canisters of the type used in the restaurant industry.  Why butane?  Well, first butane is cheap.  If you're going to do your own refills, then you'd better have a source of gas cheaper than backpacking canisters.  If your refill gas isn't cheaper, why would you refill?  You'd just go buy the regular backpacking gas.  In my area, 227g of butane is $1.25 USD.  Backpacking canisters are about $5.00 for 110g or $6.00 for 220g.  100% butane is far cheaper.  Personally, I use 110g canisters more than any other size.  With refilling, I'm in effect paying $0.63 per 110g canister.  If you saw perfectly good 110g canisters on sale for $0.63, wouldn't you pick a few up?  I bet most people would.  My canisters are always on sale for $0.63.  I never hesitate to take out the gas stove whether on a day hike or a backpacking trip.  You want another cup of coffee?  Sure!  Why not?  How about two?  I rather like having an abundant source of cheap gas.  YMMV.  Each to his or her own.

Second, butane is relatively safe.  Pick up one of those little clear plastic cigarette lighters some time.  Hold it up to the light.  That clear liquid you see in there is butane.  Of the gases commonly used for backpacking canisters, butane has the lowest vapor pressure.  If that little cheap plastic lighter can hold the pressure of butane, your steel backpacking canister certainly can.  No matter what mix originally came in your backpacking canister, butane will have a lower vapor pressure.  Butane is pretty safe to use for refilling.  Do NOT fill backpacking type canisters with 100% propane under any circumstances.

The next step in refilling is to hook everything up.  First I screw the refiller onto the receiving canister.

The refiller screwed on to an empty 220g backpacking type gas canister

Next, I hook up the donating butane canister.  The larger hook on the connector clips onto the collar on the butane canister.

The collar on the butane canister clips on to the larger of the two hooks on the connector of the refiller.

The smaller of the two hooks on the refiller's connector slips through the notch on the collar of the butane canister.

The smaller of the two hooks on the refiller goes through the notch on the butane canister's collar.

The canister is then rotated to the right approximately 1/16th of a turn, locking the canister into the connector on the refiller.

The butane canister turns to the right and locks in place.

When all is said and done, the rig looks like this:

A refiller all hooked up and ready to transfer fuel.

Now, simply open the valve, and gravity will do the work for you.  The liquid butane in the donor canister will flow into the receiving canister.  Recall though that there is one complication:  There is a vapor feed tube inside the canister.

There is a plastic vapor feed tube inside the butane canister.

That tube aligns with the notch in the collar of the butane canister.   For maximum transfer, you want to tilt the canister at a bit of an angle with the notch on the collar of the butane canister pointing down. 

Prop the canister at a steep angle as shown with the notch pointing down.

The transfer is very slow.  Normally, I set it up and then go about my business.  I check it after a couple of hours.  The vapor feed tube appears to vary slightly brand to brand.  As a purely practical matter, MegaOne gas seems to be the easiest brand to transfer gas from.  GasOne is a bit more tricky.  Sometimes I've had to chill the receiving canister and warm the donating canister to get it to work right.  Each canister brand has a "sweet spot," that is an angle where the transfer works best.  You'll just have to experiment with that.  I've tried three different brands of butane thus far.  I've always been able to get it to work although some brands require more fiddling than others.

Since I'm writing a blog post, I don't want to wait a couple of hours for my results, so I'll just detach the refiller now and weigh it after only a few minutes.  Recall that our receiving canister weighed 143g when empty. 

The canister now weighs 184g

Not the world's clearest photo, but the canister now weighs 184g, a gain of 41g in just a few minutes.  I notice that there's typically a rush of gas when I first open the valve, and then a very very slow bubbling after that.  I can only hear the slow bubbling if I physically press my ear up to the donating canister.  When using a slow gravity feed like this, I haven't had a lot of problems with overfilling, but remember to periodically check the canister, especially with the small 100g class canisters.  When filling a 220g canister from a 227g canister, there is no worry of any significant overfilling.  I often leave 220g canisters hooked up overnight and simply unhook them in the morning.  The transfer is never 100%.  The donating canister almost always has at least a few grams of gas left behind.  Such is life.

NOTE:  These photos were all taken indoors where the light is good.  I typically refill outdoors where vapors cannot build up and there are no sources of ignition.

That's it.  That's how to refill canisters.  Remember, no matter how you go about it, refilling is innately dangerous.  Refill at your own risk.

Thanks for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving,

HJ

Appendix -- Advantages and Disadantages of Refilling

Advantages
1.  Lower cost in the long run.
2.  Custom filling.  If I am going on a trip where I'll need 140g of gas, I fill my canister to 140g and stop.  I do not need to carry a full 230g canister.  Weight savings: 70g.
3.  Topping off.  Say I come back from a trip with a canister with only 25g left.  Before I had a refiller, that gas would just sit on a shelf with no real value to me.  25g is too little to bother with.  Now, I just top off the canister, and the canister is as useful to me as the day I bought it.
4.  Reduced environmental impact.  Reusing anything reduces one's overall impact on the environment.  Yes, canisters can (and should!) be recycled, but recycling has environmental costs.  Yes, recycling is better than the landfill, but there are transport, processing, re-manufacturing, and distribution costs associated with recycling.  Yes of course I have the empty butane canister to deal with after refilling, but I'm primarily refilling the small 110g canisters from the larger 227g butane canisters.  I'm therefore reducing the overall number of waste canisters.  Ideally, I'd like to find an even bigger canister to refill from, but that opportunity has so far failed to materialize.

Disadvantages
1.  "Fiddle" factor.  You have to spend some time to refill the canisters.  Of course, any such fiddle is done in advance.  There is zero extra fiddle out on the trail.  I much prefer filling in advance over using an adapter out on the trail.
2.  Butane is only good for warm weather use.  100% butane is only good so long as the fuel stays above about 40F/5C.  If the fuel gets colder than 40F/5C, then your stove will have lackluster performance.  I personally do the majority of my backpacking and hiking in warmer weather, so this is not an inconvenience to me.

The G-Works R1 Gas Saver – Refilling Backpacking Canisters II

Ever notice how expensive the small canisters of gas are?  But the big canisters are cheap by comparison (per gram).  Wouldn't it be nice to pay the big canister rate for small canisters?  Well, you can – with a G-Works Gas Saver adapter.

A G-Works R1 Gas Saver adapter can help one avoid paying the "convenience charge" of small canisters.

I recently walked into a retailer and saw canister gas for $4.95 for 100 grams. Easy math:  $4.95 for 100 grams works out to $0.0495 per gram; that's basically a nickel (five cents) per gram of fuel. OK, so a nickel isn't that much, but why pay more?

A 100 gram canister of gas often retails for $4.95.  That's a nickel per gram.

You know that gas is so much cheaper if you buy the big 440 or 450 g canisters.  For example, at Walmart, I recently saw 440 g canisters for $7.72 or $0.0175 per gram.  That's basically two cents per gram, less than half the price of gas when sold in the 100 gram canister.

440 gram canisters for sale for $7.72

Well, I suppose five cents a gram isn't the end of the world, but wouldn't it be nice if you could buy gas for two cents a gram but in the small canisters?  I mean, with the 440 g size, who wants to carry those big, heavy beasts of a canister around for weekend's worth of hiking?  Not me, thank you.

Well, you can pay the big canister rate for small canisters.  Yes, that's right, you can.  You just need a G-Works R1 Gas Saver.  The G-Works Gas Saver basically hooks up two canisters.  When your 100 or 110 g canister runs out, you refill from a 440 or 450 g canister.  Thus, you pay the 440 g rate for the convenient 100 or 100 g size canister.

Custom Filling
You can also custom fill canisters to exactly the amount of gas you need for a given trip.  Say you need approximately 12 ounces of fuel (about 340 g) for a given trip.  Well, gas is only sold in the US in approximately 4, 8, and 16 ounce sizes (roughly 110, 220, and 450 grams respectively).  If you want 12 oz of fuel, you have to buy 16 oz and carry an extra quarter pound of dead weight.  Yes, you could flare off the gas, but that's kind of a waste.

Or, you could carry one 8 oz (about 230 g) and one 4 oz (about 110 g) canister, but remember a 100 g canister of gas weighs 200 g full and 100 g when empty.  In other words, the canister weighs as much as the fuel.  So, by carrying two canisters, you're carrying a lot more steel, and you're really not saving much weight by carrying one 4 oz and one 8 oz canister when compared to carrying a single 440 or 450 g canister.

For example, I took some full canisters, and put them on a scale:

Size	Weight when full (g)	Weight when full (g)
4 oz	213
8 oz	376
16 oz		622	Difference
Total	589	622	33

The difference between carrying 16 oz of fuel vs. 12 is only 33 g (1.2 oz) because of the weight of the canisters.  The weights between brands of canisters may vary, but these weights should be illustrative.  So, carrying 4 oz less in fuel saves me only about 1 oz in actual weight because of those darned steel canisters.

But what if I custom fill an empty 16 oz canister with 12 oz of fuel?  The weight of the canister does not change, and any reduction in fuel equates to an actual one-to-one reduction in weight.  If I fill with 4 oz less of fuel (113 g), I carry 4 oz less pack weight.  Yes, a bit of fuss to save a quarter pound, but remember that if the average backpacker (who carries something like 80 to 100 items in their backpack) could save just 2 oz on average per item, their pack would weigh on the order of ten pounds less overall.  Ounces are worth shaving wherever you can.  And if you're already using the G-Works adapter to pay the 440 g rate for 110 g canisters, why not not save a few ounces of pack weight while you're at it?

Caution!
Refilling canisters could be dangerous, very dangerous.  I'm talking about permanent injury, loss of eyesight, disfigurement, and even death.

You will note that I am not a lawyer.  I don't work for any company that could get sued here.  I'm not some ninny in an office who doesn't give a dang about whether you live or die in the back country so long as his company can't be sued.  I am just a fellow lover of the wilderness.  Any warning I give you is realistic and sober.  My warnings are not overblown silliness as are so many of today's legal warnings.  I'm giving it to you straight.  If you ignore me, you're a dumb ass, and I have little sympathy for you.  Don't come crying to me if you didn't heed my warnings.

In my original post on refilling gas canisters, I listed a series of precautions.  Read my original post on refilling gas canisters if you are thinking about refilling canisters of your own.  Please do your homework before you try something like this.  If you do try this, there's a certain danger to it, no matter what.  You're working with highly flammable, explosive gasses.  You've been warned.

Transfer from Like to Like
Not all canisters are created equal.  Some are stronger than others.  When you take canister gas from one canister and transfer it into another, you want to make sure that the receiving canister can handle the resultant pressure.  The ideal way to do this is to "stay within the brand." By "within the brand," I mean transferring Jetboil to Jetboil, Primus to Primus, etc.  If you transfer gas from a larger canister to a smaller canister of the same brand, you already know that the smaller canister can handle the pressure from that blend of gas.  Note:  Some companies, Primus in particular, have different blends:  Summer blend, winter blend, etc.  For companies with different blends, use a donor canister of the same blend as the receiving canister originally held.

If you can't find a donor canister of the same brand as your receiving canister, you can check on the company's website what blend (percentages of propane, isobutane, and n-butane) the canisters held to insure compatibility, but it's best to stay within the brand if you can.  Note that some companies do not publish their blend's percentages and that percentages can change over time.

Basically though, if you transfer from like to like, you minimize the risk that the receiving canister can't handle the pressure.

The Procedure
Custom filling/refilling is actually fairly simple.  I'll list the instructions below.

Before you start, weigh the empty canister.  The weight of the canister + the amount of gas the canister originally contained is the maximum safe total weight of the canister.  For example, if your receiving canister weighs 116 g when empty and originally held 220 g of fuel, then your maximum safe weight is 336 g (116 + 220 = 336).  The amount of fuel your empty canister originally held should be printed on the label of the canister.  If you can't read the label, get a different canister.  Only use canisters in good condition when refilling.

My receiving canister weighs 116 g when empty.

Once you've calculated your maximum safe total weight, do the following:
1.  Place the donor canister into a pan or pot of warm water.  I said warm water, not hot water.  Do not immerse a canister into hot water.  Hot water could cause the internal pressure of the canister to exceed the rating of the canister which could cause the canister to burst.  Do not put the canister in the pan while the pan is on a stove.  What if you left the stove on for a minute and got distracted?  Take the pot off the stove, and then put the canister into the warm (not hot!) water.
2.  Prepare an ice bath in a container that can hold the recipient canister and some water with ice.  You don't want the level of the water to exceed the height of the canister.  Keep the connector and Lindal valve area of the canister dry.
3.  Close the valve on the G-Works Gas Saver adapter.
4.  Screw on the empty receiving canister to the Gas Saver.
5. Take the donor canister out of the warm water, dry it off, and screw the donor on to the other connector on the Gas Saver.
6.  Place the receiving canister into the ice bath taking care to keep water out of the connector and Lindal valve area.

A G-Works Gas Saver properly hooked up with two canisters.
The donor canister is on top.  The receiving canister is on the bottom, in the ice bath.
Take care to keep water out of the connector and Lindal valve area of the receiving canister.

7.  Open the valve on the Gas Saver.

When you open the valve on the Gas Saver, you should hear gas flowing from the full donor canister into the empty receiving canister.

8.  After you've let it run for a minute or so, close the valve, take the receiving canister off the G-Works adapter, and weigh the receiving canister.  While you're weighing the receiving canister, put the donor canister back into the pan of warm (not hot!) water.  Repeat steps 6, 7, and 8 until the receiving canister is full.  Do not exceed the maximum safe fill weight of the canister.

Success!  My canister which weighed only 116 g when empty is now clearly full of gas,
BUT my maximum safe fill weight is 336 g.  I need to vent or burn off 10 g.

If you've over filled the canister, vent the canister outdoors away from any heat sources or open flame using the G-Works Gas Saver with one end attached to the over full canister and the other end not attached to anything.  When there is no canister attached to the other end, opening the valve on the Gas Saver vents the excess gas into the atmosphere.  Alternatively, you can just attach a stove to the over filled canister and burn off the fuel.

That's really all there is to it.  With the above described techniques and the G-Works Gas Saver, you can refill or custom fill smaller, lighter, more convenient canisters using larger, cheaper (per gram) canisters.

Versions
There are actually several versions of this adapter, all from Peakway.
1)  The old version of the basic adapter – 28 g (1.0 oz)
2)  The new version of the basic adapter – 36 g (1.3 oz)
3)  The "fancy" version with what appears to be a pressure relief valve.  I don't have this version and can't really comment on it.

I'm not sure why they switched from the old version of the basic adapter to the new version.  I can see what has changed, but I don't know the thinking behind the changes.  Perhaps it was just to reduce production costs; I don't know.

Concluding Remarks
Be safe and read all the cautions, please.  This is good stuff, but you do need to be careful.

Take care and happy stoving,

HJ

Appendix I – Custom Fuel Blends – DANGER
Danger.  We now depart from anything that might be considered remotely safe.  You're completely on your own here if you do this.  I'm not recommending this to you; I'm just saying it's physically possible.  Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should.  I have not done this.  It's just too danged dangerous.  Try it at your own risk. And make sure your Life Insurance is all paid up, if you get my drift.  See photos of canister explosions, below.

What am I talking about?  Well, remember my recent post on the other G-Works adapter, the G-Works Propane adapter?  With that propane adapter and the G-Works gas saver adapter combined, you could add propane to a backpacking canister.
Never fill a backpacking gas canister with 100% propane.  

WARNINGS UPDATE, 8 April 2017: David, a chemical engineer, has left a series of remarks down in the comments section, below.  I suggest that you read them in detail if you're thinking of adding extra propane to a backpacking type canister.  Personally, I don't think you should try to add propane, but if you're going to try it, make sure you read, line by line, David's comments, below.

Why would you add propane to a backpacking canister?  Well, for cold weather.  Recall that propane is your best fuel for cold weather. In the US, the most propane content you can get in a backpacking canister is about 25% or 30% depending on whether it's mixed with isobutane or n-butane.  You could boost that percentage to 35% or 40% if you combine the G-Works propane adapter with the Gas Saver adapter.  No, I don't have any photos of this combination.  This is very dangerous and I have not tried it.

If you do add additional propane to your backpacking canisters, add the propane last.  Why?  Well, if you add propane to an empty canister, then, at least for a while, you've got 100% propane in there.  That could be bad, very bad.  Those little lightweight (comparatively) backpacking canisters cannot handle the high pressure of 100% propane.  DON'T DO IT.  I'm not sure you should add propane to a backpacking canister at all, but if you do, add the propane last, after the canister has a factory blended fuel mix in it.
Never fill a backpacking gas canister with 100% propane.  

A stove and pot destroyed by a canister filled with 100% propane.
Note how the canister has burst.
NEVER fill a backpacking type canister with 100% propane.

Backpacking canisters are only strong enough for partial propane mixes, typically 80/20 isobutane/propane or 70/30 n-butane/propane.  Filling a backpacking canister with 100% propane risks an explosion.  Backpacking canisters just aren't strong enough to handle the very high pressures involved with 100% propane.
Never fill a backpacking gas canister with 100% propane.

A stove and pot destroyed by a canister explosion.
NEVER fill a backpacking type canister with 100% propane.

Coleman Canister Gas – Caution

Coleman brand gas canisters now only normally work with Coleman brand stoves.  You might get lucky, but the current orange label Coleman brand gas canisters just plain don't work with a lot of brands of canister stoves.
UPDATE 25 March 2017:  See caveats to the above in the "Stoves Tested" section.
UPDATE 27 March 2017:  There is an emergency work-around:  Coleman Canister Gas – Emergency Work-Around
UPDATE 28 March 2018:  Since the Coleman canisters don't work reliably with the majority of my stoves, I'm now using them as "donor" canisters when I refill my canisters that do work.  See:  Refilling Backpacking Canisters II

What has changed?
I've never had this problem before with the older green label Coleman canisters.   Recently, it seems there's been a change.  The new ones have an orange label (see photo, below), but the changes appear to go beyond color.  They just don't work with other brands of gas stoves.  I'm speaking here about backpacking type canisters only.  I am NOT referring to the big 100% propane green canisters.

Front row:  The older "green" Coleman canisters.
Rear:  The newer "orange" Coleman canister.

Here's how I happened on this:
I test stoves.  A lot of stoves.  I burn gas.  A lot of gas.

Simul-testing multiple stoves.  I burn a lot of gas.

So, I bought some of the big 450 gram Coleman canisters recently at Walmart.  They're the cheapest brand (at least when bought at Walmart).

When I got them home, they simply didn't work.  On any stove tried (see list, below).  And I've got a lot of stoves.  None of them worked – until I tried a Coleman brand stove.

Here's a quick video:

And I am not alone.  Others are reporting similar experiences.

NOTE:  I am not accusing Coleman of doing this deliberately.  Why would they do that?  They want to sell as many canisters as possible.  If they make it so their canisters cannot be used with other brands, their sales will go down. I think this is a goof, not a deliberate business decision.

Stoves Tested

These stoves did not work when tested with orange label Coleman gas canisters:

• MSR Pocket Rocket
• MSR Pocket Rocket 2
• BRS-3000T
• Markill Hot Rod
• Soto WindMaster
• Kovea Supalite
• Monatauk Gnat/FMS-116T/Olicamp Kinetic Ultra
• Snow Peak GeoShield

These stoves kind of worked with orange label Coleman gas canisters cranked down hard (NOT recommended):

• Kovea Titanium/Markill Hotrod
• Soto MicroRegulator
• Optimus Crux

These stoves did work with orange label Coleman gas canisters:

• Jetboil PCS (personal experience)
• Jetboil MiniMo (reported)
• Primus Eta Express
• MSR Micro Rocket
• Soto Amicus
• Snow Peak GigaPower
• eTekCity (multiple reports)

It looks like Jetboil and Primus brand stoves in general do work with Coleman brand orange label gas canisters, but obviously I haven't tested each and every model of Jetboil or Primus stoves.  You'll probably be fine, but you should test your Jetboil or Primus stove with Coleman canisters before you head out on the trail.  However, I have now one report of a Jetboil not working with an orange label Coleman canister.

Other brands are all over the map.  Some models work; others do not.  I've had reports of a Pocket Rocket working, but my Pocket Rocket did not.  This tells me that the Coleman canisters are very close, only off by maybe half a millimeter or something like that.  Their Lindal valve is recessed just a bit farther down in the threaded connector than other brands.  It doesn't take much.  Notice the middle category, above:  Stoves that kind of worked.  It's that close.  Your "mileage" not only may but will vary.

Recommended:  Test your stove with Coleman orange label canisters if you plan to use them.
Not recommended:  Cranking your stove down hard to get a Coleman canister to work.  Stove threads are typically aluminum or brass which is softer than the steel of the canisters.  Don't ruin a good stove over a $5 to $10 canister.  Just buy a more reliable brand.  I have had no problems with the following canister brands:

• MSR
• Snow Peak
• Optimus
• Primus
• Brunton
• Jetboil
• Gas One
• Glow Master

I haven't tried Olicamp canisters; I haven't seen them for sale locally.

Conclusion
So, be careful.  That Coleman canister may be cheap (when purchased at Walmart), but it may not work with your stove – unless your stove happens to be a Coleman stove (or probably Jetboil and Primus, perhaps others).  Perhaps I'm belaboring the obvious, but always test your stove with the canister you intend to use before you hit the trail.  This is probably a good idea with all brands but particularly with Coleman brand orange label gas canisters.

Happy stoving,

HJ

What's the Best Brand of Gas for Cold Weather?

For warm weather (above 50°F/10°C), it doesn't much matter what brand of gas you buy.

Caution!
The one exception to the above is Coleman gas canisters. At least for the Coleman canisters with the orange label, Coleman canisters do not work consistently with many brands of stoves.  You can however use Coleman canisters which are very cheap at Walmart to refill other canisters.  See:  Refilling Backpacking Canisters II.


NOTE:  This post was last updated on 11 April 2017.


For cold weather, the brand of gas you buy does make a difference.  Typically, gas canisters contain some blend of propane mixed with either "plain" butane (n-butane) or isobutane. Some canister brands contain all three gasses.  For cold weather use, you generally want a canister with as little n-butane as possible.  Even though propane is the best cold weather gas, I'd take a canister with 10% propane and 90% isobutane over a canister with 30% propane and 70% n-butane.  Why?  Because the propane will burn off at a faster rate than the n-butane, leaving you with nothing but n-butane toward the end of your canister.  Butane is a poor performer in cold weather.

Frozen lakes and snow, Sierra Nevada Mountains, June 2014

Why is butane a poor cold weather performer?  Why do we use blended gas?  Why don't we just use 100% propane?  That's all covered in my post on Gas Blends and Cold Weather Performance.

How can we cope with cold weather?  For more info on canister stoves in cold weather, see:  Gas Stoves in Cold Weather – Regulator Valves and Inverted Canisters

A frozen lake, Sierra Nevada Mountains, June 2014

What companies have got the best blend?  I don't have all the data, but here below is what I have.  This data is for the United States of America.  Brands and blends available elsewhere may vary.

GOOD WINTER GAS BRANDS:

• Olicamp Rocketfuel is the best cold weather blend available in North America – at least based on the label.  It has 75% isobutane and 25% propane.  It's performance will not be radically better than an 80/20 mix, but Olicamp's 75/25 is a slightly better mix – if it is pure.  Any time there is isobutane, there will always be a certain percentage of plain n-butane present as well.  Here, quality control is essential.  How committed is Olicamp to quality control?  I don't know, but generally Olicamp Rocket Fuel's reputation is good.  Olicamp specifically advertises their blend, so they are clearly aware of the implications of the mix and are marketing it on that basis.
• MSR is a good winter blend, 80% isobutane and 20% propane.  These numbers are confirmed on MSR's website.  MSR is pretty committed to the climbing and mountaineering community.  They are pretty committed to quality control.  I tend to trust MSR's numbers and believe that they have very low percentages of n-butane.  I generally go with MSR on my cold weather trips.  Your mileage may vary.
• Snow Peak is 85% isobutane and 15% propane.  These numbers are confirmed on Snow Peak's website.  I tend to trust Snow Peak's numbers more since they are willing to commit to them in writing.  This mix isn't quite as good as Olicamp's or MSR's but is still a reasonably good mix.

BRANDS OF UNKNOWN QUALITY (in no particular order):

• Jetboil is supposedly 80% isobutane and 20% propane.  Possibly.  I have not been able to confirm these numbers.  How much n-butane does it contain?  I don't know.   No where will Jetboil put down in writing what their actual numbers are.  This tells me that their blend varies a lot.  Jetboil wouldn't be my first choice simply because Jetboil will not commit, in writing, to any set of numbers.  My understanding is that they can have more than 5% n-butane and still advertise that their mix as "isobutane" so long as it's mostly isobutane.
• Brunton is reputedly an 80/20 mix.  Maybe.  I have not been able to confirm these numbers.  Brunton's reputation isn't that good in cold weather.  They may have a relatively high percentage of n-butane (which again they can advertise as isobutane so long as the majority of the butane is isobutane).  Brunton would not be my first choice since they won't commit to a particular blend.
• Sterno is an isobutane mix according to the label on their cans.  What is the mix?  Unknown.  How much n-butane does their "isobutane" mix contain?  Unknown.  If nothing else were available, I guess you could go with it, but I myself would probably go with a brand that will commit to a certain set of numbers.
• GSI, likewise, is an isobutane mix according to the label on their cans.  What is the mix?  Unknown.  How much n-butane does their "isobutane" mix contain?  Unknown.  If nothing else were available, I guess you could go with it.  I'd rather have a commitment, but sometimes you don't have every brand available at a given location.  I'd go with an "unknown" like GSI over a known mix if the known mix were labeled as containing n-butane.

BRANDS NOT RECOMMENDED* FOR WINTER USE (in no particular order)

• Coleman regular threaded canisters (not Powermax) are 30% propane and 70% butane.  These numbers on on the side of the canister.

• Primus is 25 % propane, 25 % isobutane, and 50 % butane per their website.  I suppose it's better than Coleman brand, but I'd still rather have a fuel with no regular butane at all.  Note that this is their "regular" mix.  They do have a winter mix and a summer mix.  Definitely don't use the summer mix for cold weather!  The winter mix may be good, but I haven't been able to track down any numbers.

• Optimus brand is 25% propane, 75% butane, as printed on the side of the canister.  Since it contains regular butane, I wouldn't use it in cold weather.

• Glowmaster is 20% propane and 80% butane per the side of the canister. 

One caveat to the above:  If you're using standard threaded canisters in liquid feed mode (in other words, the canister is used upside down) or you're using a canister that is designed for liquid feed (e.g. a Powermax canister), the n-butane vs. isobutane issue matters less, although I would still generally prefer isobutane had I a choice.  In liquid feed mode, the liquefied gas stays blended and all of the fuels burn together at a constant rate.  With liquid feed, the propane does not burn off more quickly, and you're not left holding the bag with nothing but crummy (in cold weather) n-butane left.  In other words, with liquid feed, "regular" butane isn't such a bad thing provided that you've got plenty of propane content.

For "normal" (canister right side up) use, avoid "regular" butane for cold weather.

HJ

*Because they contain "regular" butane, a very poor fuel in cold weather.

Related articles and posts:

• Cold Weather Tips for Gas Stoves
• What's the Best Gas for Cold Weather?
• Gas Stoves: How Cold Can I Go?   <==Most comprehensive post on canister gas and cold
• Canisters, Cold, and Altitude:  Gas in a Nutshell
• Canister Stoves 101:  Thread Care
• Gas Blends and Cold Weather Performance.  (Why not just use propane?)
• The "Super Gnat"  (Camping Gaz or threaded canisters with one lightweight stove)
• Backpacking Gas Canisters 101
• Gas in Extreme Cold:  Yes or No?
• Gas in Cold Weather:  The Myth of "Fractioning"
• Stoves For Cold Weather I (Upright canister stoves) – Seattle Backpacker's Magazine
• Stoves for Cold Weather II (Inverted remote canister stoves) – Seattle Backpacker's Magazine

Types of Gas Canisters

Article revised Nov 25 2011.

First, there are six main types of gas canisters out there, only four of which are really appropriate for use in backpacking.  The six are:
1.  The heavy steel, typically green, Coleman type 16.4 oz/465g 100% propane canisters.  These are great for car camping, but are generally too heavy and bulky for backpacking.
2.  The tall steel cylindrical canisters that look like a traditional can of hair spray.  These canisters contain, typically, 100% butane. These canisters are frequently used by the restaurant industry, particularly for tableside cooking.  These "long" butane cans have a "bayonet" connector that protrudes out of the canister's valve.  This "bayonet" is exposed and therefore vulnerable to accidental discharge or damage.  These to my mind have an inferior connector that is not robust enough for back country use although in some areas people do use them, particularly in Asia.  They are cheap, I will say that for them.

OK, so the first two really aren't for backpacking.  Let's get to the backpacking appropriate ones:
3.  The dome shaped canisters with a threaded connector.
4.  The dome shaped canisters with a smooth connector.
5.  The dome shaped canisters with a dimple in the top.

The dome shaped canisters with a threaded connector are the standard canister for backpacking in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan (and probably a few other places).  They're not unknown elsewhere, but they're not necessarily standard.

The dome shaped canisters with a smooth connector is the Camping Gaz type connector.  This is the standard in Europe.  Other types of canisters may be available, but they generally won't be as easy to find if you can find them at all.

The dome shaped, backpacking packing canisters with a dimple in the top are an older type of canister but are still the standard some areas including many parts of Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.  These are piercable canisters.  The stove has a sharp piece of metal on it.  When you attach the canister to the stove, the sharp piece of metal forces itself through the top of the canister, puncturing a hole in the canister.  The canister is then locked into place.  Once the canister is attached to the stove, you cannot remove it until it is empty (unless you want flammable gas spewing everywhere).  This type of canister has been blamed for a number of accidents, and many countries have banned or have tried to ban them.  This type of canister is not recommended.  If the canister connection works loose, you could have a real disaster on your hands.  Avoid this type if you can, but be aware this is all that is available in some localities.

6.  Lastly, there is the Coleman Powermax canister.  This is a cylindrical, silver colored canister.  One end of the canister is rounded and has a non-threaded connector on it.  If you look closely at the connector, you'll see that the connector is hexagonal around the middle.  These canisters are actually a better canister than the standard dome shaped canisters, but they are not as widely available, particularly outside the US.  In addition, they require a specialized stove that has a matching connector.  These canisters will work in all conditions but are especially good in cold weather because they are liquid feed canisters.  Update November, 2011 on Powermax Canisters

See my earlier post on Winter Gas Choices for more on liquid feed gas stoves.

As I'm sure you've realized by now, not all canisters are available in all places, and in many areas no canisters of any type will be available.  If you plan to use your canister stove when you travel, do your homework.  Make sure the canisters you need are available in the area you are going to.

Generally all of the threaded dome shaped canisters are interchangeable.  Yes, I know that MSR says you should only use MSR canisters with MSR stoves and that JetBoil says you should only use JetBoil canisters with JetBoil stoves.  That's a bunch of bull.  They're interchangeable.  Maybe you'd have some problems if you bought some cheap brand in a remote country, but all of the ones sold here in the US have a standard 7/16ths UNEF thread and are interchangeable.  Where I live, Snow Peak is generally the cheapest and Coleman is generally the most expensive -- except at Walmart where Coleman gas is a real bargain at $4.88 for the 7.5oz canister. The brand you get for warm weather use doesn't make much difference.  I usually buy whatever is cheapest.

Caution!
The newer orange label Coleman canisters do not work with many brands of stoves.  The older green label Coleman canisters typically have worked fine.

I've now broken out my discussion of which brands are best for cold weather into a separate post.  Please see What's the Best Brand of Gas for Cold Weather?  for further information.

HJ

Related articles and posts:

• What's the Best Gas for Cold Weather?
• How Cold Can I Run My Gas Stove?
• Gas Blends and Cold Weather Performance.  (Why not just use propane?)
  
• Stoves For Cold Weather I (Upright canister stoves) -- Seattle Backpacker's Magazine
• Stoves for Cold Weather II (Inverted canister stoves) -- Seattle Backpacker's Magazine

Canister Gas in Cold Weather – Summary

Winter is fast approaching (well, at least in the Northern Hemisphere).  It's time to think about stoves in the context of cold.  In colder weather, I typically reach for a stove with a petroleum based fuel, either liquid (e.g. white gasoline, kerosene) or gas (i.e. canister gas).  In cold weather, I want power, particularly if melting snow.  Nothing has more power (heat) than petroleum based fuels (well, maybe nuclear, but that's a bit hard to fit into my backpack).

Frozen lake, Sierra Nevada Mountains

Many people are under the impression that canister gas is no good for cold weather and that liquid fuel must be used.  But is that necessarily true?

I've been writing on this subject for some time.   I've just re-written my main article on gas and cold weather.  I won't reproduce the entire article here.  I'll just post a summary below.  I actually think the summary is fairly useful in and of itself.  I don't recommend that you rely on the summary alone.  Before you take a canister gas stove out in cold weather, I recommend that you read the full article. But the summary can be a useful refresher and reference once you've read the main article.

HJ

Summary:
1.  If you use a canister right side up, the best cold weather fuel, propane, boils off at a faster rate, so you must be able to rely on the other components of your fuel.  Therefore choose isobutane and avoid n-butane.  Which brands have isobutane?  See What's the Best Brand of Gas for Cold Weather?
2.  If you use a canister upside down (inverted), the propane stays in the mix and your fuel has better cold weather performance.  Most stoves cannot handle inverted operation.  Do your homework before trying this.
3.  If used upright, canisters experience significant cooling from within.  Therefore, it is the fuel temperature which matters, not the ambient temperature.  Your fuel temperature will be usually be colder than the surroundings after operating the stove for a while.
4.  If you use a canister upside down, the canister will not experience cooling (well, at least not to the degree that it does in upright operation).
5.  In order to have enough pressure to properly operate a stove, your fuel temperature must be warmer than the vaporization point (boiling point) of the fuel.  Generally, about 20°F/11°C degrees above the vaporization point will give you good operating pressure, but the actual performance of the stove is the bottom line.  Poor performance probably means that your fuel needs more heat.  Therefore you must be able to heat the canister.  Water is typically a safe way to heat the canister.
6.  NEVER heat a canister to the degree that it is painfully hot to the touch of an (unfrozen) bare hand.
7.  The higher you go, the colder the weather your gas stove will operate in, but the colder it gets, the harder it is to keep the canister warm, irrespective of elevation.  As you climb, temperatures fall faster than the performance of your stove increases.  You cannot out climb cold.
8.  If you heat the canister, you are not as constrained by the ambient temperature.  However common sense still applies here.  Can you realistically keep the canister warm enough in the temperatures expected?  What happens if the weather is colder than expected? What happens if a storm moves in?
9.  You must know and use the basics of cold weather canister operation (select good fuel, start with a warm canister, keep the canister warm, heat the canister if necessary). You must also be prepared for emergencies and the unexpected.

Icebergs, Sierra Nevada Mountains

Related articles and posts:

• Cold Weather Tips for Gas Stoves
• What's the Best Gas for Cold Weather?
• Gas Stoves: How Cold Can I Go?   <==Most comprehensive article on canister gas and cold
• Canisters, Cold, and Altitude:  Gas in a Nutshell
• Canister Stoves 101:  Thread Care
• Gas Blends and Cold Weather Performance.  (Why not just use propane?)
• The "Super Gnat"  (Camping Gaz or threaded canisters with one lightweight stove)
• Backpacking Gas Canisters 101
• Gas in Extreme Cold:  Yes or No?
• Gas in Cold Weather:  The Myth of "Fractioning"
• Stoves For Cold Weather I (Upright canister stoves) – Seattle Backpacker's Magazine
• Stoves for Cold Weather II (Inverted remote canister stoves) – Seattle Backpacker's Magazine

Review: The Soto WindMaster – World's Lightest Gas Stove with Piezo Ignition

I've talked about the Soto WindMaster (OD-1RX) upright canister gas in several of my posts lately.  The WindMaster's claim to fame is that a) it is the world's lightest (67 g/2.3 oz) upright canister gas stove with piezoelectric ignition and b) that it has superior wind handling capability.

I was really skeptical about this stove at first. As it turns out, it's one of my favorite canister gas stoves.  Ever.

UPDATE 27 November 2016:  I have added a point by point consideration of the stove based on my "What Makes a Good Backpacking Stove?" framework in the appendix

The Soto WindMaster (OD-1RX)

Why was I skeptical?  Well, the name of the stove sort of tells you why I was skeptical.  Soto is making the claim that their stove handles wind well.  An upright canister stove?  A master of the wind?  Really?

Let me explain. There are two general classes of canister gas backpacking stoves:  upright and remote.

An upright canister stove, left (a Soto Amicus), and a remote canister stove right (a Snow Peak GeoShield).

An upright canister stove screws directly onto the top of a canister of gas.  The advantage here is weight:  There's no need to have "legs" to support the burner.  The canister itself supports the stove.  Also, there is no need of any means to bring the fuel to the stove since the stove is directly attached to the canister.  Upright canister stoves are light, plentiful, affordable, compact, and simple.

Wow, sounds great, right?  So what's the disadvantage?  Well, notice how high the stove and pot are in the photo above.  Since the stove mounts on top of the canister, it sits higher up, more exposed to wind.  

Can't you use a windscreen?  Well, yes, kind of, but BE CAREFUL.  If you trap too much heat in the enclosed space around the fuel canister, the canister could overheat.  Heat the canister sufficiently, and it could burst, spewing highly flammable gas all around.  Let's see, flammable gas spraying all around a flame.  Say, that might be, um, bad, couldn't it?  Well, let's just say this could be your "last supper."  Most manufacturers strongly recommend against the use of a windscreen with an upright canister stove.  There's more to say here, but rather than go on and on, if you're interested in the subject of windscreens, I suggest you check out my blog post on Windscreens.  Another disadvantage to upright canister stoves is that they aren't all that great in cold temperatures.  Even with the best fuel, you probably don't want to go much below 20F/-7C.  There are tricks in cold weather.  If you're interested see: Canister Gas in Cold Weather.

Now, on the other hand, a remote canister stove has the fuel off to the side.  Fuel is delivered to the burner via a fuel hose or line of some type.  The advantages here are:  1. The stove sits lower to the ground, so it's more stable and more out of the wind, 2. The stove can be used with a full 360 degree windscreen with no risk of overheating the canister, and 3. Many remote canister stoves can be run with the canister inverted for cold weather operation.  If you're going to run a stove with the canister inverted, do your homework first.  Not all remote canister stoves can handle inverted canisters.  For starters, check out my article in Seattle Backpackers Magazine:  Stoves for Cold Weather II.  

The disadvantages to a remote canister are stove are:  1.  It takes up more space in your pack, 2. It weighs more, and 3. It typically costs more.  There are also fewer choices with remote canister stove than upright canister stoves, but there are some good ones out there.  If you're interested in a remote canister stove,  I suggest you check out the Kovea Spider remote canister stove. 

OK, enough background.  Here's the point:  The WindMaster is an upright canister stove.  In other words, the WindMaster is the kind of stove that does the worst in wind.  So, yeah, I was a little skeptical.  An upright canister stove that's good in wind?  Yeah, right.  But then I tested it.  

Please take a look at this video:

The test in the video wasn't the only test I ran.  I ran dozens of tests over a long period of time.   My conclusion:  Soto really has succeeded in making a more windproof upright canister stove.

In every test, the Soto WindMaster (left) boiled faster than the Microregulator which is basically the same stove but without the wind resistant burner head.

Well, um, if this stove is so great, why isn't it the number one best seller?  Well, several reasons:

1. It's kind of tall (see photo below).  It's not bad, but it is a little on the tall side.  I can't lay it on it's side in the bottom of my 550 ml mug-type pot.
2. The pot support is kind of, uh, well, "different". I'll explain more, below.
3. It's expensive.  It's about $75 MSRP.  (Note Campsaver* has them on sale right now for $52.47 which is a deal).

If you can handle the size and the pot support, I'll explain why I think the WindMaster might be worth the price (especially if you can get it on sale).

By the way, Soto has come out with a new, more affordable stove, the Amicus.  The Amicus has the same style burner head as the WindMaster.  Is the Amicus as good in wind as the WindMaster?  I don't know yet, but keep an eye on my blog.  I plan to post a review of the new Amicus some time in the next four to six weeks.

*Disclosure:  I have no relationship with Campsaver, financial or otherwise.  I don't think I've ever purchased anything from them.  Someone tipped me off to this sale; I pass the tip on to you.  As I say, I have not done business with them.  This link in no way constitutes an endorsement.  Caveat emptor.

The Soto Microregulator, left, and the Soto WindMaster, right.  The WindMaster is somewhat taller than average.

OK, so what's this about the pot support?  Well, it's detachable.  This is a feature that you're either going to love or you're going to hate.  It works for me, but a lot of people apparently didn't like it or weren't willing to try it.  There are actually two pot supports available for the WindMaster.  I'll discuss the basic one that comes with the stove first and then the optional, larger "4Flex" pot support later.

The basic pot support is actually pretty good.  It provides plenty of support and is pretty grippy.  It supports small diameter pots well, including something as small as a standard Sierra cup.  And it's not hard to take on and off.  All it takes is a little practice.  I can even do it wearing fleece mittens.

The pot support attaches easily with just a bit of practice – even in midweight fleece mittens

So that little metal bit in my left hand, above, is the pot support.  It's kind of a flat color.  If you drop it, it's hard to find.  My solution is to use a Sea to Summit mini carabiner (9 grams) to immediately clip the pot support to the valve handle the second I remove the support from the stove.

A Sea to Summit mini carabiner

In the photo below, you can see the carabiner hanging off the valve handle. The carabiner hanging there takes a bit of getting used to when you turn the valve handle, but it's no big deal.

A Soto WindMaster in use.
Note carabiner hanging on the valve handle.

OK, so I've talked about the relative wind proofness of the WindMaster.  How does it work?  Well, for one, the burner head is recessed which tends to guide the flames up toward the pot and limits the amount that wind can blow the flames off course.  Second, the lower portion of the burner head is angled such that wind naturally flows down, around, and away from the burner head.

The Soto WindMaster, left, has a recessed burner head.  Note that you can barely see the flame.
Most stoves have an open burner head, such as the stove on the right.
Note how the flame on the stove on the right is being blown over to the left by the wind.  Goodbye, heat.

I actually kind of enjoyed watching just how well the Soto WindMaster's burner head worked.  In test after test, I could see an open burner's flame being blown to one side or another whereas the WindMaster's flame was still centered on the pot.

Now, how wind proof is the WindMaster?  Is it as windproof as say the high tech MSR Windburner? Um, no.  No way.  The Windburner is a freaking miracle of windproofness.  If you expect to be in seriously windswept areas and really need just absolutely rock steady performance in wind, then get the MSR Windburner not the Soto WindMaster.

However, the Windburner* is larger, heavier, and more expensive than the WindMaster.  If you do your homework and find that an upright canister stove is right for you, the WindMaster will offer far better performance in wind than other similar stoves.  How do you "do your homework?"  Well, you might check out my post, What Makes a Good Backpacking Stove?

*The Windburner is on sale at REI for $99 right now which is a pretty good price considering that MSRP is $130.
Disclosure:  I receive no remuneration from REI for mentioning them here.  I just happen to know that they have the Windburner on sale right now.  I am however an REI customer, and I do occasionally make purchases from them.

Soto WindMaster, left, with a recessed burner head.  Soto Microregulator, right, with an open burner head.
Note how the Microregulator's flame is blown off to the left whereas the WindMaster's is not.

Much ado has been made about stoves with regulator valves being able to really cook lately.  I kind of laugh.  Yes, Jetboil made a big deal about how you can really control the flame on their relatively new MiniMo regulator valved stove.  Why do I laugh?  Because Soto has been doing it all along. Soto is really ahead of other stove companies in terms of technology, so I laugh when other companies make a big deal about something that Soto has been doing for several years.  Soto would never have put out stoves with crappy burner control like that on the first generation regulator valved Jetboils.

Noodle dish prepared on a Soto WindMaster.
You can actually cook with the Soto WindMaster, to include fine simmering.

Now, another thing about the WindMaster:  The "Stealth" ignition.  Soto's Stealth ignition (found on several Soto stoves) is the best in the industry.  Period.  Nobody's ignition is as sophisticated and reliable as Soto's.  Many companies sort of bolt this big kludgy ignition thing to the side of their stoves and then have a wire running up the side of the burner column.  The ignition system then ends with an exposed wire directly in the flame.  This wire often warps in the heat or snags on things – and fails.  Soto has a much more elegant control and runs their wire up through the inside of the burner column.  Then, at the top of the burner column, instead of a little wire sticking out just waiting to be snagged, they put a much more stable strip of metal that doesn't jut out the way wire ignitions do.  Notice also, in the photo below, that the ignition point is in the center of the burner.  This has two advantages:  1) It's a heck of a lot less likely to snag on something when located in center of a burner than an ignition on the rim of a burner and 2) there's a sort of "island" in the center of the burner head that the ignition point sits in.  The ignition point is less exposed to heat and is less likely to become warped or otherwise damaged.

The ignition point of Soto's Stealth ignition is the strip of silver colored metal (not a wire) in the center of the burner head.

Now, notice something else in the photo, above.  Look at the pot supports.  Those are not that little pot support we saw before.  This is the optional "4Flex" pot support that can be purchased to supplement the pot support that comes with the stove.  The 4Flex offers a wide surface for larger pots.

A 2.6 liter pot on a a Soto WindMaster equipped with the optional 4Flex pot support.  Really stable.
In fact, the supports are not the worry here; the small size of the canister is.
Canister "feet" can help but are not absolutely required.

 I found the 4Flex to be a really nice option with large pots (as in group cooking or snow melting).

The WindMaster's optional 4Flex pot support offers excellent stability for larger pots.

I've gone from skeptic to convert.  I really like the quality and flexibility of the WindMaster – as well as it's ability to handle wind.  If I go out solo or with one other person, I can take the basic pot support.  I don't have to take up a lot of room in my kit with an unnecessarily large pot support.  On the other hand, on trips with a larger group or larger pots – or pans as in fish frying, pancakes, etc. – I take the 4Flex, and then I don't have to worry about my pot being "tippy."  With the 4Flex, even fairly large pots are very stable.  The one thing you might worry about with large pots is not the pot supports at all but rather the canister.  A large pot with a small canister at the base could be a little tippy on uneven ground.  Several companies offer canister "feet" that one could purchase if one were concerned.  I didn't find them necessary,

A final note:  On local hikes, I might do stove testing, but on my "big" hikes where it's a really a special hike, I don't do stove testing.  I take stoves that I like and trust.  The last couple of photos were from my hike on the John Muir Trail this past summer.  In other words, this isn't a stove that I test and then stick on a shelf never to be seen or heard from again.  No, this is a stove I actually use.  I have dozens and dozens of stoves sent to me for free from companies that would like me to do a review.  I can pretty much use any stove I like.  If a stove makes it on a trip where I'm not testing, you know it's a good stove.

The Soto WindMaster

What's Good About It?

• World's lightest canister gas stove with piezoelectric ignition  (67 g/2.3 oz).
• Superior wind handling
• Reliable, sophisticated piezoelectric ignition
• Good pot stability on both large and small pots with multiple pot support options

What's Not So Good About It?

• A little on the tall side.
• More expensive than many comparable stoves
• The smaller pot support is easy to lose – unless you use a mini carabiner and always clip the support to the valve handle when you take the pot support off.

The Soto WindMaster:  Highly Recommended.

I thank you for joining me on another Adventure In Stoving.

HJ

Disclosures:  I received the WindMaster stove free of charge from a third party (not Soto in other words) for the purpose of this review.  I purchased the 4Flex support with my own money.   I am not compensated for my reviews except for the trivial amount of money I receive from the ads on my blog (about $1.00 USD per day at last check).  The income from my blog pays for fuel and occasional parts and accessories, but I in no way derive my living from my blog.  My blog is basically a hobby which leaves me free to review stoves any dang way I please.  


Appendix – "What Makes a Good Backpacking Stove?"

An evaluation of the Soto Windmaster based on my fourteen point "What Makes a Good Backpacking Stove?" framework.

1. Suitability – Is this stove suitable for what I want to do?
• Cooking  – The Windmaster can pretty much support any type of cooking from high heat, rapid boiling and snow melting to slow simmering.  The fine control of the flame is very good.
• Conditions – Like all upright canister stoves, the WindMaster would not be my first choice for temperatures under 20 Fahrenheit/-7 Celsius.  The WindMaster may be used at all elevations although the piezoelectric ignition will be less reliable above 10,000 feet/3000 meters in elevation.  No matter what elevation one uses a stove with a built in ignition, always carry a second source of ignition (non-piezo lighter, matches, firesteel, etc.).  The WindMaster will handle windy conditions better than most upright canister stoves but would not be a good choice for extremely windy conditions.
• Capacity  – The Windmaster can easily support pots from about 250 ml (depending on proportions) to about 2000 ml with the basic pot support, but over 1500 ml, you'd have to be a bit cautious about using a small canister.  With the larger 4Flex pot supports, 1500 ml to 3500 ml, probably larger, pots can be accommodated, but one might want to use canister "feet" to make the whole assembly more stable.
2. Reliability/Robustness – Can it “take a licking and keep on ticking?”
   I found the stove to be quite solid.  Some have complained that the basic pot support is "flimsy."  I did not find it so, and found it to be quite solid once properly emplaced on the burner head.  As with all canister stoves, one must keep the threaded area clean, and one should avoid spilling food on the burner head.  Do not set the stove down in the dirt if you can avoid it.  One should also keep the canister threads clean lest abrasives (dirt, grit, etc.) get into the threads of your stove.  Always use the cap on the canister when not in use.  Avoid Coleman brand canisters which don't have a cap – or save a cap from another brand and use it if you buy a Coleman canister.  Why Coleman doesn't provide a cap on their canisters is beyond me.  Dumb idea, Coleman.
3. Weight  –  The WindMaster weighs 67 g/2.3 oz which is in line with other major stove brands (MSR, Snow Peak, Optimus, Primus, etc.).  There are titanium stoves coming out of China, some by Fire Maple which is actually a decent brand, that are lighter, but you will sacrifice pot stability and the ability to handle wind.  Some will find this trade off acceptable; others will want to carry the extra ounce to get better pot stability and windproofness.  It is a choice; the choice is yours.
4. Price – Do I have mortgage my home to afford this thing? 
   At MSRP $75, the WindMaster is in the upper range of upright canister stoves.  The WindMaster offers high quality construction and engineering, good pot stability, an excellent ignition, and superior wind performance.  Some will consider it worth the price; others will not.  Always look for sales. Never be in a hurry to purchase gear.
5. Stability – Pot stability is well above average for upright canister stoves.  The detailed engineering of the pot supports makes them more grippy than most.
6. Efficiency (i.e. fuel economy) – The WindMaster has better fuel economy than most upright canister stoves, particularly in wind.  The WindMaster will not have as good fuel economy as an integrated canister stove like a Jetboil – unless one uses a heat exchanger pot in which case the fuel economy of a WindMaster may rival that of a Jetboil.  
7. Windproofness –  The WindMaster is of a design that gives it better performance in wind than other upright canister stoves.  This is one of the chief features of the stove (hence the name).  One should not use a full 360 degree windscreen with the WindMaster or any upright canister stove.  Overheating the canister could result in an explosion.  See my post on Windscreens for ideas and precautions related to windscreens with upright canister stoves.
8. Compactness – The WindMaster is reasonably compact for its class, but it is taller than most upright canister stoves.  There are many upright canister stoves that are significantly more packable.
9. Ease of use – Generally, the WindMaster is a pretty easy to use stove, but it does have the detachable pot support.  I found that I could put on the pot support with one hand, even in midweight mittens, and I didn't think it was a big deal, but some people just absolutely hate the detachable pot support.  You must make provision to not lose the post support.  I clip mine to the valve handle when not in use.
10. Ease of maintenance/field repair –  Like most upright canister gas stoves, tools and spares are not included with the stove.  Note that in four years of using the stove, I encountered no instances where I needed to perform maintenance or repairs on the stove.  Spares and tools are more typically included with liquid fuel or multi fuel stoves.
11. Speed – Please refer to the video in the main body of the review.  Basically, I found the stove to be fast.  Boil times will vary with conditions, but the WindMaster is far less affected by wind (the chief enemy of good boil times) than other upright canister stoves.  No, I won't quote an exact time.  Such quotes are fairly irrelevant since there are no standards for test conditions.  The water temperature, air temperature, fuel used, valve setting, elevation above sea level, and type of pot will all cause the boil time to change.  I found boil times to be in line with other major stove brands and faster in wind.
12. Noise – Average. About the same as most ported gas stoves, i.e. fairly quiet.  Not as quiet as an alcohol stove but no where near as loud as a liquid fueled stove with a "roarer" type burner (e.g. Primus Omnifuel, MSR XGK or DragonFly, Optimus Nova, etc.)
13. Fuel considerations (availability/versatility/morality) 
• Availability.   The WindMaster uses standard threaded canisters.  One can use any reputable brand of canister gas.  See Can I Use Any Brand of Gas Canister?  Standard threaded canisters are widely available in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.  Availability may be limited elsewhere.  In some areas, particularly in France, non-threaded canisters are the norm.  In the Middle East and Eastern Europe, only puncture type canisters (no valve) may be available.  No matter where you are planning to go, check the availability of fuel.
• Versatility.  Generally, only threaded canisters may be used, but there are adapters that will allow one to use non-threaded valved canisters, puncture type canisters, 100% propane canisters, and 100% butane bayonet-connector type canisters.  Always check availability of adapters before embarking on a trip.  If possible, obtain and test adapters in advance.  Some adapters from China are of extremely poor (i.e. dangerous) quality.  Liquid fuels such as alcohol, gasoline, or kerosene may not be used.
• Morality/Ethics.  Canister gas is generally considered to be better for the environment than wood fires. Use of wood fires a) often lead to an area being stripped of wood and b) have significantly higher fire danger.  However, on the other hand, while canisters can be re-cycled, most of the canisters wind up in the land fill.  Even recycling of canisters takes energy and other resources and is not as low impact, environmentally, as a liquid fueled stove or alcohol stove.  Some people have gone back to liquid fueled stoves (gasoline or kerosene) or alcohol stoves to reduce their environmental impact. 
14. Safety/Legality.  
• General.  Standard threaded canisters are generally considered safe; however, do not allow the temperature of the canister to exceed 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).  Leaving a canister in the back window of a car on a hot day is not a good idea.
  
  The valve on a canister can stick in the open position when you disconnect the stove.  NEVER disconnect the stove near a candle or other open flame or hot surface.  Disaster may result if the valve sticks open.  If the valve does stick in the open position, simply replace the burner on the canister and try again.  If the valve on the canister continues to stick, leave the burner on the stove and control the gas with the valve on the burner.
• Fire safety and regulations.  In terms of fire safety, canisters are fairly safe, but care must be taken not to allow the canister to tip over while the stove is in use.  If the liquid fuel inside the canister hits the flame, a fireball several feet in diameter may erupt.  This may cause an injury, a fire, or worse.  Canister stoves are generally allowed during most fire bans in the western United States whereas alcohol and wood stoves are generally not allowed.  Regulations may vary elsewhere.  A California Campfire Permit is required in California for stoves of all types.   There are also total fire bans that are sometimes invoked.  Always check with the local land management agency where you intend to hike.
  Canister stoves do not require priming and are free from the dangers of priming.