Camping gas guide: types, sizes and how much
Most UK campers cook on a small gas stove, and running out halfway through tea is one of the most common ways a weekend goes wrong. This guide explains the types of camping gas, the main cartridge and cylinder fittings, how gas behaves in the cold, and how to work out how much to take.
The short answer
Use the gas your stove is made for. Work out how long the burner will be on each day, multiply by your stove's gas use and the number of days, and take some spare for wind and cold mornings.
What you need
Butane, propane and mixes
- Butane is the usual gas in small camping cartridges. It works well in mild weather but struggles in the cold, when the pressure drops and the flame gets weak.
- Propane keeps working in much colder weather. It's mostly sold in larger cylinders that need a regulator.
- Mixes of butane with propane or isobutane are sold for colder conditions in small cartridges. Check the maker's guidance for the temperatures each one works at.
Cartridge and cylinder types
- Pierceable cartridges fit some older and budget stoves. Once fitted, they stay on until they're empty.
- Screw-thread cartridges screw onto the stove and can be taken off part-used. They're common on backpacking stoves.
- Click-on cartridges fit stoves made for that system.
- Cylinders are bigger, refillable bottles that connect through a regulator and hose, used with larger family stoves.
Cartridges aren't interchangeable. Use the type your stove is designed for and follow the maker's instructions for fitting and changing it, outdoors and away from any flame.
How much to take
Your stove's box or the maker's page gives its gas use, usually in grams per hour on full power. Cartridges show the net weight of gas inside. With those two figures you can work it out:
- Add up the minutes the burner will be on each day: hot meals, plus brews and washing-up water.
- Multiply by the stove's grams per hour, divide by 60, and multiply by the number of days.
- Add a spare for wind, cold and a stove running below its full rating.
- Choose cartridges that cover the total.
The calculator above does this sum and finds the mix of cartridges with the least gas left over.
Tips from the campsite
- Shelter the flame with a windshield made for your stove. Wind can make a stove burn far more gas.
- Put a lid on the pan. Water boils faster and you use less gas.
- Keep cartridges out of the worst of the cold overnight, in the car for example, and never warm one near a flame or heater.
- Take the spare. An extra cartridge weighs little and saves the evening.
- Store and carry gas upright and away from heat, and take empty cartridges home or to a recycling point that accepts them.
FAQs
How long does a gas cartridge last?
Divide the gas in the cartridge (in grams) by your stove's grams per hour to get the hours on full power. Simmering uses less; wind and big pans use more.
Why does my stove go weak on cold mornings?
Butane loses pressure in the cold. A mixed or propane fuel copes better. Check what your stove can use.
Can I cook in the porch when it rains?
No. Cook outside in the open air. Stoves give off carbon monoxide, which can kill, and a porch or awning traps it. Read more in carbon monoxide and camping.
Can I refill a disposable cartridge?
No. Use new cartridges of the type your stove is made for.