Wintering With Fuel Canisters (part 2)

     Jetboil was kind enough to reply to my email concerning their Four Season fuel mix. According to their customer service the mix is 80% Isobutane and 20% Propane making it exactly the same as MSR's. Mr. Caffin responded to my email as well (quite quickly too) and stated that most of the companies which sell these outdoor fuels get the combustibles from the same manufacturers, so the quality of the fuel is probably the same. This makes MSR and Jetboil fuel pretty much equal. That is not to say that SnowPeak's fuel is poor quality, but it will perform more consistently and longer in warmer temperatures. Four days have passed since I requested further information on the canisters and still no word from Brunton about the Primus PowerGas composition.
   
     Not everyone is going to use these stoves in -40F so for most users of these products none of this makes a difference. In that case price is probably the most important factor. For the few that will try to use these cans in extreme cold there are ways to continue to get good pressure from them. One way is to use an adapter that will allow the can to stay remote and that will allow one to position it upside down. That will allow access to the propane which is what you want to use in very cold temperatures. Another way is to reflect some of the heat from the stove back to the can to keep it at a temperature in which it operates at a reasonable pressure. This can be very dangerous to do and I don't recommend it. There are many articles online with pointers on how to do it somewhat safely, but I'm not going to get into it at all. This method should be avoided if at all possible. One could also carry two canisters. Keep one can in your jacket while one is in use. When the pressure drops on the can being used switch to the warmer one and continue cooking. Needless to say this is quite inconvenient. In my opinion the best thing to do if below freezing outings are a regular occurance is to invest in a white gas stove. If Brunton ever replies I'll add to this article further, but that's not looking likely at the moment. Until next time!