Do Canister Gas Stoves Run At High Elevation?
There's this sort of myth running around out at that topographic point that somehow operating a canister gas stove at high elevation isn't going to piece of work really well. Maybe, or so the story goes, y'all involve to run white gasoline (or something) at higher elevations. This is a persistent myth that has been passed on, hiker to hiker, for years. I've fifty-fifty seen it on official Boy Scout websites. And it's just exactly that: A myth.
Origins of the Myth
The myth got its kickoff dorsum inwards the early on 1970's when canister gas stoves started seeing to a greater extent than broad spread use. The fuel used dorsum so was 100% n-butane. N-butane is a lousy fuel for mutual depression temperature weather. Backpackers at high elevations encountered something that caused their canister gas stoves to piece of work poorly: Cold. And thus the myth was born. The myth is variety of fact based. Kind of. I hateful gas stoves were really non working good at high elevation – but the elevation itself was non the problem. The employment was really the cold, as well as the employment would conduct keep been simply equally bad or worse at body of body of water level. Thus, a misinterpretation of existent events Pb to the myth. The existent employment was cold, but people wrongly concluded that high elevation was to blame.
Modern Canisters
Now, y'all may last thinking: "Hikin' Jim, y'all large dummy, who cares why? It's however mutual depression temperature to this hateful solar daytime at high elevation today, so my canister stove however isn't going to work."
Ah! Not so fast. Take a facial expression at a modern backpacking canister. Typically printed on the side or top you'll reckon something nearly propane as well as isobutane inwards add-on to "butane" (n-butane). Yes, dorsum inwards the 1970's they only had n-butane inwards canisters. Now, they include propane as well as often isobutane, gasses that both conduct keep much amend mutual depression temperature atmospheric condition functioning than n-butane alone.
When multiple gasses are mixed together, they cast a blend that has far amend mutual depression temperature atmospheric condition performance. You however involve to consider mutual depression temperature weather, but it's no where close the number that it 1 time was – as well as mutual depression temperature atmospheric condition tin give the axe demeanor on a gas stove irrespective of elevation.
If y'all are expecting mutual depression temperature weather, which build of canister gas is the best to use? See: What's the best build of gas for mutual depression temperature weather?
Stove Considerations at High Elevation
There are however things to consider when using a stove at high elevation, but these considerations apply to all stoves non simply canister gas stoves.
The boiling shout for of water. As y'all climb, the boiling shout for of H2O decreases yesteryear almost ii degrees Fahrenheit per 1000' of elevation gained (about 1 marker Celsius per 300 m). At body of body of water level, H2O boils at 212 Fahrenheit/100 Celsius. At 10,000'/3300 m, the boiling shout for of H2O is 193 Fahrenheit/90 Celsius. Since the boiling shout for is lower, all else beingness equal, H2O boils faster at higher elevations.
Cooking time. Since the temperature of boiling H2O is lower at high elevation, it generally takes longer to create something. Note that this doesn't really apply to frying etc. but only to those types of cooking that involve boiling water.
So, spell it's faster to boil H2O at higher elevations, mostly cooking takes longer, as well as y'all thus may involve to a greater extent than fuel when y'all create at higher elevations. You tin give the axe offset the involve for to a greater extent than fuel yesteryear things similar "cozy" cooking where y'all set your nutrient inwards something insulative so the nutrient volition give-up the ghost on to create fifty-fifty later you're done using your stove. You should likewise larn the Tips as well as Tricks of Good Stove Fuel Economy.
Piezoelectric ignitions. Piezo based ignition systems often fighting on paw held butane type lighters equally depression equally 5,000'/1500 m elevation. Piezoelectric ignitions tend to piece of work amend on stoves than on lighters, but inwards a higher house 10,000'/3000 m elevation, 1 may however come across problems. You should ever select option agency to low-cal a stove at whatever elevation, but it's fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import at elevations inwards a higher house 10,000'/3000 m. Some mutual option agency of ignition include:
The "Proof of the Pudding"
If somehow you're non yet convinced that canister stoves non working at elevation is a myth, don't believe me; believe the mountaineers. What are to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than footing cast mountaineers using? Canister gas stoves. Note inwards the inwards a higher house photograph that a canister gas stove is beingness used at over 20 3 thousand feet inwards elevation. That's over 7,000 meters inwards a higher house body of body of water level. This is far higher than most of us volition ever climb. Mountaineers know their business. Mistakes inwards high elevation mountaineering are often fatal. Why produce mountaineers run canister gas stoves? Because they work. Use yesteryear mountaineers tells us all nosotros involve to know nearly the myth of wretched functioning yesteryear canister stoves at high elevation. It's simply that, a myth.
Thanks for joining me equally I engage inwards a flake of "myth busting."
Happy stoving,
HJ
 |
| A Soto WindMaster canister gas stove running simply fine at over 10,500' (3200 m) inwards the Sierra Nevada inwards California. |
The myth got its kickoff dorsum inwards the early on 1970's when canister gas stoves started seeing to a greater extent than broad spread use. The fuel used dorsum so was 100% n-butane. N-butane is a lousy fuel for mutual depression temperature weather. Backpackers at high elevations encountered something that caused their canister gas stoves to piece of work poorly: Cold. And thus the myth was born. The myth is variety of fact based. Kind of. I hateful gas stoves were really non working good at high elevation – but the elevation itself was non the problem. The employment was really the cold, as well as the employment would conduct keep been simply equally bad or worse at body of body of water level. Thus, a misinterpretation of existent events Pb to the myth. The existent employment was cold, but people wrongly concluded that high elevation was to blame.
Modern Canisters
Now, y'all may last thinking: "Hikin' Jim, y'all large dummy, who cares why? It's however mutual depression temperature to this hateful solar daytime at high elevation today, so my canister stove however isn't going to work."
Ah! Not so fast. Take a facial expression at a modern backpacking canister. Typically printed on the side or top you'll reckon something nearly propane as well as isobutane inwards add-on to "butane" (n-butane). Yes, dorsum inwards the 1970's they only had n-butane inwards canisters. Now, they include propane as well as often isobutane, gasses that both conduct keep much amend mutual depression temperature atmospheric condition functioning than n-butane alone.
 |
| A modern backpacking canister. Note that it contains non simply plainly butane (n-butane) but likewise isobutane as well as propane. |
Vaporization (Boiling) Point
n-butane -0.5°C 31°F
isobutane -12°C 11°F
propane -42°C -44°F
The vaporization points of the 3 gasses ordinarily used inwards canister gas.
The vaporization shout for of a gas blend lies somewhere inwards betwixt the boiling points of the element gasses.
n-butane -0.5°C 31°F
isobutane -12°C 11°F
propane -42°C -44°F
The vaporization points of the 3 gasses ordinarily used inwards canister gas.
The vaporization shout for of a gas blend lies somewhere inwards betwixt the boiling points of the element gasses.
If y'all are expecting mutual depression temperature weather, which build of canister gas is the best to use? See: What's the best build of gas for mutual depression temperature weather?
 |
| A canister gas stove running simply fine at moderately high elevation, nearly 7200'/2200 m inwards a higher house body of body of water level |
There are however things to consider when using a stove at high elevation, but these considerations apply to all stoves non simply canister gas stoves.
The boiling shout for of water. As y'all climb, the boiling shout for of H2O decreases yesteryear almost ii degrees Fahrenheit per 1000' of elevation gained (about 1 marker Celsius per 300 m). At body of body of water level, H2O boils at 212 Fahrenheit/100 Celsius. At 10,000'/3300 m, the boiling shout for of H2O is 193 Fahrenheit/90 Celsius. Since the boiling shout for is lower, all else beingness equal, H2O boils faster at higher elevations.
Cooking time. Since the temperature of boiling H2O is lower at high elevation, it generally takes longer to create something. Note that this doesn't really apply to frying etc. but only to those types of cooking that involve boiling water.
So, spell it's faster to boil H2O at higher elevations, mostly cooking takes longer, as well as y'all thus may involve to a greater extent than fuel when y'all create at higher elevations. You tin give the axe offset the involve for to a greater extent than fuel yesteryear things similar "cozy" cooking where y'all set your nutrient inwards something insulative so the nutrient volition give-up the ghost on to create fifty-fifty later you're done using your stove. You should likewise larn the Tips as well as Tricks of Good Stove Fuel Economy.
Piezoelectric ignitions. Piezo based ignition systems often fighting on paw held butane type lighters equally depression equally 5,000'/1500 m elevation. Piezoelectric ignitions tend to piece of work amend on stoves than on lighters, but inwards a higher house 10,000'/3000 m elevation, 1 may however come across problems. You should ever select option agency to low-cal a stove at whatever elevation, but it's fifty-fifty to a greater extent than of import at elevations inwards a higher house 10,000'/3000 m. Some mutual option agency of ignition include:
- A non-piezoelectric butane lighter. In other words, a mutual flintstone cycle type lighter such equally a Bic build lighter.
- Matches.
- A burn downward steel (ferro rod).
 |
| An MSR Reactor operating simply fine at over 23,000'/7000 m elevation on Muztagh Ata (24636'/7509 m) inwards China. Photo credit: Reuben Brimfield. Used yesteryear permission. |
The "Proof of the Pudding"
If somehow you're non yet convinced that canister stoves non working at elevation is a myth, don't believe me; believe the mountaineers. What are to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than footing cast mountaineers using? Canister gas stoves. Note inwards the inwards a higher house photograph that a canister gas stove is beingness used at over 20 3 thousand feet inwards elevation. That's over 7,000 meters inwards a higher house body of body of water level. This is far higher than most of us volition ever climb. Mountaineers know their business. Mistakes inwards high elevation mountaineering are often fatal. Why produce mountaineers run canister gas stoves? Because they work. Use yesteryear mountaineers tells us all nosotros involve to know nearly the myth of wretched functioning yesteryear canister stoves at high elevation. It's simply that, a myth.
Thanks for joining me equally I engage inwards a flake of "myth busting."
Happy stoving,
HJ
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