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| Post Number: 1
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TigerFan 
Group: Members
Posts: 1992
Joined: May 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 5:04 pm |
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Do they happen? Is it rare? I'm talking about malfunctions, not cold-related fuel issues. I've never had one fail on me and, for the last 10 years, I've been using the same cheap Primus canister stove. It always works.
I recently upgraded the Primus with a Monatauk Gnat and, aside from trying it out at home, have only used it in the field once and probably won't have another chance until an 8-day hike with my son. Suddenly I'm wondering whether I've just been lucky until now and maybe I should take a back-up... which seems stupid since the point of getting the Gnat was to save a few ounces.
I'm being paranoid... right?
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Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
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| Post Number: 2
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rpcv
Group: Members
Posts: 192
Joined: Aug. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 5:06 pm |
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I used an old camping gaz one for fourteen years without any problems. It works just fine, but is relegated to the closet since the canisters (the old blue ones) aren't sold in the U.S. anymore.
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Silver Spring Wanderer
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| Post Number: 3
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big_load
Group: Members
Posts: 21817
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 5:14 pm |
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I've never had a problem, apart from being too cold.
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| Post Number: 4
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High_Sierra_Fan
Group: Members
Posts: 39513
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 5:22 pm |
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I've had at least one canister fail to reseal* after taking the burner off (new, then only slightly used and for the next meal there was minimal pressure left within, ambient temp in the 70's), nothing has ever "broken" on the valve/burner side of things.
* With the original Bluet system the canister was punctured through metal and was never removed until empty so that wasn't an issue.
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| Post Number: 5
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| Post Number: 6
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QCHIKER
Group: Members
Posts: 1728
Joined: Oct. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 6:39 pm |
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I've nver had any problems with either a MSR pocket rocket or a Snowpeak Gigapower stove. I've had more problems with white gas stoves than cannister stoves.as there are more parts that can break or things to go wrong.
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| Post Number: 7
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zipposdad
Group: Members
Posts: 291
Joined: Feb. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 6:51 pm |
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My pocketrocket is about 8 yrs old. Only issue was a pea sized chunk of carbon in the tube below the burner head. Dont know how that happened, but it dropped out when I unscrewed the burner head and works just great. A hand warmer helps as well as keeping the canister in sleeping bag and under jacket
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Teach your babies to camp 
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| Post Number: 8
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ol-zeke
me in the Tetons
Group: Members
Posts: 10778
Joined: Sep. 2002
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 6:57 pm |
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I used a Pocket Rocket for about 8 years with no problems. I sold it for $20 and it is still running well 5 years later.
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Everything I know, I learned by doing it wrong at least twice.
The easiest way to ruin a Friday is to realize it is only Tuesday.
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| Post Number: 9
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TigerFan
Group: Members
Posts: 1992
Joined: May 2010
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 8:59 pm |
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Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to put it in the "very unlikely" category and not worry about it.
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Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
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| Post Number: 10
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ogg
Group: Members
Posts: 470
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 04 2013, 12:43 pm |
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I used to occasionally have a strange problem with a Primus Micron, where it would make a loud roaring sound and the burner would turn bright red-orange, and there would be little visible flame. The last time it did this, it melted the piezo ignitor. For some reason, I haven't had the problem since removing the ignitor. I stopped using Coleman brand canisters after the lindahl valve on one stuck closed, forcing plastic into nipple of a lantern as I screwed it onto the canister, rendering the lantern useless. I bought an inexpensive Stansport cannister stove a few years back that would make loud, disconcerting popping noises while running. Needless to say, I returned it.
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| Post Number: 11
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wcolucci
Group: Members
Posts: 1752
Joined: Feb. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 04 2013, 1:43 pm |
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I used an off brand from Herb Phillipsons...Saved a $1.50....big freakin' deal....and it was noticeably different in the cold.
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| Post Number: 12
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| Post Number: 13
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sarbar
Hiker Trash
Group: Members
Posts: 16470
Joined: Sep. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 14 2013, 11:50 pm |
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I have killed a canister stove. But let me add that it was MY fault.
The first two times, Marzsit saved my butt. Lets just say I had bought off-brand cheap fuel canisters, they fouled my Primus stove badly. He was able to clean them both times. And told me he'd not do it again...so I knocked it off and went to only name brand after that (this was years ago). Having said that, I only use MSR and Snowpeak fuel for this reason.
Now, how did I actually kill that poor, poor Primus canister stove? I got cocky. It was maybe 6 or 7 years old, had seen use nearly every week for that time. Then I was doing a bit too much on it - I was using it for above what it was designed for. Talking 3 Liter pots, heavy as can be. The clincher was the heat diffuser, while making pan scones. Oopsies.
I melted part of the stove. It was slumped to the side. I knew I shouldn't have been doing that. But hey, the other 25 or so times it had been fine :-P
Heat diffusers should never, ever be used on a canister stove that sits on the fuel canister. NEVER EVER. Especially on a hot stove.
So yeah, it is hard to kill one.
No cheap fuel.
No heat diffusers (salvaged from a backpacker oven)
No heat screens wrapped tightly around.
Don't feel too sad for Ol' Sparky. It burnt me really good in 2003, 10 years later I still have a scar on my wrist from that. It deserved to get melted! Hehe......
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Trail Cooking, Recipes, Gear and Beyond:
Trail Cooking & Freezer Bag Cooking
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| Post Number: 14
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rpcv
Group: Members
Posts: 192
Joined: Aug. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 15 2013, 9:37 am |
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@DieselNut: I wish I had seen that 18 months ago when we were trying to find fuel for the stove. I probably would have bought them out. We must have gone to every outdoor store in our area and I did quite a bit of looking online (although I was pretty sure they couldn't be shipped - I was more trying to figure out what was going on). We ended up buying a new stove because we couldn't find any of the blue canisters.
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Silver Spring Wanderer
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| Post Number: 15
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| Post Number: 16
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Liling
Group: Members
Posts: 6
Joined: Feb. 2013
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 9:04 am |
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I've found canister stoves very reliable, also in terms of the mechanism. Backpacking stoves have caused technical problems but I've found the gas bottles a bullet proof system in all of its many forms.
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Travel Addict
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| Post Number: 17
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nogods
Group: Members
Posts: 5409
Joined: Sep. 2007
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 9:07 am |
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As to your original question, if an 8 day trip would be ruined or cut short by a failed stove, then bring the backup. If the added weight would ruin the enjoyment of the trip then leave the extra stove home and take the chance.
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| Post Number: 18
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GoBlueHiker
Obsessive Island Hopper...
Group: Members
Posts: 14069
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 10:24 am |
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I personally wouldn't bother. Use it within the specs of what it's designed for (as sarbar poignantly points out), and you'll be fine.
I've used Pocket Rockets and others for long trips without issues. The only time I've damaged one was a JetBoil that I didn't use correctly. Instead of attaching the JetBoil pot, I tried to put a large (4L) aluminum pot on top of it (just set it there), which overheated the stove and melted some of the plastic supports. Totally my own fault. The stove still works fine, just looks a little worse for the wear.
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Wealth needs more. Happiness needs less. Simplify.
www.RainForestTreks.com
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| Post Number: 19
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hikerjer
Group: Members
Posts: 9129
Joined: Apr. 2002
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 3:41 pm |
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Been using a Pocket Rocket for years. Never had any kind of problem with it.
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"Too often I have met men who speak only of how many miles they've traveled and not of what they've seen." - Louis L'Amour
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| Post Number: 20
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Gabby
Group: Members
Posts: 5492
Joined: Jun. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 26 2013, 6:30 pm |
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Never had a problem with any of my canister stoves, which include a fairly large number or both "canister top" and "remote".
Only problem I ever had was with the SP Giga, which failed to bring a couple of cups of water to a boil on a particularly windy day, and before I realized that there is no known stove that does not need protection from the wind. On a very windy day, that usually includes something more than just an aluminum windscreen, if you're going to be successful with a small stove. Of course, that would come under the head of "poor experience" rather than "stove failure".
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"I wouldn't even know how to begin to find the 'peyote lady', even if I thought it was possible in this incarnation...I'm completely tripped out on everyday life."
"By the way: where am I?"
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| Post Number: 21
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| Post Number: 22
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CampinCarl
Group: Members
Posts: 248
Joined: May 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 27 2013, 10:54 am |
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The notorious piezo igniter on my Jetboil had to be fixed twice before I simply gave up. Now I just carry matches. The stove itself has worked great, the problem was just that darn igniter.
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"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." - John Muir
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| Post Number: 23
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STICK
~Stick~
Group: Members
Posts: 4109
Joined: Apr. 2009
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Posted on: Feb. 27 2013, 7:54 pm |
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I have heard some stories about the Jetboil Sol Ti's failing... Here is a link to Hikin' Jim's blog (Adventures in Stoving) that documents some of the failures:
Titanium Jetboil Sol Ti -- Caution
And just so ya know, I have a Sol Ti, I have used it a number of times and have not experienced any problems with mine.
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Jus' sayin'...
Sticks Blog
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| Post Number: 24
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HikingJim
Group: Members
Posts: 49
Joined: Jun. 2012
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Posted on: Feb. 27 2013, 9:46 pm |
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Jetboil has done some redesign on their Sol Ti pot, so hopefully they've made melting of the heat exchanger much less likely.
For me, I'd probably just get the aluminum Sol. It's only about one ounce heavier if you do an "apples to apples" comparison, and it's $30 less. Jetboil lists out a greater weight savings, but the same set of components isn't used between the two.
HJ
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Adventures In Stoving
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| Post Number: 25
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BradMT
Group: Members
Posts: 3410
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 27 2013, 10:05 pm |
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Have been using canister stoves since 1974. No problems. Have been using the Jetboil SolTi for the last 1.5 years. No problems.
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Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty. – Socrates
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| Post Number: 26
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HikingJim
Group: Members
Posts: 49
Joined: Jun. 2012
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Posted on: Feb. 27 2013, 11:56 pm |
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I started doing a more thorough reply to this topic when I realized that I was basically writing a blog post.
So, on the topic, I give you:
Canister Stove Reliabilty and Maintenance
Hope it's helpful,
HJ
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Adventures In Stoving
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Survival Skills 101 • Eat Better
