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Most campers when selecting cooking equipment for their outdoor activities seem to choose gas.
The reason for this is it is a very convenient way of cooking, for all you have to do is connect the stove
up to the gas bottle and light. Most stoves on the market are of the high-pressure type, with a small hole in the gas jet that is only
about 0.14mm and being so small, a smallest piece of foreign matter ingression into the system is enough
to block the jet. With this information, it is well worth the trouble to keep your equipment in a clean
environment, otherwise blockages could occur. The usual method to rectify the blockage is to replace the jet. When looking at stoves the most expensive is not always the best. There is different makes that are basically
the same. We have single burner stoves that go directly on top of the gas bottle, cartridge stoves which are
great for pulling up on the side of the road and making a cup of tea. And then there are the two and three
burner models that connect to the gas bottle with a hose. Most have very little control over their burners,
as it is either on or off. Gas stoves have different heat out puts depending on the size of the burner.
This heat is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). The small burner found on the early Primus two burner
stove gave about 5000 BTU's, where the ones with larger burners delivered about 8000 BTU's. There are now
stoves on the market that have 10,000 BTU's burners. There are a number of stoves on the market that are
pressure reduced. In other words they use a regulator to reduce the pressure to the stove. This allows better
control over the burners, and there is less likelihood to have blockages as the hole in the jet does not
have to be so small. The Primus and Coleman have stoves that are reduced pressure type. Instead of running on high pressure,
the stove comes with a regulator and the burner control knobs have very good control over the burners.
The burners in these units will give out 10,000 plus BTU's and Primus have a two burner now on the market
that develops a whopping 25000 BTU's per burner. This means that you have more controllable heat using these
units. They are a bit more expensive than the standard high pressure stoves but I feel that they are worth it. The stoves that are used in campervans and caravans are of a low-pressure type and operate on the same
pressure as most BBQ's. They require a regulator that reduces the pressure that is in the gas bottle,
which can vary depending on the temperature of the bottle. (This can be from about 180 p.s.i. up)
If the bottle gets too hot then the relief safety valve will release, allowing the excess pressure escape.
This is why gas bottles must be kept in the up-rite position unless they have been manufactured especially
for being used on their side like the bottles on fork lift trucks. This is one of the reasons why vans and
campervans have their gas bottles outside or vented to the outside (Government Regulations). The regulator
reduces the pressure to 1/3 p.s.i. or 2.75 kpa. It is rare to have any problems with this type of stove and
heat control is also good. One of the stoves that have gained popularity over the last few years since its introduction in 1989 is the
Coleman Dual Fuel or Unleaded stove. There are of one & 2 burner units. There were a number of other models
available but these have now been discontinued. The more popular unit is the Power House unit. These use
unleaded petrol and are in fact safer to use than a gas stove. They are also very economical to run being
about 1/5 of the price of gas and the best of all with a small container of fuel the stove can be refilled
in the field.
Another group of stoves use Butane canisters. These come in a variety of sizes and are mainly used for
bushwalking as they are of the compact nature . They are available with either the piezo ignition A new stove on the market is not gas, in fact it is run on 2 AA batteries. This is the Vital Stove.
This stove is ideal for survival applications as it will burn anything that is combustible like sticks,
timber even cow dung. It has a fan that forces air up from the bottom turning the unit into a small furnace
and depending the flow of the air, that is controllable, will put out up to 20000 BTU's. It is something that
could be carried in the panniers on a motor bike safely when touring as there is no flammable product and can
also be taken on a plane. Have a look at the video on this product. In caravans and BBQ's the hole in the jets in stoves or burners are a lot bigger than for the hight
pressure appliances, as the gas is required to be regulated by a unit known as a regulator.
This reduces the pressure delivered from the gas bottle to 2.75 - 2.8kpa.
Because the hole on the jets are a lot bigger they are less likely of getting blockages. Because the jets in the gas equipment either stoves or the lights have a very small hole drilled in it (0.14mm)
the smallest particle of dirt will block the jet. To give you an idea how small that the hole is, it is the
size of a human hair. There is no pricker available to clear these units.
It is near impossible it clear the dirt from the jet and the only way to rectify the problem is to replace the jet.
One way to help elevate the problem it to keep the equipment as clean as possible, and when connecting the light
or hose to the bottle, first open the valve of the gas bottle and blow any crap out of the top of the bottle,
as there is a nice little receptor for dirt to accumulate in the top of the valve.
One thing that I have found over the years when someone comes in after spare parts we ask -How big is the light?
Oh the glass is so big (showing with their hands) or Show me the different sizes and I will tell you.
Or the other trick is to come in with a blocked jet and saying I want one of these.
Or -If you show me I will be able to pick it as I know what it looks like.
When you show them 10 jets that all look the same and ask which one?
For camping so that you can see what you are doing of a night you have to have lighting. Lights for camping,
as with stoves, are mostly found to be gas, because of the convenience of turn on, and light.
This type of light has a mantle, and for those that have had no contact with this type of light before,
a mantle is best described as a small bag that is tied onto the mantle holder in the light.
A new mantle is a flexible woven bag that once fitted, has to then be burnt off. Once this is done with
the gas turned on, the mantle will then puff out turn black and then progressively turn white. At this
stage the mantle becomes very brittle, and if touched will break and will have to be replaced.
A gas lantern should never be ignited with a broken or holed mantle.
If you do then a hot jet of gas comes out through the hole and will cause the glass to fracture.
The light should be checked each time before it is ignited, otherwise the glass of the light could fracture from a hot gas jet hitting the
glass if the mantle has a hole.
There are two main basic designs in gas lights. The main types are available in three sizes and have different
size mantles.
There are others that are not so common. To give you an example of these are the small gas light
that is used by bushwalkers. These are a very small light, and use a double tie mantle. They fit onto the small
disposable canisters that are not refillable.
One type is the double tie mantle which has the mantle holder coming straight up the centre of the light,
with the mantle being tied top and bottom.
There is another type that has an in-built regulator. This is made by Coleman. It is hard to not mention
Coleman by name, as they seem to do some things better. They manufacture a double single tie mantle gas light
that use less gas than other manufactures. Coleman also has their North Star 2000 Gas Light that is regarded
as the brightest gas light around. They also produce mantles that seems to be tougher than the regular brands.
This type of light has been found very reliable compared to the high-pressure type mentioned above and is not
so prone to blockages because of the larger hole in the gas jet. As with the stoves there are also lights that work on unleaded petrol. There are still a lot of old pressure
kerosene lights around that work well, but are a bit smelly and require methylated sprits to get them started.
When lighting the petrol lights, it is very similar to lighting a gas light. The only thing is, they have to
be pumped up first, and are instant lighting like gas. These lights can be filled up in the field just like
the stoves, and you only need one small can to do the refills for both the stove and the light. The light output from all these lights is very good, with a range to choose from. Some of the range has been
discontinued but there is still the 285 that is a 2 mantle unit. This is equivalent to a large gas light.
The other units available at the moment are of a larger size with two mantles known as the Power House (295)
but this looks like it will be discontinued also as it is not listed in the latest catalogue . Then there is the Coleman North Star dual Fuel for those wanting area lighting, as this unit will blow the
rest out of the water. All these units have carry cases available as an accessory. Maintenance is minimal
with the generator about the only part that needs to be replaced from time to time because of deterioration
caused by impurities in the petrol. By adding a fuel additive like Spit Fire, this can help in keeping the
generator clean, thus extending its life. Again the pump needs to be oiled on a regular basis otherwise the
pump cup will wear and will need replacement. For lighting in tents it is advisable to not use any thing that has to be ignited, as a light knocked over
can have a devastating effect. Torches or fluorescent lighting are a safe way to light up the tent especially
when children are present. With the development of light emitting diodes (LED's), the range of lights for the
camper has increased dramatically.
A range of lights have been evolved using the LED's and also the high output CRE lights. One big advantage is
the small amount of power they require for a high output of light and as a result batteries last a long time.
They are available in small lanterns, larger multi-side units, re-chargeable, flying saucers and even with
remote controls. All Camping Supplies has all products listed in this article available in the shop
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