{"id":1244,"date":"2019-07-13T10:00:21","date_gmt":"2019-07-13T15:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carcampingtips.com\/?p=1244"},"modified":"2023-09-19T15:41:02","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T20:41:02","slug":"camping-stove-fuels-explained-and-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/camping-stove-fuels-explained-and-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"Camping Stove Fuels Explained and Ranked: Propane, Butane, Kerosene, White Gas and More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’ve clicked here, you’ve probably been confused by all the different types of camping stove fuels. There are so many options, and each fuel has different advantages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Which Camping Stove Fuel is best? Propane, butane, butane mixes, kerosene, alcohol, white gas, and gasoline<\/strong> stoves all have different advantages over each other in different circumstances. They all have pros and cons in availability, cold tolerance, storage<\/strong>, burn efficiency,<\/strong> cost-effectiveness, cleanliness, and weight<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article will explain all fuel types, and compare them these different categories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Also, I talk about this topic in my video, here, so make sure and check that out if you’d rather watch a video)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Who wins? This table quickly summarizes the winners in every category:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category<\/strong><\/td>Fuel Best for Category<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Cold Tolerance<\/td>Technically Gasoline<\/strong>, with Propane <\/strong>as a close second.<\/td><\/tr>
Availability<\/td>Gasoline<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Storage<\/td>Propane\/Butane\/Isobutane<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Burn Efficiency \/ Weight<\/td>Propane<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Cost Effective<\/td>Gasoline<\/strong>, with Propane<\/strong> as a close second<\/td><\/tr>
Weight<\/td>Depends on cooking needs, but alcohol and isobutane are two of the lightest options<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Clean (soot and byproducts)<\/td>Propane\/Butane\/Isobutane<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Camping Fuel Names<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One very confusing aspect of this topic is that these fuels have different names depending on where you live. As a quick reference, I’ve collated the different names for the same fuel types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common Fuel Name<\/strong><\/td>Equivalent Fuel Names<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Propane<\/strong><\/td>Camping Gas, LPG<\/strong> (propane is a Liquid Petroleum Gas, but not all LPGs are propane)<\/td><\/tr>
White Gas<\/strong><\/td> Coleman Fuel<\/strong>, Naphtha<\/strong>, Camp Fuel<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Kerosene<\/strong><\/td> Parrafin, lamp oil<\/strong>, coal oil<\/strong>, sometimes Fuel Oil # 1<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Butane<\/strong><\/td> n-butane<\/strong>, mixed with propane sometimes called LPG<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Isobutane<\/strong><\/td> i-butane<\/strong>, mixed with propane sometimes called LPG<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Gasoline<\/strong><\/td>Petrol <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Alcohol<\/strong><\/td>Denatured Alcohol, Spirit, Ethanol<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Availability: Which Fuel Type is Easiest to Find?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You might have an awesome camp stove, but without fuel, it’s useless! When you’re camping, sometimes your camping stove is the only means you have for cooking your food, and so it because critically important to be able to find your fuel, especially when you’re camping for several days or weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be very frustrating to be out on the road and in nature, and your only method of cooking is squelched because the fuel that works with your camping stove can’t be found, anywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranked by easiest to find near you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Gasoline<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Propane<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. White Gas<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Alcohol<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Kerosene<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Butane\/Isobutane<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Gasoline Availability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There’s no question that the easiest camping fuel type to find is gasoline. While you are on the road, every<\/strong> gas station regardless of whether they sell anything else will sell gasoline.<\/strong> You’ll never<\/strong> have to worry about getting to a remote destination and not being able to find gasoline. Wherever there are paved roads in the United States, you’ll be able to find a gas station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Furthermore, if you are traveling in the middle of the night and the gas station in question is closed, you are still likely able to get fuel nowadays because many pumps still will sell gas at the pump with a credit or debit card. Even if it’s after hours, you can find fuel for your camping stove <\/strong>if your stove burns gasoline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Propane Availability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Coming in at second place, propane! While gasoline is the undisputed champion for fuel availability, many gas stations will carry also carry the extremely common 1 lb Coleman green propane tanks. This means you don’t have to find the nearest sporting goods or outdoor recreation store to find fuel! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Besides the really common 1 lb Coleman green propane tanks, propane also is commonly available in large 15 lb cylinders (the weight is referring to the amount of propane you can put in the tank). These are a go-to for many campers<\/strong> so that rather than going through large amounts of smaller 1 lb tanks, they can use large cylinders that will last longer, which is ideal for long camping trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These 15-20 lb cylinders can be refilled at several locations. Blue Rhino<\/strong> is a very common program available at gas stations around the United States where you buy a cylinder, and then exchange it at a gas station whenever you are done with your old cylinder for a much smaller fee than from the initial gas cylinder purchase. From $49.99 for the initial cylinder purchase to $19.99 for a refill for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The downside to Propane availability is that it requires the business to be open and staffed to be able to buy it and to exchange tanks (such as for the Blue Rhino program). This means that if you urgently need camping stove fuel after hours, you will have to wait till morning or find a 24-hour gas station or Walmart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lastly, propane tanks are generally available at hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe’s, or your local hardware store, in addition to outdoor recreation stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    White Gas Availability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    This is where we get to the fuels where you may or may not find the fuel type you need for your camp stove. White Gas, also known as Camp Fuel, Naphtha (not the same as Naphtha used for paint varnish), or Coleman Fuel is not nearly as widely available as propane. While many gas stations will carry propane, a much smaller proportion will carry white gas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    White gas can be found at many Walmart stores and many sporting goods or outdoor recreation stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because white gas is a fluid (you can pour it), you don’t need to find a specific canister to meet your needs. All you need is to find white gas of any brand and you can use it for your white gas camping stove, which makes white gas score higher on availability than other types of camping stove fuel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alcohol Camping Stove Fuel Availability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Getting fuel for alcohol camp stoves isn’t immediately straightforward, because there are so many different types of alcohol<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The availability of what type of alcohol camp stove fuel depends on what particular mix of alcohol you want to use since many different mixes will work. Some examples of alcohol that you can find are Crown Alcohol Fuel, Klean Strip Denatured Alcohol Fuel, and a popular choice is Gas-Line Antifreeze and Water Remover, by HEET. Also known as Yellow HEET. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Crown and Klean Strip Denatured Alcohol can be found at Walmart, sporting goods, or outdoor recreation stores, while Yellow HEET can be found at your local car parts stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because there are multiple fuel types that will work, Alcohol for camping stoves ranks more available than other types of camping stove fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kerosene Availability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Kerosene has many other uses besides fuel for camp stoves, therefore is much more widely available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, kerosene is often used as lamp fuel (and even as jet fuel!). For this reason, kerosene can not only be found at major retailers like Walmart or Target, but also at hardware stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, and of course, sporting goods and outdoor recreation stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kerosene also has the advantage of being a liquid, so therefore camp stoves that run on kerosene do not need special canisters, so if you find kerosene under any brand (as long as it’s not blended with anything unusual), you can use it for your camp stove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Butane Availability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Butane isn’t remarkably hard to find, in fact, many gas stations will carry it, but the main reason why the butane for your camping stove may be difficult to find is the huge amount of cartridges available for the dozens of varieties of camping stoves. Many camping stoves are designed to be compact, and thus will have designs made to fit cartridges that are long and cylindrical similar to the shape of an aerosol can of hairspray, with a nozzle that is pressurized when pushed into the camping stove. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    A butane canister camp stove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Other butane camp fuels styles are actually butane and propane mixes and are used in the screw-top canister type, while others need to be pierced and are only meant to be used once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Furthermore, many camping stoves feature proprietary gas blends and fuel canister form factors, so you can’t run to the local sporting goods store and expect to find your specific camp stove butane canister. While the gas blend is irrelevant to whether you can burn it, if a gas fuel canister brand features proprietary canisters, then you are stuck getting fuel from that manufacturer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You should be able to find the standardized butane cartridges at most sporting goods stores and at big retailers like Walmart or Target. This works great if you are camping near a big city, but harder if you are far from civilization<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Isobutane Availability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Isobutane is a type of butane with a particular atom arrangement that will burn at colder temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The most common isobutane container is a short, squat screw-top canister that will seal to the camping stove. This is one of the most common fuel types used by backpackers and thus is almost always available in any sporting goods store, as well as at Walmart or any other major retailer. <\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"single
    Example of an isobutane container<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    These canisters can be found in some gas stations, but not nearly as frequently as you can find propane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These canisters again suffer, occasionally from some proprietary designs which make it harder to find a canister when you’re on the go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Isobutane mixes are common and therefore many manufacturers will state their particular mix incompatible with other camping stoves. For the most part, though, since you are ultimately burning gas, if the screw top fits, especially if the stove is designed for the same type of fuel, it should work fine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That being said, burning propane on isobutane stoves via adapters or vice versa is not recommended since the stoves are designed for the weight and consistency of certain gasses, and you can actually clog your stove or other worse consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cold Tolerance: Which Fuel Types Work Best at Lower Temperatures?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The last thing you want to happen when you’re in the middle of the late fall or anytime during the winter is for your stove to not light because the fuel does not tolerate cold temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not every fuel tolerates sub-freezing temperatures, meaning they will be either more difficult to light or not possible to light under a certain temperature. If you are planning a trip during a time and place where cold temperatures are possible, then make sure to pick the right type of camp stove and fuel! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In order of the most cold-tolerant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Gasoline<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Propane<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Kerosene<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Alcohol<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Isobutane<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Butane<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Gasoline is the easiest to ignite in cold temperatures but doesn’t score well on safety since gasoline is so volatile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Relevant cold tolerant temperatures for the liquid fuels in order of flash point (temperature where vapors will allow an ignition source to light the fuel): <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Liquid Camping Stove Fuel Type<\/strong><\/td>Flash Point<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
      Gasoline<\/td>-50\u00b0F Flash Point <\/td><\/tr>
      White Gas<\/td>0\u00b0F Flash Point <\/td><\/tr>
      Alcohol<\/td>80\u00b0F Flash Point <\/td><\/tr>
      Kerosene<\/td>100\u00b0F Flash Point<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      And the camping stove fuels stored as a gas, in order of vaporization point (temperature where the gas turns into liquid and does not vaporize or ignite)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Camping Stove Fuel Type<\/strong><\/td>Vaporization Point<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
      Propane<\/td>-43\u00b0F Vaporization Point <\/td><\/tr>
      Isobutane<\/td>11\u00b0F Vaporization Point <\/td><\/tr>
      Butane<\/td>31\u00b0F Vaporization Point<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Propane, Isobutane, and Butane Cold Tolerance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Propane is the ideal gas to use as a camping fuel in cold temperatures, as it is by far the most cold-tolerant. The heavy weight of propane containers makes it less desirable for backpacking, but many manufacturers sell their butane\/isobutane mixed with propane which gives some of that low-temperature benefit to the mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Butane is the least ideal gas to use as a camping fuel in cold temperatures because at temperatures around 32\u00b0F, butane will have a hard time igniting, and warming the fuel inside a canister is difficult (not to mention unpleasant and potentially dangerous).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Isobutane is more ideal as it can ignite around temperatures higher than 11\u00b0F, which will cover most camping scenarios. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Liquid Fuel Cold Tolerance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Liquid fuels are more work than gas fuel stoves. Many people use liquid fuel stoves, so it’s not impossible or even unfeasible–just know that there are more steps to using a liquid fuel stove than gas canisters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Two of the most important differences between liquid fuel stoves and gas fuel stoves are pumping<\/strong> and priming<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Liquid fuel stoves (except alcohol stoves) require pressurization (pumping<\/strong>) to work. Liquid fuel stoves feature a fuel tank that often supports multiple types of liquid fuel, including regular unleaded gasoline, kerosene, or white gas. To allow the fuel tank to supply a steady stream of liquid fuel to the stove requires pressurizing the tank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Remember, if you’re in sub-freezing conditions, parts may become more brittle and difficult to operate during pumping.<\/strong> If your life depends on your camping stove, then it’s best to be prepared with backups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Lastly, liquid fuels require priming–which means heating up the stove to the point where the fuel vaporizes instantly when applied to the stove. This is a necessary step for all liquid fuels that can’t be skipped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Gasoline and White Gas Cold Tolerance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      One reason that Gasoline is favored for car engines is because of its very low flash point (around -50\u00b0F). This means for a camping stove that gasoline will be the easiest to ignite in cold temperatures. However, this doesn’t make it the best fuel type for low temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A word of warning<\/strong>. The low flash point of gasoline does make it ideal for cold weather, but this is precisely why it is a very dangerous fuel. For this reason, other fuel types are favored over gasoline for camping, especially in less controlled environments (such as in the middle of the wilderness). Campgrounds it’s much easier to use a camping stove that burns gasoline as you’re closer to facilities that can help manage a fire. Convenience should never outweigh safety.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Furthermore, lower flash points mean faster burning–if you need a lot of heat quickly, than that’s perfect, but if you would prefer your fuel to last longer than kerosene will work better. Although, this is mitigated by the flow of the camp stove fuel tank valve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      White gas is less vapor dense than gasoline and thus its flash point is higher, making it a safer option, but still considered very volatile. White gas can be ignited in temperatures around 0\u00b0F. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Because white gas has a lower flash point than kerosene<\/strong>, it’s easier to ignite and the priming process will be easier in cold temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Notes about Kerosene Cold Tolerance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Kerosene will work in very cold temperatures, but the priming process may be more complicated. In fact, some stoves include a wick just for kerosene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A wick is a priming help that spreads out the fuel and allows it to be heated past the flash point and heat up the stove to the point where the fuel pump will instantly vaporize the fuel when put in contact with the camping stove surface. Since kerosene has a relatively high flash point at around 100\u00b0F (making it a safer and more reliable fuel to use), a wick is often necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Some people actually will use other fuels as an accelerant, or other accelerants like this priming paste<\/a> (see the price on Amazon), to ignite their kerosene camping stoves in cold conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Notes about Alcohol Cold Tolerance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Even though Alcohol has a lower flash point, it is more difficult to ignite in cold conditions. If I had to guess why I’d say it’s probably because alcohol doesn’t burn as hot as fossil fuels and therefore can’t self-ignite as easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There’s a lot of debate about whether you should use Alcohol in colder weather. Because Alcohol doesn’t burn as efficiently as other fuels, it’s not ideal for melting snow for water, because you’d have to take a lot of alcohol to compensate for its low efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Furthermore, because alcohol doesn’t vaporize well in freezing (sub -32 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures), further steps need to be taken to ensure you can light your camp stove fuel in cold weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Alcohol can be warmed up to the point where it will light with some of the following techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n