Camping Stoves (Unleaded)

DavidHolmes

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I am trying to buy a camping stove. I wanted one to run on the same petrol as the bike. Unfortunately, all the multifuel ones I know of now carry warnings not to use Unleaded except in emergencies - something to do with the additives. As leaded four star is somewhat difficult to get...
So, does anybody have experience of using an MSR Dragonfly, a Primus Himalaya Omnifuel or an Optimus Nova with unleaded for any length of time (ie a month). If so, I would be very interested to hear from you. Cheers.
 
David, why not try emailing Gear Zone, they specialise in out door equipment (just click on the logo/link at the top of this page). I'm sure they will be able to help.
 
a good stove nonetheless

i know it doesnt fit your criteria, but you cant ignore the trangia stove, either prop/but or meths. they are so small, unless you are completley out of it you dont need anything else.
no need to syphon your tank for dinner!!

I'm going to use a gas burning trangia for a 5 week tour of the arctic circle this summer, so i am putting my money where my mouth is.

i've owned and used one both trekking and biking over the last ten years, they are the dogs........any other questions?

big gordy
 
The Trangia

Yeah, couldn't agree more. I got mine in 1981. And the Optimus Nova fits the (post 1991) Trangias - the only reason I am considering it. However, last camping was the missus first and was done by car in France with twin gas burners, and she aint coming with me again unless 'Stuffed Aubergines', 'Fillet Steaks', 'Mussels in White Wine with Pommes Frites' etc is on the menu. So I figure I need a tad more control than the old meths burner. And I am not sure about availability of camping gas in Norway north of the Artic circle. Do you know?
 
Where do you intend to use your camping stove????

Big Gordy
 
All over the place. First was going to be Denmark, Norway and Sweden in June/July, but the missus has just announced that she wants to go to Belgium for the Easter GS rally, so it will be getting its first outing this weekend...
 
When going to the North, I would recommend a fuel-stove, not camping gas.. We had some nights below zero, even in summer, and most gas-stoves won't function in that cold...

btw most fuelstoves can operate on unleaded fuel. I've a Colemanstove for some years and it works well, just use
some real Coleman fuel in between to "clean" it.
Two fills of unleaded fuel, then a fill with Coleman fuel works great...
 
below zero!!!!!

ZWERVER, I SUPPOSE I'D BEST TAKE A JUMPER WITH ME. I KNEW IT MIGHT BE CHILLY BUT I DIDNT THINK IT WOULD GO BELOW ZERO. THANKS FOR THE WARNING, I WILL BE PREPARED.

DAVID,

I'M DOING NORWAY/SWEDEN/FINLAND FROM 29/06 TO 03/08, YOU MAY WELL DRIVE BY ME. ARE YOU GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE NORDKAPP?? THERE IS A MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEET UP THERE ON THE WEEKEND OF THE 14TH JULY.

RE THE FUEL STOVE I MAY JUST TAKE A METHS FUEL BOTTLE FOR EMERGENCIES (IE IF THE GAS DOESNT WORK) WITH MY TRANGIA AS I ALREADY OWN IT, DONT WANNA A SPEND A LOAD OF CASH ON A NEW STOVE (SO TIGHT).

BIG GORDY
 
David, I've been running an Optimus 8R gasoline stove for close to 30 years. I've had it running on almost anything except diesel.

Since 1998 when I bought my 1100GS it's been running on unleaded 95 or 98 octane with heavens knows what additives. In short I've had no problems with this stove.

The Optimus 8R is the most compact and stongest of any liquid fuel stove I've ever seen anywhere in the world. It's casing is mild steel so it's strong enough that when I stepped off and smashed the pannier the rock stopped at the stove and just dented it, five minutes with a hammer and it was sort of like new.

If you really wish to travel anywhere and use any kind of fuel then the Optimus 11 Explorer is probably the ultimate fuel stove. It comes with 2 spare main jets that allow one to change from normal camping fuel to almost any kind of fuel available including Alcohol. With part No. 9100 which is an adapter, it can be used in a Triangia stove. But really, compared to the 8R it's big and bulky!

Try their website http://www.optimus.se

Basically I think that the various stove manufacturers have looked into what comes out of the vapours when Automobile fuel is being burnt and have decided either on the grounds of medical advice and/or insurance advice, that one shouldn't recommend Benzin in their stoves.

I'm happy to say that I've being using this system for 3 decades and I don't look like dropping off, neither do my friends who have being doing the same thing for about the same length of time. In short don't breathe in the fumes, just the aroma of freshly cooked food and hot chocolate.

Mick.
 
Thanks Folks

Thanks for the advice. Had to buy in a bit of a rush in the end, but got an Optimus Nova. I am now after the Trangia adaptor, I shall let you know whether this was a good choice/purchase in 2012 :)
 
for the last three months on tour i have been using the msr dragonfly stove. i always fill it with the same fuel i have in the tank. in the beginning i was also carrying a trangia set, but got rid off it for two reasons:
1 the trangia stove is burning with alcohol and it takes an eternity before the water for the coffe is cooking, something the fuel fired msr stove takes in minutes.
2 from the vibrations on the motorbike the aluminum pots were coved with a black-grey aluminium dust. either buy the stainless steel pots (heavy) or when you have money go straight for the titanium pots.

go for the fuel fired stoves and don't worry about unleaded fuel.

philipp
 
I am not sure what the problem is with using unleaded fuel in a petrol stove.

I have been using a Coleman dual fuel stove now for holidays (and power cuts) for over 3 years. I have never bought special fuel, it has always used whatever petrol was available (always unleaded, as it's a lot cheaper here. The only problem I find is that sometimes it doesn't run so well when I use it after a long lay up with stale petrol. Use fresh fuel, and it's away.

I am wondering if it will run on diesel. I might try it sometime!

Job done.

Mike.
 
Mevans, I don't think you should be in a hurry to use Diesel in your Coleman stove.

Diesel is a very different fuel and requires a different main jet. At least it has always required a different main jet whenever I've used it in stoves.

I have an Optimus No. 11 explorer stove as well as an 8R model and it comes with a Diesel main jet. After trying it with Diesel I don't think I would put it in any other stove unless I really have to. The performance of Diesel in my Optimus stove was similiar to most Diesel cars, pedestrian, not a sprinter, if you get my drift.

There is also a smell if you get Diesel on your clothes and skin which is worse than getting Benzin on them, from my own experience that is.

Many years ago on my R80 G/S I was stuck for fuel in the middle of nowhere. With a little help from some station hands I got the bike started on petrol and then kept it running as I then opened the petcock which let in a shandy of Diesel, Kerosene, and some Shellite.

To say it underperformed, would be a gross understatement. However, run it did, and as I had a distance of 200 kilometres to the next town I kept it steady and as I didn't run into any thick sand I was able to traverse the track without giving it much throttle. It belched smoke and I had all sorts of noises coming from the cylinder heads but it ran and I filled it up with a premuim fuel for the next couple of tankfuls to help it clean itself

Mick.

Ps:- I only know of one Diesel motorbike and that's a single made in India, so it's not really a handy fuel on a motorbike, eh?
 
I was only kidding about the diesel!!

But what's the big deal about using unleaded in a stove?

I've been using it non-stop in my coleman stove for 3 years, and it still lights up in an instant, and gives off lots of heat.
The only trouble I've had has been from stale fuel, but thhen it still ran, just not that well. Fresh fuel fixed the problem.

Mike.

P.S. My dad tried to run my Sierra on Diesel by accident - it didn't!

:beer:
 
for the attn of david

DAVID,

I WAS IN A COUPLE OF CAMPING SHOPS YESTERDAY BROWSING FOR BITS AND PIECES TO TAKE TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE WITH ME.
I NOTICED WITH INTEREST THAT THE COLEMAN GAS BOTTLES THAT I BUY FOR USE WITH MY TRANGIA NOW SAY ON THEM "IMPROVED FOR BETTER COLD WEATHER PERFORMANCE"

GORDON
 
Yo Gordy

Yeah, well I hope it works for your sake ;)

We are probably going to the Nordkapp, but were going to be up there a week before the rally. Need to think about this, see if I can alter the route etc. I had allowed a couple of days at Honningsvag, so it may well be possible. I let you know my final itineray when I have the final OK for the whole trip which should be next week hopefully.
 
itinerary

DAVID,

APART FROM TRAVEL ADVICE THAT I HAVE GOT FROM FROM THIS SITE, I HAVE SOME OTHER INFO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED ABOUT NORWAY. IN FACT I GOT A REPLY ONLY TODAY FROM A BLOKE IN THE NORWEGIAN BEEMER CLUB LISTING PLACES TO GO, AND THINGS TO AVOID.

IF YOU SEND ME AN E-MAIL big_gordy99@hotmail.com I WILL FORWARD IT TO YOU.

HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO VISITING THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS, I'M THINKING OF GOING THERE ON THE WAY TO THE NORDKAPP BUT HAVENT FOUND MUCH IN THE WAY OF INFO ON FERRY PRICE OR FREQUENCY, GOT ANY INFO ??

I'M SAILING OUT ON THE 30TH JUNE FROM N/CASTLE - LESS THAN 3 MONTHS NOW!! AND BACK ON 3RD AUGUST - 5 WEEKS BIKING BLISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANY GEMS OF INFO YOU HAVE DISCOVERED PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

BIG GORDY
(RAPE AND PILLAGE TOUR 2002)
 
I FORGOT TO SAY

I ALSO HAVE AN E-MAIL FROM THE NORDKAPP MC CLUB RE THE MEET UP THERE AS WELL WHICH I CAN FORWARD.

BIG GORDY
 
DRAGONFLY STOVES

I have used this stove all over the world including much of Africa and even Iceland. It burns unleaded with no problems and this is the recommneded fuel for the stove as the jet stays cleaner with unleaded. If Coleman or white petrol is available then this is superb but unleaded is fine. I think the USA had a knee jerk reaction due to the toxins etc given off by unleaded when burnt in the stoves in a confined space....a tent. You would have to be VERY experienced to cook on any pressurised WET fuel stove in the confines of a tent.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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