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you spill it or get it on your hands, you will have a hard time getting rid of the odor (check
your hands the next time you fill up at the self service gas station).
I recommend using only the white gas in the dual fuel stoves, unless you run out and can't
buy any - then use a little unleaded gas. This is the advantage to the dual fuel stoves.
The main advantage of the unleaded fuel over white gas is cost. Auto gas is about $1.50
(US dollars) per gallon, while white gas is about $4.50. I feel the extra cost for the few
gallons of white gas used each year is worth paying so you get the cleanliness of this fuel.
Propane Fuel
The second fuel option is propane. Propane does not give out as much heat as the white gas
stoves, but it has some very significant advantages for family camping.
First, propane stoves are much easier to use. The propane comes in bottles that are screwed
into the stove, not poured into a small tank's filler spout. It will not spill. All you need to
do to start the stove is turn on the gas, and light the burner - just like at home. There are
even propane stoves with built in electronic starters - just like at home. This feature makes
the transition from cooking at home to cooking at camp easier for most people.
Second, propane stoves are available for use with small fuel bottles, or even large RV type
bottles. If you start camping frequently, you will find that the small bottles may be very,
very, convenient, but very, very expensive. However, if you buy a stove that has a hose to
screw into a larger fuel tank, you can get a better price at the RV refill center. You will
also save a lot of bottle changes that can happen right in the middle of cooking your meals.
The propane tanks come in 5, 10 and 20 pound sizes. A typical patio gas barbeque grill has
a 20 pound tank. The BBQ tank could be hooked up to a stove for the camping trip.
Another option with the propane tank approach is to get the optional attachment that will
supply propane to a lantern from the same tank. Now you will have a light in your
"kitchen."
This may be more than you really want for starting out. But if you start with the
disposable-bottle type propane stove, you can grow to the tank version later.
Backpacker Stoves
