Coleman camp stove / white gas

[Rol1964]

Bad idea to use one on board for occasional weekend use or ok?

[JPA Cate]

Jim used one outdoors on his Catalina 22, for some years, with his previous wife. As long as you're outdoors, and you are careful with handling the fuel, the biggest problem is keeping it pressurized adequately. The pumps need occasional maintenance.

I used one camping, for years. Cooked LOTS of stuff.

Ann

[Lepke]

White gas is pure gasoline without additives, and just as dangerous inside the hull.

[mvweebles]

Reminds me of the old story about the first time skydiver whose main parachute fails, as does his back-up. As he's free-falling, he see's a speck coming up as fast as he's going down. It's a man with singed hair. As they pass, the skydiver yells "HEY! You know anything about parachutes?"

The guy going up yells back "NO! Do you know anything about Coleman Stoves?"

[a64pilot]

I believe it’s actually Naptha, but long ago Amaco service stations did use to sell “white gas” which may have been unleaded I’m not sure.
Either way I believe the naptha is pretty much the same danger wise as gasoline.
Just looked it is NOT naphtha, but I bet it’s fumes are still heavier than air, and that’s the problem with gasoline.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_fuel

I did one time put a gallon of it in my Jeep when I ran out of gas, I made it to the gas station, but the engine rattled like the devil even lightly loaded, so it’s Octane is very low.
Low octane just means it ignites easily.

[Sailmonkey]

I’d use it, but only in the cockpit.

[robert sailor]

Back in the day these stoves were all we had, for camping or backyard cooking....also the pressure lanterns were used by most people. Blow torches were very common used for plumbing and a variety of other stuff.
People back then had a lot more common sense than most people these days so back then it was considered very safe if used properly but these days I imagine it wouldn't be the best idea for today's metro-sexuals.

[thinwater]

I used a white gas stove backpacking and small-boat cruising for years. Also a white gas lantern. Yup, they have safety issues and require learning proper operation and safety rules.


Gasoline in the hull. We hauled these things around in backpacks for years. They don't leak. You keep the fuel in a small alloy fuel bottle (not gallon). You always depressurize the stove after use. No leak potential.


Use it in the cockpit. You don't use these in a tent and you don't use them in a boat cabin. They can flare up. Just don't.


They can be a little annoying to operate, but I see no special hazard if you use it in the cockpit and depressurize before storage.

[Capt. Steve1]

I also have a coleman gasoline stove yet to use or even fire up.these stoves have been manufactured since the 1950s so it's a proven design.

I was and now am even more against using inside cabin.

first planned use will be on land while boat camping to get accustomed to stove.

the planned destination for the stove is just outside the cabins front windshield.I could stand though the emergency hatch to cook.

after use and cool down fuel will be stored or drained ,stove will be dry stored inside cabin.then when used on vessel placed uptop outside away from fuel fumes.

I use stainless steel pans at home 2 10"ers will fit on the coleman.
I minimize my gallery to bare essentials.

what type of pans/kettles are you guy's using.what type of meals are you cooking w/ the coleman.

objective is to be able to heat 2 pans simultaneously fry a couple of fish
and side dish, boil water. thanks Steve

[a64pilot]

You can cook anything on a good Coleman that you can cook on a house gas stove.
You can stow the stove below, cause unless they have changed the fuel tank is very easily removed and to fold up and store the stove requires it to be removed anyway, so your not causing undue wear.
My Coleman’s lanterns, camp stove, tiny backpacking stove, I have in storage will run fine on unleaded engine fuel, all the ones that would used to be identified by having a silver fuel tank, the ones that needed the special fuel had red fuel tanks. That may have changed.
Store the fuel tank in a propane locker, it wasn’t until later that I figured out that my cockpit ice box would also function as a propane locker, it is as gas tight and drained overboard as the actual propane locker.
So long as you treat a Coleman stove with the same respect you treat a propane grill, I don’t see it as a safety hazard, of course that means no using it below decks or storing the fuel below decks either.

On edit, just looked it up, they still make the unleaded stoves, lanterns etc and it seems they still have the silver fuel tank to identify them, that way you don’t need the special fuel, just use unleaded gasoline.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Jim used one outdoors on his Catalina 22, for some years, with his previous wife...

On first reading, Ann, it made me chuckle because I had the dangerousness of camping stove gas and CO2 asphyxiation to mind... and then the reference to "previous wife" and suddenly a murder-mystery had sprung to mind!

Did anyone see Masquerade with Meg Tilly and Rob Lowe years ago? There was a dramatic scene in there somewhere with a boat blowing up due to cooking gas...
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0095599/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

(And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...)

My vote would be to disagree with Ann and a64pilot (SO sorry, Ann and Pilot! This is a first) and say a big NO camping stoves on a boat - ever.

If you insist on a camping stove, only use outside in the cockpit, in which case, you might as well get a proper rail-mounted propane BBQ.

But then, I'm rather excessive about safety on board - and I have a horror of onboard fires. I've personally seen a couple of boats burned to their waterlines, so perhaps it's my own morbid fear which informs my onboard preferences.

Cheers,
LittleWing77

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

On first reading, Ann, it made me chuckle because I had the dangerousness of camping stove gas and CO2 asphyxiation to mind... and then the reference to "previous wife" and suddenly a murder-mystery had sprung to mind! [emoji3]

Did anyone see Masquerade with Meg Tilly and Rob Lowe years ago? There was a dramatic scene in there somewhere with a boat blowing up due to cooking gas...
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0095599/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

(And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...)

My vote would be to disagree with Ann and a64pilot (SO sorry, Ann and Pilot! This is a first) and say a big NO camping stoves on a boat - ever.

If you insist on a camping stove, only use outside in the cockpit, in which case, you might as well get a proper rail-mounted propane BBQ.

But then, I'm rather excessive about safety on board - and I have a horror of onboard fires. I've personally seen a couple of boats burned to their waterlines, so perhaps it's my own morbid fear which informs my onboard preferences.

Cheers,
LittleWing77

I sort of agree with Little Wing. White gas stoves are subject to Flare up on start, and the white gas is very flammable. I disagree that they are as safe as propane. Propane bottles are not subject to spill or leakage.

Camping propane stoves are pretty inexpensive. 1lb bottles are probably as easy to source and similar cost as white gas. Would be my recommendation over white gas.

Peter.

[Jim Cate]

Camping propane stoves are pretty inexpensive. 1lb bottles are probably as easy to source and similar cost as white gas.

those small canisters are well known to leak when removed from their appliance, whilst the Coleman fuel tanks, being unpressurized when not in use, seldom do. I reckon the Coleman is far safer in the real world usage.

Jim

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

those small canisters are well known to leak when removed from their appliance, whilst the Coleman fuel tanks, being unpressurized when not in use, seldom do. I reckon the Coleman is far safer in the real world usage.

Jim

I use one or two a year for a blow torch (solder for plumbing, etc). I've never has an issue beyond a small puff when disconnected. I also use an old school Svea backpack stove for motorcycle trips, and have used an MSR pressurized backpack stove. It's been many years, but I was happy to swap my white gas Colman stove for a Colman propane stove 20+ years ago (same with lantern).

All I can tell you is that while I respect Jim's experience, I have used both and I believe propane is much safer than white gas. Given a propane stove is well under $100, it would be my hands down choice for small boat usage. It's what I used on my Catalina 22 I owned long ago and trailer sailed in Sea of Cortez almost 30 years ago.

Peter

[JPA Cate]

Peter's comment was interesting to me. Mostly because my ex got the Coleman Stove when he left, and I went out and bought a Sears camp stove, 2 burners, propane fired. So, like Peter, I've used both. I liked the Sears better for two reasons: 1) it had side shields, so you could keep the wind from it better, and 2) since the propane canisters were already pressurized, you didn't have to pump it up, so it was a little more convenient.

Over the years, we've had one small propane cylinder leak out (rust) on one of our boats. So, the propane should be stored in the propane locker that is vented to the outside.

Only used the Coleman when camping, so OF COURSE it was out of doors.

I agree with LittleWing77 in that either should be used, with care, above decks, but am not particularly concerned about the white gas storage. Metal tank, it'll be fine, it is not under pressure, and you always fill the stove tank outside. You do not smoke anything while you are using it.

Ann