High Sierra Topix

It's a bummer, too. I prefer to shop at the local store rather than REI - all they carry anymore is Optimus. But I monitor the weight of canisters - I can get three weekends out of a small canister, but one and a half if it's Optimus.

I might be able to get more out of it with one of my Primus stoves (heat exchangers make the boil more efficient) but the weight and bulk offset keeps me going back to the little stove that fits in the GSI Minimalist with the canister.

Weird. And it's happening consistently? Maybe I'll have to pick up some Optimus canisters and weigh them. Unless they're putting something inert in there, the heat content should be about the same as other canisters. In fact, they should be slightly better in terms of longevity than Jetboil brand.

I typically just get isobutane/propane mixes, frequently Snow Peak (which is usually more reasonably priced) or MSR. That way I don't have to worry about whether or not a given canister will perform well in cold weather. If all my canisters are isobutane, then I don't have to worry about it so long as I bring a fresh canister on each trip.

That said, there is a shop on the way home from where I used to work that carries Primus for a reasonable price. Primus is 25 % propane, 25 % isobutane, and 50 % butane per their website. Not the best for cold, but it'll do for most purposes, particularly if you stay above 40°F or always use a fresh canister.

HJ

Do you think they will ever have a re-fillable canister? I feel like an environmental Neanderthal every time I use a canister. I cannot believe how many empties I collect! I use the old ones for car camping and even at that, have two boxes full of nearly used canisters. I am almost ready to go back to white gas because of this.

People already refill canisters. But an officially sanctioned refillable version isn't too likely in the near future.

I don't know about you, Daisy, but we fill our blue recycling bin every week with glass bottles, plastic of all types, aluminum cans, various other types of metals and lots and lots of paper products. When I toss one or two empty and punctured gas canisters into the bin it's just a drop in the bucket. It's on par with worrying about the ounces of butane I burn camping when I'm using gallons of gasoline to get to the trailhead.

I got one of the jetboil punch tools and recycle. i may go back to alcohol for the winter, now that bans are being lifted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use a can opener, the old style punch type. I lever off of the lip on top which takes some effort since it isn't quite the right shape for that, but I usually have a church key around. Alternatives include a hammer and a nail. In the backcountry I sometimes use a big rock to squash them flat. An ice tool would probably work pretty well too. Or a sledge hammer if you have some frustration in your life.

There's this idea that a spark while puncturing the canister could ignite the trace amount of fuel vapor inside. I don't worry.

AlmostThere wrote:It's a bummer, too. I prefer to shop at the local store rather than REI - all they carry anymore is Optimus. But I monitor the weight of canisters - I can get three weekends out of a small canister, but one and a half if it's Optimus.

Optimus, Primus, MSR, Snow Peak, and Jetboil are all major brands. In warm weather, there shouldn't be any major differences between them that can't be explained by differences in canister size. Canister sizes do vary. Everyone is pretty much 110g now for the small size of canister except Jetboil which is only 100g. A 10g variance won't cause a 50% fall off in use -- and the variance is in Optimus' favor not against.

The only thing I can think of is wind. Especially if you're up high and it's windy, wind will really kill canister performance.

You might try an aluminum foil windscreen like the one Longri showed. I think the one in the below photo is 3 sheets of heavy duty kitchen foil.

Tooling foil, 36 gauge, is even better, but that's harder to find. Just be careful not to fully surround the stove! You can melt parts if it gets too hot in there or worse, cause a canister burst. Check the canister temp with your hand periodically. If it feels hot, that's too hot. Canisters are only certified to 50°C (about 120°F) which isn't all that hot. The inside of a car on a sunny day can easily get hotter than that.

I've found aluminum foil windscreens are surprisingly durable. You can fold them in half,


roll them around a water bottle (or similar),


and stick them in a bread bag. They hold up pretty well like that. Better than I expected anyway.


In stronger winds, you have to brace them with rocks, branches, snow, etc.

HJ

Sorry, no. The windscreen Snow Peak makes goes in when I expect alpine breezes. It just is what it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't know what Markskor burns in fuel, but his setup makes sense to me. The can is external. You can windbreak the rest of the apparatus all you want at that point.
russ

Looks like an MSR Windpro. Cool old pot. Sigg?

HJ