Frequently Asked Questions About Lightweight Canister Stoves and Fuels

Canister stoves weigh as little as 2.5 ounces (71 g) and are very easy to use. Simply attach the canister to the stove, open the valve, light the burner, and cook. Canister fuels are designed to deliver lots of heat (BTUs/hr), with relatively good cold weather performance, in a lightweight container. A canister providing 8 ounces (227 g) of fuel weighs about 5 ounces (142 g) empty, not too bad for a steel container that must safely hold liquefied gases. N-butane, iso-butane, and propane - the principal fuels used - provide about 21,000 gross BTU/lb: about the same as white gas.