This guide gives a simple explanation of the different types of camping gas available, which one you need for your camping stove and where you can find them. Having given two talks on camping stoves at recent festivals, one of the key things I realised was that not everyone knows about the different types of gas canisters available for camping stoves. There are only a few manufacturers of [screw thread] canisters world wide, and they manufacture all the different brands. So two different brands often come off the same production line in Korea. Specifically, with a ‘dual fuel’ stove below or one of the adaptors below, you can use multiple types of gas cylinder, which will maximise your chances of finding gas canisters all over the world, wherever you are. It’s a good way to save money too as the alternatives are often cheaper.

Campingaz Camping stoves and cookers | Argos Campingaz Camping stoves and cookers | Argos

However, if you’re travelling through different countries or out in the middle of nowhere, you can’t always find screw-on gas canisters. The main difference is the proportion of propane to butane. More propane = better cold weather performance. The exact mix of propane, butane and isobutane is usually secret. But above 5 degreees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit), you probably don’t need any butane Even fewer knew that there are several dual fuel stoves and handy little adaptors you can get for your camping stove that will allow it to use any type of gas. Some people seem to think that certain brands give a more consistent flow and let you use the full canister better. But that’s not widely experienced, there’s no obvious consistency in which are the best/worst brands, and I don’t know of any reason that would be true (ultimately, they are just metal pots filled with gas). Plus, I’ve included details of some little known adaptors that will allow you to use any gas cylinder on your camping stove and three stoves that will take more than type of canister.Finally, the stove set up (e.g. stove model, windshield, heat reflector, heat exchangers on the pots) is a much bigger factor than the canister type.