Thread: Coleman Dual Fuel Stoves

Just noticed BCF have 4L shellite listed at $10, but can't seem to find stock anywhere. Seems too cheap to me, but maybe you might have some luck.

http://www.bcf.com.au/Product/Digger...lite-4L/310798

Also just noticed the MSR Dragonfly apparently works on diesel, and also white gas, kerosene, unleaded auto fuel and jet fuel!

Wonder how good it runs on diesel?

Originally Posted by Ranga

We're the same, try to cook on the fire as much as possible. Do you reckon it's cheaper than cooking on LPG?

Running shellite at around $7/L is definitely dearer than cooking with a 9kg LPG bottle. No way I'd ever use a 9kg bottle in a week with one small burner.
In the big scheme of things its such a small cost component of camping that I've actually never thought about it until you asked.

I love the multi-fuel idea of the MSR stoves, but they look even more fiddly to get started than a Coleman. I'm picking the MSR instructional video online only shows starting on shellite and that running them on kero/diesel would be even more messing around (going by my experience with kero blow torches many moons ago - I could be wrong).
SWMBO copes (just) with starting the Coleman, but I don't think the MSR would make for happy camping.

Steve

I love the Coleman dual fuel stove. That's all we use when camping in the 101 (that hasn't been for a while due to the caravan getting in on the scene, but I'm setting the 101 up again, as I miss camping in it).

If we're going away for an extended period in it, I'll carry a 5 litre jerry can of shellite in the trailer and it lasts for ages. For a weekend - even a 3 to 4 nighter long weekend, I won't use the tankful in the stove, so I don't need to take anything else. Again, we cook a lot on the fire, but still use it a few times a day.

Price wise, I don't think it will break your budget. Shelite may be rarer in remote areas, but at a pinch, the stoves do run on unleaded, but not nearly as well, but you'd be pretty stiff not to be able to find 1/2 litre of petrol somewhere if you got stuck.

Lighting them is not hard - it's just a bit different that LPG and takes a minute to get going fully, but it's hardly an inconvenience. I'd never go back to an LPG stove for a camping setup.

We've been using the Coleman Dual Stove for years. We have a single & Twin burners. Being dual fuel, we still only use shellite to keep all the generators clean and what not... but we recently had issues with the Twin burner to the point it became unsafe on our last trip and we were down to using one of those canister stoves which really don't work well in cold climates.
Usage wise is a hard thing to say as it really depends on how many coffees; dinners u use. In our 2013 trip, were going through quite a bit to a point where I thought we might run out, so we stopped into Alice Springs to get some more which in the end, we didn't need it. We were away for about 3wks and I can't remember how much I took, but it would have been at least 3-5ltrs

Originally Posted by Ranga

Been thinking about swapping to dual fuel for a while. Sick of carting a 9kg LPG bottle around (due to size and weight), knowing I'm only likely to use bugger all of it each trip. 4.5kg bottle are more portable, but almost just as expensive to fill as 9kg. Also, can't (legally) decant LPG, nor buy smaller quantities at a reasonable price.

Anyway, until I find a twin burner, I managed to get my hands on a 533 single burner job. Amazed at the small size and handy little plastic storage container. Tested it by boiling some water, and seems to work great.

Just wondering, does anyone have any ballpark idea regarding fuel usage? I know it's hard to say, but what sort of output would I get on a full tank in the 533 (however much that is!)?

Call me a tight-arse, but I couldn't help but look around for the cheapest shellite supplier.

Not sure if this - http://www.cleanx.com.au/buy/shellit...ent/TC-Shell20 - is the same stuff, and what the shelf-life is, but thought I would mention it.

Originally Posted by Ranga

Call me a tight-arse, but I couldn't help but look around for the cheapest shellite supplier.

Not sure if this - http://www.cleanx.com.au/buy/shellit...ent/TC-Shell20 - is the same stuff, and what the shelf-life is, but thought I would mention it.

Tight arse...

Originally Posted by Homestar

Tight arse...

Guilty as charged...

But is it shellite? If so, anyone wanna go halves in a drum!