I don’t want to keep buying cylinders. So what are the longest lasting/safest/thickest refillable propane cylinders?
I’ve been using a 5 lb tank for years now. Works great and lasts a long time.
Linden said:
I’ve been using a 5 lb tank for years now. Works great and lasts a long time.
Same. I switched to the 5lb tank, primarily for my portable BBQ, but when I bring out the Coleman, I just use the 5lb with an adapter.
The classic 20LB tank from the gas station / UHaul is the obvious answer. Does that not work for you?
Flame King sells a variety of smaller ones that work well too. Their 5LB size is popular.
Ignik is a fancy solution. More expensive than Flame King (for basically the same thing), but they often go on sale.
In the USA - the same DOT restrictions exist for all the propane canisters. They have a 12 year life spam before they have to be ‘inspected’ / ‘refurbished’ / retired.
@Hollis
This. Get a manifold riser and run a coleman lantern on top, hose to your stove/s.
We put our tank in a milk crate so it does not roll around so much and is a little easier to carry.
Hartley said:
@Hollis
This. Get a manifold riser and run a coleman lantern on top, hose to your stove/s.
We put our tank in a milk crate so it does not roll around so much and is a little easier to carry.
Yup. Classic Boy Scout setup - based on your username I’m not surprised you go like this.
I use a 5lb propane tank with an adapter hose. Its not much bigger than a gallon paint can. You can find the flame king kit cheaper if you shop around. They also make a 3lb kit if you want smaller.
They’re all largely the same except for size, because the wall thicknesses are set by the USDOT. Just choose something that works for you. There are aluminum ones out there in some sizes, that are lighter but quite a bit more expensive, no other meaningful difference.
I myself like the 10 pound (steel) cylinders for this sort of thing. They are convenient to carry around in a way that the 20 pound BBQ cylinders are not. You can get smaller but there’s a point of diminishing returns. REI and similar places are selling 3.5 pound and 5 pound cylinders in a padded bag with a hose under the “gas growler” branding. ::shrug::
Be sure to figure out where you’re going to get it filled before you buy.
You will need an adapter hose.
Good answers already. You can get the bigger tanks refilled at ACE Hardware.
Also FYI, I noticed that the Coleman stoves are WAY more efficient if you keep the burner down lower. A little less heat and slighter longer cook times about doubled how long a tank would last for me.
I’ve started using the Mr. Heater Fuel Keg refillable 1 lb cylinders. They are DOT certified. Added advantage is they work with propane appliances that use the 1 lb cylinder as a stand, such as my Coleman Northstar propane lantern, and Little Buddy heater.
I like flame king refillables, I don’t know if you’d like a five pound or a one pound, I like the five pound growlers because they can keep my heater going from sundown through morning on a cold night, but I totally get the 1lb ones also, because if it isn’t that cold, you just warm up before getting in the sleeping bag, turn it off, then turn it on again in the morning.