Stoves for underground use

[mudmonkey]

How interchangeable are the gas cylinders for those cookers? With a profusion of brands on the market, a reasonably "standard" fit is important to ensure a fuel supply - eg. MSR fuel may not be that easy to come by?

 

[AndyF]

I take it all back, I'd assumed you meant one of the exploding white fuel pump-up type jobs... The MSR you've linked to looks good for underground..

This is the one I used :

http://homepage1.nifty.com/hazedon/Bicycle/profile/Etc/EPIGAS.JPG

This one can be got for about £20 in France, but is more expensive here (for some reason)..

As for cylinders, the EPI and Coleman resealable ones certainly do interchange, I'd be surprised if the MSR were different..

 

[Johnny]

Perhaps I'm missing something but.... what's wrong with a good old bar of chocolate (or chewy nut "health-freak" bar)?

Chocolate is fantastic, but not much good at getting your body warmed up after eight hours of lying in a draughty wet dig.

Stoves like these could even be considered items of safety equipment and carried on trips as a precaution against hypothermia, they are small and light enough to be carried without any hassle.

I hate expensive, fiddly little stoves like MSR's that need any skill and practice to get going and seem to block up if you stare at them for ten minutes. If you want proof, then send your mate who has never used one back to camp, then arrive an hour later to find cold food and an apologetic "I couldn't light the stove"

I know exactly what you mean, petrol stoves can be a right shag & hassle :evil: but they are handy for remote spots where gas cans are not available. Although I prefer a Trangia in on those trips, light and simple and spirit is available everywhere, you can use the local hooch if necessary and I have even seen one use petrol ( a bit messy!)

The pocket rocket is really simple and the fuel is easy enough to source


Here's my pan/cup set which fits in a 3.5l drum with a packet of lovely smash, ok supernoodles, spare batteries, etc.,
these babies and my stove

 

[SamT]

How interchangeable are the gas cylinders for those cookers?

they are all standard - I have always been able to pick up the canisters in europe - including slovenia (after a bit of treking round).
The only other resealable ones that are different are the Gaz bleuet ones.

I really hope the MSR/COLEMAN/EPI style take over as the european industry standard (it seems that way in the uk now)

 

[Johnny]

Smash - definitely. I thought Supernoodles were used as a packing material in cardboard boxes.

[align=center] Some sense spoken here, this man has obviously tasted The Mighty Smash [/align]

Those fancy cappuccino/latte sachets are good because they give yuou 'coffee' and 'milk' all in the one sachet.

Suchard Hot Chocolate sachets are usual in Devere hotels, they are excellent and if you leave youre room when the cleaner is coming around they usually leave thier trolly in the corridor, if you were inclined (and I am not saying that I am) you could easily help yourself to a few extra. :wink:

 

[SamT]

Result of straw poll taken in the pub lastnight - was

Smash = wallpaperpaste.
Noodles = the underground food of gods.

I rest my case.

 

[cap n chris]

Noodles = the underground food of gods.

I always knew cavers were superhuman, but "Gods" is going a bit too far, surely?

 

[Johnny]

Just to remind everyone that Smash is actually the best caving food ever and it comes in these lovely flavours.

And who can forget the adverts!

I met the Smash men once, it was at an opening of a supermatket in Brownhills Birmingham, back when the opening of supermarkets was something special. I was an eight-foot Tranasaurus Rex, the Smash men were very friendly.

 

[potholer]

Smash (at least, the fine-powdered stuff) is more versatile then noodles - as a universal thickener, it is excellent for adding to soups, etc, as well as being the staple part of a meal when flavoured with tuna or lumps of decent cheese. The powder is also pretty dense compared to noodles, so takes up rather less space when packing, and in an oversized sandwich bag, can often be packed into otherwise unusable space.

Noodles do have the advantage of being easier to make a wet meal from, allowing extra hydration, but for an evening meal before a long sleep, extra hydration isn't always what the body wants, and a sticky meal can be less messy to share when a few people are sticking their spoons in while lying in their pits - reaching over a mate to try and get a spoonful of noodles in liquid can end up with more food on the floor (or friend) than in the caver.