Liquid Fuel Stoves & Huts

[Nuts]

Twice on separate visits over the last two weeks Ive seen someone pull a fire blanket on a flaring liquid fuel stove in Pelion hut. We dont spend a lot of time around the huts so im wondering how often this happens.
Some dont seem to understand that the priming cup on most models doesn't need more than a snifter of fuel to prime unless the temperature is into the minuses. Just turn them on and off until fuel wets the bowl!

Someone noted that the fire blanket on the first occasion was then used to wipe up the excess spilt spirits

They are also really offensive (especially when used with unleaded petrol) and some models are irritatingly Loud. i really think there needs to be a better outdoor facility for cooking around these huts especially given the inexperience of the average OTracker and the potential for disaster (I watched a guy run from Berts hut last year dripping flame right out the door, worse still, he did it a second time minutes later..)

moan, grumble...

[Liamy77]

(I watched a guy run from Berts hut last year dripping flame right out the door, worse still, he did it a second time minutes later..)

moan, grumble...

Forgot your head lamp no worries.........

[Tony]

Good post Nuts,

When I did the OT, I saw some liquid fuel stoves go up, I thought some huts on the OT required shellite stoves to be stared outside at a special Stainless Steel lined area.

With the noisy stoves when we arrived at Pellion someone had a MSR dragonfly going, I had heard that they are called conversation busters, I now know why, he kept the stove going for over two hours cooking lunch for his wife and child, I went for a walk, he also was carrying over 36kg in his pack.

I am sure that tent makers like liquid fuel stoves.

Tony

[alliecat]

Yeah, that would be more than a little disturbing to see.

Maybe my memory is wrong but i thought the "new" Pelion hut had metal shelves or tables on the outside of the hut for cooking on? And there were metal plates on the tent platforms for the same purpose I'm sure.

I know liquid fuel stoves are great for some locations where the only fuel available is likely to be kero or petrol, but given, as Nuts says, the likely inexperience of people on the OT perhaps that's not the place for them?

Alliecat

[Nuts]

There are metal plates/shelves on the outer walls but judging by the charring they are perhaps not the safest option. Im thinking I have seen a note about lighting these stoves outside Tony but cant recall where?
The Dragonfly is the stove that comes to mind, I had one for a while but couldnt expect anyone to tolerate the noise (chef included )

I guess this is another simple problem for the ministry of complex answers. The average OTracker just wont cook outside when its cold and it may be one of the first times they have used their stove. Ideally the instructions would cover priming in detail but then its probably not necessary to read them to get the things burning.

S'pose it leads into facilities as provided in other countries ie (in this case) gas cook ranges available in huts?

lol liamy, yer you could navigate your way to the toilet if they headed off that way, the timing would need to be exact or the toilet itself would likely go up in flames...

Q:Did they put the fire blanket back? Does shellite/Unleaded leave flammable residue?

[corvus]

Over the years I have observed many instances of stove mishaps in huts including the previously mentioned shellite /unleaded flare ups however the reletively safe Trangia type stoves have also caused major consternation especially when someone tries to re fuel when they are still lit and the spreading flame on the table is licking round a Shellite bottle easy fix move fuel bottle/bottles and a short sharp explanation as to proper use
There is no accounting for the lack of common sense when we humans without prior instruction "go bush" with borrowed gear in a strange and at times testing environment I believe that "fuel stoves" should be restricted to Gas Cannister type only
corvus

[Erica]

I believe that "fuel stoves" should be restricted to Gas Cannister

Although, they don't go so well when they're not screwed on properly, have heard about a rather entertaining/scary scene at the campsite at Wombeyan Caves in NSW. Somehow "gas canister" type stove was lit but not screwed on properly and had massive flames coming out places... or so I hear anyway. Apparently one of the involved party members managed to kick it away from the tents... towards the car. Not sure how it was contained but as I understand no one/thing was harmed...

[corvus]

Only recent incident I know of with Gas cannisters was at Waterfall Valley Hut and it was a "bluette" pierce type which exploded caused severe burns to an unfortunate "by stander" and left a huge crack in the double skin window above the table,so interested to read about the "linden valve" cannister leaking because of non tight closure
corvus

[Rooboy]

i think that banning liquid fuel stoves is unnessary. I have cooked on them plenty of times and had no issues.
If we ban Liquid fuel stoves from the Overland Track and or Tasmania in general what is going to happen to our tourism.
Tourists wont wanna buy a gas stove just to do the Overland Track


Thats just what i think anyways

[Lagaro]

Liquid fuels stoves (Shellite/Pressurised as opposed to Trangia) are not really appropriate for the Overland track, however it is way too pushy to ban them!
Unless you are spending weeks on the track and/or camping above 900 metres in snow you don't really need one, and a screw on gas canister type will definitely be the lighter option.
I can get 9+ days out of 2x 227g MSR Screw on types, probably longer if cooking inside huts all the time.
Snow camp on the top of Mt Ossa I used 1x 227g cylinder completely to boil 2litres of water, this is when liquid fuel comes into it's own!
After 10+ days most liquid fuel stoves start to pay off as the weight of the cooker is offset by the fact that 500g of shellite will last 3x as long as the same LPG.

Correctly learning to prime your stove would mitigate the fire risk of course!

The Dragonfly is excessively noisy but it can truly simmer! The Whisperlite is as noisy as the Dragonfly and the Simmerlite doesn't simmer.

This is all in my humble experience of course!

[ollster]

I missed the original post by Nuts... I have seen this too. People getting a flare up, $#!+ing themselves, then knocking the stove off the cooking platform onto the deck and standing around looking at it like sheep until a resourceful person (mate of mine) ran inside to get fire blanket and put it out for them.

Anyway, you can't ban stupid.

Having said that... I've also seen the mate mentioned above cross-thread a gas canister putting it onto his burner, lighting up, and then finding himself in the predicament of having flame coming out of the screw... not good. Fortunately a quick de-screwing sealed the valve back up.