I recently obtained a couple of empty 4.5kg gas bottles as a job lot off ebay for the princely sum of six quid, one of them is a blue butane bottle the other is an orange propane one. I've got a stove that will run off both but does anyone know if there is any benefit in choosing one over the other? I'll probably go for a butane exchange as that seems to be the most readily available but I'm just curious to know what the difference is.
It's the properties of the gas which make it burn hotter, There is no reason why it should run out quicker(used in the same conditions). And no that's not a stupid question.
Propane may burn hotter, but I believe the propane regulators are set to run at a lower pressure than the butane ones so the net result is the same. Propane is more expensive to fill but the lower pressure and hotter flame means it lasts longer so cups of tea per pound are about the same.
------------- Steve.
Aztec Galeria 4 - For weekend camping
Sunncamp Grange Cotton canvas frame tent - For the longer stays.
Propane is delivered at a higher pressure than butane, not a lower pressure (37mbar propane vs. 28 mbar butane).
Technically the butane flame burns slightly hotter, but the higher pressure of the propane makes up for this, so there's not a lot of difference.
You get marginally less propane for your £ when compared to butane.