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When you buy the large gas cannisters you pay a one off "hire" type fee and from then on only a refill fee (hence why people try to find a second hand cannister - cannisters are exchanged rather than refilled, so its condition is not so important). Some of the sizes are also swapable (check which though). The initial fee is something like £20 plus the gas. The cheapest way we have found is to go through your yellow pages and find your local trade gas supplier (who supplies small manufacturing etc companies). The gas is the same but cheaper as sold at trade prices rather than leisure prices. They can advise on the correct regulator too although the regulator was cheaper from elsewhere.

Our Campingaz stove came with hose and clips, but best fit at home as you'll need hot water to soften the end of the hose to enable to fit it to the stove.

Just a note - have you seen the Campingaz Kitchen Plus or Extra? - sometimes you can be lucky and find a seller doing them for little more than the Chef stove. They come with attachable adjustable height legs, shelf, windshields that fold down as side shelves and a full plate griddle as well as the burners, which turns the stove into a full kitchen unit without needing to lug around a  separate kitchen unit or table and are much more stable. You can leave off the extras for a particular trip if not needed, but you can't buy them as separates so need to be got as a package if they are going to be useful. The unit with the fabric cupboard we have (although we ordered the Plus version the higher spec Extra version was sent by the retailer). We tend not to use the cupboard as its a bit fiddly to fit although useful for longer stays, but the fabric turns inside out and becomes a carrying bag for the lot plus the legs.

Must admit we use the Bistro units for weekend camps as they are far less to lug around, easy to use and very popular, although as with all stoves you need to know how to use them.

Go to your local rubbish tip as they always have calor gas bottles which have been handed in and grease the palm of one of the operatives with a fiver and bobs your uncle...

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