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Having a bit of a blonde moments!  Have just bought a gas cooker and need to get the regulator and hose but am unsure whether to go for butane or propane.  Could do with your help and advice as to the difference between the both.

Many thanx.

Quote: Originally posted by geordie lass 38 on 21/03/2005

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 so what is camping gaz in the small blue bottles  are these the same?

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Seeing as you will be "under canvas" so to speak it is unlikeley that you will be out when there is frost on the ground.  Butane will be fine for your needs.  Propane will appear to boil kettles quicker because it is using the gas at a higher presure.  Not sure the exact numbers but the mbar rating on propane regulators is higher than that on butane.

Camping gas and calor gas both do a Butane gas.  Not sure that camping gas has a mix of Propane in it though.  I can tell you that Calor gas is cheaper per kg than Camping gas.  Camping gas is avail in France, and other parts of europe, but Calor is not.  If you are planning a trip to France take enough gas to last or get Camping gas.

I hope this helps

Butane will start to freeze at temperatures below 4 degrees celcius, so unless you are going somewhere cold I'd recommend you use butanes as it tends to be cheaper.

As for Rooster, the chemical difference is that propane has one less carbon atom to its molecules and 2 less hydrogen atoms to its molecules. It is a member of the alkane family (hydrocarbons), all derived from crude oil but their molecules are all of certain lengths. Butane's molecules are thus longer than propane's molecules.

The chemical formula for propane is:

C  H

  3   8

Whereas the formula for butane is:

C   H

  4     10

If you have a look at this page of the Towsure web site you will see that CampinGaz, Cadac & Go-gas pierceable cylinders are all butane/propane mix.