These might sound like daft questions, but I'm new to this so here goes:
Am I right that 'calor gas' is not available abroad, so a different regulator is required, so that 'campingaz' can be used?
Roughly how long would a 4.5kg calor gas butane cylinder last cooking one meal for three and a couple of brew ups a day?
Roughly how much would a refillable campingaz cylinder cost?
You probably get the gist, I have purchased a stove and calor cylinder+regulator and I'm going camping in Europe and I want to know If the calor will last, or if I need to have a campingaz backup.
I'm sorry if these sound like silly questions, but I am a total newbie to cooking with butane, and I'm getting a bit bewildered by it all.
Hi Bob, I can't help with the specifics but one thing that was pointed out to me is that the danger of going abroad with a Calor cylinder is that if you get a faulty cylinder that springs a leak then you're in difficulty and would have to buy a new camping gaz cylinder and regulator while you're there!!
We bit the bullet and bought two regulators and use Calor in the UK (cheaper) and Camping Gaz in France.
We take 2 Calor Gas bottles to France. One normally lasts the 2 weeks running a Cadac which we also use to boil a kettle for cuppas, as well as all the cooking, although we eat out a fair bit in France. The food is just too good to miss. The 2nd bottle is backup and has never been used. We got both bottles from the local tip and slipped the lad a fiver each for them.
hi, i took 2 6k bottles with me and a gaz 4.5 as a backup, last year and we never even used 1 bottle in over 2 weeks, cooking and stuff. hope that helps.
Yes, in summer gas bottles last for a very long time for the use you specified.
In winter it lasts shorter when gas heating comes in.
When often camping below say 10 degrees centigrade you'd better use propane. Butane slows down its performance under 10 degrees centigrade and totally stops performing at 3 degrees.
Propane gives similar performance in normal temperatures, but also performs much better at (very) low temperatures.
It stop at minus 30 only.
When bringing two bottles (usual), you don't need to refill when one gets empty during holiday, even when in the beginning of the holiday. In winter you should refill to be sure.
If you want to have the possibility of refill abroad you could eitehr bringa spare camping gaz bottle, or check whether they have adapters abroad. Often they have at least for Dutch gas-bottles, but i am not sure about Calor bottles in this respect.
The BP lightweight cubes are available in the UK and also in France, the Netherlands etc, hence can be exchanged abroad.
I have different, lightweight (kevlar) propane bottles (6 kgs). A refill/exchange costs me 10 or 11 euros.
we are new to this too, have just had a weekend away in -8degrees, only to be told that the heating or gas wasn't working becausse it freezes at -3, also water pum'p froze and heater in shower sprung a leak as you dont think about 'draining down in freezing conditions when you are desperate to get into bed out of the cold. had alaigh in all that adversity thoughx
> heater in shower sprung a leak <
As far as I know those fluid-filled heaters can be filled with somethinh anitfreeze like, like in a car radiator. They do the same in Swedish caravans; those are especially designed for wintercamping.
So main two thing for you is to change over to propane, check with wat to fill the heater in the shower. amd check insulation of waterpiping on sensitive spots, insulate the watertank (this includes autmatically the waterpump), and possibly have a fresh refill of water before you go to bed.
Some people insert a fishtank heater (switched on a low temperature, you don't want 30 degrees of water) in the watertank in case of frost, but you need the proper power connection near the tank for that.
You should in Britain. Try the BP ones.
I am from the Netherlands and overhere you can. I have two lightweight (Kevlar) propane bottles, each containing some 6 Kgs propane.
Whether the difference in weight between lightweight and normal camping gasbotlles is enough is for you to determine. It's a few kgs per bottle. I think I savend about 10 kgs in all.
For me that was critical as my car is on the light side for towing my van, so I have to keep my loading within 150 to 200 kgs, and that's calculating without the 85% recommendation. On the other hand my car has proven to be a very stable towcar.