Last Updated on July 16, 2022 by Ecorf
White gas or Coleman fuel is the most commonly used camping fuel in North America. There are other alternatives to providing fuel for your camping stay. You can choose to burn wood or better yet drag your portable generator up the hill with you. It doesn’t matter which method you adopt to provide energy or power when camping outdoors, so long as you can stay comfortable throughout your stay.
We have taken the liberty to discuss at length Coleman fuel and all the best ways to make use of it when camping outside.
Without wasting much time, let us begin by first learning what white gas is and its constituents.
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What is White Gas or Coleman Fuel?
White gas is also known as Coleman fuel or naphtha. It is a colorless liquid that is used mainly in fueling camp stoves and lanterns. In the United States, Coleman gas is sold in one-gallon cans, while in Europe, it is available for purchase in one-liter bottles.
White gas is a mixture of octane, cyclohexane, nonane, pentane, and heptane. The name Coleman fuel was derived from the Coleman Company, marketers of petroleum naphtha. They are also in the business of making all kinds of camping gears such as tents and beds.
Although Coleman fuel is as flammable as gasoline, it does not have any of the additives that can be found in gasoline.
There are a lot of reasons why most campers and outdoor lovers prefer to travel with fuel stoves that make use of white gas or Coleman fuel. For one reason, it is portable and has a lower impact on the environment compared to other fuel types.
When it was introduced in the 1950s, white gas was sold for use as automobile fuel. It was later repurposed for use as camping fuel and has since become an important addition to every camping trip.
Uses of White Gas
There are a lot of things you can do outdoor with Coleman fuel. Its ability to burn fast and hot makes it a good gear to pack with you on your camping trip. Some of the things you can do with Coleman fuel include:
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Prepare your Food
You need to eat, whether you are camping in summer or winter, without food, it will be difficult to keep up with your outdoor activities such as hiking and mountaineering. Coleman fuel can be used to power your camping stove and prepare your favorite delicacy while outdoors.
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Keep you Warm
One important thing you need when camping outdoors is warmth. It doesn’t matter the weather condition you need to stay warm always. With a camping fuel, you can easily make a fire to keep you warm when it gets cold.
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Provides Light
When camping outdoors, you also need light to be able to move around at night. Coleman gas can be used to power your camping lanterns and provide all the illumination you need when it gets dark.
How to Use Coleman Fuel?
Before we get into how to use white gas or Coleman fuel, we need to first learn about the parts of a camping stove. Once you are familiar with the different parts of a camping stove, it becomes easy for you to understand how to use Coleman fuel.
The main parts of a camping stove are the burner, fuel tank, valve, and pump. The tank holds the fuel, while the pump moves the fuel around the fuel line. The valve connects the burner and the fuel line, making it possible for fuel to be transported. The burner serves as a point for turning on the stove.
Coleman gas is suitable for use in any type of camping stove or lantern that makes use of gas. Most gasoline stove will also work with Naphtha provided you don’t mix up the different fuel types.
Now that you are familiar with the parts of a camping stove, we can now discuss how to use Coleman gas when camping outdoors.
To light your white gas stove, you will first need to:
- Pressurize the fuel tank by using a pump system. You have to do this to get the fuel to work. A small tank will require 10 pumps to generate pressure while larger tanks will need up to 20 pumps to get in enough pressure.
- Once there is enough pressure in the tank, fuel will then be released into the fuel line from the valve. The fuel is still in the liquid form as it makes its way to the burner.
- You will have to heat the stove by burning alcohol on top of the burner. You can use any method to heat the stove, but I find burning alcohol to be the safest. The purpose of heating the stove is to convert the liquid fuel to gas.
- You need to keep an eye of the lever on the side of the valve is facing upwards. The purpose of this is to allow air to mix with the fuel. Doing this allows the gas to burn faster when ignited.
- Once air and fuel mix properly, the gas should burn with a blue flame. Anything other than this, you will need to keep pumping in more pressure until it registers a blue flame.
Why Choose White Gas or Coleman Fuel?
There are other substitutes for Coleman fuel to use for your camping trip, but there are a few reasons why most campers choose Coleman fuel and it includes:
- Pure Gas
Coleman fuel is called white gas because of its high level of purity. It is devoid of additives making it one of the purest gas on earth. The level of purity prevents clogging in your camping stove from impurities.
- Burns Bright and Hot
One of the reasons why Coleman fuel is used for camping is because it burns bright and hot. This feature comes in handy when camping in cold winter weather. Burning white gas in your camping stove can help to keep your tent warm.
- Odorless
In addition to being colorless, white gas is also odorless. This feature is one reason most people shy away from Coleman gas. The fact that it is odorless makes it difficult to detect when there is a spillage.
What is your favorite camping fuel? Are there any personal favorites you will like to share with us? We will be happy to hear from you in the comment section.
