Caring for and safely running stoves: gas, liquid fuel, alcohol

All stoves basically do the same thing: they turn fuel into vapour, mix it with air and burn it at the jet. In canister stoves the gas is under pressure inside the canister and is liquid there; when you open the valve, it vaporises and flows to the jet. In liquid-fuel stoves you build up pressure in the fuel bottle with a pump, and the fuel has to be preheated (primed) before use so that it vaporises in a hot tube. Alcohol stoves are the simplest: the alcohol evaporates from an open container and burns without pressure or a valve.

A calm, mostly blue flame shows that fuel and air are well mixed and burning completely. A yellow, flickering or sooty flame is a warning sign: combustion is incomplete, producing more soot and more carbon monoxide. The cause may be a dirty jet, a liquid-fuel stove that was not primed properly or contaminated fuel.

Seals – usually small O-rings at the canister connection or on the pump – keep the fuel inside the system. If they become cracked, dry or dirty, fuel can escape. A leak on a stove is dangerous, because escaping fuel can catch fire from the flame.

For all stoves, check the seals for cracks, drying out and dirt and replace or lubricate them as the manufacturer specifies. There is often a service kit with matching spare seals for this. Take it on longer trips. Use only original parts or parts approved by the manufacturer.

Liquid-fuel stoves need the most care. The jet is cleaned with the supplied cleaning needle or a built-in shaker needle, and the fuel line is flushed as instructed. The pump often has a leather cup or an O-ring that must be lubricated so it can build up pressure. Canister stoves need less care: keep the thread clean, check the seal and unscrew the canister after cooking.

Alcohol stoves have hardly any parts that wear out. Keep them clean and check that the lid or regulator closes tightly. For all stoves: never modify a stove yourself and do not repair valves or regulators yourself. A damaged stove is properly repaired or replaced.

Gas canisters lose performance in the cold. The gas vaporises less well, the pressure drops and the flame becomes weak. Butane in particular vaporises poorly around freezing point. The canister also cools itself during use, because evaporating gas uses up heat. Keep the canister body-warm before cooking, for example in your sleeping bag at night – but never heat it.

Store fuel in its original containers or in purpose-made, clearly labelled fuel bottles, cool, ventilated and out of children's reach. Never in drinks bottles: a mix-up can lead to serious poisoning. Use only the fuel the manufacturer intends for your stove.

After cooking, unscrew the canister, let the stove cool and put it away clean and dry. Before longer storage, empty liquid-fuel stoves as the instructions describe.

Stoves consume oxygen and produce carbon monoxide. Never run them inside a tent, in a vestibule with the entrance closed, in a vehicle or in living spaces. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odourless. With headache, dizziness or nausea get to fresh air at once and call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

If there is a smell of gas or a connection is leaking, do not light. Unscrew the canister and take the stove out of use. Never enclose a canister with a windscreen: heat builds up and the canister can burst. Alcohol burns with an almost invisible flame in daylight. Only refill it when the stove is definitely out and has cooled down.

Put the stove on level, non-flammable ground, sheltered from wind, with the pot centred on it. Keep children away and never leave a burning stove unattended. Cool small burns with cool running water; for larger burns call the emergency number. In some areas restrictions apply when the risk of wildfire is high, and they can include stoves – check the local rules.

Before every trip, do a test run outdoors: assemble the stove, light it and watch the flame. It should burn evenly and mostly blue, no fuel should escape anywhere and there should be no smell of fuel. After long storage, check the seals especially thoroughly first.

Practise operating it until it is second nature – especially priming a liquid-fuel stove, because a larger flame can flare up while doing so. Learn how to turn the stove off quickly. Read the instructions completely and take them with you: stoves differ greatly in design and maintenance, and the manufacturer's instructions always take precedence.