This is a complicated subject, affected by a variety of factors, but complex or no, I give the question my best shot on my blog: Gas Stoves: How Cold Can I Go?

I give both a simple answer for easy planning purposes and a more complex answer for those who really want to get into the details.

Have a look if you like,

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

Edited by hikin_jim on 11/29/2011 23:16:53 MST.

i've ran my jetboil at 10 degrees I held the canister in my hands to keep it chugging worked pretty well out of curiosity i set it down and the flame died rapidly

Fascinating way to keep a stove going! And interesting just how rapidly the flame died.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

it works really well but your hands sure get frigid

lol. Yeah, I bet.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

I was thinking about this about a month ago. Given that the boiling points of the gases are below freezing, you should be able to drop the canister into a bucket of water to keep them working (even ice cold water). What do you think? Jon

Exactly!

Water, so long as it remains liquid will keep the canister warm enough for vaporization to occur, and your stove will burn merrily along.

The only problem is n-butane. N-butane vaporizes at 31F/-0.5C. You generally need your fuel temp to be about 10F/5C above the vaporization point. Ice water can be nearing 32F/0C, which is only 1F/0.5C above the vaporization point -- not enough. So, don't use n-butane. :)

Seriously. Stick to isobutane/propane blends, and water is all you need to keep your stove happily working. A little tough if it's below 0F/-18C, but if you can keep it liquid, the water will keep your stove running.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

Interesting subject.

During our recent winter I was camped between Australias two highest peaks, unfortunately I did not have a thermometer with me, in the morning I hooked up a new large Coleman Max canister to my Coleman Extreme stove and the stove was struggling to work, I placed my bare hands around the canister and the flame increased a fair bit, when I removed my hands the flame died again.

The next morning I placed the canister inside my sleeping bag for a while before I got up and the stove worked very well.

Tony

Tony:

Did you have any sense of how cold it was? And at what elevation were you?

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

Hi HJ,

We where camped at 1960 meters (6430 feet) and I estimate it was around -15C (5F)

Tony

Edited by tbeasley on 11/29/2011 02:44:27 MST.

That's about 2,000 m in Wilkinson Creek - a very nice spot too.
For the canister to have that problem, it must have been 'a bit cold'.
I usually let the radiation from the flames hit the canister so it 'warms up' to around 0 C. Works well for me.

Cheers

The generally accepted number is 20F/-7C is when they die. Though a full canister may get a bit more life depending on the blend of fuel. Running at 32F is OK but the heat production will be down to about half. 40F is fine, and generally considered the lowest temp to use a top mounted stove. The ones with a regulator *might* get a bit more, but not much.

All sorts of tricks to keep them going and extend the range...insulation below, water baths, feedback loops in the flame on remote stoves, wind screens, largish cone heat reflectors, inverted cans (on some remotes,)etc.

Be aware that during use, the fuel will suck heat, mostly to keep up pressure. This usually means the stove will get colder in operation and loose heat/flame.

Of the two types, remotes and toppers, the remotes are better, often having a preheat tube. Even for the extra weight, they perform consistantly better.

tbeasley wrote: > We where camped at 1960 meters (6430 feet) and I estimate it was around -15C (5F)

James Marco wrote: > 40F is fine, and generally considered the lowest temp to use a top mounted stove.

Yeah, it really depends on the fuel. A few will run down to 20F, not to many, though. I think the SOTO and JetBoil Ti is the only ones I am familiar with. Anyway, having neither, I really cannot say that much about them. I think the SOTO people say 20F is their lower limit....hmmm....yes. As you say, you can probably burn off the propane a bit lower than that...another 10F or so. The old jet boil died at 20 and refused to fire up except for briefly at 20F, though. It had about half power by about 28-30F.

Hi, James,

YES. It absolutely depends on the fuel and the fuel temperature.

First, avoid "regular" butane and only use isobutane/propane blends. In the US, Snow Peak, MSR, Brunton, and I believe JetBoil should be fine. Don't get Coleman, Optimus, Glowmaster, or Primus for cold weather use.

Second, start with a warm canister. Keep the canister in you bag/quilt at night or in you jacket pocket or something before dinner.

Third, keep the canister warm by keeping the canister in liquid water. Liquid water will always be above 32F/0C. If your fuel vaporizes at 11F/-12C, then you're about 20 degrees Fahrenheit/10 degrees Celcius above the vaporization point of the fuel. You'll have plenty of power. As long as that water stays liquid, you'll have good canister pressure, even if the air temperature drops below the vaporization point of your fuel. Like I say, it's the fuel temperature that matters, not the air temperature.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

Edited by hikin_jim on 11/29/2011 12:57:39 MST.

the nice thing about a jetboil is that you can cook with it and hold the canister in yr mitts ...

ive know people who brewed with their jetboil basically in their sleeping bags .... i however have not tried this as a spill would be nasty

yeah, especially in bear country.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

Judging by the comments I've gotten, I think I may have lost a few people with my "long" explanation.

So, here's something really short and sweet: Practical Cold Weather Gas Tips. Have a look.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

I put a canister in the freezer for a few hours, then wrapped it in bubble wrap with a thermometer probe and hooked it up to my remote canister Gnat. It happily burned with a full flame. The gas is 35% propane / 65% butane and the canister was -15C / 5F. I'm pretty sure it would go another 5 degrees colder.