Stove test revealed non-functional stove pump

I've had a stash of Coleman stove fuel since before Y2K and decided to test some of to see if it would still burn properly.

I have two Coleman Peak 1 single burner stoves so out on the back porch I put a few ounces of fuel in each (they'd been burned down to empty for storage in the past) and pumped.

The oldest one pumped up, started and ran fine.

The next one wouldn't pump up. Couldn't get the pump to 'catch' at all even with oiling.

So off to REI for a pump repair kit.
The blister pack kit was ready to go for the long-shaft pump with plastic collar. It had other parts for other stoves but disassembly and reassembly was required.

All I needed was the rubber cup and retaining washer.

The rubber cup on my stove pump had worn down to the point it wouldn't work. That stove did the workhorse job in many backpacking trips so saw a lot of use.

Learned- (1) replacing pump cup and washer required needle-nose pliers. My normal backpacking kit would not have had the tools to use these parts even if I'd carried them.
(2) blister packed kit pump shaft is too long for the single-burner stoves.
(3) Just because the pump was working when the stove was put away, you can't be sure it will run next time if there have been many strokes applied to it.
(4) I didn't pay much attention to oiling the pump that failed and it had had gas wash it out one time so lack of lube probably contributed to the failure
(5) Coleman sells cups and washers on their website for less than the kit at REI. The REI kit has many unneeded parts.
(6) the old gas seems to be ok, at least for burning 20 minutes' worth.
(7) The Coleman website shows 4 or 5 models of single-burner stoves and calls them out by Coleman part numbers. But those numbers aren't on the stoves themselves so you have to make the best guess you can. I found that several stoves had the same part number for pump cup so little risk to using that number.

Simple summary- test your stuff periodically, have spares, learn what it takes to install the spares.

It is for this reason that I am coming to the conclusion that stashing away a kit for years is less than useful.

Having one "to be used" kit and a "to be stored" kit that is rotated gives automatic redundancy and automatic maintenance.

It guarantees that one is comfortable with the equipment and is able to use it when stressed.

It makes it more likely than when needed, the supplies will work and have not rotted away.

The cost is POSSIBLY extra weight.

Conway Yee

a reminder for the new guys and gals... if you have one of the double burner Coleman style stoves using Coleman fuel... a propane adapter and a couple of the 1# bottles might be a good back up, especially if you live in an area where the use is pretty frequent for power outages... if the base unit works on unleaded gasoline, or kero... much more better

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21nZrTOyxPL.jpg

Walmart sells a two burner stove cheaper than the coleman one "Ozark Trails". I use it with a 20lb propane canister when car camping. Does a great job!

I also have a Expedition x3 three burner stove purchased at Costco that also runs on propane canisters that I primarily use at home but is portable as well.

With two stoves and three canisters of propane, I am relatively prepared for the next Hurricane Sandy. (I have electric stove and a 1 week power failure with a failure of the home generator...the electric stove isn't on generator anyway).

I used the three burner Expedition stove with a 20lb canisters for cooking for each of the 1 week power failures CT had in the past year and a half.

Thanks
Conway Yee

Don't stash this stuff away...use it! What would you rather have at hand in an emergency - some shiny new gadget that you last handled eighteen months ago or ol' Reliable (the stove, knife,light, or whatever) tht you have been employing on your outdoor excursions regularly for the same period?

Nearly everything needs maintenance, resharpening, or whatever. That is all part of the true mastery of good tools and equipment.

I agree about the propane adapters for Coleman white gas stoves. I went to propane via the adapters years ago, and much prefer it to liquid gas. I keep the tanks around for increased versatility.

You say you don't camp out, or hike, or spend nights outdoors. My condolences!! There is still time.

Using them wears them out.

I still have, and could use, a Primus 71L white gas stove I purchased fifty years ago. Every twenty years r so, I replace an interior wick and a small o-ring. It has served me well when a stove was critical and I know it works, and its idiosyncrasies.

It has been superseded by a MSR Pocket Rocket (lighter and simpler) which has been my principal stove for about a decade.

Use your gear so that you know it. You will be glad you did when it is crunch time.

Of course, if you want a stove that is truly immortal, get an alkie, something like a Trangia. My oldest Trangia is only about thirty years old. It will easily outlast me unless an elephant steps on it, an event I would not survive either.

wow you are a geezer lol, jk. I feel young now. I disagree hiker, use your gear aand have identical back ups. My survival Bowie has two identical twins who rest in storagein case it breaks or get's lost or taken. I also have several identical BOBs spaced around. Cool on your stove , that's one well made item.

If you have reserves, you definitely have allthe bases covered, but that gets expensive after awhile, especially when you get to something like firearms. I've got one S&W and that's it.

Unless Im going up Everest or to the antarctic/Sahara sand dunes I dont understand the stove business.

Ive never been unable to start fire with a Bic and twigs anywhere Ive tried.Mtns,desert,beach.

Maybe trekking thru snow,otherwise,real world bug out/camp out,a Bic does me fine.Bug in,stove makes practical sense IMO.

Look at the pioneers,explorers settling the Country,I didnt see em packing stoves,cookware yes.Fuel in some situations (wood,dung).

A stove is a luxury MOST of the time IMO.

hikermor... you really have to be careful with those S&W things... first you start with a K frame, they grow older to an L, and N... have a couple of smaller J's.. then a whole family, and then someone mentions a guy named John Moses Browning... then kiss it good bye....

In a strict survival situation, I tend to agree with you. But on a day to day basis in many, many wilderness/park areas, any type of open campfire is strictly prohibited (we just went through a "red flag" period -- high danger of wildfire due to high wind and dry conditions) so, stoves are the alternative unless you are using self heating MREs.

It's the only legal way to heat food in Rocky Mountain National Park while backpacking. Also the only legal fire in National Forest during fire bans.
Both are where I've done most of my backpacking.
A stove is the least-impactful of heating methods in heavily used areas.

In my test case I was checking for stored fuel usability in the event of home power outage. I also have a 2 burner propane stove for car camping and diversity of equipment and fuel supply.

I was disappointed that the pump failed but really surprised at how difficult field repair would be. The pump cup ought to be retained by a reusable clip rather than a one-way push on washer that has to be mangled free with needle nosed pliers.

Well,in THIS situation,if someone is writing tickets,its not a bugout/emergency situation. To which Im referring bugout. Give me a Bic and Im good.

Hmmmm....I still camp where fires are legal,short of red flag.Though I hear on west coast,southern anyhow,they want to outlaw beach fires.

True.And sad IMO that we arent 'capable' by law of making a fire anymore.Was legal when I was a kid anywhere we could go.For a KID no less.

Hiker? Do you have a fever? Bumped your head? ONE gun?! Seriously, I've lost count of how many guns I have. But if one suits your purposes then I say go for it. As for expensive, havig a Federal Firearms License helps a lot with that. If I want something new I call one of my kids and tell them to add it to the next order. Smith is a good make, I prefer the 19 and 29. I have a 4 inch 19 on my hiking fanny pack. Redundencies are great, except they take up a lot of room. I shudder at how much room TP and feminine hygiene items take up in the basement. I could pack a lot of MRE's and ammo in that space. Just my humble opinion.

Stoves are good in the fact that you drasticaly reduce the chances of forest fire. A small stove to heat up a meal and boil water can cool down while eating. With a fire you have to put it out, be sure it's out, and hope you didn't miss that tiny coal. And lets not forget sparks. Don't get me wrong I prefer an open fire for cooking and gazing into, but we have perpetual droughts and I've seen far too many foredt fires here. So a small Tommy cooker do's what I need it to, and in relative safety.

Even stoves are outlawed in certain parts of the state BWS48. Cold lunch or MRE's with heaters as you said. The homeless tend to let thier fires get away from them and it's forest fire time.

There are fuel saver additives for long term storage. They aren't very expensive either.

Stoves are very practical outdoor items. For the first five or six years I was climbing and doing outdoor activities on a steady basis, I made open camp fires. Over the succeeding years I have used various stoves more and more frequently. Legalities aside, a stove saves time, is much safer and cleaner. If the situation demands it, you do not signal your presence nearly as effectively with a stove compared to an open fire. conversely, if you wish to signal your location, an open fire is about the most effective way to signal your location.

Stoves today are astonishingly cheap, light, and effective. Several models of alcohol stove weigh an ounce or two, can be made of recycled materials costing nothing, and cook much faster than an open fire. But you want to be sure that you can build a fire, even in ugly situations. Just be sure that you can evaluate conditions properly. Out here in the West, I have seen plenty of times when I would never light a fire - the forest was dry, just an accident waiting to happen.

This has nothing to do with regulations. Light a fire in the wrong situation and you may find that it can travel faster than you can.

Isn't hikin jim our resident stove guy? Wonder why he hasn't wieghed in on this. Been wanting to ask him about a couple of cannister stoves.

Check his blog, Adventures in Stoving. He probably has already answered your questions. A lot of good stuff there.

Hikermor, the geezer with only one (hand)gun...

I guess my stove anti's is the fact of carrying fuel.If at home,I dont have to carry the stuff,and can stock a lot. A stove long term,outside,the fuel issue about finishes the stove line for me.A couple Bic lighters will make me a lot more fires than anything stove/fuel wise I can backpack.And being OLD me,the less I carry is a PLUS PLUS to me.

I rarely find myself in a situation where I cant start a fire,If thats the situation,I dont need to be outside.If the situation is so dire that I have to be,I would adjust as a means of long term survival.IE,Id light a fire in/made up of the rusting Yugo,that sort of 'end of world' situation,which is extremely unlikely in my plans.

Fire danger is common sense,I wouldnt do it in a 60 mph wind,exposed.Not to say there arent plenty who do.

When we get reduced to the lowest common denominator we all get treated at that level.Dont like that.

But for frequent hikers,short term situations,I see your point,its a good one,just that isnt me is all.

Love my ruger 10/22,thats my go to bugout gun.Weight vrs ammo vrs utility,does it best for me.When we go shooting its always included and gets the most use,but we arent experts,just recreational shooters.

If fuel is your issue, you may want to take a look at the Sierra Zip stove. It burns twigs and sticks and is safer and more efficient than an open fire.

Some campgrounds do not consider it a stove however, and may not allow it's use, but it doesn't sound like you have that issue to deal with.

I've come to the same conclusion, Conway. I usually use a twig and stick fire, and have relied on my trusty canteen and esbit stoves for backup for years. Liquid and gas stoves have always scared me a little bit, and seemed too much hassle when it comes to storing fuel. We do, however, have a Coleman two burner propane stove and single burner canister stove for emergencies, and have had for years, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've used the canister stove and the Coleman is still in the original packaging. We unpacked it to make sure we had all the parts and I think DH test fired it when we first brought it home too, but that's it. I use our Scout group stoves all the time but haven't given my own a second thought.

After years in the gear closet, I took the canister stove out this fall and had a huge, almost dangerous, fail with it. Never again. From now on, unless it's a twig or esbit stove, it gets regular testing and practice. I'm trying alcohol stoves for the first time right now, and they'll probably go into the rotation too as permanent back-up fin the packor the twig/esbit stove.

Love it Greg,my kind of stove! Kind of like a rocket stove. LOVE the fuel!

A youtube and comment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mO3bfGrbso

Been wanting to buy one of them for 15 years. And 15 years ago they only cost $25 plus shipping. They are hotter than a alcohol stove and burn sticks and charcoal. You could drink tea and coffee every day and never buy fuel. And when you are on the trail drinking creek water it is best to boil it for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or herbal tea.

Thanks, Greg! That is a really cool little stove! I may have to add this to my wish list.

The sierra Zip Stove has been around and surely has made a lot of coffee, but it is heavy - a total weight of one pound. I know that doesn't sound like much, but many alternatives are much lighter. Whether it is feasible to pick up your fuel in the woods or carry it depends upon the length of your trip and the type of cooking you do. That is probably why most folks wind up with a variety of stoves and are also proficient fire builders.

I have found an alcohol stove a good item, especially on SAR missions. When you want a fire, you want it quickly, and easily, with no messing and fussing around. The fuel is reasonably safe, and (depending upon the precise type you have) useful for other purposes. For winter SARs, I would go to a traditional Primus-type white gas stove. It was well worth the additional weight. On one occasion, we carried two, just to be sure. And yes, you can always light a traditional camp fire,either for warmth or as a signal beacon. I have done that a time or two.

I don’t know if you’re joking or serious. I pray it will never happen; I may if the city has to be evacuated.

Jeanette Isabelle

I was (and am) absolutely serious. For me, the best nights are those spent outside, in a tent or just camping cowboy style, under the stars. We are a diverse lot here, at ETS. I come to the forum oriented toward outdoor survival - trips and expeditions gone wrong, bad weather incidents, plane crashes in the back country, and similar situations.

Fortunately (IMHO) both my career and personal choices have steered me outside, luckily concentrated on the western US (well west of the Metroplex) where there is lots of really neat country. I know something of the Metroplex because I was raised there until I fled west at the onset of college, ne'er to return. While the landscape surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth isn't entirely without interest, it is pretty dull compared to what lies beyond, especially when you reach West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Living in Dallas, come to think of it, I didn't find the outdoors to be particularly interesting, either, aside from the occasional hunting trip, which isn't nearly as fascinating as climbing mountains.

The advantages of being familiar with the outdoors are fairly obvious - a much lower stress level and a much higher comfort level, for starters.

I spend most of the year sleeping under a roof but the nights I spend sleeping in a tent are always among the most memorable. The decompression value I get from camping and hiking is tremendous.

Isnt that the truth.

When I was getting near the end of my Army career, I planned to find a new career out West that would keep me outside. However, I met my wife, had kids and life changed. I love the outdoors and would spend all of my time there if I could. I do as much as I can with my boys in scouts and at work. Being indoors too much and being in large congested cities causes me more stress than bears or any other critter. I am not antisocial, but I do relish in the solitude of the mountains and forests, heck even the swamps and deserts, I love it all. Way back I used to go almost every weekend to the mountains, find a nice mountain top away from people and just sit there for the weekend. My great grandfather, who was full Cherokee, taught me how to observe nature and to respect and love it. I try to pass that on to my children.