My approach to the situation is to run my Coleman stuff off of a refillable 20 or 10 lb tank. The propane is much cheaper and more abundant that way. I can also run a lantern and or other appliances at the same time. I thereby avoided the recycling issues that used to plague these tiny containers, although apparently that is now remedied. Naturally, be sure to check the integrity of all connections before lighting up, unlike the unfortunate gentleman whose problems started this thread.


The one pound propane container is neither fish nor fowl. It is too heavy for backpacking and too small for car camping. When weight is important, I go with isobutane cartridges or alcohol stoves. When car camping, I like refillable tanks. I have a few one pounders in storage, but I don't depend upon them. After reading about leakage issues earlier in this thread, I am even less inclined to use them.

The adapter that I use to run my larger tanks on connections built for the one pound tanks looks very similar to the gadget pictured in the Harbor Freight link. I am scratching my head about just how that thing works, especially how it gets any adequate pressure in the smaller tank, not that I am anxious to find out.

I have heard people say they do it, but with all the newer 1lb tanks leaking with every use i wouldn't want to try it.

I like the 1lb for small day trips. Drive a couple hours to a state park, pop out the 1lb and mini grill and cook lunch and maybe dinner before driving home.

Simple physics: greater pressure in the larger tank causes fuel to flow to the smaller one until the pressures are equal.

You should get slightly less than a full "refill" in the small tank the first several times, with progressively smaller amounts after that.

(That's math speaking above, not actual experience. )

Do your homework on what pressure the small tank is supposed to handle and what the pressure in the big one actually is...

If the difference between those two numbers is too great you need some kind of pressure reduction valve - or a good guestimate of how many seconds you can leave the connection open before the pressure in the small one gets to dangerous levels.

I don't know about the specific tanks you're thinking of refilling. Coleman propane tanks looks quite robust to me, if that's what you have in mind. Those flimsy light weight canisters (butane / propane mixture) is a totally different ball park - their pressure is MUCH lower than tanks for pure propane.

I am sorry, I meant wicks. Knot = wick in my native language .