The more this thread progresses, the burning question arises, "What's wrong with propane? I ask that because, aside from solo biking and hiking trips, I probably use propane more than anything else. It is available in a variety of reasonably safe containers, and with just modest, fairly routine safety practices, is about as safe as anything else.

On one of my field projects, we cooked on a two burner propane stove for five to ten people regularly for several months, doing our baking and heating in a stove top oven accessory. No problems at all.

Propane is versatile - accessories are available that allow you to use the same fuel for lanterns and refrigeration, if you choose to get that elaborate (we did in our field camp). It is also fairly cheap, especially bought in quantity.

In case of a major earthquake, I plan to basically camp out in the back yard, cooking and possibly illuminating with propane. Any fuel or stove setup can have safety issues, as can domestic ranges, for that matter. We've had potential problems ever since humankind tamed fire.