I tried out my fancy $80 compact camping stove, to get the hang of it before going bike camping this weekend.

I siphoned some unleaded gas into it from the bike, got a little bit around the opening and wiped it off with a paper towel and pumped it up. I set it on the kitchen counter and lit it... and it starts flaming up high so I turn it down. Something's not right here, I see a puddle of gas forming around the burner.

So I shut the valve off. Now it starts spreading and there's 2 feet of flames coming off of it. It's fully engulfed and the connections to the pressurized fuel tank are burning.

I'm thinking this is going to melt the control valve off and explode or turn into a flame thrower inside my house. And my girlfriend is standing over my shoulder.

So I grabbed it and ran to the door and chucked it in the back yard. I was certain the entire time it was going to explode in my hand. It burned my hair off up to the elbow but didn't burn my fingers much.

It burned itself out eventually in the wet grass and I went back later after I calmed down to reassemble it and bend it back into shape.

Later I did manage to finally get it working correctly.

There's a big fat warning sticker on there that says not to use it indoors. I guess that applies to me too.

The good part is I know that if a grenade ever flies into the bunker, I'm going to be the idiot running out of there with it in my hand.

Good Grief- that could have been a disaster...
That experience sounds very familiar....
I'm glad you're Ok! and, Cool under pressure!

Yowzahh! Yet another reason that camping is overrated ;-)

I see that your g/f has learned to stand behind you whatever you do. Do you use volitile fuels as cleaning products too? The unleaded gas stove? Don't beleive I've seen one of them.

GLAD YOUR OK CC. WOW YOU ALMOST MADE A ASH OF YOURSELF LOL

WOW, glad you're Ok.
Think I'd have a little chat with the manufacturer.

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I agree. Normally you'd get the lecture from me about damaging yourself, but it sounds like you made the correct choices once things started to go wrong.

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I think he's just used to reacting to potentially hazardous situations.

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If everyone always followed the directions, we wouldn't have much to talk about here, would we?

Glad you're okay.

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The camping stoves I've always used took propane canisters. Is this a new style?

The warning stickers are there because of people like you.

On a serious note, glad you're ok, though. I burned my hand a couple years back in the fireplace when it wouldn't light and then went up all of a sudden. Not a fun time.

Matthew

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I can't ever recall hearing about a camping stove that wasn't propane and I certainly wouldn't imagine one that used a fuel other than kerosene. Using unleaded gasoline, even if it worked, would be horribly bad for you if you cooked something to eat off of it...right?

Glad you're okay. Great reaction times and I like that you keep you cool under pressure.

Now we can add arsonist to his CV.

I am have memories of a fuel for camping stoves... something called "white gas?" Is that right?

No, it's actually a multi-fuel stove. Set up for unleaded gas or coleman camping fuel. And there's an extra nozzle for kerosene too. The smell isn't any worse than propane really, but probably not as clean as natural gas. It also says on there not to use Canadian gas because of the additives.

Propane stoves aren't used for compact stuff because the fuel takes up too much space. I was always used to the propane stuff too, but thought I'd give this one a shot. You siphon a little gas into it and pump it up to pressurize it.

I'll post up pics of the bikes packed up before I go, it's amazing how much you can fit in such a small space.

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Ah yes, good old White Gas. Or as we preferred to call it at summer camp, "Boy Scout Water". If memory serves me, it was basically unleaded gas and had no color to it at all. Kind of like Coleman fuel.

Reminds me of the time my Jeep went up in flames.

Glad you and the GF are ok

Glad you didn't burn the house down or get hurt.

Also glad you read the warning tags.........

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We even used candles before light bulbs.

Dang! Are you blonde?


Glad you are ok!

What was the subject again?

Oh ya! Almost blew yourself up today.

Isn't this you?

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What!!??. My Hasselhoff blow up doll didn't come with hair. I want my money back.