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My camp stove basically exploded on a trip to the Red River Gorge | Camping Gear Reviews - Guest Forum

My camp stove basically exploded on a trip to the Red River Gorge

Honestly, it was a mess. Last weekend, my old two-burner propane stove started leaking fuel right at the connection. I tried to tighten it, but the whole valve assembly just cracked open with a loud hiss. Had to chuck the whole unit into a bucket of water we had for washing dishes, which was not fun with three hungry kids staring at me. Ended up cooking everything over the fire for the rest of the trip, which took forever. Ngl, I'm in the market for something way more reliable now. Anyone have a solid stove recommendation that can handle getting bumped around in the car?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_patel274mo ago

...and everyone's talking about white gas versus propane but nobody's mentioned the real issue here, which is those cheap plastic valve stems on the newer stoves. I swear they're made from the same stuff water bottles are, so one bump on the trail and you're basically playing with fire. I've seen three different stoves fail exactly like yours at the connection point, all from different brands. What you really want is a stove with a brass fitting throughout, not just where the propane screws on. Coleman still makes some old school models with all brass internals, you gotta hunt for em at garage sales or military surplus, but they'll outlast your kids and probably their kids too. My buddy found one from the 80s at a flea market for ten bucks and it still works perfect, no leaks, no fuss.

vera_adams6mo ago

Honestly, that leaky valve situation is why I ditched propane for good. The rubber seals just dry out and crack if you don't use the stove for a few months. I switched to a simple white gas stove and it's been way less fussy on long drives.

michaels956mo ago

Wait, have you tried the newer propane stoves? The seals are made from a different material now that doesn't dry out like the old ones. I've left mine in the garage all winter and it fired right up last weekend. White gas is such a pain to prime and clean compared to just clicking a propane canister on.