Another handy fuel canister hack

[nsherry61]

This week I've been playing with fuel canisters way too much. Note my other thread started today.

Anyway, while playing with filling and adjusting fuel levels in "disposable" fuel canisters, I thought I'd try and build a better mouse trap . . . or, ah . . . build a simple ultra-light canister scale to estimate fuel content while on the trail.

In the end, I realized that a few marks made with a sharpie marker on the side of my canisters was far lighter and simpler than any other scale system I could possible figure out.

In playing with a current MSR branded canister, I was shocked at how easy it was to float the canister and how surprisingly accurate the estimate of the fuel level was based on the little printed scale on the side of the canister.

SO, I STOLE IT!

Using a little piece of tape placed on the side of the MSR canister, I transposed the lines onto the tape and then used that piece of tape to mark all my non-MSR canisters (and my older MSR canisters) with the nifty float scale. After transferring the marks to my other canisters, I put the tape onto a piece of sticker release paper that I keep in my first aid/emergency kit so I can keep it and use it in the future on the trail or off.

canister1.jpgcanister2.jpgcanister3.jpgcanister4.jpgcanister5.jpgcanister6.jpg

FYI: The fuel content of that floated canister was 45 g as per my kitchen scale and it reads just slightly less than 1/2 full which for a 110 g canister is pretty darn close. In general I would say these scales seem to be accurate to within 10 or 15 g or so.

[reppans]

Good idea, thanks for sharing.

[HooKooDooKu]

One potential issue to point out for anyone trying this hack...

As seen in the 4th image, you've got to ensure you don't trap an air bubble under the canister.

I would assume you don't want to let the valve get dunked... even though I suspect you would only need to shake the excess water off and then let it dry.

As an alternative, if you regularly try to keep your valves clean by carrying the canister with it's plastic cap, you could completely reverse the system and set things up such that you place the canister in the water up-side-down with the cap on. Yea, the cap has a hole in it to allow pressure to equalized inside and outside the cap. But if you keep the canister up-side-down the whole time its in the water, the air in side the cap should avoid letting water in (like trapping air under a bell that you submerge).

[nsherry61]

One potential issue . . . As seen in the 4th image, you've got to ensure you don't trap an air bubble under the canister.
I would assume you don't want to let the valve get dunked... even though I suspect you would only need to shake the excess water off and then let it dry.
As an alternative . . . you could completely reverse the system and set things up such that you place the canister in the water up-side-down . . .

I've played with it both ways. Any water in the top is only a gram or two, so it doesn't have much of any effect on the measurement. It's pretty easy to put the canister into the water without getting any in the top. AND YES, you absolutely must place the canister into the water at an angle to eliminate trapped bubbles underneath. Both ways work, but since MSR already did the measurements for bottom down, I though using the same made the most sense.

[LittleRock]

This week I've been playing with fuel canisters way too much.

Have you tried trapshooting with them yet? ;-)

[Starchild]

One potential issue to point out for anyone trying this hack...

...I would assume you don't want to let the valve get dunked... even though I suspect you would only need to shake the excess water off and then let it dry.

....

Unless it's in freezing temperatures, I doubt water in the valve would do any harm, I've seen and used them after getting rained on, even those 'bonus' canisters people leave in shelters partly full, those with water in the valve section. Any water will be quickly blown through the stove. Might or might not be a problem with a mantel lantern, but I have not seen any used in quite some time.

[nsherry61]

Have you tried trapshooting with them yet? ;-)

Gosh they're about the right shape. They might fly pretty well. Maybe fuel canister disc golf? I don't think they'd shatter very well when hit by shot, but then, that would mean you could re-use them over and over again, conserving our resources. . . it would be fun to hit a full one in flight with a tracer round. I'll have to hunt YouTube for a video of that one.

[reppans]

Unless it's in freezing temperatures, I doubt water in the valve would do any harm, I've seen and used them after getting rained on, even those 'bonus' canisters people leave in shelters partly full, those with water in the valve section. Any water will be quickly blown through the stove....

Might even be worth purposely dunking the canister to check for slow leaks.... esp. for those that intend on refilling .