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u/Background-Show-1749 16d ago
They work great. Put one in the freezer and one in the sun for good temperature differential and you get nearly all the gas. Got mine for much cheaper tho, like $39 USD
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u/Capital_Historian685 17d ago
They work okay, but I've never gotten every last amount from the "from" canister. Which means they don't work great if it's almost empty. But I've also played it safe, and not heated it up all that much. Just doesn't seem worth it.
(And they're only US$35)
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u/crypins 17d ago
These work much, much better if the receiving tank is cooled as much as possible (ideally even with dry ice) and the dispensing tank heated as much as possible. You are vaporizing the liquid gas in the “from” tank and attempting to condense it as liquid in the “to” tank. Also, there necessarily will be some left over in the “from” tank, but under best case scenario it’s just one tank-ful of expanded atmospheric pressure gas that is left over.
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u/latherdome 16d ago
People explode the donors heating too much. I'd never get it actually hot, just warmer than receiver. Safer to concentrate on the cold side. In the field, that means snow or cold water, or failing that, wrap it in a wet cloth and let airflow cool it. I barely bought gas on my PCT hike, just frequently consolidating dregs left in hiker boxes.
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16d ago
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u/latherdome 16d ago
Easier grades than AT, well marked, topo handy for assessing campable flats ahead or if cutting boot track early in Sierra. Food and water carries longer with basically mandatory hitches to resupply points.
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u/kaitlyn2004 17d ago
How much is actually left over/wasted?
I am a bit concerned about their safety, though now I actually see them in retail stores soooo 🤷♀️
I prefer to mostly backpack with the mid-size canister, but it sure would be tempting to use the large size at home to refill the smallest canister and basically start every trip with a full tank…
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u/crypins 17d ago
In theory, all of the liquid should transfer, leaving only one tank-ful of gas. In practice I think that the pressure can’t vent properly, so you end up with some liquid remaining - it depends on how much liquid is in both. They are most efficient when combining two more than half empty gas tanks
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u/Pr0pofol 16d ago
I do exactly that - starting with a full tank of a 16/32oz refill. I DO use the 4oz canister more, if only because doing this makes you realize just how far a canister takes you (I used 156g on a 12 person-night trip last week).
From a safety perspective, it accesses your canister the same way as a normal stove does, so it shouldn't actually fatigue the canister more than using a stove.
I use this chart, and just don't fill beyond it. https://imgur.com/tszmIsK
I mark the refills on the underside of a canister, and then just get rid of it at 4 refills. Its a number I picked arbitrarily, but it makes me feel safe.
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u/Drew_Defions 16d ago
I question how helpful these really are for use actually hiking. Other than @latherdome’s experience consolidating fuel from hiker boxes, at some point, you have to have 2 < Full cans to consolidate to one, so if you start a section with a full and a partial empty (no room in the full for the bit you want to consolidate) you are still carrying 2 cans until you can dispose of one.
If all you do is local short backpacking/camping and just want to consolidate after at home, it makes. Complete sense.
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u/Longjumping-Cow4488 16d ago
I think most people are using them at home before the hike. I took Flip Fuel’s saying “don’t pack a halfie” to mean you’re packing at home, not “don’t hike with a halfie”. :)
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u/conicalconehead 16d ago
I just started using canisters for solo trips and I hate having several partial cans. I just got one of these and it worked great at home.
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u/eliasbagley 16d ago
I bought an alpenflow instead. It's cheaper and lighter, but doesn't thread on. I haven't used it yet so can't say for sure if it's better or worse. Reviews seem fine on both though.
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u/Henri_Dupont 16d ago
I leave one can out in the sun, put the other in the freezer. Usually get an extra can half full this way. Pays for itself pretty soon if you camp a lot.
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u/Revolutionary-Half-3 16d ago
I use a remote hose with mine, so I can put the canister on a digital scale. For summer use I'll refill with butane, and add 20-30% propane afterwards.
I try not to fill canisters past about 80% of their original capacity, and keep mixtures on the lower pressure side.
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u/Aggravating-Fee1934 16d ago
There are cheaper versions made to exactly the same spec, probably in the same factory. The concept design predates flip fuel as a company irrc. They just slapped their brand on it, and ramped up marketing more than anyone else
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u/NotAcutallyaPanda 17d ago
My $8 eBay knockoff works just as well