Propane or butane? Dilemmas of the camping kitchen

We have both, because redundancy saves the day.

The small butane stove in a campsite.
Our small butane stove at work in a campground - License our images here.
        
The goods of propane are efficiency and that works better in wintertime. The big difference between propane and butane is in their boiling point. Butane boiling point is -2 degrees Celsius, meaning that must be kept inside the camper in the cold months. 
 
Our Coleman propane stove in a campsite - Photo: Still Gravity.
Our Coleman propane stove. 

More info about propane: 

  • Keep the tanks outside or in a special compartment. Must be in a location where vapors can't build up. 
  • Transport them upright, on a flat surface, and secured to prevent tipping - an old milk crate works well for 20 lbs. cylinders. These crates are 13" x 13" x 11" and the tanks 18" tall and 12.1" wide.
  • Get a gauge to know the level of propane in the cylinder.
  • Propane tanks are filled up to 80% to allow for gas expansion. 
  • Recertify the tanks after ten years - read here. 
  • Propane is heavier than air. 
  • Temperature affects the performance of propane. 
    • Down to 32°F - no problem. 
    • Around 0°F - lack of pressure won't allow to access the last 1/3 of the tank. 
    • At -20°F - the regulator freezes, meaning less than 1/2 usable tank (below this temperature propane won't work well).

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