I've always used liquid stoves (whisperlite, simmerlite, peak 1, etc) but was given what looks like a superfly. I know nothing about canister stoves except what I've just read about reviews and MSR products page. Any thoughts? Tips? How long will a canister last, what brands or where to buy fuel? I likely won't rely on it but will play around until I'm comfortable before taking it on any BW trips. I like liquid because I can see the fuel level, I did watch a video from MSR on floating the canister to see how full it is.

Superfly is a good wide burner canister top stove, it will serve you well.
The changes from a liquid to gaseous fuel can be more involved. A home accessory I often use is a scale, to find out how much fuel is in a can prior to trips or camping use. Standard 8 oz oz/227 gram cans weigh 13.5 oz full, 5.5 oz empty, 8 oz of fuel.
Fuel useage is very close oz to oz between petrol based fuels, an 8 oz canister lasts/cooks as long as an 11 oz MSR bottle (filled with 9-10 oz Coleman fuel). I tend to start any canoe trip with new cans, 8 or 4 oz, the 16 oz cans being a bit large. I alos like to date the useage on the can showing how many times it has been used. It will simmer better than the stoves listed. Because it sit on top of the canister it will be higher and less stable. Canister base supports help and are available cheap. Do not use an enclosed windscreen, it is possible to overheat the can to the point of explosion.
I have tried many fuel brands, only one I had problems with was Jetboil. Winter mixes can be found and offer a higher % of propane. This brings up coold weather use. Butane and high butane mixes do not work well below 30 degrees. Isopro will operate colder. 35-40% iso/propane mixes to teen temps. Below those the fuel will not vaporize and stays liquid in the canister without pressure. This can be avoided by storage of can in a warmer area (in your s-bag or coat pocket).

butthead

In my experience canister stoves begin to suffer in performance in temps below 40 not 30, especially as the fuel volume in the canisters is reduced. As liquid fuel from the canister is vaporized the temperature of the canister is reduced (this is how refrigeration works) often to the point of effective loss of vapor pressure. Even canisters warmed by body heat can be cooled to ineffectiveness (including "winter" mixes) in relatively short order.

Thanks! I guess I'd almost always ignored posts on here if they were canister based since I didn't have one. Now I'll pay more attention or search back through old ones. I do recall reading about their struggles in the cold.

I think I'll like it once I try it out but taking liquid and canister on a trip seems odd. I liked all liquid because I can pour from bottle into Peak if needed or vice versa. If one stove had an issue I can still use fuel in other stove. Now if I take one of each and have issue, that fuel is dead weight and space. (Not that ive ever really had an issue)

I take two pocket rockets. I like redundancy and they are cheap.
Fora solid base I attach velcro to the bottom of canister and a ordinary frisbee.
A rock on the frisbee provides stability with even large pots.

I think you'll find it easier to deal with. That was my experience. I was a die-hard MSR Whisperlite devotee for decades until I decided to buy a canister stove because it had less moving parts, was lighter, took up less space, and had no open fuel containers. Unless I'm going to be cooking in legit cold temps, when white gas is more reliable, everything else about cannister stoves is my preference.

It's all about personal preference, though. I do find that simmering and otherwise controlling the cooking temperature is easier on the Whispterlite, but it's possible on a canister stove.

I recommend getting one of those gadgets you clamp on to the bottom of the canister that stabilizes it... they're pretty cheap and worth the money.

Thwarted-

Nice frisbee use! Might have to copy that. I take a frisbee as a combination cutting board, dishpan and fire bellows, might have to add "canister stove stand" to list of duties.

Viva la Ultra Star

cyclones30: "Thanks! I guess I'd almost always ignored posts on here if they were canister based since I didn't have one. Now I'll pay more attention or search back through old ones. I do recall reading about their struggles in the cold.

I think I'll like it once I try it out but taking liquid and canister on a trip seems odd. I liked all liquid because I can pour from bottle into Peak if needed or vice versa. If one stove had an issue I can still use fuel in other stove. Now if I take one of each and have issue, that fuel is dead weight and space. (Not that ive ever really had an issue)"

Yes, there are several threads here about canister stoves and fuel, and quite a bit out there on the internet, as well as reviews of specific stoves. Searching both will yield quite a bit if information to start. I like my JetBoil and have some information I compiled on its fuel usage that I will email you, but yours will differ and they all have some variability based on temperature, wind, usage, etc. I don't need a separate windscreen for the JetBoil, but it helped with an older canister stove and will improve the efficiency if yours. I used one of the 4-panel folding aluminum ones; do not enclose it to avoid overheating the canister and exploding it. I just put it around the half facing the wind. The fire grates in the BW make a nice level stable surface for it and sometimes the rocks around the grate will block wind.

I usually get JetBoil or MSR canisters - that's what's available here from an independent store, as well as Dick's and Sportsman's Warehouse. Sometimes Cabela's when I drive by. The comparable size canisters are slightly different in the amount of fuel and weight. They have comparable blends and performance. Coleman canisters are not as good or comparable (especially cold weather) but can be used if that's all that's available to you.

I've had success using the JetBoil down to 30 degrees, but 40 was about it for the old one. I wouldn't take two stoves using different fuel for redundancy because then you have to take redundant fuel, too. A spare canister stove only weighs a few ounces and there are some relatively inexpensive clones available. Since I switched to a canister stove, especially the JetBoil, I have not gone back to white gas stoves for 3-season use.

Generally 100 grams of isopro will burn for 30 minutes (I usually get more), but you'll need to do your own testing.

BuckFlicks: " I do find that simmering and otherwise controlling the cooking temperature is easier on the Whispterlite, but it's possible on a canister stove. "

Did you state that right?
I've used 4 different Whisperlights and they have limited simmer adjust-ability compared to canister stoves and I have a dozen or so different canister stoves.

butthead

PS: Banksiana, my lower temp use range may be due to adapting several for cold weather performance, canister wraps/thermal feedback strips and such. Static fuel volatility temp is one thing but in use the vaporization will cool down the canister quickly. bh

I forgot to add that like butthead, I weigh the new canisters on our kitchen scale, then weigh before and after use to find out how much fuel remains.

butthead: "

BuckFlicks: " I do find that simmering and otherwise controlling the cooking temperature is easier on the Whispterlite, but it's possible on a canister stove. "

Did you state that right?
I've used 4 different Whisperlights and they have limited simmer adjust-ability compared to canister stoves and I have a dozen or so different canister stoves.


butthead

PS: Banksiana, my lower temp use range may be due to adapting several for cold weather performance, canister wraps/thermal feedback strips and such. Static fuel volatility temp is one thing but in use the vaporization will cool down the canister quickly. bh"

I was wondering that too. My whisperlite can boil water like a boss but simmer is not easy unless you start with basically 0 pressure in the bottle.

We usually keep track of the number of meals we’ve used the canister for. We usually get about a 12-15 used out of an 8 oz. canister. That’s cooking the meal, water for coffee and water for dishes as one use.