Can I safely keep butane/propane canisters in a parked truck? In case of a fire ban, I want to have my canister stove and fuel available, but prefer not to take it. I'm concerned with how hot it can get in the cab or topper. Should I just stash it in the woods at the EP?

A couple times I have left a single butane canister (full) in a cooler in a vehicle, but the vehicle was a color that doesn't get crazy hot. Both times were late summer and in a northern area.

TZ

I'd definitely find a place to stash the canisters. I don't know the upper limits of the canisters but it is easy math to calculate the risk of losing a canister of fuel compared to the potential cost of repairing damage related to an exploded canister.

I have zero actual knowledge to apply to the problem but... you know, Murphy's Law and such.

Good Luck

120 to 125 is the highest temp recommended for storing those items. Since a car in the sun on a bright summer day can reach 130-140 degrees, I don't think I would risk it.

Yes, a canister will explode in the truck if the ambient temperature exceeds the recommended range. It might not be a fireball, but the release of pressurized gas will blow out the car windows.

Instead of stashing them in the woods, you could put them under the vehicle.

Does a fire ban mean no stoves?

Blatz: "Does a fire ban mean no stoves?"

It hasn't in the past. Normally it means no campfires or fires other than stoves.

Minnesotian: "It might not be a fireball, but the release of pressurized gas will blow out the car windows. "

I'd be amazed by this. But the release of pressurized gas, if ignited, would be a mess.

Store the canisters in the back of your truck.

Blatz: "Does a fire ban mean no stoves?"

A fire ban means you can only use a gas stove with a shutoff valve. No fires, twig stoves, alcohol stoves, etc.

If you left the gas stove at home and a ban was instituted during your travels to the BW (some of us live far away), then you would not be prepared for the ban.

a friends son had a few iso butane cans rolling around in the back window of his car for most of the summer. they were swollen but never ruptured.

i would take a can or 2 with me , just as a nice to have. you can boil coffee water on the trail or have it in case of a rain out. they weigh nothing and take up almost as much space.

i was cooking some noodles the other day , in the house. even at 50 degrees, it was tough to keep lit on a cold counter top. i dont ever burn full throttle, i crack it and light it and sure if the flame didnt snuff out , without adjusting the valve. the house was just at that sweet spot of almost to cold. it was a brand new sterno can.

boonie:
If you left the gas stove at home and a ban was instituted during your travels to the BW (some of us live far away), then you would not be prepared for the ban. "

Also true if a fire ban is put in place during your trip and a ranger sees and notifies you. Whether that means carrying a gas stove as a backup depends on the length of your trip, the apparent likelihood of a ban when you enter, and your tolerance for risking not being able to cook.