Propane or gas: How to choose a lantern and/or stove fuel

Propane or gas? What type of emergency implement fuel is the best choice for you?
by Leon Pantenburg

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Let's assume an emergency scenario where wood heat/light are not an option, you can't use a campfire and a biomass stove is out of the picture. Maybe there is extreme fire danger, open fires are prohibited, or there isn't a ready supply of fuel.
Should you have a propane or gas lantern or stove? Tank or canister? What are the advantages, disadvantages and what considerations should you be aware of?

My collection includes kerosene, gasoline and propane lanterns. The best choice will depend on the situation, weight, safety and availability of fuel. (Pantenburg photos)

I can't make up my mind which fuel is best. I currently have one propane and four Coleman gas lanterns. I own a dual-fuel campstove, gas backpacking stove, and one small stove that screws on top of a propane cylinder. My go-to stove for all off grid cooking is a double burner Camp Chef propane cooker that uses bulk propane. I have a propane space heater for emergency warmth.
Your emergency preparations should include some thoughts about lighting, heating and cooking implements over the long term. Basically, your choices will boil down to two main categories: propane or liquid fuel (gasoline).
Before you buy anything though, consider where the appliance will be used. Are you car camping, where weight is not an issue, or backpacking above the tree line, where weight will be a major consideration? What temperatures will the item most likely be used in? How important is long term use and the ability to replenish the fuel?
Here are some shopping considerations:

The propane cylinder has advantages over liquid fuel, but that

 

 doesn't make it the best choice.

• Convenience and ease of use:Does the fuel source affect how easily the implement can be used? There is no pouring, priming or pumping with propane. With gas, the implement must be filled, and sometimes primed and pumped. While the gas implement is operating, it will occasionally need to be pumped.
  Propane or gasoline? Check out the shopping considerations to decide.[/caption]
• Fuel availability: The dual-fuel gas implements can use unleaded gasoline, at a fraction of the cost of Coleman fuel or white gas. I've bought Coleman gas at tiny little stores in out-of-the-way areas of northern Minnesota, where the store inventory was sketchy at best. Conversely, I've also seen standard 16.4 oz disposable propane gas cylinders at many of these same stores. I'm guessing gas is still easier to find, but bulk propane is also very common and cheap.
• Cost: Last week at the local WalMart, the disposable propane cylinders were on sale for about $6 for two cylinders, versus almost $10 per gallon for Coleman fuel. The dual-fuel gas stoves and lanterns are the clear winners in the cost-effectiveness category, with unleaded gasoline from the pump costing about $4 per gallon. Not to mention, a dual-fuel implement can be re-fueled with a siphon hose from a vehicle gas tank.
• Safety: As a Boy scout volunteer, I see safety around fire as paramount. I've noticed that the propane lanterns and stoves are easier, and hence safer, for the boys to light and use. There is no priming, pouring or fuel to spill. The idea of a container of gasoline anywhere near an open fire, with kids around, makes my blood run cold.
• Implement design: My Coleman model 442 backpacking gas stove has a listed weigh of 24 ounces. That, in part, is due to the pump and generator required for a gas stove. My single burner propane stove that screws on top of a propane cylinder weighs less than half that.
• "Green" design: I don't like the disposable propane cylinders - they work great, but it seems to be a terrible waste to throw away the empties. For a long-term situation, such as a lengthy campout, though, a bulk propane tank can be filled for about $2-something a gallon, making that option an economic favorite.
• Temperature: Cold affects propane's effectiveness. In extreme cold, a propane cylinder may not work at all. Gasoline is not affected. That's one reason why I have so many gas-powered implements.

Like anything, the final decision on whether to invest in propane or gas appliances will depend on your individual needs and perceived usage. Good luck with picking a favorite - I haven't been able to come up with one yet!

The leadhead jig: The do-it-all survival fishing lure?

Is there a do-it-all lure for survival fishing? My money is on the plain lead head jig. Here's why.
by Leon Pantenburg

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After my first week on the Mississippi River, I sent three fishing rods and a large tackle box home. After seven days of fishing and catching many walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegills, I didn't anticipate needing anything but a medium-action, fast-tip, seven-foot spinning rod, a Mitchell 300 reel

The basis of a very effective group of survival fishing lures is the simple, leadhead jig. From top is a quarter, eighth and sixteenth ounce jig (Pantenburg photos)

with six-pound line and a box of spinners and leadhead jigs.
This selection served me well the rest of the way down the 2,500 miles of the river. I never went hungry because I couldn't catch a fish and my go-to lure was a 1/8-ounce jig, tipped with a three-inch yellow Mr. Twister. (To read the story, click on my end-to-end Mississippi River canoe voyage.)
When putting together a survival kit, you must to carefully weigh the value of the components. A common question is about fishing lures: Is there one lure that can catch everything?
First, though, remember that survival fishing is not sport fishing. If you must catch fish to survive, use the most effective method available, legal or not.
Hook and line sport fishing techniques may not be particularly effective in a survival situation. In fact, it may be a waste of really valuable time if you're fishing when a better choice might be to gather firewood, improve a shelter, or set up signals.
You also need to figure out the return on your calorie investment. If you must expend 300 calories to catch a fish that can only supply 100 calories, you're going to end up with an energy deficit.
So the choice of the best survival lure depends on the situation, location and water conditions. Talk to several fisherpeople and you'll probably get that many opinions.
My best all-around nomination is for the leadhead jig, and here's why:
Inexpensive: The jig is nothing more than a hook with a gob of lead near the eyelet. I pour my own, ranging in weight

These 1/8-ounce jig lures were improvised from available materials. The bodies in both are composed of wool yarn. The top lure tail is a marabou feather, and the bottom tail a pheasant feather. Both these patterns are proven and effective.

from 1/32-ounce to 1/4-ounce, in several styles. Several years ago, the guys in the print shop at the newspaper gave me about 20 pounds of old linetype lead. My jigs cost the price of the hooks, and whatever electricity it takes to run my melting pot.
You can buy bulk leadheads at any sporting goods store, and the bodies are so inexpensive, you can stock up on different colors, styles and sizes.
Versatile: I tip jigs with virtually anything, from plastic twister tail grub bodies, to hair and feathers. Since I hunt, I have a lifetime supply of deer, elk and squirrel tails, and the feathers from a variety of game birds. Depending on the species of fish and circumstances, I can make just about any type of jig necessary. Part of the fun of fishing is catching something on a homemade lure!
Effectiveness: The jig is designed to mimic a minnow, or represent some other food source. Sometimes, a properly-fished jig will cause a reflexive strike for a game fish. While I have a tackle box full of various lures, I generally start out with a jig, and seldom have reason to switch.
Color: Start out with a basic selection of black, white and chartreuse, and those colors will probably do the job. My favorite color on the Mississippi River was yellow. My top producer color on Oregon's John Day River is motor oil or brown. Black is always a contender. Experiment in your area, and you'll be able to dial in your color preferences.

This pocket-sized box holds all the lures I need for a day of smallmouth bass fishing on Oregon's John Day River.

Fishing technique for a jig can depend on the circumstances. The most effective method, IMHO, is to cast the lure out, and bounce it off the bottom. You will lose a lot of jigs like this, but if you aren't hitting snags or rocks, you aren't prospecting where the fish are.
Another method is a steady retrieve, with periodic twitches. A favorite panfishing method that also works well for steelhead trout is to attach a jig a few feet under a bobber or float.
Like any survival technique, the more you practice, the more effective you will be. And to be required to practice fishing...well, worse things can happen!

Survival gear review: The Platypus collapsible water bottle

Carrying enough water to prevent dehydration should be a no-brainer. But suppose you don't want the bulk and weight of extra containers? One option might be the Platypus collapsible water bottle.
by Leon Pantenburg

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Many survival manuals devote space to improvising water containers. And if you haven't planned ahead, or get into an unexpected situation, that may be necessary.

This combination of water bottles works well. The rigid Nalgene in the middle is used for drinking and the Paltypus soft bottle are used to carry extra water. (Pantenburg photo

But one of the easiest way to carry extra water storage bottles is to get a collapsible Platypus. These range in size from a few ounces to multi-gallon sizes.
I've been carrying some variation of the Platypus bottle for several years. Here are some aspects I like about the collapsible containers:
Price: A Platypus will set you back about $12 for a 1.2 liter bottle. That's cheap for a water bottle that can last years with reasonable care.
Durability: I've been using a couple of Platypus bottles for several years, and they are holding up fine. In my case, a Platypus is generally carried rolled up as a backup in desert hiking. If there is a need to gather extra water, it will work well. You can break anything, of couse, but as long as you take reasonable care not to puncture it, the bottle should have an infinite lifespan.
Portability: With a collapsible, you can push the air out, and the bottle takes up only the space that the water needs. This

Add captionThe Frontier Pro water filter gravity system worked really well to filter some strong coffee! The filter fits on the Platypus collapsible and allows gravity water filtering. (Pantenburg photo)

means you can pack it in oddly-shaped empty places in your pack. A Platypus also has a flat bottom, so it will stand by itself.
Convenience: You can carry a rolled-up Platypus in a brief case or purse, and breeze right through an airport security station. Once past the Homeland Security people, you can fill the Platypus from a water fountain and carry water with you. I can carry a couple rolled-up Platypus bottles (weight: about an ounce or so) in my daypack or briefcase and never know they're there.
A Platypus is one of those unique survival items you'll never know you needed until you get one. A Platypus is a sound investment for your urban and wilderness survival kits.