Review of the Flip Fuel Transfer Device for Alpine Climbing, Backpacking, and Camping Fuel Canisters
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Let’s say you get roughly 90 minutes of burn time from your full 227g (or 220g in some fuel mixtures) canister. That’s about 2.5g of fuel per minute.
But now, let’s also factor in packaging. A typical canister of this size weighs something more like 380g, when you count the metal canister, itself. Let’s just call it 160g of packaging weight, to keep round numbers.
So, a full 380g produces 90 minutes of burn time. That’s about 4.2g per minute. Let’s imagine we have a half full canister: 160g of packaging plus 110g of fuel. So, we are getting 45 minutes for a total weight cost of 270g. That’s about 6g per minute of burn time. At a quarter-full canister, we have 55g of fuel for a total weight of 215g and only 28 minutes of burn time. That’s 7.7g per minute. In other words, when you get to a quarter-full canister, you are getting a weight-to-use efficiency that is three-times worse (2.5g times 3 equals 7.5g) than when the canister is full.
Another way to look at it: with a full canister, 42% of your weight is not fuel (160 divided by 380); with a half-full canister, 59% of your weight is not fuel (160 divided by 270); and at a quarter-full, over 74% of the weight is just packaging (AKA not something you can use to light your stove).
For pursuits like alpine climbing and backpacking that places such a premium on efficiency, multiuse tools, and limiting weight, this seems almost absurd.
It gets even more obviously a problem if I start adding in multiple canisters. How many times have I taken two half-full canisters just to be able to use up the fuel. In this simple scenario, it is still 59% of the weight that is packaging, but the total weight is going up. I have 540g of weight and only 220g of fuel. That’s a full 160g of extra weight over taking one full canister.
Let’s put that in comparative terms. That a ultralight rain jacket’s weight. That’s a meal. That’s more than an extra pair of socks. That’s five carabiners. In other words, I could be getting some more value for that weight.
So, why shouldn’t I just take the one full canister if that’s how much fuel I think I’ll need?
Well, money. I’d have to have a new canister for the trip, and that has a cost.
So, while there are very real downsides to refilling canisters of fuel, many of which I cover towards the tail end of this video, there are some real upsides. That’s where the FlipFuel transfer device comes in. I can quite regularly save either the extra weight of the additional, partially-filled canister or save the money I would spend buying a new canister. It is also simple to use. So, if I’m willing to accept the (I think) very limited risks of moving compressed fuel across containers, I have found quite a simple way to help improve that weight-efficiency I was talking about, earlier.
Check out the video and think about if the benefits outweigh the risks for your outdoor adventures.