***UPDATE: I did find the old style Coleman basic two burner stove with the regular tank (not requiring the ridiculous NON-recyclable propane tanks) available new online. I wish the higher enders were also thus available.
Seriously, how can a person drive five hours to enjoy the fresh breeze over lake Michigan (wind must not be coming from Chicago), and then pull out one of those rotten, non-recyclable Coleman (hisss-boooooo) propane cylinders for the gas stove to whip up some beef stroganoff? I mean, that's like thanking a friend for a lovely dinner party by defecating on their white couch (Do all my posts work "poo" in them? Yes, they do).
I mean we go camping and enjoy the sunset over a glistening lake, the haunting call of a loon, the piney, clean air, and we say thanks by cooking with a propane tank that is essentially one-and-done: Use it, and throw it away in the landfill.
That's a strange tip to throw in God's jar, is all I am saying.
Specifically, I am talking about Coleman's (and other knock off brand's) 16.4 ounce propane cylinders that seem to be required now for so many gas grills, lamps, and heaters on camping trips (see picture below). These little tanks are easy to store and oh so more convenient than slopping some liquid gas into that old-school grill. I admit, they are wonderfully easy to pack and use.
But, as I said, when you are done, and I take this following information from the Coleman site I visited today (8/30/13), unless you can find a recycling center that will take them (I couldn't) you burn off the excess gas and toss them in the landfill.
Coleman admits in writing that there are not many recycling programs that will accept the little buggers, and, indeed, I called my recycling center and got two different responses: One, I could saw them in half, and they would take them. (Riiiiiight. Pretty sure my life insurance doesn't cover sawing metal, combustible gas containers in half--I mean my LIFE insurance.) To be fair, maybe the 1 gram of propane Coleman says will be left after burn off doesn't pose a threat, but, when I called my center again today, they flat out said they wouldn't take them. I asked them why, and they couldn't exactly tell me, but more or less said because the leftover gas is hazardous--which is exactly why I won't be sawing them in half anytime soon, and if YOU decide to, let me know so I can keep the cat in.
I like to give folks a chance, so I emailed Coleman to let them know that I would gladly pay an extra $5 a bottle (because I admit, they are so darn convenient) if that meant having a responsible recycling program.
tick-tock tick-tock ........ They still haven't gotten back unless maybe my spam blocker's hypocrisy filter stopped the return email. I mean, here is a company predicated on creating things for people to enjoy nature, whose product destroys nature. Yeah, maybe even my computer got offended by that one.
Am I being a little too alarmist? Do a little mental math with me a moment: Take yourself back to the last state camp ground you stayed in: How many sites did it have? 200 or so? How many of those folks were cooking or heating or lighting something with Coleman cylinders (drum roll--perhaps a drum roll on an empty Coleman cylinder since that's all they are good for)--Uhhhh about all of them. Except for the enlightened folks with wood stoves or MSR whisperlites, but more about that later.
Really, let's guess 3/4 of the campers use Coleman cylinders. That's 175. Maybe those 175 sites use two bottles a piece. That's 350. Multiply 350 by visitors switching out about every three or four days, and you get....well, about a bazillion bottles give or take seven. All filling up the landfills.
May as well go buy a Hummer.
I am aware of devices that purport to refill these little propane tanks. Maybe they work. But, look, Coleman puts a warning right on their literature essentially saying, "Don't refill this, idiot. It's dangerous." And I believe them. Seriously, you don't want to mess with a nozzle that is NOT designed to restrict pressure upon being refilled. Just imagine sudden nozzle failure while you are letting your six year old help flip the buckwheat pancakes.
Yeah.
This all brings me to the real point of my post:
My camping family has grown to six.
Before now, we've relied on my trusty, BEAUTIFUL MSR Whisperlite stove with the fillable, utterly recyclable fuel bottle.(See picture below: You fill the red tank with fuel when you want it. If the tank ever wears out, any recycling place would gladly take the high grade metal--as all you have to do is unscrew the lid to know there is no hazardous material inside).
The problem for the family camper is that the Whisperlite is designed for DNKS (double income, no kids couples) who are spending their sabbatical from Brown University walking the Apalachian Trail. There they are sitting on Klingman's Dome cooking risotto and asparagus.
Lovely. Happy for them. Nothing wrong with that.
But, I now have four children chucking pine cones at each other while I am trying to heat up two-pounds of beans on a stove. I need something more stable and with more burners.
And I need something that DOESN'T use Coleman propane cylinders (unless they start some sort of real recycling program).
The search is on.
Pics: My current stove. OTher: Evil cylinders.
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