+1 for the old 533's and their brethren.

I used an early Coleman Peak One on at least a twice-daily basis during a year-long horseback trek. Never missed a beat and I fed it a pretty varied diet ranging from Coleman Fuel, white gas, kerosene, and both leaded and unleaded gasoline oft mooched from other campers and travellers. Often these fuels were combined with one another, whichever fuel remaining in the tank was combined with whatever came available next.

I've had it for over 20 years and it's been pounded to death inside horse and mule panniers and on nearly every offroad or touring motorcycle trip I've ridden. The tank has never leaked liquid nor fumes in my luggage when allowed to properly shut down.

I'm a bit of a stove whore. I've got buckets of both the old standbys from Svea, Optimus, Trangia, etc., and a couple of "modern" rigs (Whisperlites, et al), all of which I've used at least a few times then parked them permanently, returning to that brick of a Coleman.

I only recently replaced the generator. Not due to failure, but because I figgered it might be overdue.

I've no idea how they compare with their more modern, lighter and increasingly more fragile counterparts in terms of fuel consumption and don't much care because they work. Just wanted to cheerlead for simplicity and ruggedness in whatever you may choose.

Maybe i have also to give my feedback here.

On our Trans-Africa we bought a new coleman unleaded and used with coleman fuel.



We had just two months, driving the west route. After 3-4 weeks the generator died (using coleman fuel).

We was not happy with the device. For short trips it is ok, but for extended trips it makes us mad. You have to clean the pan after each use, all is full of rus.

When you dont have unlimited water and stuff to clean and dry - you should avoid to use unleaded (also with the factory coleman fuel).

We bought a gas bottle with burner in Congo-Brazzaville - and dont look back.

Surfy

BTW: you find campinggaz bottles all over in africa

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast

Lizrd,
Like you I have beat the shit out of my MSR Wisperlight International and burned a little of everything in it.
The shaker jet works and you get used to the flame needed to get it rolling.

You can't break it unless you destroy the pump trying to rebuild it using the wrong instructions. There is a new style and an old style

A couple of days ago it wuld not run right so I completely stripped it on a picnic table, including the burner and cleaned everything with an old toothbrush. There were carbon chunks inside the burner after 15 years. I would suggest a periodic stripping and cleaning cause it's so nice when it runs right

It is running perfectly again.

One nice thing is the generator can't be clogged permanently.
And it starts in the cold or at any altitude and it burns HOT.

The weak point is the nylon pump otherwise it is bullerproof.

Many times I have emptied the separate fuel bottle into my tank to go a few extra miles.

BtW the fuel bottle is beat to shit, I use a 1 liter bottle. Sigg, no leaks but I think the MSR bottles are just as good.

Well that my story, my stove has been RTW thru Russia, Mongolia and to Sud America, all over the USA, to the Arctic Circle and so on.

My MSR Titanium Titan 2 pan kit is beat to shit too, keeps going on the stove and in the fire. No issues but the suckers have gotten real expensive.
bill

an very odd thing. I was leaning towards a coleman 533 as i have seen some in use and they look very convenient. Just did a bike rally to the French Enfield club and the guys I was with had 5 533's between them. They could never get more than two of them to work the same time. My little gaz stove worked flawlessly and was the only thing that could simmer. I am now convinced it will be my stove of choice on bike and the bigger gaz stove ( two rings and a grill) will be used when I go camping by car. I have found the primus omnifuel ( was left in my saddle bags from last trip). no inclination to use it at all.

The thing about Colemans is that there are A LOT of them knocking about. Probably all been running on petrol, leaded fuel, this n that... They get some abuse.

They too are very simple stoves and easy to work on.

Top tip is to put a cap of fuel injection cleaner in with a few tanks and clear it out.

Mine's still running great after 6 years of hard use.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

At least two of them could not hold pressure and were leaking fuel. I think from the pump.

Both very cheap, replaceable parts that are easily available.

A simple o-ring and a perhaps the pump leather.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Maybe so but it spoiled their week away to France. luckily 6 of them travelled together so they did manage to cook some things, had any of them been alone with no cooker getting the parts on their return for 2p would not have helped.

the more I look into it the more I am convinced that my little £10 gaz stove is the better choice.

Camping gaz is okay if you can buy the bottles. That ain't happening when you get out of camping shop.zones. Any bit of kit will let you down if you don't maintain it. A Coleman needs 2 quid spending on it every 5 Years.

www.touringted.com

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I use 470 canisters, they are a mix of propane and butane so will work in cold weather ( below 0C. One canister usually lasts me for a fortnight or so. I always take a spare so when I use the one on the burner I buy another spare as soon as I get the chance.

I admit I don't usually go outside of Europe, if I did my priorities might be different.
None of the groups stoves had any age to them, my £10 gaz stove is 15 years plus now. and are available easily. Certainly I could buy a new stove easier than get a part for a petrol stove.

I have a optimus novs+ I have used overland (africa) and locally.
I have run it on -
Proper stove fuel from a camp shop
petrol
paraffin
kerosene
diesel
cooking oil (blended)
Red diesel/marine gas oil
And some various blends of all of the above.

It worked well on all but takes a bit longer to get up to heat on the oils. It also says dont run it on unleaded, but I suspect thats more from the health issue as it goes fine.


I think petrol is the easiest most available and best heating to run on. But you can also chuck anything in and cook, just avoid the bottom three as red diesel particularly clogs it up after a bit!

I don't have a multi-fuel stove. I have the old standby, MSR Whisperlite.

And I burn unleaded gasoline in it. Yup. Works fine.

I've also put Coleman white gas camp stove fuel in my bike in a pinch, and it works fine too.

Jamie

Mostly my eyebrows using petrol in that bloody awful Coleman I used to have!

The dual fuel ?? 533 sportster ??

Never had eyebrow moments on the few I've used..

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I have a Trangia that uses methylated spirits and it seems fine. Dunno if its possible to use other fuels in it though. Can anyone tell me?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

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