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Gas Growler

12K views 48 replies 20 participants last post by  Whitewater Worthy Equip 
#1 ·
Just saw an ad for this, basically a 5lb propane tank with a koozie and an adapter, for $150. Boating season is winding down, time to debate the merits of overpriced gear.

https://ignik.com/pages/gas-growler
 
#3 ·
That's not the big bonus, the Molle webbing is what adds to the value of the $30.00 bottle, it's the fact that you can clip your stove to it, and carabiner all your cooking utensils to the bottle, having them ready should you have to make a long hike to camp, you can also hang your stereo from the bottle, and as the ad states, if you're a commercial outfitter, you can hang your drift boat heater from it too.



By the time you're done, you can have a couple hundred pounds hanging from your 5 lb propane bottle LOL
 
#4 ·
Ya, kind of freeking steep for what it is!
Bet someone that’s good with a sewing machine, could make a custom sleeve for a 5 pound tank for $25 bucks.

The smaller tanks are pretty awesome though.
I got a 15 pound from my local Murdoch’s, and it’s my new favorite tank for the shorter trips.
They also were selling a heavy duty sized green can, that refills like a big tank, and they had the adapter and a stand for refilling the old green canisters, to.
Like everything at my local Murdoch’s, over priced by at least 30%, but not as bad as that one!
 
#5 ·
I have found Murdoch’s to be the best price for filling tanks. It’s a total loss leader, cause you go wonder around the store, while your waiting, and hopefully buy something, but a great price on the refill, and there usually open on weekends.
 
#7 ·
$55ish for a new 5lb tank. $10-$20 for a hose. Both just standard crap you can get off Amazon with 1 click.

The rest of the $75 or $85 lays on the tank koozie, it’s quality and functionality. Unfortunately, the site does a pretty piss poor job talking about the only unique part to the package. Instead of selling it’s features, they just show some dude dumping green bottles in the trash.

$75-85 seem pretty reasonable to me, overall though if there’s some decent quality built in there.

Anybody got links to other better koozie options? I really didn’t come up with much on google beyond whitewater worthy stuff or the other end, Outland stuff at $30 or so and for 20lbers. Honestly, I’d like to see the other non ghetto options out there.
 
#12 ·
I like the green bottles, I can fit 2 inside the stove and close it up. Makes for a tidy little package and 2 tanks last a long weekend with plenty to spare.


I only take a bigger tank if I am going out for more than 4 days


Also I shoot a hole in the green tanks when they are done and they go to the scrapyard, who I am sure recycles them as scrap metal.
 
#17 ·
12 times I think...



That's a good idea, why did I not think about that?? The bottle on the left has been refilled about 12x. At lucky 13x's they tend to blow up, just giving you shit MNichols. My friend refills them, so I have bought very few over the years, yes we're old farts. It's very compact and handy set up, I have used this stove on 2 to 3 day river trips. The original red, white gas tank rusted out.....At 150$ bucks give me two also.
 

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#13 ·
Recently I have refilled the 1# canisters with phenomenal success using the over the counter device when used as directed.

I'll do a detail on that soon but to summarize, sixteen ounces out and sixteen ounce plus or minus back in suggesting infinite life.
 
#16 ·
And there are kits sold for refilling the things...

The old farts that I know, that have been jury rigging it for twenty years, have yet to be blown up. They have blown up other things, like potato guns, and cans of laquer thinner that they were squirting onto a roaring fire, but still haven’t blown themselves up with the old green cans, at least not yet, anyways....
 
#18 ·
Flame King makes a 1lb. bottle specifically designed to be refillable...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKvxlhiKfFA

Seems like its just a better built version of the green Coleman ones you get at the grocery store with a better bleed valve. The system seems nice with the fill valve and all that.

I'd agree...I'd love to hear an actual story of a "one time use" 1lb blowing up when someone refilled it.

Definitely don't need a $100 bag for my $50 propane tank.
 
#21 ·
I am not sure I'd want an insulating cozy for my five-pound bottle, especially if I'm trying to run the Woodland Power Stove, and especially at higher BTU. Woodland recommends at least ten-pound bottles to maintain good flow rate. There's not enough head space over the liquid in a five-pound bottle for the blaster to run effectively. It's the headspace that makes the pressure and makes the gas flow to the stove. As the liquid vaporizes, it cools. As it cools, flow is reduced. I want some ambient heat to be able to get to my bottle to keep the gas flowing.


If it's just to protect the bottle (and raft) during transport, that's not a bad idea. It wouldn't be too hard to make one out of neoprene. Just take the bottle out before use. I like my little bottle, but we need two of them if we want to run a stove AND blaster. A 20-pounder can easily run both. I keep threatening to buy a Ragasco, but I'm kind of waiting a little while longer until my 20-pounder needs to get a hydro, then I'll retire it and get a 10 or 17 pound lightweight bottle.
 
#23 ·
MNichols, thanks for the article and education. I stand corrected and my apology.

Yes, it was winter. The original article is dated Feb 6, 2012 from Minnesota.

This guy violated many of the specific instructions for using the refill system.
1. He refilled indoors.
2. He refilled while having a nearby flame otherwise why did it ignite.
3. If he was dumb enough to violate 1 and 2 he likely did many other violations. For example, maybe the tank was old and rusty since in Minnesota it was on its 100th refill cause it was used on a heater in an ice fishing shed?????

None the less, I have ordered "refillable" 1# tanks now that I know they exist. Hence, if I get blow to hell and killed I stand a better chance of winning a lawsuit.
 
#26 ·
MNichols, thanks for the article and education. I stand corrected and my apology.

This guy violated many of the specific instructions for using the refill system.
.

No apology necessary, I can't say never, but I almost always have some providence and ability to back up what I write. I came across quite a few other incidents as well, one notable one from Washington where coffee shop woman died.



Both parties violated the non refillable rule, just because they make a device to refill the little bombs, doesn't mean you should use it.
 
#24 ·
5# tanks aren't only $30, they commonly retail at $60.

20# tanks are $30.


If you find a 5/10/11# tank for under $40, grab it, it's a nice size.
I don't see much benefit to a 5# tank over a 10# tank; they're nearly the same size, but 10# obviously holds 2x as much.


If you can find a used 5/10/11# tank, they're only ~$10 to recertify or $20 for a new valve.
 
#28 ·
I got in my 1# refillables. I bought two and they are very nice!

Now what do I do? I just refilled seven of the non-refillables. That is about a three year supply or more.

I will let you know if the process works in reverse, that is, putting the propane from the little bottles back into the big bottle. If you don't hear from me again you can likely assume what happened.

Or, does anyone want to buy refilled canisters in the Golden area for only the price of the propane? The stats for each tank are neatly labled on the side; i.e. refill date, empty weight, full weight, difference.
 
#29 ·
Now what do I do? I just refilled seven of the non-refillables. That is about a three year supply or more.

If you read the fine print, it's not illegal to refill them, it's just illegal to transport refilled containers.


As MNichols noted, failure is possible due to "Repeated contraction and expansion causes the thinwall metal to fatigue and possibly rupture." I would also posit that both the fill and relief valves are pretty shitty, and the fill valves don't always seat properly after filling, and the relief valves may not reliably vent multiple times.


I will let you know if the process works in reverse, that is, putting the propane from the little bottles back into the big bottle. If you don't hear from me again you can likely assume what happened.
So..if they're not leaking, just store them in a safe place and use them up. Mine pretty much only get used for camp stove duty on overnights, and for my propane torch.

Or, does anyone want to buy refilled canisters in the Golden area for only the price of the propane? The stats for each tank are neatly labled on the side; i.e. refill date, empty weight, full weight, difference.
Toss them in the campfire! (kidding?)
 
#41 ·
I have a 5#, 11#, and some 13# tanks. And I've gotten rid of the old 20# tanks. They're just heavy enough to be a bother in my dotage. I'm in my 8th decade. In all those decades in the out-of-doors, I have yet to see a tank worn or damaged in normal usage to the point where I wouldn't be happy to use it. The paint gets scuffed, and that is cosmetic only.
I saw a mess of tanks declared out of date by the Federales'. (I'd like to know how much grease THAT cost Manchester propane tank co! ) I did see a couple of them left outdoors in the dirt and rusted through, and I saw a skid-steer knock the valve off a 20 gallon tank. (interesting results... near dead employees suddenly came alive!)
This kozie and a hose thing? $150?? That, My Friend, is a Giant Rip-Off! And anybody who tries to sell you that package should be told why they have lost your business! It's a rip-off. They know it. They still try to sell it. I'm gone ... I don't want to deal with a company whose people would rip me off.
On a lighter note ... oh hell ... I'd better not talk about all the things I've done with propane tanks ... the statute of limitations for some things ...!
 
#44 ·
I do not disagree that they are expensive. Unfortunately, they are also a huge pain is the ass to make and take way longer than you would expect. It’s like wrestling a wet noodle up a Hipo’s ass.

I created these after the Lite fiberglass tanks folded and cost us $500 +. I personally am not going to gamble on another fiberglass tank after taking such a hit.

If someone wants to buy a bunch of them it would help on the price point but most people don’t need 10 propane tanks.
 
#47 ·
jeffro,

Thanks for the clarification about the intention of your post, but I didn't feel like you were trying to piss in my Wheaties. My response was intended to inform the community why they are so expensive. Truthfully they are really only for those that have some disposable income. I wouldn't have bought before I became middle aged either.

Now lets burn some skis and and open the storm doors for a great winter season.
 
#48 ·
It appears that you make a bomber product, the problem I'm struggling with is for another 30 bucks you can buy a Viking Composite tank, the upside to this is you lose all the weight of the steel tank. I bit the bullet 2 years ago and bought 4 of them, absolutely love them.
 
#49 ·
I really enjoyed my lite cylinders right up until the DOT recalled them and the company folded leaving all its customers high and dry. It’s not worth 5lbs of steel and the risk of another cluster to ME. You don’t have a agree me and both points of view are valid.


Send snow!!!!
 
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