The propane stove is one of the most popular type of backpacking stove because they’re very easy to use and lightweight. However, what is commonly refered to as a propane stove is a cartridge stove.

A cartridge stove or cannister stove is fueled by an interchangeable metal cannister containing pressurized, liquefied gas in amounts from 3.5 ounces to 1 pound. The type of gas used can either be propane, butane or isobutane.

Butane is the safest fuel of the three because it doesn’t vaporize as easily but they don’t perform very well in cold weather. In the summer, however, a butane stove is a popular choice.

In truth, butane fuel is commonly blended with propane and/or isobutane. Both propane and isobutane vaporizes at a lower temperature so they perform better in cold weather.

Isobutane vaporizes at 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celcius) and butane vaporizes at 31 degrees Fahrenheit (-0.5 degrees Celcius). What this means is that at 14 degrees, isobutane is in vapor form and can be burned while butane at the same temperature is in liquid form which makes it useless.

Propane on the other hand vaporizes at -47 degrees Fahrenheit (-44 degrees Celcius) so propane stoves perform better than the other two in cold temperatures but not the safest in warmer temperatures. Though you might still want to consider a liquid fuel camp stove at high altitudes.

However, pure propane stoves are not very common because propane is so volatile that it may not be safe in the small, thin-walled cartridges. Fuel cartridges are usually a blend of mostly propane and butane. The ideal mix is something that burns hot while maintaining pressure without being too volatile.

Using a camp stove inside a tent is not recommended practice for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning but some mountaineers do it when it’s difficult to fire up the stove outside in harsh weather. This is safer with a cartridge stove because liquid fuel stoves tend to flare up high and can be quite unpredictable.

If you use a propane stove in extremely cold weather, you might have to warm up the stove first by putting it under your armpit or between your thighs before you attempt to fire it up. A common pratice in the morning is to wake up just enough to stuff the stove under your armpit and then going back to sleep. When you wake up, you’ll have a camp stove ready to use.