see also:

• bushwalking in Australia
• hot water and showers for campers
• heaters for camping
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane,_butane,_and_LPG_container_valve_connections

• “Universal LPG appliances” can use butane, propane or a mixture of both
• other appliances are designed to use only ONE of propane, butane or natural gas

• LPG stands for Liquefied Petroleum Gas and this may refer to propane (as it usually is in Australia), butane or a mixture of both
• n-butane has a boiling point of -0.5degC and at 21deg is stored in cylinders or cartridges at 215kPa
• iso-butane has a boiling point of -11.7degC and at 21deg is stored in cylinders or cartridges at 310kPa
• propane has a boiling point of -42degC and at 21deg is stored in cylinders or cartridges at 860kPa hence requires extra strong and heavy cylinders but is better than butane in sub-zero temperatures
• natural gas is methane and appliances operate at much lower pressures than LPG (1.1kPa vs 2.75kPa)

• whilst you can use appliances with different fitting to the bottle via adapters such as 3/8”BSP–POL, these add extra connections and thus extra risk of gas leaks - so check the fitting before use
• you cannot in any instance join two gas hoses together as this can be dangerous
• you cannot lengthen the hose of a high-pressure stove but you can lengthen the hose of a low-pressure stove
• if the appliance came with a gas regulator (usually pre-set to 2.8kPa) then this should be used and this creates a low pressure system - no regulator is a high pressure system
  • caravans often have this regulator at the gas cylinder and thus you don't need to add extra regulators into the system for each appliance connected to the gas line - these must be fitted by licensed gas fitters.
• some principles regarding LPG gas cylinders
  • it is not legal to store an LPG gas inside the car except for a short trip to and from a refill
    • it may leak creating an explosion risk within an enclosed car cabin or in a roof pod
  • it is not legal to refill a cylinder that is more than 10yrs old you less it is re-certified
  • they must be stored upright and out of direct sun
  • avoid storing them on your vehicle in an impact zone - most transport them on the roof rack - perhaps tied down in a milk crate - check your local regulations!
  • they are heavy a 1.25kg gas bottle actually weighs around 4kg when full
  • they are hard to judge how empty they are

• this is used on larger 4-9kg cylinders such as those at service stations, Swap'n'Go, etc

• this is used on smaller 1-4kg cylinders such as Companion brand cylinders

• proprietary fitting used on Primus bottles that has an internal fitting that only allows gas to flow once the fitting is fully inserted into the cylinder

• a new fitting which will replace POL and improves safety

• BOM fitting cartridges
  • designed for BOM fittings on portable appliances
• threaded puncture cartridges
  • eg. Jetboil JetPower (propane/isobutane mix)
  • eg. Companion butane Pro-Fuel cartridge
• aerosol can style butane canisters
  • eg. Companion butane Pro-Fuel cartridge

• these are used to ensure you use the correct hose eg. cast iron burners

• used to connect to BOM propane cartridges eg. Coleman
• can be used with LPG cylinders via BOM to POL and BOM to 3/8″ LH adapters

• threaded brass pipe fitting for gas or water connections
• external dimension of female is 1“
• internal dimension of female is 25/32”

• designed for more rapid connect/disconnect