I'm going on a 2-week road trip around the Southwest. I see there's one full propane canister included in some of the Basecamp Outdoor Gear rental packages. Do I need to purchase more or will the 1 cylinder last me the entire time?
Is there a place to recycle empty fuel canisters anywhere in the west? Will anyone take my leftover fuel if the canister isn't empty? I don't want to throw it out in the regular dumpster. Seems dangerous and not very environmentally-friendly.
Good point! The American West is not yet very advanced with recycling practices. Some national parks have camp fuel specific recycling bins at the campground, but not all. Does anyone reading this know which parks specifically?
If your fuel canister is empty, and you don't find a place to recycle it, bring it back to us at Basecamp Outdoor Gear. We're the only place in all of Las Vegas that will take the canisters, puncture them, and recycle them appropriately.
FYI Goodwill does NOT accept camp fuel canisters. They actually give us the canisters that they receive so we can get rid of it responsibly.
If your canister still has some fuel in it, first try to donate it to your camp neighbors and to park rangers. If no one wants your fuel, we'll put it on our Pay-It-Forward shelf at Basecamp and a future visitor will gladly use it!
Specifically for Havasupai trips: Please pack out all of your fuel. Do not leave anything at the campground in Havasupai! Bring everything back to Basecamp and we'll take care of it.
The amount of time camp fuel will last depends on a LOT of external factors: How powerful is your stove, is it windy, what's the air temperature, what's the elevation, what are you cooking? So we can't answer this question because it will change from use to use.
But we can say that on average, 2 people cooking breakfast and dinner on 2-burner stoves usually go through the 1lb canister in 3-4 days. So you'll need more for your 2-week trip.
HOWEVER, standard 1lb propane canisters are EVERYWHERE in the southwest. You'll find them easily in grocery stores, gas stations, even some souvenir shops. So you don't need to purchase extra from us.
PLUS, we have a pay-it-forward area with extra camp fuel that others have left for you at the end of their trips.
Does that make sense? Any questions about it?