I've been pretty nervous whenever we head into the hurricane season. I'm wanting to get the extra canned goods, water, etc. Art on the other hand hasn't been quite as frantic as me.
However, with climate change happening and more violent weather possible (not to mention that Hurricane Preparedness workshop we attended), he's agreeing with me that we need to take a few more precautions.
He's always said that if we ever experience a catastrophe where we need to cook something, he can use the charcoal grill. Well, I can't see us using the charcoal grill every time we need to boil some water.
So like he always does, he started researching options. I was telling him we needed to get a propane stove. He felt butane would be better. But I thought everybody was buying propane.
Well... Long's Drugs (CVS with the long receipts) had a sale. The $33 stove was down to $17.99. The Butane canisters were on sale for $1.29. Pretty good. Apparently the canisters are good for 5-7 years.
I just looked up the differences and found this on the Natgaz website.
Most of the reasoning for butane over propane was because we don't have to worry about cold weather and we can then store the canisters in the house.
Next time we get a hurricane alert, I'll go buy more canisters of butane and yes, a few more cans of spam. (I should tell you we rarely eat spam. Once the hurricane season is over, we donate a lot of the food to the food bank.)
However, with climate change happening and more violent weather possible (not to mention that Hurricane Preparedness workshop we attended), he's agreeing with me that we need to take a few more precautions.
He's always said that if we ever experience a catastrophe where we need to cook something, he can use the charcoal grill. Well, I can't see us using the charcoal grill every time we need to boil some water.
So like he always does, he started researching options. I was telling him we needed to get a propane stove. He felt butane would be better. But I thought everybody was buying propane.
Well... Long's Drugs (CVS with the long receipts) had a sale. The $33 stove was down to $17.99. The Butane canisters were on sale for $1.29. Pretty good. Apparently the canisters are good for 5-7 years.
I just looked up the differences and found this on the Natgaz website.
DIFFERENCES
- Propane has a lower boiling point than butane so it will continue to convert from a liquid to a gas even in very cold conditions, down to -45ºC. When stored as a liquid in a tank, it exerts a greater pressure than Butane at the same temperature. So Propane, as an LPG, is most suitable for exterior storage and use. Its ability to operate in low temperatures makes it the most suitable LPG for many applications. Propane is widely used as a fuel source for domestic and commercial heating, hot water and cooking. It also has a wide range of uses in industry and agriculture. When the fuel needs to be stored for a long time, propane is a better choice than butane. When people need to go camping, hiking or mountain climbing, especially in cold weather, propane is preferred over butane as a fuel for cooking.
- Butane has the lower vapor pressure at equivalent temperatures and is suitable for interior use or outside during the summer. Butane is a very common fuel among leisure users and owners of portable heaters and is known to be cheaper than Propane.
Most of the reasoning for butane over propane was because we don't have to worry about cold weather and we can then store the canisters in the house.
Next time we get a hurricane alert, I'll go buy more canisters of butane and yes, a few more cans of spam. (I should tell you we rarely eat spam. Once the hurricane season is over, we donate a lot of the food to the food bank.)
It’s best to be prepared and looks like the whole planet is in for some wacky weather!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't known that there are 2 options.
ReplyDeleteWon't that food last more than one year?
ReplyDeleteWe went to CVA last night and our receipt was 4 foot ten inches. G says we have to try harder.
Thank you for confirming my impression of the preferred... Thanks Art
ReplyDeleteGood for you that you are preparing now! Usually we Hawaii people sit back and relax until we get notice of impending hurricanes and then we panic and buy up the supplies in stores and cause major shortages and rudeness. A generator would be good, but then I wouldn't know how to use it. I wonder our solar voltaic system that feed into the Hawaiian Electric monopoly. Would we be able to use our own power?
ReplyDeleteWell done. Don't forget fruitcake:)) I don't think that even has an expiration date. Fruitcake and spam---yum.
ReplyDeleteI don't have an alternate method of heating or cooking.
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me that we should see about getting a propane stove for emergencies. We have electric everything, and when it's out, well, we have no way to cook or heat anything. Thanks for the information about the difference between propane and butane. I didn't know that. :-)
ReplyDeleteI am glad I don't have to worry about a hurricane. Only tornado here in Kansas.
ReplyDeleteWe have an old Coleman camp stove and a gas BBQ grill. We're covered, as long as the tanks are full. :-/
ReplyDeleteWhen I couldn't afford a real barbeque grill, I had a little camping one, and used about 2 of those green propane tanks a summer. You got a good deal at CVS. After you look at the receipts or possible cash bucks, you can burn the rest of the long receipt. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteSounds like propane would be popular in Canada.
ReplyDelete