A stove is only as good as its fuel supply, and it's worth carrying more than one way to get a flame going — canisters can run dry, and matches or lighters fail in wind and wet. Redundancy here is cheap and genuinely useful.
We've picked a screw-fit gas cartridge compatible with most UK camping stoves, solid fuel tablets as a lightweight no-canister backup, and stormproof matches that keep burning in wind and rain when a lighter won't.
A screw-fit gas canister is the fuel a portable stove actually needs — carry spares and hot food or a hot drink is always within reach, whatever the weather.
Screw-fit (EN417) canisters are the most common standard and fit the widest range of stoves. Confirm your stove takes screw-fit before buying, as pierceable canisters use a different fitting.
A propane-butane blend performs better in cold weather than pure butane, which struggles to vaporise below freezing — worth checking for winter use.
A canister that reseals when disconnected lets you swap between a spare and a part-used one without losing gas, and is safer to store and transport.
A single canister with no spare means one bad estimate leaves you without hot food or water purification. Always carry a backup on any trip longer than a day.
Gas canisters are pressurised and shouldn't be left in a hot car boot or near direct heat. Store them somewhere cool and stable.
A screw-fit butane/propane gas cartridge from a long-established outdoor cooking brand — compatible with most screw-fit camping stoves and reliable in cooler weather.
Individually wrapped solid fuel tablets that light easily, burn hot enough to boil water and store for years — compact backup fuel for camping stoves and emergency cooking.
Windproof, waterproof matches that keep burning in rain and wind — and even relight after being dipped in water. A dependable fire-starting backup for wet British weather.
A resealable butane/propane valve cartridge that fits Campingaz Bistro and Festivo stoves and lamps. The valve design means you can safely disconnect it part-used and store it, which suits an emergency stove kept for winter power cuts. Check your stove takes the CP250 valve fitting rather than a screw-thread or pierceable cartridge before buying.
Fifty natural wood-wool-and-wax firelighters that light with a single match and burn long enough to get a wood burner, stove or fire pit going, even in damp weather. They have no chemical smell, store for years and make a reliable backup for heating and cooking when the power is out. A pack lasts a long time.
A standard EN417 threaded gas canister filled with an isobutane mix that screws straight onto compact backpacking stoves such as the MSR PocketRocket or Jetboil. The isobutane blend performs better in the cold than plain butane, which matters for autumn and winter cooking. Primus is a long-established Swedish stove-and-fuel specialist.
Solid fuel blocks that light easily and burn cleanly, handy both for starting a wood burner and as emergency cooking fuel with a folding stove. FireDragon is widely used by UK cadets and campers because the tablets light even when damp and store indefinitely.
Butane cartridges for portable camping stoves, heaters and blow torches — the fuel that keeps an off-grid stove running when the hob won't. Worth keeping a few spares in the cupboard so a power cut doesn't also mean cold meals. Check they match your stove's fitting before buying, and remember butane struggles in near-freezing temperatures, so keep canisters warm in winter.
Refined liquid fuel (white gas) for Coleman dual-fuel and liquid-fuel stoves and lanterns. It keeps burning in the cold when gas canisters lose pressure, which makes it a sensible backup for off-grid cooking through winter. One litre keeps a liquid-fuel stove running across plenty of meals.
Standard butane gas canisters that fit the common bayonet-fit portable camping stoves, blowtorches and burners used for off-grid cooking. Worth keeping a few spares in the cupboard so a power cut or gas outage doesn't leave you unable to boil water or heat food. Check they match your stove's fitting before buying, as these use the push-in cartridge type rather than a screw thread.
Wax-coated wood wool firelighters that catch from a single match or spark and burn long enough to get damp kindling or a stove going. They're a cleaner, more reliable alternative to paraffin blocks and don't taint food the way some fuels can, which makes them handy for an emergency cook set as well as the wood burner. Keep a few sealed in your fire kit as wet-weather backup for a fire steel or matches.
Eight Campingaz CP250 valve cartridges — the resealable, puncture-proof type used by Campingaz Bleuet stoves and lanterns. Worth stockpiling so an off-grid stove or lantern keeps running through a long power cut or a run of camping trips. Only fits appliances built for the CP250 valve fitting, not screw-thread EN417 burners.
EN417 screw-fit butane canisters for portable camping and emergency stoves. Keeping a few spares in the cupboard means you can still boil water and cook if the power or gas supply drops. Check the thread matches your stove before you buy — EN417 is the common screw-on standard.
A 100g screw-on gas canister blended for better cold-weather performance than basic butane. It's the fuel to keep in reserve for a Jetboil or any standard threaded canister stove so you're not caught out mid-brew. Small enough to tuck a spare into a grab bag.
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