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.
A portable stove is only as useful as the fuel behind it. A hot meal or hot drink does more for morale and body temperature in cold or wet conditions than almost anything else in a kit, and that's only possible with gas in reserve.
Carrying a spare canister, not just the one already on the stove, is what turns a single trip's cooking into genuine resilience — for an extended camp, a delayed return, or a home emergency where the mains supply is down.
Pair it with a screw-fit portable stove for cooking on the trail, at camp, or as a backup cooking method at home during a power cut. Always cook in a ventilated space — never run a gas stove in an enclosed tent or room.
Check the canister isn't empty before a trip by weighing it or shaking it, and always carry a spare on longer trips — running out of gas is a common and entirely avoidable failure.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A single-burner butane stove that runs on Campingaz CP250 cartridges, giving you a stable 2,200W ring for boiling water or cooking a hot meal when the power is off. It sits flat on a sturdy outdoor surface and packs into its own carry case, which makes it a practical backup for camping and longer winter outages.
A twin-burner gas stove that lets you cook a proper meal off-grid or during a power cut, running from standard Campingaz gas. The two 2000W burners take normal pans thanks to removable supports, and the frame folds flat for storage. It needs its own gas supply and good ventilation, so it is for the garden or a well-aired space, never indoor use.
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.
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.
An oversized ferrocerium rod that throws a shower of hot sparks to light tinder, a stove or a storm kettle when matches are damp or gone. The extra-large 152mm rod is easier to grip in cold hands and lasts for thousands of strikes, and unlike a lighter it still works soaking wet. It takes a little practice to get consistent sparks, so try it before you rely on it.
A compact pot-and-pan set with a heat-exchanger base that grips more of the flame's heat, so water boils faster and burns less gas. It nests down small and is a sensible upgrade over a bare mess tin if off-grid cooking is part of your plan. Good for a camping trip or for feeding the household on a stove during a longer outage.
Compact camping stove for boiling water and cooking food. Essential for hot meals and water purification.
A lightweight aluminium or titanium mess tin serves as cooking pot, eating vessel, water boiler, and storage container. The original multi-use survival item that has equipped soldiers and explorers for generations.
A calm UK guide to feeding your household during a power cut or off-grid: no-cook food, safe camping stoves used outdoors only, and the deadly carbon monoxide risk.
How to build and maintain an emergency food supply using readily available UK supermarket products — covering shelf life, calorie planning, storage conditions, and rotation strategies.
A practical UK winter home kit for the first three days of a storm, power cut, cold snap or water disruption, with calm priorities and sensible gear.
