Pressurized Fuel Training

[King Ding Dong]

In my council "pressurized fuel training" is required for adults to light a propane stove. I attended a UofS class on camp stoves a couple of years ago and received my training card. Unfortunately the class was mostly "look at my huge collection camp stoves" or at least that's all I remember. At a camporee last fall with another troop some Scouter were scrambling to find some matches because they reminding each other that you cannot use pressured fuel (bic stick lighter) to ignite pressurized fuel (Coleman propane stove). Anyone know the rational behind this ?

[perdidochas]

Can't use a bic stick lighter to ignite a propane stove? Wow, I've been doing it wrong forever.

[Gone]

In my council "pressurized fuel training" is required for adults to light a propane stove. I attended a UofS class on camp stoves a couple of years ago and received my training card. Unfortunately the class was mostly "look at my huge collection camp stoves" or at least that's all I remember. At a camporee last fall with another troop some Scouter were scrambling to find some matches because they reminding each other that you cannot use pressured fuel (bic stick lighter) to ignite pressurized fuel (Coleman propane stove). Anyone know the rational behind this ?

Silly question, but didn't the rocket scientists in your council requiring this training give you guys the reason you should use matches and not lighters? One would think that would have been the main idea of the course, if in fact that was the key safety issue they wanted to address.

[walk in the woods]

At a camporee last fall with another troop some Scouter were scrambling to find some matches because they reminding each other that you cannot use pressured fuel (bic stick lighter) to ignite pressurized fuel (Coleman propane stove). Anyone know the rational behind this ?

 

Rational? If you can't light a stove by rubbing two sticks together you need to go back to Tenderfoot. Stoves are for parlor scouts. When I was a scout we ate our food raw and LIKED IT! The lawyers and risk managers have stock in piezoelectric crystal company.

[King Ding Dong]

Can't use a bic stick lighter to ignite a propane stove? Wow' date=' I've been doing it wrong forever. [/quote'] I have as well. On the surface it seems much safer to use an 8 inch lighter than a 2 inch match. I can't find any BSA documentation online about it. This is what some Scouters said, not what I remembered from the class.

[Stosh]

I'm kinda with dcsimmons on this. Wood and charcoal work just fine for outdoors and there's no stoves to drag in, no fuel to buy/bring and one can use a Bic lighter (or worse case scenario, a match) to start it without any council hassle.

 

I own a back pack stove which I've used maybe 3-4 times and a 2 burner Colman which my wife uses. Otherwise it's charcoal and wood.

 

Maybe if councils make it difficult enough, the boys will go back to campfire cooking using free fuel from the woods. Oh, you say the place you camp doesn't allow it? Well find a place that does. To-date I have yet to start a forest fire on a sandbar.

 

Stosh

[Sidney Porter]

They do make long matches. But I cannot think of a reason that a long lighter would be dangerous.

 

I didn't realize that people needed training on how to use propane stoves. Most people have propane grills at home. I guess using a coleman stove that uses coleman fuel could benefit from training because if you have never used one it may not be obvious to people how to light them.

[skeptic]

More useless training that makes no sense. Now, I could see requiring some kind of minor training for white gas stoves that require priming and such. But since we cannot use those on BSA properties, that is only for backpacking and troop drive ins. How about simply telling leaders to read the directions and do a trial run if they are unfamiliar with a device? A match works better for a lantern on Coleman fuel, as you can get it into the gap for lighting more easily; but otherwise, the long lighters are ideal for most stoves.

[Horizon]

I admit that I like bringing a few fireplace matches for lighting recalcitrant stoves, or I use my Leatherman to hold a smaller match. Keeps my hands away from the fire area, and also lets me use more of the match instead of dropping it and starting anew when it burns down if there are issues.

 

Stosh: Some of us live where fire bans are a way of life, and gathering fuel in most parks is illegal even in the best of times. To teach cooking over a fire, we end up bringing our own wood and the patrols have to share an official fire pit to learn to cook.

[perdidochas]

More useless training that makes no sense. Now' date=' I could see requiring some kind of minor training for white gas stoves that require priming and such. But since we cannot use those on BSA properties, that is only for backpacking and troop drive ins. How about simply telling leaders to read the directions and do a trial run if they are unfamiliar with a device? A match works better for a lantern on Coleman fuel, as you can get it into the gap for lighting more easily; but otherwise, the long lighters are ideal for most stoves.[/quote']

 

Unless it's a council's rules, white gas is not prohibited. In fact, it's among the "recommended fuels" in G2SS.

 

From G2SS

Recommended chemical fuelsâ€â€White gas (Coleman fuel); kerosene; liquefied petroleum gas fuels, including propane, butane, and isobutane; vegetable oil fuels; biodiesel fuel; and commercially prepared gelled-alcohol fuel in original containers.

[Gone]

I'm kinda with dcsimmons on this. Wood and charcoal work just fine for outdoors and there's no stoves to drag in' date=' no fuel to buy/bring and one can use a Bic lighter (or worse case scenario, a match) to start it without any council hassle.[/quote']

Have a cousin that lives in Texas. Where he lives they have not be able to have open fires (consistently month to month) since 2009. Here's the latest burn ban map.

 

[perdidochas]

Silly question' date=' but didn't the rocket scientists in your council requiring this training give you guys the reason you should use matches and not lighters? One would think that would have been the main idea of the course, if in fact that was the key safety issue they wanted to address.[/quote']

 

Coleman instructions do specify matches. That said, I can't think of any rational reason this would be true.

 

[King Ding Dong]

Silly question' date=' but didn't the rocket scientists in your council requiring this training give you guys the reason you should use matches and not lighters? One would think that would have been the main idea of the course, if in fact that was the key safety issue they wanted to address.[/quote'] The subject of the class was backpacking stoves and the class description also said it qualified for the pressurized fuel training. I just don't remember the "lighter ban" part if it was even included. I had an hole to fill in my schedule so I dropped in. The district does offer pressurized fuel training certification after RT each month, so it is probably just a 10 minute lecture. CO responsibilities have conflicted with RT time so I have not attended this year.

[Gone]

So is this training required by your Council? Sounds like someone got bored and wanted to make themselves relevant somehow.

 

 

Is there lighter training too?

[King Ding Dong]

Sounds to me like some idiot blew something up some time in the past and Risk Management came up with this. Yes it I know it is required for adults, not sure about Scouts but that wouldn't make any sense. We have an urban "Amazing Race" camporee this weekend and fires are not allowed on the ball fields. I know am the only one attending who has a card. From the camp manual "The use of either high or low-pressure lanterns or stoves must be in accordance with current Council policy. Proof of current pressurized fuel training is required." Good luck finding written Council Policy.