⚠️ Carbon monoxide warning
Never use a fuel stove inside a closed tent — carbon monoxide is odorless and can kill. Cooking in a tent vestibule is only acceptable with wide ventilation on both sides, the stove fully stable, and you awake and attentive. These fuel numbers are planning estimates: always carry a safety reserve and check conditions on the trail.
Trip fuel planner
Your fuel plan
Partial-canister checker
Weigh your used canister on a kitchen scale, enter the weight, and find out if the fuel left covers your trip — or whether to pack a fresh one.
Canister verdict
Quick reference
Boils per canister (0.5 L / 2-cup boils, calm conditions)
| Canister | 0.25 L boils | 0.5 L boils | 1 L boils |
|---|
Rule of thumb: fuel per person per day (2 hot meals + 1 drink)
| Stove | Per person / day | 3-day solo trip |
|---|
Canister tare weights (weigh to check remaining fuel)
| Canister size | Empty (tare) weight | Full weight |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g fuel | ≈ 100 g | ≈ 200 g |
| 230 g fuel | ≈ 150 g | ≈ 380 g |
| 450 g fuel | ≈ 215 g | ≈ 665 g |
How the math works (methodology)
Every number above comes from this published model — no black box:
2. Base fuel: water liters × stove baseline — canister 15 g/L, alcohol 60 ml/L, Esbit 28 g/L (2 tablets/L), white gas 22 ml/L. Simmering adds fuel at ~45% of full-blast rate (canister 1.1 g/min, alcohol 2.4 ml/min, white gas 1.7 ml/min; Esbit ≈ half a tablet per 5 simmer-minutes).
3. Condition multipliers: wind ×1.0–1.6 · altitude ≥2,500 m ×1.15, ≥3,500 m ×1.25 · cold (canister only) below 10 °C ×1.15, below 0 °C ×1.3.
4. Snow: each liter melted from snow counts as 2.2 L boiled.
5. Reserve: +20% default safety margin (adjustable).
6. Canister pick: smallest combination of 100/230/450 g canisters covering the need with least leftover fuel (fewer canisters wins ties).
Frequently asked questions
How much fuel do I need for backpacking?
A common rule of thumb is about 15 g of canister fuel (isobutane) per liter of water boiled — roughly 7-8 g per 2-cup boil. For a typical 3-day solo trip with 2 hot meals and 1 hot drink per day (about 4.5 L of water), that is roughly 70 g of fuel plus a 20% safety reserve, so a 100 g canister covers it. Use this backpacking fuel calculator above for an exact number adjusted for wind, altitude, cold and cooking style.
How long does a 100g fuel canister last?
So how long does a fuel canister last in practice? A standard 100 g isobutane canister delivers about 13 two-cup (0.5 L) boils in calm conditions — roughly 6-7 days for one person eating 2 hot meals a day, the same whether it feeds a budget stove or a premium one like the MSR PocketRocket. A 230 g canister gives about 30 such boils (2-3 weeks solo), and a 450 g canister about 60. Wind, cold and real cooking (simmering) cut these numbers noticeably, which is why the planner above applies condition multipliers.
How many boils per canister can I expect?
Divide the canister's fuel grams by about 7.5 g per 0.5 L boil: a 100 g canister ≈ 13 boils, 230 g ≈ 30 boils, 450 g ≈ 60 boils. For 1-liter boils, halve those numbers. The Quick Reference tab above has the full table, and remember these are calm-air figures — add 35-60% in windy, exposed conditions.
100g vs 230g vs 450g canister — which size should I bring?
For 1-3 day solo trips, a 100 g canister is usually enough and lightest. For 4-8 days or two people sharing, take a 230 g canister. The 450 g size suits groups, long trips, or winter (snow-melting doubles fuel use). The planner's canister recommender finds the minimum-waste combination — for example 162 g of need is best covered by 2×100 g (38 g spare) rather than 1×230 g (68 g spare).
How can I tell how much fuel is left in a canister?
The reliable way — here is how to tell how much fuel is left in a canister — is to weigh it on a kitchen scale and subtract the empty (tare) weight: about 100 g for a 100 g canister, 150 g for a 230 g canister, and 215 g for a 450 g canister. The remainder is usable fuel. The Canister Checker tab does this math and tells you whether the remainder covers your trip. Floating a canister in water also gives a rough read (it floats higher as it empties), but weighing is far more accurate.
Which backpacking stove is most fuel efficient?
Per liter boiled, canister stoves (~15 g/L) and white gas stoves (~22 ml/L) are the most efficient; alcohol stove fuel (denatured alcohol or ethanol) needs about 60 ml/L and Esbit about 28 g/L (2 tablets). But system weight matters too: an alcohol stove itself weighs almost nothing, so for short trips the total carried weight can still favor alcohol. Wood stoves carry zero fuel weight but need dry wood and more time.
How much does wind affect stove fuel consumption?
Enormously — wind is the single biggest fuel waster. A light breeze adds ~15%, steady wind ~35%, and an exposed ridge up to 60% more fuel for the same boil, because heat is stripped from the pot instead of heating water. Always use a windscreen (keeping it clear of the fuel canister for safety) and a lid — a lid alone saves roughly 15%.
Does altitude affect backpacking stove fuel use?
Yes, modestly. Above about 2,500 m (8,200 ft) expect ~15% more fuel, and above 3,500 m (11,500 ft) ~25% more — the air is thinner and colder, and water boils at a lower temperature so food takes longer to cook through. Canister stoves also lose pressure as the canister cools at altitude. The planner applies these factors automatically from your max altitude.
Why does my canister stove struggle in cold weather?
Isobutane/propane canisters rely on vapor pressure, which collapses in the cold: below ~10 °C expect ~15% higher consumption, below 0 °C ~30% or weak flames. Fixes: sleep with the canister in your sleeping bag, warm it in your jacket before cooking, use a fresh (full) canister, or switch to an inverted-canister, white gas, or alcohol stove for true winter trips.
How much extra fuel do I need for melting snow?
Budget about 2.2× the fuel of boiling the same amount of water — melting snow means heating ice from well below freezing, melting it, then heating the water. One liter of drinking water from snow costs roughly what 2.2 L of boiled water costs. On winter trips snow-melting often dominates the fuel budget, which is why the planner has a dedicated snow-melting mode.
How much fuel per day backpacking — a simple rule?
Plan ~25 g of canister fuel per person per day for 2 just-add-water meals + 1 hot drink in mild, calm conditions, and carry a 100 g canister per ~4 person-days. For alcohol, ~100 ml per person per day; Esbit, ~4 tablets; white gas, ~40 ml. Double it for real cooking with simmering, harsh wind, or snow-melting.
Is it safe to use a camp stove inside a tent vestibule?
Only with serious precautions: carbon monoxide is odorless and can kill in minutes. Never cook inside a closed tent. In a vestibule, keep both sides wide open for ventilation, make the stove fully stable and away from fabric, and stay awake and attentive the whole time. If you feel headache, dizziness or nausea, get into fresh air immediately.
White gas vs canister stove — which uses less fuel?
If you are wondering how much gas for camping stove trips of each type: white gas (liquid fuel) stoves burn about 22 ml per liter boiled versus ~15 g/L for canister stoves — similar efficiency, with canister slightly ahead in mild weather. White gas wins in deep cold and on very long trips (refillable bottles, no half-empty canisters), while canisters win on convenience and simmer control. A 591 ml white-gas bottle holds roughly the energy of two 230 g canisters.
How much fuel does simmering use compared to boiling?
More than most people expect. Simmering burns at roughly 45% of full-blast rate — about 1.1 g/min on a canister stove. A real-cooking meal (8 minutes of simmering) adds ~9 g of canister fuel on top of the ~11 g for the boil itself, nearly doubling that meal's fuel versus just-add-water. This is why the planner models simmer time separately instead of counting boils only.
Can I fly with backpacking fuel canisters?
No — fuel canisters (isobutane/propane), white gas, alcohol fuel and Esbit tablets are all prohibited in both carry-on and checked baggage. Buy fuel at your destination instead; most trail towns and outdoor shops stock standard threaded canisters. Empty stoves (no fuel, cleaned) are generally allowed in checked bags.
Do I need to carry fuel for a wood stove?
No — that is the point: a wood/twig stove burns sticks gathered at camp, so carried fuel weight is zero. The tradeoffs are time (gathering wood, slower boils), soot on pots, fire restrictions (many areas ban wood fires in dry season — check regulations), and poor performance with wet wood. Carry an Esbit or alcohol backup for rainy stretches.