Every camper will have his or her preference about what kind of camping stove is best. Some require speed of heating. Others require the stove is as light and compact as possible. And others still require a larger grill surface. The perfect stove, therefore, depends on the personal preference of the particular camper. But before you make your decision, it is best to be fully aware of all the options that are available to you. As such, the following are just some of the most popular types of camping stoves.

Arguably the most common is the very small, collapsible canister stove. These are ideal for heating up water quickly or heating a small pot of soup. They are lightweight and user friendly. There is also the propane barbeque. These are quite a bit larger and bulkier, but their cooking surface is larger. As such, these camping stoves are great for hamburgers, hotdogs, or other larger food. They are great for short camping trips, but should be forgone for more intense, multi-day, backpacking trips. There are also general heaters, which have a more specialized purpose. To that end, some are meant entirely for toasting bread or other small projects such as this.

Many camping stoves are very basic devices that use propane to create a flame that can then be used to boil water or heat food. But what many campers don’t consider is what to do with these propane or butane canisters after you’re done with them. If you know there’s still gas within the canister, just keep it until your next trip. Make sure, however, that the canister is stored in a safe place. This means it must be kept away from any open flame or even excessive heat. It should also be used as soon as possible to avoid the possibility of the gas leaking.

If the flame on your camping stove has gone out, you might believe that the canister is entirely empty. But there might still be a very small amount of gas left in the tank itself. With that in mind, don’t simply throw the canister in the trash. There is always that potential for leaking, and this could lead to a dangerous situation. Don’t simply release the gas either. If you’re in too small of a space, this could lead you to inhaling too much of the dangerous gas. The best course of action, therefore, is to place this material in your hazardous materials pile and have your local garbage deal with it in the safest, most environmentally conscious way.