wrote on Aug 10^th, 2010 at 2:39pm:

Back on topic. I had read a story (Che-Mun) of a couple that had their stove blow up on them. They were on the Back River, cooking in their tent, large pan, external fuel canister was inside windscreen with the stove. Picture showed them with melted clothes on, skin burns, messed up tent. End of trip.

First Isle Royale backpacking trip of 4 we did. Late 70's, early 80's.
One of the 3 guys had a new fangled gas butane stove. First night's camp, on Superior. thank God ;)

Being a guy who never read a instruction book in his life and didn't believe in a pre-trip trial, he inserted his stove into the cannister and flicked his Bic.

You probably can guess what happened next :o The gas cannister clearly warned that you had to wet the fuel nozzle on stove to insure a complete seal. With the waves and wind, he didn't realize the gas was leaking.

Next thing you know there's a fireball flaming high that the pines he was under were in danger of catching fire. He panics and runs for cover.

I just did what came to mind first, I drop-kicked that stove 30 feet of shore, into the ice-cold water.

First he was elated he hadn't caught the woods on fire, then pissed as he realized he had to wade out into the frigid water and retrieve his stove ;)

I'll stick with the white gas stoves. 20 years on Peak 1 multi-fuel, and other than a few new gaskets, it's been one of the most trouble free camp items I've ever had.