Get Gear: Stoves & Accessories

Review by R. Halim:

I like to store my stove neatly in the garage. This bag serves that purpose. However, This bag is a little bigger than my Camp Chef EX-280LW. It caused the legs to move around inside. It is difficult to carry. I think the box that came with my stove would be much better than this bag.

Review by Andy:

This bag is way too oversized for a two burner stove. Unless you plan on stuffing a bunch of other stuff in this bag, the bag just does not fit the stove.

Review by Steven J. Rager:

My family purchased a roadtrip grill 2 years ago to use for camping and we absolutely love it. The Stove Grate accessory made it even better, we use it for cooking, making coffee, heating up water for cocoa, washing, & etc. We are about to purchase a second grate as well. If you’re thinking about purchasing an accessory griddle I recommend getting one of these instead and then use a pan.

Review by A. Matthews:

A great buy – works very well with the Road Trip grill, and makes a perfect stovetop.

Review by kandoro:

For safety concerns just use the source tank valve for on/off control…To fill each 1 lb. bottle more completely simply put those containers in a refrigerator or even a freezer for a few minutes AND put the 20/40 lb. FULL tank in hot water and/or in the Sun…The key here is to maximize the pressure in the source tank and minimize it in the receiving 1 lb. bottle allowing for more propane to transfer before the pressure equalizes…I’ve been filling these little bottles for years using this type coupler and while they may not get 100% filled as when new they can reach 80-90% with regularity when the above steps are taken…Keep in mind NO Propane tank is completely filled anyway or at least it shouldn’t be to allow for excessive heat expansion when full..

Even if trying to refill in a freezing or below environment simply heating the 20/40 lb. bottle up by leaving it in a heated indoors for a few hours and/or in hot water will help tremendously to get more transferred…

When you get tanks refilled commercially the source has pump assisted pressure so this always allows for a complete fill…

Review by Benjamin Herbst:

I have had this or a similar product for several years now. I live in the mountains, and go camping a lot, and sometimes set up camps and leave, going to work, backpacking, etc, and dont return until night or even a few days. I had two small bulk containers, one for a propane lantern, and one for a little heater and both were stolen out of my closed tent. Since the small refillable propane tanks (small bulk tanks cost more than the regular 5 gallon bulk tank) are expensive, I switched back to the 16 oz type disposable type. I have messed with all different ways of refilling these babies, and here are my suggestions and results.

1. If you only camp once a year (or twice), just spend the each on a couple new 16 oz disposables and be done with it. If you set up “big hunting type camps” you are probably going to have a big bulk tank or 2 anyway, with a propane tree on it or some similar setup for lanters, cooking, etc. or more than likely, have a trailer, and you probably don’t need advice from me anyway.

2. Though you can get a complete (and even a little over) fill by pulling the little “bicycle valve” overflow protection valve while filling, these tanks are not really ment for that, and frequently enough (one out of 4 tanks maybe, my experience … maybe one out of every 6) this valve, once pulled out, will leak, and the tank and refill will be useless. Even though the tanks are filled all the way, I do not recommend this due to the higher percentage of leakers.

3. I recommend following the instructions, which requires putting the bulk 5 gal. tank in the sun for a few hours (let it get nice and warm), and the little 16 oz tanks in the freezer, using temperature differential as a pump. Then, grab one tank from the freezer and attach to the refill device/bulk tank, make sure everything is decently tight, and open the valve on the bulk tank (which is upside down – I usually do it on the tailgate of my Toyota Tacoma). You can hear the propane going into the small tank, and when it seems like its not going to get any fuller – usually around 45 seconds to a minute, shut of the big tank valve and unscrew the little one, and go and get another nice cold one from the freezer (little propane tank, not beer). When I first started refilling them, I weighed them to see how much propane I got in the little tank. When I was a newbee, and didn’t know what I was doing, and didn’t have enought temperature difference, I wouldn’t get hardly any liquid propane in. Then I learned the “pull out the bicycle valve trick” and found I could fill them even a little more full than new, by weight on a postal scale. Now and finally, I just put the big tank in the sun, and the little ones in the freezer, and I don’t weigh them anymore, but my “picking them up” scale tells me that they are probably somewhere about 1/2 full, or a little more. This is enough for me, for just one single mantle lantern and one propane stove. Usually they don’t leak if you don’t mess with the overpressure protection valve.

Lastly, a couple things to keep in mind (principles of propane refill) – propane is always at a constant pressure, at a certain temperature. As some of the gas escapes, or is burned, the pressure that would drop is refilled by propane gas which has expaned from some of the liquid. Therefore, if both tanks were equal in temperature, and you hooked one to the other and opened the valve, (assuming the big tank is upside down so the liquid proane is comming out and not gas – if you refill with just gas, you might get 30 seconds worth of gas into the little tank, which is basically nothing and not what you are looking for) the smaller one would only get maybe 5% or 10% full, untill both tanks were under the same pressure. The object is to get as much “liquid” propane in. The more temperature differential, the more liquid you will get in, because the pressure will be lower in the cold tank. Of course, the bicycle valve trick works great (wear gloves on your right hand, because the propane gas is cold when it comes out/evaporates, and no smoking). But, because they weren’t made for that, seem to have a hard time seating themselves again, even when pushed in, etc. Now that I’ve been refilling these little babies for a few years, it seems so quick and easy, and probably saves a few bucks, and is better for the environment not throwing away a decent little tank.

So, summary – yes these work fine, but anticipate only about 1/2 full (or slightly more) small tanks.

Oh, and lastly about the no smoking comment – I stand by that, but propane gas is heavier than air (which is why you can’t use propane appliances in your basement) and goes down when leaking. I’ve had a little leaking tank within 2′ maybe of a flame which was higher and screened, and it didn’t catch, but I was watching it closely, and threw the tank away shortly thereafter. Try that with gasoline fumes, and you will find yourself in a big explosion of flames!

Sorry for the long review, hopefully it will be kinda helpful.

Review by Tony Jaeger:

In addition to providing extra storage for hookup or cooking accessories, the case prevents dust or other particulate matter from getting into the cooking areas (the grill’s metal lid closes and fits fine, but it’s not airtight, of course) or into the propane connection.

If you’re transporting the grill on your car’s roof rack, having it in the case makes it easier and safer to bring down off of the roof and hand it to your helper. There won’t be a chance of your helper’s hand being cut on a sharp edge or of having the metal lid come open when you’re moving it. Yes, the grill’s metal lid has a latch but if you or a helper forgets to engage the latch or accidentally opens it while moving the grill, disaster will invariably follow. Roof transport also increases the likelihood of road dirt, bugs, or other unwanted items getting into your grill, and being able to avoid a half-hour of cleaning bug debris off of your grill before you can start cooking at your campsite will most likely result in happier campers all ’round.

If the grill is used for car-camping at a remote campsite location, you may not have the facilities available to clean the grill up perfectly after it’s used, and you may wish to do a final cleanup at home where it will be easier. The case allows you to pack the grill into your vehicle without the worry of having a part of the grill that you missed cleaning touch something else and cause it to become soiled. With the popularity of compact cars, it’s not always easy to pack your camping gear in a manner that precludes any chance of something touching your grill. Having a favorite article of clothing ruined because it brushed against a greasy spot on the grill may cause a frown to risk spoiling an otherwise splendid camping excursion. Similarly, getting a dark grease stain out of your car’s carpeting or upholstery may be difficult. This case takes away all such worries and allows you to spend more time enjoying your trip and less time worrying whether you missed a spot while cleaning the grill in the rain as you were packing up your gear.

Review by Carolle:

Bought this for my hubbys road trip grill. The grill fits really well and gives me a warm fuzzy knowing that any grease not cleaned will not end up where it should not (on the camper or the truck). It has handy wheels that make moving it around real easy, and getting it down from the pick up with the built in handles also makes things easier. The extra grates that we have bought for the grill fit in the pockets and storing the grill brush with the grill is another plus. It seems really well constructed and I expect will last us for years to come.