What did you not buy today?

[ironmike]

You obviously do a lot more car-camping than I do! I even use two nearly empty ones for 2-3 day backpacks, and still cannot use them all up. My standard trip length is 9-10 days, which is just a bit too much for one medium cannister and too much for two. I used to supplement with cooking fires but with restrictions nowadays, that no longer works. Do you know if once a hole is punched in the cans, is it legal to put in a recycle bin?

I don't--but I do know that most National Park campgrounds now have a bin for recycling them...

Depends on regulations where you live, or are traveling thru. In San Diego county, the punch and recycle strategy is acceptable.

[JayOtheMountains]

You obviously do a lot more car-camping than I do! I even use two nearly empty ones for 2-3 day backpacks, and still cannot use them all up. My standard trip length is 9-10 days, which is just a bit too much for one medium cannister and too much for two. I used to supplement with cooking fires but with restrictions nowadays, that no longer works. Do you know if once a hole is punched in the cans, is it legal to put in a recycle bin?

Yes. You can recycle them if they are punctured. No need for special disposition if they are "empty."

[kpeter]

You obviously do a lot more car-camping than I do! I even use two nearly empty ones for 2-3 day backpacks, and still cannot use them all up. My standard trip length is 9-10 days, which is just a bit too much for one medium cannister and too much for two. I used to supplement with cooking fires but with restrictions nowadays, that no longer works. Do you know if once a hole is punched in the cans, is it legal to put in a recycle bin?

I don't--but I do know that most National Park campgrounds now have a bin for recycling them...

I weigh them in order to precisely figure out how much is left and have forced myself to take a partial and a full on each backpacking trip, so I always use one up completely. It does add weight. If there is just too little to justify taking it I will just burn off the extra in the backyard.

I take my empties (make SURE they are truly empty!) and punch a hole in the canister with a pick before throwing them into regular recycling, where they are treated like ordinary scrap steel, just as Jay recommends above.

[Gogd]

You obviously do a lot more car-camping than I do! I even use two nearly empty ones for 2-3 day backpacks, and still cannot use them all up. My standard trip length is 9-10 days, which is just a bit too much for one medium cannister and too much for two. I used to supplement with cooking fires but with restrictions nowadays, that no longer works. Do you know if once a hole is punched in the cans, is it legal to put in a recycle bin?

I don't--but I do know that most National Park campgrounds now have a bin for recycling them...

Yes, you can recycle canisters with hole punches.

Ed

[Gogd]

I've been a not-buyer most of the time, most of my life. Perhaps it is the legacy of wearing tie-dye and bell bottoms too long...

A lot of stuff will last a long time if you take care of it. Still have plug-in power tools from the 1970s, and a land line but no cellular (don't be silly, of course it is upgraded to a key pad, not dial-up). I drive every vehicle I've ever owned until it gets totaled or becomes a pile of rust. I've owned four rides since the the late 1960s. They all came with minimal upgrades and the engine option that had the best mpg for the model. My gas BBQ is 30 YO. My 60 YO house has its original plumbing and heating (heating used only on occasion). We don't have nor want AC. The bath and kitchen were last remodeled in the late 1980s by the former owner. I've been buying clothes from thrift shops for 10 years. My daypack, external and internal frame packs all date from the 1970s. The aforementioned external frame pack has gone through three bags and five harness sets, all due to UV brittle aging. Nowadays I cover my packs with a trash bag when they are not on my back. By the time my boots need new soles, the uppers are beat up beyond the local shoe cobbler's capacity to keep alive. They go bye bye and I use the opportunity to upgrade to lighter boats for me feets. My worn out clothes get a second life as gardening attire, eventually becoming tatters, they get a last life as rags. Same with bath towels and sheets. Worn out sleeping bags, hard shells, and insulating layers find a local homeless person to adopt. Other stuff I no longer can use, but still has some good miles left on the tread, gets sent to The Salvation Army. Etc etc.

I am not beyond "rational consumerism", however; I did upgrade my vinyl LPs to CDs. And pretty soon Microsoft will force me to upgrade my PC from Windows 8...

We are converting our landscaping to desertscaping, and installing four dry wells with 700 gallons total capacity to capture roof and yard rain run-off, in the spirit of water conservation. I have a MSR Firefly white gas stove from the early 1980s that I still use snow camping, but have acquired two canister stoves - a water boiler/over canister, and a cooking/remoter canister - because they are convenient! (I do manage to consume all of the gas from my canisters, and recycle.) I lightened my load a few year ago, going to a dyneema pyramid tarp, replacing my ground cloth and dining fly with dyneema products, and swapping out my Bearvault with a Bearicade. My old tents, bear cans and misc equipment have been handed down to relatives, new to the sport.

I further lightened the load by replacing 2½ pounds of lashing straps on my aging packs with small diameter cords, and replacing the steel bails on my 45 YO aluminum cook wares with Ti, DIY bails. Thus these items were upgraded with a minimal, carbon footprint impact.

Lastly, perhaps most significantly, the location of my home was chosen, in part, for its walking proximity to most goods and services (grocer, hardware store, Kaiser clinic, library, park, restaurants, theatres, mall, etc.). When my daughter was young we had a well intentioned samaritan stop us while we were out on errands one evening, asking if we "needed help or a place for the night". Apparently a father out with his little girl at night, pulling a granny basket cart full of groceries passes for being homeless in my zip code.

Ed

[syph3r]

You obviously do a lot more car-camping than I do! I even use two nearly empty ones for 2-3 day backpacks, and still cannot use them all up. My standard trip length is 9-10 days, which is just a bit too much for one medium cannister and too much for two. I used to supplement with cooking fires but with restrictions nowadays, that no longer works. Do you know if once a hole is punched in the cans, is it legal to put in a recycle bin?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U2EE6M2

This gadget is fairly expensive for what it does, but I bought one and it has solved all my half-empty fuel canister problems. Basically it allows you to join two cannisters together, and transfer all the remaining liquid fuel from one cannister to the other.

[Wandering Daisy]

I good idea, if it works as it is supposed to. Have you used it??

I also use the partial cans for overnight trips. I need to do more overnights!

[syph3r]

I have used it. I'd say it works as described although it can be finicky--it helps to chill the receiving can in the freezer first and then warm the donor can with your hands while transferring the fuel, otherwise the transfer can take a long time. But I'm successfully able to convert two half-empty cans into one full can and one empty can, so I can't complain too much. That specific model I linked to is the one I bought. There are probably cheaper versions that work just as well.

Also I doubt the spring loaded valves inside those canisters are designed to last forever, so if I have a few partially filled cans I'll try to collect the fuel in the newest one.

[westmatt]

Upvote on the refill adapter. Works like a charm, and inexpensive enough that buying the larger canisters as donors makes it a wash.