WARNING

Example

Placing a piece of #7 shot into the Lindal valve's opening

Pushing the shot down into the valve opening with an eyeglasses screw driver.

Success! A stove that heretofore would not work on a Coleman canister now works just fine.

Caution!

NEVER change a gas canister near a heat source or open flame.

Recently, I issued a. The latest Coleman canisters, those with an orange label on top of the canisterhave trouble with other brands of stoves. Jetboil and Primus stoves generally work with the orange label Coleman canisters, but the results are mixed with other brands. For example, I tested an MSR Pocket Rocket, and it didn't work for me, but someone else tested the same stove and it worked fine for them.So, what happens if you have a non-Coleman stove, need a canister, and the only brand available in a given area is Coleman? There is anwork around. Note the use of the word "emergency." This is for when you're in a real jam and the lack of a stove may get you seriously injured or killed. This is not for convenience or when you are merely hungry. This could be dangerous. Use in times of desperation only. You can stick a very small pebble in the valve opening, hopefully a really smooth one that won't jam open the Lindal valve in the neck of the canister. Better still is some small ball bearing or the like which is less likely to jam open the valve than a pebble.and even then I recommend against it unless you're going to get frostbite or hypothermia or something. This is not something to be taken lightly. Gas is highly flammable and explosiveYou're totally on your own if you do this. Your warranty is void. You can't sue the stove manufacturer. You can't sue the canister manufacturer. You can't sue me; I've already told youThis describes a last resort, a potentially very dangerous last resort. Don't do this if you're not good mechanically, if you're not meticulous, or if you're not familiar with working with canister gas stoves.and even then I recommend against it unless you're going to get frostbite or hypothermia or something.Here's an example: I couldn't get my nice, shiny, new MSR Pocket Rocket 2 to work with a Coleman orange label canister. No way was I going to crank down hard on the stove; that's a good way to ruin the threads on your stove. A friend sent me a small baggie of #7 shot. I put a piece of the shot into the opening of the Lindal valve.I then pushed the shot down into the valve with an eyeglasses screw driver. A paper clip would probably also work.I then screwed on the stove, and... Success!!The shot acts as an extender on the pin of the stove. Whereas before the pin was too short, now, with the extension provided by the shot, the stove works fine.Now that the pin is longer, the pin engages sooner. Youget more gas escaping when you screw on the stove than normal. I do NOT recommend this procedure, but, if you're stuck, you could try it as a. Be aware that if you do this with a small pebble, the pebble could wedge into the valve. If the pebble wedges into the valve, when you screw the stove off, the gas will continue to flow! A bit scary, but no worries, just screw the stove back on. You'll have to hold the gas back with the valve of the stove, which is a royal pain in the neck, but what else are you going to do? Again, this is only something you should do as aand even then I recommend against it unless you're going to get frostbite or hypothermia or something. In general: Do not buy Coleman canisters unless you're sure they'll work with your stove.Oh, and of courseThat could be, um, bad. Flames, burning, death, you know, bad. You don't want that; trust me.light your stove if you hear gas hissing. When you screw on your stove, make sure you get a good seal. If you hear gas hissing, even the slightest amount, do not use that canister.So, there you have it, an emergency (only!) fix.and even then I recommend against it unless you're going to get frostbite or hypothermia or something.Stay safe out there,HJ