Butane Camping Stove
September 28th, 2008 at 1:59Can you boil water to replace oxygen that is being burned by propane or butane stoves?
In winter, there are always reports of people being overcome by fumes when they use a propane or butane stove for heat in an enclosed space. While winter camping in sub-zero temperatures, a camping buddy told me that you can reduce "the fumes" by simply boiling water. Is this corredt or is it just masking fume smell?
(PhD physicist responds) No. Water contains oxygen, but not free oxygen. You would have to use electrolysis to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water and vent the hydrogen outside to separate it from the oxygen or you would have an explosive mixture. That amount of oxygen would take about as much electrical energy as you would get from the propane, so you might as well just heat with the electricity and forget the propane.
Water will absorb a small amount of the CO2 from the propane, but not the far more dangerous carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide works in the body just like cyanide to bind up the oxygen receptors in the blood so you suffocate.
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US $8.50
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Tags: backpacking, butane camping stoves, Camping, gear, preparedness, stove