Kicking myself for not trying this sooner! Flame King refillable 1-lb propane cylinders 

If you've ever taken apart a single use bottle, the steel is only slightly tougher than a spray paint can. I used to be pretty careless with how I handled them, but after taking one apart and seeing how little it would take to puncture one(drop one just wrong on a sharp rock) I'm a lot more careful. I've also had several valves fail and start leaking on the single use cylinders. They usually seal fine until used, but I've had plenty fail to re-seal after one use, and have to be kept attached to the appliance to keep from leaking all the fuel away. I've also had one of the single use bottles start leaking without any use, very thankful propane has a strong odorant added. Single use bottles are usually pretty safe, blowing up customers is bad for business, but they're also 100% an exercise in minimum acceptable viability, and what was considered acceptable was based on ONE use. The FK refillables really are on an entirely different level, built with the intent to be reused from the very beginning. Cylinder walls look like 12awg steel, they have a beefy machined brass connection and valves, and the refill vent built in. They're as tough as the 20lb BBQ tanks that are also meant to be reused, just smaller. Some of the comments Donald's gotten on this have made my eyes cross. After an honest examination of the single use bottles side by side with the refillable bottles, there's simply no legitimate discussion that the real refillable cylinders are the better choice.

The other issue with refilling the single use cans is, the valves aren't rated for multi-fill/use, and they'll randomly start leaking or won't seal properly after being refilled. I bought the cheap adapter and refilled a couple of my bottles years back and I think 2 out of ten or so bottles I refilled were leaking after removing them, but I was able to reseat the valve with an ice pick to get them to stop leaking. That was enough for me to say ehh, maybe this isn't the best idea. And that was back when a new 2-pack at Walmart was like $8, nowadays, at current prices, this setup totally makes sense.

Yeah the one I bought has no notch thing so there's nothing to align. And absolutely, I should have been wearing gloves! Thanks William! 🙂

@@softroadingthewest Have you located the Mr Heater Fuel Keg to compare the two? I like the "no-Allen Wrench" system they have.

@@williamfuller2389 No, but I'm not really interested in a deeper dive than this. I've got these now and they work so I don't want to buy more.😄 I believe there are already some videos comparing the Flame King and Mr Heater options floating around on RU-vid. Not needing an allen wrench seems like a smart evolution of the design!

Sorry, didn't catch your comment before posting mine.

I went to their website and I didn’t see the kit or bottles. I’m wondering if they are only available in Canada. I’m in Oregon, USA.

I bought one at Menards. Really like the tool less design. Although i prefer my Ignik 5lb tank.

@@DanitaReynolds They were supposed to launch their Fuel Keg last month but I only see them for sale at Menards, which I've never heard of down here in So Cal, and Tractor Supply. They've been out in limited numbers now for a couple of months.

Yes, I ordered mine from Menard's. I've heard of the name, but never seen a brick and mortar store in the PNW. @@williamfuller2389

So when I got these new, they were clearly under positive pressure as air immediately started flowing out of them as soon as I opened the vent valve, even before I started filling...I just assumed they wouldn't ship these with propane in them. And when I'm refilling, the air/gas coming out doesn't _seem_ to smell of propane (as opposed to, say, when I turn on my stove without lighting it...noticeable propane odor). Thus my assumption I was dealing with air and not propane gas. But it does make sense that it would be propane gas coming out, just as if the canister were attached to a stove. In any case...definitely should not be performed near an open flame LOL. And I definitely should have had gloves on when I did this. 🤦‍♂ Thanks!

@@softroadingthewest No worries at all, sir. That first fill when new, yes that'll be some small amount of air. After that, definitely propane vapor.

The flame king bottles do have a bleeder, you leave it open during filling and as soon as gas comes out of it you stop filling. That's how I've always refilled my flame king bottles, it uses a tiny Allen key.

Perhaps this original comment was talking about the single use bottles?

Thanks so much!

Well they sell over 40 million a year so a big percentage go to landfill.

Sounds like you're circumventing their Over Fill safety features built into the bottle. Propane pressure is greatly effected by ambient temperature swings. They built those safety features for a reason.

I know freezing is a technique people talk about when refilling disposables, but Flame King specifically states that under no circumstances should you pre-freeze their cylinders. They have engineered these to be filled to a safe, ideal volume. Squeezing in a couple more ounces is risky and honestly kinda pointless given how fast & easy it is to simply refill these when they're empty.

Not likely someone who experienced safety issues that refills those single-use bottles would, or could post their mishaps. They're simply not engineered and built to safely refill repeatedly like the FK and now Mr Heater bottles are. Thicker casing, better valve systems are just some of the upgrades that make those refillable bottles safer.

I'm glad it has worked out with no mishaps for you. Clearly lots of people do this and most get by just fine. But there are nonetheless many documented cases of fires and explosions determined to be caused by a refilled disposable, including fatalities. It has also been very well established by those who advocate refilling the disposables that you should only refill them a handful of times before eventually throwing them away. Which means eventually you still have to buy more overpriced disposables to refill in the future...are you sure you're actually saving money? I mean, it doesn't matter to me what you do, I have no affiliation and nothing to gain. And looking at the odds, you'll probably continue to be just fine. But personally, for the minuscule investment, I prefer not to risk the lives of my kids or take a chance with burning down my rig.

Haha...I can't believe I dragged my feet on this for so long. 🤦‍♂

Yeah that is a nice touch for sure.

I know those are a better-than-nothing option for some and MUCH easier to transport, but I've used them in an actual recovery side-by-side with the Maxtrax and they just weren't anywhere near as effective. Maxtrax also work in other ways that foldable solutions cannot, such as bridging ruts or ramping up otherwise unclimbable rock steps. I would rebuild my entire rear swingout before abandoning my Maxtrax. 😆 Fortunately, following that video, a promising solution has emerged, which hopefully I'll be able to share in the next month or so. 🙂

That is a viable solution for some, but personally I don't have room in my very small camper space for even a 5-lb bottle & hose in addition to the heater itself. And while I do carry a 5lb bottle on my truck, I use it for cooking and prefer to just leave it connected to my stove while at camp instead of swapping it around between devices. There are also many people who camp casually in their cars who don't have a way to properly transport a larger bottle outdoors where it's supposed to be, but who do have a 20-lb tank at home connected to their backyard grill they could use to refill these 1-pounders that will likely work with their stove, etc. Part of the reason I bought these was to simply make more people aware they could get away from the disposable canisters. 🙂

Big improvement Mr Heater made with their bottles.

I own my 20-lb tank (it's not a consignment/exchange thing) and it's easy enough to get it (or the 5-lb tank that rides on my truck) refilled at my local propane shop. They're good guys and I like supporting this local business. Half the time they don't even charge me for filling the 5-pounder because ringing up the sale is more hassle than it's worth. 😆 And I'm just dumb for having dragged my feet so long on these refillable 1-lb cylinders. 🤦‍♂

Just try using a bulk tank with an adapter hose to a lantern or some other appliance you want to move around. I've used my FK refillable for years for those applications, bulk tanks with the less mobile appliances.

That is a viable solution for some, but personally I don't have room in my very small camper space for larger bottle & hose in addition to the heater itself. And while I do carry a 5lb bottle on my truck, I use it for cooking and prefer to just leave it connected to my stove while at camp instead of swapping it around between devices. There are also many people who camp casually in their cars who don't have a way to properly transport a larger bottle outside where it's supposed to be, but who do have a 20-lb tank at home connected to their backyard grill. Part of the reason I bought these was to simply make more people aware they could get away from the disposable canisters. 🙂

Oh yes, that for me is the biggest downside to the buddy heater. It's not too too bad when I'm camped on the desert side of the state...I'll get some condensation but not really a problematic amount, but cold nights in western Oregon where the humidity is already high, yeah, every exposed aluminum surface can become quite wet. I don't run the heater overnight, just while I'm getting ready for bed in the evening and getting dressed in the morning, but on cold wet nights, it's easy to see how much more quickly condensation starts to appear when the heater is running.

That is a viable solution for some, but personally I don't have room in my very small camper space for larger bottle & hose in addition to the heater itself. And while I do carry a 5lb bottle on my truck, I use it for cooking and prefer to just leave it connected to my stove while at camp instead of swapping it around between devices. There are also many people who camp casually in their cars who don't have a way to properly transport a larger bottle outdoors where it's supposed to be, but who do have a 20-lb tank at home connected to their backyard grill. Part of the reason I bought these was to simply make more people aware they could get away from the disposable canisters. 🙂

Yep, my bad, I should have had gloves on for this! 🤦‍♂

You mean like at a gas station where they refill propane tanks? It would be the wrong fitting...the filler nozzle at the station would be a "female" fitting that threads onto the "male" 20-lb tanks, and the adapter in this video also screws onto that same "male" spout of the 20-lb tank. So you wouldn't be able to connect this adapter to the filler nozzle at the gas station and fill 1-lb tanks.

@@softroadingthewest yeah that's what a I meant. Dang it. Is there an adapter?

I don't know if that exists, but honestly I doubt you would get a gas station attendant to refill 1-lb tanks anyway. :-)

I've experimented with electric, but any heater capable of making a dent in the true cold of winter camping generally runs at 1,000+ watts and chews through battery storage much faster than I can keep my power stations charged during a trip. And I'm fortunate to have two hefty Jackery units riding with me, a 1000 and a 1500, which is a lot more storage than the average budget camper would invest in. A Mr Heater Buddy and some refillable canisters makes for an affordable and effective approach to adding a little comfort to winter camping. 🙂

Gotcha. When I got these new, they were under positive pressure - air immediately started flowing out of them as soon as I opened the vent valve, even before I started filling...I just assumed they wouldn't ship these with propane in them, but maybe they do? And when I'm refilling, the air/gas coming out doesn't seem to smell of propane (as opposed to, say, when I turn on my stove without lighting it...noticeable propane odor). Thus my assumption I was dealing with air and not propane gas. But it does make perfect sense that it would be propane gas coming out, just as if the canister were attached to a stove. In any case...definitely should not be performed near an open flame LOL. And I definitely should have had gloves on when I did this. 🤦‍♂ Thanks!

@@softroadingthewest Yes, the first time usage will have air from manufacturing; my bad for not picking that up. In that case the theoretical best practice is to purge the tank, which is essentially putting a little bit of propane in then venting everything to get the air out, In practice that is rarely done. The point I was trying to make is that the gas is what we burn, not the liquid; and the gas in the tank, other than first use, is propane gas, not air.

Their built-in valve knob is definitely a nice touch for sure, though ultimately the "tool" the Flame King requires is just an allen wrench which I already have multiple duplicates of in both my in-truck tool kit and in my garage...it's not THAT hard to keep track of, and also extremely easy to replace if one somehow lost all their allen wrenches of that size. :-) Aside from the valve knob, what else makes them way better? I mean, I have no brand loyalty or anything...I'm genuinely curious. I had read of some stock/supply issues with the Fuel Keg; also my understanding was that Fuel Keg was a relatively new product whereas the Flame King has a pretty well established track record. But I honestly didn't give it a whole lot of thought...Flame King was available on Amazon (Fuel Keg isn't) so I just pulled the trigger on those, and they work fine. What else am I missing out on? Personally I don't think it matters _that_ much which brand someone chooses, both are a better choice than purchasing or refilling disposable cylinders. :-)

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did you not make it 1 minute into the video there hoss?

Not likely someone who experienced safety issues that refills those single-use bottles would, or could post their mishaps. They're simply not engineered and built to safely refill repeatedly like the FK and now Mr Heater bottles are. Thicker casing, better valve systems are just some of the upgrades that make those refillable bottles safer.

Yes hoss it is possible to refill the disposable canisters...I acknowledged that in the video But as I mentioned in the video (which I'm thinking perhaps you didn't actually watch before commenting?) it can be dangerous to do so - there are many documented cases of fires and explosions determined to be caused by a refilled disposable, including fatalities. And while there is no law against refilling the disposables, it IS against federal law to transport a refilled disposable propane cylinder. If you're putting refilled disposables in your truck and driving to your campsite, you're committing a federal offense punishable by hefty fines and even jail time. It has also been very well established by those who advocate refilling the disposables that you should only refill them a handful of times before eventually throwing them away. Which means eventually you still have to buy more overpriced disposables to refill in the future...are you *sure* you're actually saving money? I mean, you do what you want, hoss. Makes NO difference to me. Keep buying and refilling disposables. You'll _probably_ be just fine. Personally, for the minuscule investment, I prefer not to risk the lives of my kids or take a chance with burning down my rig.

@@softroadingthewest Amen, Donald. Not interested in playing Propane Roulette myself.

Agreed, I should have had gloves on, my bad. My 20-lb bottle normally lives on my backyard gas grill, it doesn't stay upside-down, but yeah that's a great point about the emergency pressure relief. Thanks! 🙂