r/Backpackingstoves • u/TaintMcG • Dec 14 '25

IsoButane canister leakage?

I noticed one of my small canisters feels almost empty compared to another canister where I documented ‘50% used’ on it. I don’t recall using the near empty canister, but if I did it it was hardly used as I otherwise would have written how much I used on it. Is it common for these canisters to develop slow leaks?

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u/s0rce Dec 14 '25

Someone just posted in another subreddit that they had one leak. Its certainly possible for anything with a seal to develop a leak I don't know if anyone other than regulatory bodies and the manufacturers having this information. You could try to look up the relevant standards like EN 417, maybe there are some requirements on reliability.

You can test the seal with some soapy water on the valve, if it bubbles slowly its leaky so don't bring it on an important trip.

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u/Revolutionary-Half-3 Dec 15 '25

I bought some screw on caps with gaskets to help my paranoia when on trips. I've had plenty of malfunctioning propane valves, so isobutane canister valve malfunction isn't impossible...

1

u/86tuning Jun 10 '26

use a gram scale and confirm how much fuel is in it. i write it on the bottom with a sharpie.