Vintage coleman

[wesintl]

I love the 550B. I purchased one to replace a 400 as my primary backpacking stove somewhere in 86? Been using it every since. I've rebuilt it and bought a couple new ones too. It would boil water before my buddy's with wisperlights even had theirs lit. The 400 is a boss stove too as it gets hot fast. We took our 550b to philmont again 2 years ago and probably take it next summer too.

 

[wesintl]

Here is my 200. I had a 220 with etched glass snowflakes that broke The guy from old Coleman site that used to do them past away. The snowflakes was cooler than the face

 

[subzali]

Here is my 200. I had a 220 with etched glass snowflakes that broke The guy from old Coleman site that used to do them past away. The snowflakes was cooler than the face

Oo man and a red clamshell case! Nice!

@wesintl do you have a bag or something you carry your 550B in? And you’re right this thing is instant light right now.

If any of you know how I can get a hold of the right kind of wire to make a bail, I would appreciate it. My clamshell case needs a bail and I want wire that is “close.”

 

[wesintl]

I have an old peak 1 soft case. All the foam disintegrated but it still works. I mostly use the alum case. It holds the stove and you can cook with it. They used to give them to the soldiers in Afghanistan/iraq and are often sold second hand now with the multifuel. ebay? I always liked the multifuel with the built in windscreen. The old sigg cooksets designed for the peak one used to come with alum windscreens. They are nice too. Keep on the look out for those...

 

[subzali]

Like this?

Sigg Tourist Cookset Coleman Peak 1 Stove 400 Pots Swiss Backpacking Gas Small | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sigg Tourist Cookset Coleman Peak 1 Stove 400 Pots Swiss Backpacking Gas Small at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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[wesintl]

yup, and the tourist is a nice cookset. Albeit stainless and it's somewhat hard to use the fry pan but for one pot cooking the other pieces are nice and it's designed to pack together. You know old skool 80s-90s

 

[wesintl]

You need the windscreen when backpacking

 

[DaveInDenver]

@wesintl @subzali

Wholeheartedly approve the message of Coleman backpack stoves.

I did eventually pick up a Whisperlite thinking there would weight or space savings. Nah, not enough to justify how good a Coleman burner is. The Whisperlite is slight more fuel efficient, although noticeably slower.

I do love the MSR bottles, which a lot of wildland firefighters will tell ya are the best because the threads in the neck don't blow out. So the bottles have a lot of miles as spare for gasoline on the motorcycle.

Not that said, about 10 years ago I was drawn to an iso-butane pocket stove. I have a Snow Peak Gigapower and that's what I use kinda mostly now, especially for through biking or hiking where it's fairly easy to unload empty cans and pick up a couple new at any outdoor store. Also you can mail the fuel cans to general delivery if you specify ground only.

White gas rocks for cold, though, so snow slogging trips still lean on the reliable ol' 1994 Apex II.





I made a stove pouch for mine years ago, like decades, out of cut up jean denim.

 

[OilHammer]

Consolidating my Coleman photos into this thread: my addiction started sometime around 2020:
Stoves and lanterns I grew up on. All I knew was 425s until I became an adult.




My 413 Stoves:

Single Burner Stove Action:

Some lantern pics:

Sears 3-burner (now converted back to white gas):

The Coleman three burner on the right with the folding stand is what I’ve been running for years. These are heavy but I love putting all the common stuff I need in the case. Coffee pot, propane tank, stand, spatula, paper towels, lighter, etc. I hear you can put a red lamp in there but I wouldn’t want to risk it!

 

[wesintl]

Now do you have the stove trays?

 

[subzali]

Now do you have the stove trays?

Nope, I’m not that cool

 

[OilHammer]

Nope. I still look for those. I’m pretty sure I know a guy that won’t notice if they go missing…

 

[wesintl]

I might as well sell em to you so I can see em in use!

 

[subzali]

Oh great now I’m fettling old MSR stoves too. Oy vay

 

[wesintl]

Just wait til your into the optimus line... Start with an 8r

 

[DaveInDenver]

Just wait til your into the optimus line... Start with an 8r

I got the OD green just like that with the funky Bakelite handle instead of a key. It's been the perma-truck stove for I gotta think 23 years now.

You know you've arrived in Optimus geekdom if you have the 5-sided wrench to rebuild the tank cap.

Word of warning, if you do get into old Optimus stoves the manuals will say they are pure petrol/gasoline stoves. This is 1960s vernacular so they mean naphtha, e.g. white gas or Coleman fuel, petrol not the volatile modern automobile gasoline.

They will safely (if not super efficiently) run kerosene in a pinch with the tank pump, however.

 

[MDH33]

The old Optimus I have has a label that specifically states kerosene, so thats what I've used. I believe its an "8" also

 

[DaveInDenver]

The old Optimus I have has a label that specifically states kerosene, so thats what I've used. I believe its an "8" also

Is it not a 111? That's the one intended to run kerosene. They look very similar at a glance but the burner is significantly different and the tank has a built-in pump.

Technically the 111 is a triple fuel for white gas/naphtha, paraffin/kerosene/diesel or alcohol (with a different jet) but the usual caution is to be careful of the tank non-return valve, which if it fails may really wake you up with higher volatility fuel in the tank becoming a little blowtorch. If you have the 111 kerosene is preferred for this reason.

That can happen to an 8 as well if you replace the normal safety release valve with the two-way style that works with a pump. The truth is the pump is mostly unnecessary.

What makes the 8 style SRV cap dangerous is if it sticks you can over-pressurize the tank. That is something you do not want to happen.

 

[DaveInDenver]

BTW, there's other Optimus that don't look the same as the 8 such as the 199 Ranger triple fuel stoves that run on kerosene.

Instead of the swinging clamshell the 199 has a lid that removes completely to become your cooking pot. Closed they look similar, although the Rangers are bright silver and not blue. The white gas version is the Model 99.



Also forgot the Model 10, which is AFAIK diesel/kerosene only version that looks like the 8. It's black instead of blue. Our U.S. Army used to issue them I believe.

 

[MDH33]

I'll have to look at it again. Must be a 111. It does have a red bakelite knob with the fold out tank and blue case like yours.

Back to coleman, i broke the globe on my 200a. Where is the best place for replacements?