Gas Bottels (Cylinders) - Which is best in Africa?

[goingdownsouth]

Hi Guys,

This question is aimed at Overland travellers or other suitable experienced travellers!

In South Africa CADAC Gas Cylinders are the norm. This is equivalent to UK Camping Gas but the cylinders are operating at higher pressure not the UK 27mbar regulators.

I found out the hard way when I used my CADAC SKOTTELBRAAI last weekend with a UK Camping Gas Cylinder and adaptor. The flames were small and the heat not enough to heat the pan (large payella type metal dish) - breakfast turned out to be Brunch and the Ostrich egg was runny

So......doing London to Cape Town next year I need to know what the availability of cooking gas is and whether I should take my "refillable" South African CADAC cylinder or something like Patiogas/Camping Gas from the UK ??

 

[Gary Stockton]

IIRC the CADAC has a different fitting size. Get a (set) of adapters and gas hose made up so you can always decant from whatever storage they have - I think the main big (industrial) cylinders are all standard. You can also 'pour' gas from the full, inverted cylinder into your empty cylinder - use a scale to get full and empty weights for the CADAC bottles and keep a note.

Else use CampingGaz cylinders, which will get you to Kenya / Tanzania I think.

Careful use of one CampingGaz cylinder will go a long way - I'm still on the same one now after 15 camping days, using it for cooking only, running a 2-plate CampingGaz cooker ...

I use a Flash JetBoil system for hot water ... brilliant and low gas use too.

 

[Philip A]

CADAC are extremely difficult to find (and to refill...) outside of southern Africa. Same for Camping Gaz and others.

The only thing that is found almost everywhere is plain kitchen gas cylinders, each major petrol brand has their own. I've not really checked, but I'd be surprised if the standard cylinder/adaptor/pressure for , say, Shell or Total gas cylinders was different from country to country.

Philip