Canister camp stove concern

At first, I thought it was user error, now I'm not so sure.  Just returned from extended camp trip where the Snow Peak unit (canister and burner) we were using exploded in the face of one of our party.  Injuries were not severe although could have been - we found the remains of the canister with part of the burner still attached nearly 50 yds from the scene.  She, Skip,  had shrapnel and burn wounds on face, neck and hands, plus bruises on arms and chest from the various stove parts leaving the area, and as much as anything, was shell shocked from the experience.  Some first aid and calm-down time resulted in her wish to continue the trip (we were days out on a kayak trip in BC, although the Coast Guard could probably have gotten there within an hour or two).

We were using the unit to bake pizza, so had a popular camp oven on it, with the oven 'tent' over the unit covering the system in the normal way.  Canister and burner valve still below bottom edge of the shroud, so in free air..  At first I thought perhaps the small stove unit was not securely screwed onto the canister and that leaking vapor had accumulated under the oven shroud, but I think there is too much clearance below to allow this (probably 6 or 7 inches).  And the canister, with half of burner unit still attached, was found miss-shapen with the bottom apparently blown out (I have pictures and will post when/if I find the patch cord).  It exploded as it was being used (had been on for 10 minutes and oven was up to temp) and the valve was being adjusted (unit sitting on a make-shift table, she was bent over, face alongside and below to see the valve handle).

Skip had commented earlier that she was surprised the canister seemed to being depleted more quickly than she thought it should.  Now I'm wondering if there may have been a fault in the crimped edge of the canister where bottom meets sides, or elsewhere in the unit that may explain this.  Never smelled any 'leakage' as we stored or deployed gear..  This could have been a worse situation had it been used in a confined space (vestibule, etc).  Any similar experiences or thoughts?

I would contact Snow Peak pronto. Then please share what you learn from them, so we can all learn. It sounds to me like the canister overheated, but this is pure internet speculation.

Brand of cannister ?
Was it brand new or had you used cannister some ?

Robie, Snow Peak, and it was partially used.  AR, I may contact them at some point, but naturally expect them to be merely defensive.  I've taken the time to visit two stores (both REI), to investigate sales literature, packaging and sales associate knowledge.  First, I'm going to indicate that I think AR is correct that overheating was the problem.  While there were no CLEAR warnings on either the canisters or the attachable stove unit and it's packaging, there is very fine print on the Snow Peak canister (and I'm going to assume it's on all the other makes, as well), that gives cause for concern:  Do not use a windscreen.  Do not expose to temperatures that may exceed 120 F (this means keep out of bright sunlight!).  Do not fry food in pan on stove top.  Do not use pan or pot with diameter greater than 5 1/2 inches (the camp oven diffuser plate and pan are both greater than this - as are many pots and most other pans).  Plus some other caveats relevant to pressurized fuel containers..   As for the sales help, none of the associates were clear about these limitations.

So my commentary runs like this: These limitations are severe enough to warrant a more prominent warning on the product packaging and better training of sales staff in this regard.  Furthermore the limitations are such that the products are largely not relevant (or safe) for my use interest.  I'm done with them - with the probable exception of Jet Boil type engineered systems, and then probably just for cold weather use.

Canister stove use has exploded (npi) in recent years due largely to ease of
use, but it is apparently also too easy to use them incorrectly, which it seems we did.  My personal solution is stated above..

Haven't independently verified but was told by one of the guys at Feathered Friends last weekend that MSR got their start by building their line of white gas and multi fuel stoves because of the inherent concerns over the canister units. MSR does make a canister system whereby the canister is remote from the stove and connected by a tube.

Where do millions of canisters go to rest..?

They go on a sailing trip and come back home as brake calipers and ski boot buckles

Thank you for the knowledge; glad all ended better than it might've. Can't address the usage-safety concerns, but canisters can be vented and punched with one of these, then recycled:

www.jetboil.com/Products/CrunchIt/

Creative/handy people can find a way to vent/punch them without a specialized tool, but the tool sure makes it easy.

Where do millions of canisters go to rest..?

I hit mine hard with an ice axe to punch a hole and then recycle them.

Thanks for the info David, I am glad it all ended relatively well. I have entertained the idea of buying a portable oven for kayaking trips before.

Some years ago, a friend of mine left two new canisters in his car. When he came back from his multiday trip he found one canister popped its bottom while the other one exploded. The explosion destroyed clothing and shoes and did some damage to the trunk. The car was parked in the sun during a heatwave and my friend estimated that the temperature inside the trunk might have reached 140°F, perhaps more (the car was too hot to touch on his return). Since then whenever I need to leave a canister behind at trailhead I stash it somewhere outside. Perhaps a bit paranoid but I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

I am not sure more warning labels will help, it is a dirty secret that the warnings are not read by people who might benefit from reading them. As a graphic designer I have been invovled with outdoor and fitness products and it is largely the legal department that insists on these warnings as a response to past incidents, i.e. to protect the company first and foremost and then, maybe, inform the consumer.

Whether the gas stoves are safer than the white gas stoves (or any other camping stove) remains to be seen. But I do know all of them have a safe window of operations and if that window is not respected a problem will arise. Unfortunately there are many things that come into play including ambient temparature, wind, air pressure, the equipment itself to spell out all the possibilities.

I think your post, your sharing the experience will help more people than any warning label might. So thank you for that!

Tending to agree that a more robust warning label will make little difference is why I'm not turning this into a fight. But this doesn't mean there shouldn't be one. I'm pretty sure that at the margin, many would be safer.

A comparison of relative safety between canister and white gas/multi-fuel would be interesting to see. My feeling is that the latter wins the day in addition to being more versatile.

The camp oven has been a great part of my kit for years ~ need a new one now, and back to the Dragonfly. Google ''Outback Oven Ultralight'' and you'll see a few examples of the Backpackers Pantry Outback Oven being used over canisters, and even on an instructional You Tube video. tsk..

I've used wind screens with cannister stoves for years without incident.

However I've always been careful to keep the flame low, both to save fuel and to keep the stove from getting too hot. I don't own, and have never used, a camp oven.

Maybe I've just been lucky and using wind screens is stupid. Or maybe, if you're a careful and attentive person, using a wind screen can be safe.

My inclination is to continue being careful with the stove setting and continue using a wind screen. Without a wind screen, a cannister stove is pretty useless in my view. Maybe this means they are useless in general.

Happy to hear opinions on this. Maybe I'll change my mind.