There will be a piece of paper or card inside the bag which has a list of the items that should be included with the stove. You can use this list to double check that you have everything. There should be a bottle of gas, a connector hose, the stove, and there may be a few other little items depending on the type of stove you have. If you are missing items, do not attempt to assemble the stove as it may be dangerous.
The canister is a metal bottle and the gas line is usually made of hose-like material. Be careful not to twist too hard. You will most likely hear a clicking noise once the gas line has been successfully connected.
If there are no bubbles, you are free to move on. Using any regular dishwashing soap mixed with water in a spray bottle works well here. The gas should still be set to ‘off’ here as you are checking whether there are any leaks coming from places there shouldn’t be.
If you don’t have a paper towel, use a towel or some other piece of material.
If you need to, create a flat surface by digging out some of the ground and piling it up to form a flat area. The surface you have the stove on should also be as stable as possible. Avoid any terrain that has the potential to shift while you are cooking on it.
Without these arms spread into the correct position, the stove won’t be able to have anything sitting on it as it will just be an open flame. It’s usual to have 4 arms but it’s possible that your burner only has 3.
The priming pump is usually a black pump at the top of the gas canister that may come out either horizontally or vertically. It’s possible that this takes less or more pumps and you should look at what is recommended by the manufacturer of your specific stove.
It doesn’t need to be exactly 0. 5 tsp (0. 083 fl oz). You just need a small amount of fuel to burn. To open the gas line, turn the little controller knob that’s attached to the stove. The knob looks like a paperclip.
Use a long match or lighter to light the fuel and be careful not to burn your hand when you do this. When you touch the flame to the liquid it will be set alight quite easily. Let this fuel almost burn out completely before moving onto the next step.
The adjuster is usually found attached to the stove and looks a bit like a paperclip attached to the stove. Be careful not to turn the flame down too low otherwise you will have to go through the same priming process to get the stove started again.
Set the break up in a circle for it to work most effectively. If the wind is particularly strong, put a few rocks around the edge of the break to hold it in place.
Cooking on a small gas stove can take a bit longer as the flame you’re using isn’t quite as hot as home stoves so be patient. Most kinds of pots and pans work fine on these stoves and you can even wrap food in tin foil and cook it over the flame!
