Camp fuel is any fuel designed to power portable camping stoves, lanterns, and heaters. The term most often refers to white gas (also sold as Coleman fuel), a highly refined liquid petroleum product that burns clean and hot. But camp fuel also covers pressurized gas canisters, denatured alcohol, solid fuel tablets, and even wood, each suited to different gear and conditions.
White Gas: The Classic Liquid Camp Fuel
When someone at a gear shop says “camp fuel,” they almost always mean white gas. It’s a refined form of naphtha, stripped of most additives and impurities so it burns cleanly in pressurized liquid-fuel stoves. Coleman has sold it for decades under the name “Coleman fuel,” which is why the two terms are used interchangeably in the U.S.
White gas stores well. An unopened container lasts 5 to 7 years, and once opened, the fuel stays usable for about 2 years. It’s sold in metal cans, typically one gallon, and you pour it into your stove’s refillable fuel bottle. One major advantage: it maintains full performance in cold weather and at high altitude, making it the go-to for winter camping and mountaineering.
Cost is another selling point. An hour of burn time on white gas runs about $1.50, compared to roughly $6.00 per hour for pressurized canister fuel. If you’re cooking for a group or spending a week in the backcountry, that difference adds up fast.
If you travel internationally, finding white gas can be tricky because it goes by different names. In Australia, look for “Shellite” or “Mobilite.” In the UK, ask for “Coleman fuel” specifically. In New Zealand, the old term “white spirit” has fallen out of use and can be confused with turpentine substitute, so be careful with terminology.
Pressurized Canister Fuel
The other mainstream camp fuel is the pressurized gas canister, a sealed metal container filled with a blend of isobutane and propane. Most brands use a roughly 80/20 mix of isobutane to propane. You screw the canister onto a compatible stove, open a valve, and light it. No priming, no pumping, no pouring.
Canisters come in three standard sizes: 110g, 230g, and 450g. The smallest fits in a jacket pocket and can boil enough water for a couple of solo meals. The largest handles a long weekend for two. Their convenience makes them the default choice for backpackers who want to boil water quickly with minimal fuss.
The tradeoff is cold-weather performance. Because the fuel inside is a pressurized gas, it relies on vapor pressure to flow. As temperatures drop, that pressure decreases and your flame weakens. The 80/20 isobutane-propane blend works down to roughly 15°F, give or take 10 degrees, but performance starts declining well before that point. If you’re camping in freezing conditions, white gas is the more reliable option.
Canister fuel also costs more per hour of cooking and creates a disposal challenge. Empty canisters need to be punctured and recycled as metal, not tossed in the trash. You can’t easily tell how much fuel is left in a partially used canister without weighing it.
Denatured Alcohol
Alcohol stoves are popular with ultralight hikers because the stoves themselves weigh almost nothing, sometimes just a few ounces of shaped aluminum. The fuel is denatured alcohol (ethanol mixed with a small amount of methanol to make it undrinkable), sold at hardware stores and some outdoor retailers.
Alcohol burns at a lower temperature than white gas or isobutane, so boil times are noticeably slower. It works best for simple tasks like heating water for freeze-dried meals. Some alcohol stove designs can simmer, typically with a separate metal ring that partially covers the burner, giving you a bit more cooking versatility. The fuel is cheap and widely available, but you’ll use more of it per meal than you would with other options.
Solid Fuel Tablets
Solid fuel tabs, often sold under the brand name Esbit, are small hexamine tablets that burn with a nearly invisible flame. They’re the lightest fuel option by far. A single half-ounce tablet can heat enough water for roughly two meals, about 1.5 to 2 cups per meal. You place the tablet on a simple metal stand, light it, and set your pot on top.
The downsides: you can’t adjust the flame, the tablets leave a sticky residue on your cookware, and they don’t produce enough heat for real cooking. They’re a backup option or an ultralight minimalist’s tool, not a replacement for a proper stove system on longer trips.
Wood as Fuel
Wood-burning camp stoves use sticks, twigs, and other biomass you gather on the trail. The appeal is obvious: your fuel is free and everywhere (in forested areas, at least). Modern wood-burning stoves use a double-wall design that channels airflow to create a surprisingly efficient burn.
The practical limits are equally obvious. You need dry wood, which can be hard to find after rain. Gathering fuel takes time. Many wilderness areas and parks restrict or ban campfires and wood-burning stoves during dry seasons or in fragile ecosystems. Wood stoves also produce far more soot and smoke than any other option.
Carbon Monoxide and Enclosed Spaces
Every type of camp fuel produces carbon monoxide when it burns. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, making it impossible to detect without a sensor. Between 1990 and 1994 in the United States, portable fuel-burning camp stoves and lanterns were linked to 10 to 17 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths each year. Charcoal grills caused another 15 to 27 deaths annually. On average, 30 fatal carbon monoxide poisonings per year occurred inside tents or campers during that same period.
A CDC investigation into camping deaths in Georgia found that victims who used a propane stove inside their tent for warmth had blood carbon monoxide levels of 50% to 69%, far above the lethal threshold. In a separate incident at the same campground, two people who brought a charcoal grill inside their tent had levels of 68% and 76%.
The critical rule: never use any fuel-burning device inside a tent, camper, or enclosed shelter. Opening flaps or windows is not enough to prevent dangerous carbon monoxide buildup. This applies to stoves, heaters, lanterns, and grills of every fuel type.
Choosing the Right Fuel
Your choice depends on how you camp. Canister fuel is the easiest option for weekend backpacking in moderate weather. White gas is better for cold conditions, longer trips, group cooking, and international travel where canisters may be hard to find. Alcohol and solid tabs suit ultralight minimalists who only need to boil water. Wood works when regulations allow it and dry fuel is abundant.
All camp fuels are flammable liquids or gases that require basic precautions. Store them away from heat sources and open flames, keep them in their original or approved containers, and never refuel a stove that’s still hot or burning. When using liquid fuel, maintain at least 50 feet of distance from any open flame or ignition source during handling.