White gas is a highly refined form of gasoline made almost entirely of light hydrotreated distillate, a petroleum product stripped of the additives and impurities found in automotive fuel. If you’ve seen it sold as “Coleman fuel” or “camp fuel,” you’re looking at the same thing. It’s a clear, colorless liquid composed of lightweight hydrocarbons, primarily chains of five to eight carbon atoms.
Chemical Composition
The safety data sheet for Coleman camping fuel lists its composition as 100% light hydrotreated distillate by volume. That broad category breaks down further into specific hydrocarbons. Up to 25% by weight is n-hexane, a six-carbon chain. Up to 15% by weight is cyclohexane, a ring-shaped molecule also made of six carbons. The remainder is a blend of similar lightweight hydrocarbons, including heptane and octane variants.
“Hydrotreated” is the key word. During refining, hydrogen gas is forced through the petroleum distillate under high pressure and temperature. This process strips out sulfur, nitrogen, and other contaminants that would clog burner jets, produce foul-smelling fumes, or leave behind carbon deposits. The result is an exceptionally clean-burning fuel with almost no residue.
How It Differs From Regular Gasoline
Regular gasoline contains dozens of additives: detergents, anti-knock compounds, corrosion inhibitors, dyes, and oxygenates like ethanol. White gas has none of these. It also has a narrower boiling range, meaning its component hydrocarbons evaporate at more similar temperatures. This gives it a predictable, consistent burn in pressurized camp stoves and lanterns.
Automotive gasoline also contains heavier hydrocarbon fractions that don’t vaporize as easily. Those heavier molecules are what leave sticky residues and gum up small fuel lines. White gas stays cleaner because it’s distilled from a lighter, more uniform cut of crude oil. Think of it as gasoline with everything unnecessary removed.
Physical Properties
White gas is highly volatile and flammable. Its flash point, the temperature at which it produces enough vapor to ignite near an open flame, sits around 13°C (56°F). That means at most room temperatures it’s already giving off ignitable fumes. Its autoignition temperature, where it will catch fire without a spark, is roughly 206 to 220°C (403 to 428°F).
The liquid itself is clear and nearly odorless compared to regular gasoline, though it still has a noticeable petroleum smell. It evaporates quickly and leaves almost no residue on a clean surface, which is one easy way to distinguish it from other fuels.
Common Uses
White gas exists primarily as a camping fuel. Pressurized liquid-fuel stoves and lanterns from brands like Coleman, MSR, and Optimus are designed specifically for it. The fuel gets pumped into a pressurized tank, forced through a narrow generator tube where it vaporizes, and then burned as a gas. Because white gas contains no additives or heavy fractions, it vaporizes reliably even in freezing temperatures, making it a popular choice for cold-weather and high-altitude camping where canister fuels lose pressure.
Some people also use it as a cleaning solvent for degreasing metal parts, since it dissolves oils effectively and evaporates without leaving a film. Historically, it served as a general-purpose solvent in workshops and even dry cleaning before safer alternatives became available.
Storage and Shelf Life
Coleman officially recommends using white gas within one year of opening, since the fuel can absorb moisture from the air over time. In practice, the fuel lasts far longer than that when stored properly. Many campers report using white gas from containers opened five or even ten years earlier with no performance issues in stoves or lanterns.
The critical factor is how well the container seals. A tightly closed metal can with minimal air space inside will preserve the fuel almost indefinitely. Sealed, unopened cans from decades ago have been found to work perfectly. If you store a partially full container, the larger air pocket gives moisture more opportunity to creep in, but even this is a slow process. As long as the fuel still looks clear and doesn’t have visible water droplets or cloudiness, it’s generally fine to burn.
Store white gas in its original container or a purpose-built fuel bottle, away from heat sources and direct sunlight. The volatility that makes it a great stove fuel also makes it dangerous if vapors accumulate in an enclosed space.