# White gas vs. European low-grade gas. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462 "2006-03-08T01:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/1 "2006-03-08T01:03:20Z")
One of my Svea 123 stoves has a sticker on it that says to use only white gas (e.g., Coleman fuel) in the U.S., and only low-grade gasoline in Europe. First: Is there generic white gas? (I imagine going to a rural gas station and asking for it.) Or is it only sold as branded (e.g., Coleman) camping fuel? Second: What is ‘low-grade’ gasoline in Europe, and why is it safe to use it in a Svea stove when U.S. mogas is not? (Incidentally, the U.S. distributor of Svea stoves says that mogas _can_ be used in the stoves in a pinch; but they’ll work better with white gas.) ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/2 "2006-03-08T02:24:14Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > First: Is there generic white gas? (I imagine going to a rural gas station and asking for it.) Or is it only sold as branded (e.g., Coleman) camping fuel? Naphtha could be considered the generic term for “white gas.” Generally I only see it sold as “camping fuel” though. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/3 "2006-03-08T03:01:17Z")
> [@St\_Ides](#): > > Naphtha could be considered the generic term for “white gas.” So I can safely use Coleman fuel in my Zippo? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/4 "2006-03-08T03:15:52Z")
[International Fuel Names](http://members.iinet.net.au/~mbuckler/fuel/index.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/5 "2006-03-08T03:17:10Z")
The Material Safety Data Sheet for Coleman fuel gives the following composition: · Solvent naphtha (CAS #64742-89-8) 45-50% · Aliphatic petroleum distillates (CAS #64742-88-7) 45-50% · Xylene (CAS #1330-20-7) 2% · Toluene (CAS #108-88-3) 2% ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/6 "2006-03-08T03:36:31Z")
You might want to be careful in Europe. When I lived there, leaded gas was still available, and I believe it is still sold in some Eastern European countries. Do not cook with leaded gas. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/7 "2006-03-08T04:08:08Z")
FTIW yes you used to be able to buy white gas at filling stations. I can remember going with my dad to buy a gallon of white gas before going on camping trips. This was long before Coleman ever put fuel into cans and sold it themselves. Contrary to what the link that **crowmanyclouds** posted back in the day white gas was the only thing you ran in a Coleman stove or lantern. As far as unleaded gas goes, I have run nothing but unleaded gas in my Coleman products since the introduction of unleaded gas in 1975. No these were not the “special” models of stoves designed to run on unleaded fuel. Just regular ole Coleman products designed for white gas / coleman fuel. I never had a problem. It used to take $0.07 to fill my stove for a weekend with Chevron Supreme. 😃 I have no experience with the stove you are talking about so YMMV. BTW **JohnnyLA** what is mogas? ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/8 "2006-03-08T05:51:30Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > So I can safely use Coleman fuel in my Zippo? I’m not going to say yes, definitely… but all all signs appear to point to yes. Zippo says their fluid is “naphtha based” and the product name generally tends to be : Zippo Fluid (Naphtha)… The only reason I’m not going to say that I’d recommend it, is that I can’t seem to find if Coleman Fuel is pure Naphtha and not a blend… Then again, Zippos aren’t all that picky about what fluid they burn, as long as it’s somewhat similar. It’s not unheard of to use kerosene in a Zippo, instead of normal lighter fluid… So if you’re so inclined, go ahead and try it… Zippos have a lifetime warranty. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/9 "2006-03-08T15:09:04Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > BTW **JohnnyLA** what is mogas? Auto **mo** tive **gas** oline. (As opposed to avgas.) > [@Rick](#): > > This was long before Coleman ever put fuel into cans and sold it themselves. Contrary to what the link that **crowmanyclouds** posted back in the day white gas was the only thing you ran in a Coleman stove or lantern. It may have been on **crowmanyclouds** ’s link that I read that Coleman fuel was designed to replace white gas as a safer alternative. There was quite a lot of reading on that link, and I was getting tired of being on the computer; so I just sort of scanned it. Did it say what ‘low-grade gasoline’ is in Europe? (This morning I’m running a caffeine deficit.) What octane (converted to the system used in the U.S.)? > [@Rick](#): > > I have no experience with the stove you are talking about so YMMV. Heh. Gas. ‘Mileage’. [Svea 123R](http://www.packstoves.com/optimus%20pages/optimus%20svea%20stove.htm). You can read the sticker on the side. The verbiage is different from the one I bought in '82. > [@St. Ides](#): > > It’s not unheard of to use kerosene in a Zippo, instead of normal lighter fluid… So if you’re so inclined, go ahead and try it… Zippos have a lifetime warranty. I’ve heard of helicopter pilots in Vietnam filling their Zippos from the sump drains on their Hueys. I have a spare Zippo that I never use (it was a replacement for one that I lost, and I have a replacement for the replacement), so I think I’ll give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/10 "2006-03-08T16:22:46Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I’ve heard of helicopter pilots in Vietnam filling their Zippos from the sump drains on their Hueys. I have a spare Zippo that I never use (it was a replacement for one that I lost, and I have a replacement for the replacement), so I think I’ll give it a try. Coleman fuel seems to be working. The flame is the same height as when using lighter fluid. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/11 "2006-03-08T16:35:43Z")
How’s the smell? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/12 "2006-03-08T17:42:49Z")
I’va always run my various Sveas on unleaded, with no problems. This includes a couple of 123s and an Optimus 99. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-gas-vs-european-low-grade-gas/347462/13 "2006-03-08T18:34:28Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > How’s the smell? Someone shot the nose off my camel! … Not objectionable.