G.I. Pocket Stove
Encyclopedia
The G.I. Pocket Stove is a World War II
-era portable pressurized-burner liquid-fuel stove made by the Coleman Company
of Wichita, Kansas
.
, the U.S. government tasked Coleman to develop a compact stove for military
use. The stove had to be lightweight, no larger than a quart
-sized thermos
bottle, burn any kind of fuel, and operate in weather from minus 60º to plus 125º Fahrenheit. Within 60 days, Coleman came up with what became the G.I. Pocket Stove. Designated the Model 520 Coleman Military Burner, the stove first saw service in November 1942 when 5,000 of the stoves accompanied U.S. forces during the invasion of North Africa
. Over 1 million of the stoves were produced for war use, where it won high praise in the field: Ernie Pyle
ranked it “just behind the Jeep” in its usefulness.
By the end of the war, Coleman began production of a civilian version of the Model 520, designated the Model 530 and advertised as the G.I. Pocket Stove. The Model 530 was promoted by Coleman as the “perfect pal for hunting, fishing and camping trips” that would “slip easily into a hunting coat pocket, glove compartment of a car, or corner of [a] picnic hamper.” The single-burner G.I. Pocket Stove was only manufactured between 1946 and 1949; afterwards Coleman did not manufacture another single-burner, non-military backpacking stove until 1972. Larger single-burner stoves continued production starting with the 500 Speedster.
(sometimes referred to as “white gas
oline” or pure gasoline, without lead or additives
). It will hold a pint
of fuel, burn for over 3 hours on a full tank, and generate over 5000 Btu (5,275.3 kJ) per hour. Six small hinged metal pieces on the top fold outward for use a pot supports, and fold inward for storage. The stove comes with a two-piece telescoping aluminum case, which can be used as cook pots, an aluminum wrench that also serves as a handle for the cooking pots, a small metal disc or top plate which is placed on the burner grate to help disperse the flame, and a fuel funnel. An integrated hand-operated cleaning needle is used to remove soot
or other impurities that can clog the burner tip.
The civilian version differs only slightly from its military cousin: the Model 530 G.I. Pocket Stove has a nickel
-plated brass
fuel tank, while the Model 520 military version was painted olive drab. The military Model 520 also has three small folding legs at the base, which are omitted on the Model 530, and the civilian version has four vertical supports for the upper frame assembly (supporting the cooking grate) while the military version has only three.
or lighter
. Once the flame burns steadily for about 2 to 3 minutes, the control valve is opened as far as possible. The size of the flame depends on the amount of pressure in the tank, which must be re-pressurized periodically using the hand pump.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era portable pressurized-burner liquid-fuel stove made by the Coleman Company
Coleman Company
Coleman Company, Inc., is an American company that specializes in outdoor recreation products. Historically, Coleman is known for camping gear....
of Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the U.S. government tasked Coleman to develop a compact stove for military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
use. The stove had to be lightweight, no larger than a quart
Quart
The quart is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon, two pints, or four cups. Since gallons of various sizes have historically been in use, quarts of various sizes have also existed; see gallon for further discussion. Three of these kinds of quarts remain in current use, all approximately...
-sized thermos
Thermos
Thermos may refer to:* A vacuum flask generically known as a "thermos"* a brand of domestic vacuum flask made by Thermos L.L.C.* Thermos , an ancient Greek city, the capital city of the Aetolian League...
bottle, burn any kind of fuel, and operate in weather from minus 60º to plus 125º Fahrenheit. Within 60 days, Coleman came up with what became the G.I. Pocket Stove. Designated the Model 520 Coleman Military Burner, the stove first saw service in November 1942 when 5,000 of the stoves accompanied U.S. forces during the invasion of North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
. Over 1 million of the stoves were produced for war use, where it won high praise in the field: Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle
Ernest Taylor Pyle was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during World War II. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944...
ranked it “just behind the Jeep” in its usefulness.
By the end of the war, Coleman began production of a civilian version of the Model 520, designated the Model 530 and advertised as the G.I. Pocket Stove. The Model 530 was promoted by Coleman as the “perfect pal for hunting, fishing and camping trips” that would “slip easily into a hunting coat pocket, glove compartment of a car, or corner of [a] picnic hamper.” The single-burner G.I. Pocket Stove was only manufactured between 1946 and 1949; afterwards Coleman did not manufacture another single-burner, non-military backpacking stove until 1972. Larger single-burner stoves continued production starting with the 500 Speedster.
Construction
The G.I. Pocket Stove is 8½ inches high and 4½ inches in diameter, and weighs about three pounds. It was designed to burn either leaded or unleaded automobile gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
(sometimes referred to as “white gas
White gas
White gas is a common name for two flammable substances. In its most common modern usage, it is used as a generic name for camp stove and lantern fuel, usually naphtha....
oline” or pure gasoline, without lead or additives
Gasoline additive
Gasoline additives increase gasoline's octane rating or act as corrosion inhibitors or lubricants, thus allowing the use of higher compression ratios for greater efficiency and power, however some carry heavy environmental risks...
). It will hold a pint
Pint
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
of fuel, burn for over 3 hours on a full tank, and generate over 5000 Btu (5,275.3 kJ) per hour. Six small hinged metal pieces on the top fold outward for use a pot supports, and fold inward for storage. The stove comes with a two-piece telescoping aluminum case, which can be used as cook pots, an aluminum wrench that also serves as a handle for the cooking pots, a small metal disc or top plate which is placed on the burner grate to help disperse the flame, and a fuel funnel. An integrated hand-operated cleaning needle is used to remove soot
Soot
Soot is a general term that refers to impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolyzed fuel particles such as cenospheres,...
or other impurities that can clog the burner tip.
The civilian version differs only slightly from its military cousin: the Model 530 G.I. Pocket Stove has a nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
-plated brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
fuel tank, while the Model 520 military version was painted olive drab. The military Model 520 also has three small folding legs at the base, which are omitted on the Model 530, and the civilian version has four vertical supports for the upper frame assembly (supporting the cooking grate) while the military version has only three.
How It Works
The stove must first be pressurized by using the small hand-pump on the fuel reservoir. After pumping, the control valve is opened one-quarter turn to allow the pressurized fuel to begin to flow through the vaporizer to the burner head, where it is ignited using a matchMatch
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
or lighter
Lighter
A lighter is a portable device used to generate a flame. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable fluid or pressurized liquid gas, a means of ignition, and some provision for extinguishing the flame.- History :...
. Once the flame burns steadily for about 2 to 3 minutes, the control valve is opened as far as possible. The size of the flame depends on the amount of pressure in the tank, which must be re-pressurized periodically using the hand pump.