Refilling gas canisters or denatured alcohol in Central America (bike trip)

Hi there,

I’m planning a bike trip from Panama to Mexico and I’m looking for info on where to find gas canisters in Central America.

I have a stove that works with Primus bottles (or other brands except Campingaz).

I also have an alcohol stove, and I’d prefer that option if denatured alcohol or even 90% alcohol is easy to find.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jean Marie

Hi there, not sure if this helps, but I have a multi-fuel stove, and yes, denatured alcohol lasts longer—basically, it burns more slowly.

Last time, I used some barbecue lighter fluid... it lasted nearly 40% longer than regular gasoline.

Hi, I have the same question as Jean-Marie for our upcoming bike trip. I'd like to know if the small screw-on gas canister stove is the right option? So, is it possible to find refills pretty much everywhere and fairly easily in the country? Thanks to everyone for your feedback. Gilles

You can find refills at Novey, Do It Center, which are present throughout the country. There’s also a Decathlon at Multiplaza Panama City.

Hello, My reply is probably too late, but I stopped checking VoyageForum after the COVID interruption. You can easily find valve-type gas canisters in Panama, as well as in Vietnam and other countries, since these canisters are used for small household stoves. There are adapters available to use a camping stove designed for screw-in canisters with a valve-type canister. I easily found a refill on my first day in Panama City, but I don’t remember which store it was. I think it was a small shop with gas cartridges visible from the outside. I bought an adapter in 2017 (see the photos), but I can’t find the link anymore. I used it in Vietnam and also in Panama. Apologies for the late reply. Best regards, Jean Marie

Hi there, we cycled all of South America and we’ve got a petrol stove—it’s really the best because we climbed up to 5,000 meters and at that altitude gas freezes. The advantage over gas is that in a lot of countries you can buy just 1 liter of petrol at a gas station. In Cameroon they sold petrol by the roadside, even in Indonesia. Happy travels

Hello, Gasoline is indeed the easiest fuel to find worldwide, and gas stoves can also run on denatured alcohol when that fuel is available. It’s the preferred option for long-term travelers who need to cross remote areas and often have to cook. For those traveling through more populated regions, who mostly eat in restaurants and only use their stove occasionally—or not at all—a small gas stove is a simpler and cheaper option. As a last-resort fix, you can also burn wood. It’s available almost everywhere, except maybe in deserts. The stove can be improvised with stones found at your campsite. In that case, the only gear you need to carry is a pot, utensils, and a lighter to start the fire. Your needs depend on the trip, but no matter what kind of bike journey you’re on, try to pack only the essentials—extra weight quickly becomes a burden on tough terrain. Happy travels to everyone

hi, thanks for the feedback. I totally agree. If possible, for a fuel stove, it's better to use denatured alcohol or charcoal for barbecues instead of gasoline. From experience, it lasts longer!