Hey TomH,
I'm not an expert but this is what I picked up on the internet. The amount of BTUs that a propane tank can release/hr is directly related to the "wetted" surface of the propane, along with a bunch of other stuff (pressure, humidity, temperature). Think of it as the cross section area of the tank where the gaseous propane meets the liquid propane. This cross sectional area has to be large enough to satisfy the BTU requirements of the appliance.
That's why they make these funny looking fat and squat tanks, to increase the cross section - "wetted" surface area.
A small propane tankless heater (
like this one) needs between 30,735 to 74,900 BTU's.
The smaller sized tanks with the limited wetted surface just won't cut it.
Can't find my figures but I did some calculations and you'd need a tank almost as big as your average BBQ tank to run the tankless heater. I don't want to be hauling a tank that size around inside the van.
NOTE: Everything I've just written may be totally wrong.
Hey Randy,
I'd given a lot of thought to a generator but it seems only worth the trouble if you need air conditioning. I know from reading other peoples threads that in some places it a necessity. Around here that's not that big a deal. So I'm passing on the generator.
Hey Windguy,
It's not Mt. Everest but it would have been nice to have a sherpa to carry my pack for me.
The hike was to Flat Rock Plains which is part of the
Allegheny Front.
This part of West Virginia was never really populated. Because of the extreme tree cover it was considered nearly impassable.
That all changed in the late 1800's- early 1900's. That's when the railroads and loggers arrived and started clear cutting everything in sight. They left a 100 years ago but you can still see some of their handiwork in the form of raised right-of-ways and stone abutments along the sides of the mountains
Several trails make use of the old right-of-ways.
Dave