Walmart's Compact, Budget Camping Item Is A Game Changer For Outdoor Chefs Using Propane

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If you're someone who uses propane gas while on camping trips or at tailgates, it can feel like a guessing game to know if you have enough propane left in the tank, or whether you need a new one. Well, there is a new tool at Walmart that can take the guessing out of it. The Coleman Digital Fuel Gauge can tell you how much propane is left in 14-ounce and 16-ounce fuel cylinders. Propane is so useful for camping trips, whether you're using it for appliances such as heaters, lanterns, generators, or refrigerators, and especially when hooked up to a camp stove or grill for cooking. Cooking is one of your most important tasks while camping, and if your campground is far away from a store, it may be difficult to get more fuel. So it's important to know that you have enough fuel to cook your meals — especially when you're RV camping at a high altitude.

To use the fuel gauge, simply push the power button to turn it on and toggle it to select the size cylinder you are testing, so that the LED display screen shows either 14 or 16 ounces. Then snap the gauge onto the top of the cylinder and lift it up using gauge's handle. The gauge will feel the weight of the cylinder and the display screen will tell you how much fuel is remaining. When you are done, make sure to remove the scale from the cylinder before hooking the tank up to your camp stove. Since the gauge is portable and weighs only 0.6 ounces, it's a great gadget to throw in your camping gear for when you need to know just how much propane you have left.

Coleman's Digital Fuel Gauge is only $8 at Walmart, and it can help you save money by allowing you to get the most out of each fuel cylinder. At Walmart, new propane cylinders cost anywhere from $5 to $10 each. With the fuel gauge, you can find out if there is still enough fuel left in the tank before buying a new one. Instead of just trying to feel the tank and guessing whether there is enough fuel for your next delicious meal, this gauge now has to be added to your list of must-haves for hassle-free cooking while camping.

The nice part of the gauge is that because it's so portable, you can even take it with you when traveling with your camp stove, which is a TSA-approved travel essential. While it seems this fuel scale wouldn't work with the smaller fuel canisters more often used while backpacking, the 16-ounce propane cylinder is often used with tabletop two-burner propane stoves, and 14-ounce propane tanks are most commonly used for propane torches.

Customers are mostly raving about the tool on Walmart's website, earning it a 4.7 rating. While some customers wrote that they wished the gauge was more precise — it only shows the amount in general quarters, not specific numbers — they still felt it is helpful to have around so you have a better idea of just how much propane is left. Especially before packing them up for your next tailgate or camping trip, and even more so, before you go to the store to grab a new one.