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bluefunk
Feb 9, 2008, 12:14 AM
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Registered: Sep 19, 2004
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I am going on my first trip to the Himalayas and will be climbing an 7000M peak. I have always used my MSR XGK with white gas on all my other cold mountaineering trip where I need to melt snow for drinking. The outfitter recommended that we use canister stoves at altitude and said that everybody does that in Nepal. He said that the stoves don't work well on kerosene. I have only used canister stoves a few times in the cold and hated how they preformed. I know they do better the higher you go and you can also make the copper pipe heat diffuser thingy to increase the performance in the cold, but I'm going to need to melt alot of snow for water. I was wondering what is the best canister stove to use at altitude in the Himalaya (mainly for melting snow), what are people using on other expeditions to that area. I was thinking about something like the MSR Reactor. Also has anybody used the XGK with kerosene and if so do you recommend it?
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jackscoldsweat
Feb 9, 2008, 12:47 AM
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Registered: Jun 18, 2003
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try this one.
http://www.msrgear.com/stoves/windpro.asp
note that you can turn the canister upside down for more efficiency.
i have also used and was satisfied with the jetboil.
JCS
(This post was edited by jackscoldsweat on Feb 9, 2008, 12:50 AM)
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shoo
Feb 9, 2008, 1:06 AM
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Registered: Dec 22, 2006
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Not sure about altitude, but cold weather is death to canister stoves. I would imagine liquid fuel, preferably white gas, is far more effective. If you absolutely must use canister stoves, you have to do a little trickery to get them to run well. As mentioned earlier, stoves that have extension hoses so you can turn the fuel over help a bit. Warming the canister between your thighs before and during use helps quite a bit.
As for the jetboil, using it in cold weather is a pain. Even with 4 season fuel the thing sputters like crazy, I suspect due to decreased pressure in the canister. Works fairly well if you have it in your thighs, but this is all at lower alititudes, so no clue what it's going to do way up in the Himalayas.
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altelis
Feb 9, 2008, 2:59 AM
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the problem with liquid fuel is that you CAN NOT find white gas in the region. meaning you either have a multi-fuel and you carry kerosine (NOT a fun/efficient/safe) option or you get a canister stove.
watch the video by steve house on the gear he brought on the rupal face (http://www.patagonia.com/...nia.go?assetid=10348)
he talks about stoves/cooking in the 13:00-15:00 minute area. get a canister stove that you attach the canister via a cable NOT directly to the stove. this mean once the stove warms up you can turn the canister upside down and burn the liquid, which is then turned to gas as it enters the warm stove (just like a white-gas stove...) and it becomes so much more efficient because it no longer relies on gas pressure.
DO not use kerosene. do like the pros and get a canister....
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paintrain
Feb 10, 2008, 10:27 PM
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Registered: Feb 17, 2004
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One more vote for the windpro. It worked well for house/anderson on NP. You can keep the canister warm as well, since it is seperate from the base.
Liquid fuel is OK up to a certain altitude, but it has to be clean fuel. It will clog your stove pretty quick as you get higer because it will not burn as efficiently. In south america you can specify benzeno blanco and it comes in glass canisters (this is the good white gas). It also helps to not pump the liquid gas up to high pressure as it will burn better if you are not overpushing the fuel out when you start getting up above 17K.
I don't know about availability in the himalaya for white gas, but it sounds like others recomend the cansiter stoves, as least for higher on the hills. The liquid fuels are good for lower.
PT
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shoo
Feb 10, 2008, 11:14 PM
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I think it has been pretty well established that you're going to need a canister fuel stove for the Himalayas, at least partially due to white gas availability, and there are a few people recommending the windpro. I'm going to pose a thread drift question. This is mostly for my own curiosity and general knowledge.
If fuel availability wasn't an issue, for high altitude low temp situations, canister or white gas?
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alamuerte
Feb 11, 2008, 12:47 AM
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Registered: Jan 28, 2008
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i have a windpro, and i love it. you could also try the msr reactor. its similar to the jet boil, but bombproof in all weather conditions. it's boil time remains pretty much constant no matter what. it's just a little less fuel efficient than the jetboil and slightly heavy.
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majid_sabet
Feb 11, 2008, 1:31 AM
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A friend of mine used my Colman peak I multi gas up to 7780 meter in Himalayas and performed very well not sure about MSR but I think you should not have any problem with it..
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kimgraves
Feb 12, 2008, 8:23 PM
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Registered: Jan 13, 2003
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I have no personal experience with stoves at altitude, but I have used both a JetBoil and a MSR multifuel in the cold of Mt. Washington (-10F). The MSR worked and the JetBoil didn't. That simple and stark. We had to burn candles under the JetBoil to get it to function at all.
I was hoping that the MSR Reactor would solve the problems of canister stoves in the cold, but the pot doesn't attach to the stove - how can you hang it?
I did see Steve House's trick of turning over the Windpro cartridge. I've never tried it, but you would think he would know what he's talking about.
Best, Kim
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glahhg
Feb 12, 2008, 9:15 PM
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Registered: Nov 7, 2003
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Here's a thread on summitpost on hanging an MSR Reactor:
http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=35397&highlight=reactor
apparently you can just use the jetboil hanging kit.
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gt29905
Feb 12, 2008, 9:16 PM
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Registered: Oct 1, 2005
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Get the Brunton Vapor AF. It can use canisters or any liquid fuel without part swapping. You can use the Steve House canister trick if you have them and if you don't, burn whatever liquid fuel you can find.
I bought one and that's my plan. 
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kimgraves
Feb 12, 2008, 9:37 PM
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glahhg wrote: Here's a thread on summitpost on hanging an MSR Reactor: http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=35397&highlight=reactor apparently you can just use the jetboil hanging kit.
Dang. That's great!
With this fix, I'd take the Reactor. Dang, with this fix I'm going to buy a Reactor.
Best, Kim
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jackscoldsweat
Feb 14, 2008, 2:21 AM
Post #13 of 13
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Registered: Jun 18, 2003
Posts: 380
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why would any avid alpinist purchase such a hanging kit for their jetboil or any stove for that matter? besides, jetboil's hanging kit is too heavy(yea that's right, TOO HEAVY). it has a single function and is therefore WORTHLESS when considering it's weight.
why not make your own?
a few small and simple holes drilled just under the rim, some bonding agent, a biner, and light thin wire are all you need. and it all fits (including the canister and burner) inside the mug when not in use. if you can find it, Andy Kirkpatrick has a similar setup described on his site.
IMO, if your not striving to make your time in the mountains easier via modifying your existing gear, you either have more money than brains, or are just plain lazy.
if you want pictures, PM me.
JCS
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