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skidawg
Oct 2, 2006, 3:11 AM
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As a hiker and mountaineer, I've used the Snow Peak giga power, and MSR whisperlight stoves because of their field maintainability and weight. Recently however I ran across a bunch of sites with people making their own alcohol stoves out of soda cans, which are less dangerous, much simpler and are so light and small, they might as well not be there at all. Today I made such a stove ( http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html ) and think it might be good enough to compete with my trusted white gas stoves. The stove I made didn't last long on one fill (about 11min) and only lasted ~2min. longer with the simmer ring however. There are obvious benefits and downsides to all forms of stoves out there, but I'm wondering what all of you use. I'm hoping to hear from people that have experience with more than just one type/brand, but all the same, I'm curious to see what all of you have adopted as a tried and trusted stove over the years.
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climbxclimb
Oct 2, 2006, 4:05 AM
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MSR XGK a jet engine!!!!
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thetroutscout
Oct 2, 2006, 11:29 AM
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I've used them all, the most recent being said alcohol stove. I read about them too, researched and made a few of my own. I thought it cool being able to make my own stove, sticking it to the man who'd cost me a small fortune in my other stove purchases. Well, the man has a good point. Finally after find and making my most efficient stove I boiled water in slightly less than 10 minutes. The stoves are small, don't hold pots well, are hard to load fuel into, you can't see the flame(easy to burn yourself)and a bunch of other stupid little things. I will gladly pay for my nice, new, efficient and expensive store bought stoves/fuel from now on. It was pretty cool cooking on my own stove. But once said hassles were over and my food done the rest of my buddies had cooked, eaten and cleaned. There really is something to pushing a button and less than three minutes your water boiling and it's worth paying for. For the record I mainly use a MSR Whisperlite in the winter and a MSR pocket rocket or Jetboil in the Summer.
^^ike
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thetroutscout
Oct 2, 2006, 11:30 AM
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I've used them all, the most recent being said alcohol stove. I read about them too, researched and made a few of my own. I thought it cool being able to make my own stove, sticking it to the man who'd cost me a small fortune in my other stove purchases. Well, the man has a good point. Finally after find and making my most efficient stove I boiled water in slightly less than 10 minutes. The stoves are small, don't hold pots well, are hard to load fuel into, you can't see the flame(easy to burn yourself)and a bunch of other stupid little things. I will gladly pay for my nice, new, efficient and expensive store bought stoves/fuel from now on. It was pretty cool cooking on my own stove. But once said hassles were over and my food done the rest of my buddies had cooked, eaten and cleaned. There really is something to pushing a button and less than three minutes your water boiling and it's worth paying for. For the record I mainly use a MSR Whisperlite in the winter and a MSR pocket rocket or Jetboil in the Summer.
^^ike
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thetroutscout
Oct 2, 2006, 11:31 AM
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I've used them all, the most recent being said alcohol stove. I read about them too, researched and made a few of my own. I thought it cool being able to make my own stove, sticking it to the man who'd cost me a small fortune in my other stove purchases. Well, the man has a good point. Finally after find and making my most efficient stove I boiled water in slightly less than 10 minutes. The stoves are small, don't hold pots well, are hard to load fuel into, you can't see the flame(easy to burn yourself)and a bunch of other stupid little things. I will gladly pay for my nice, new, efficient and expensive store bought stoves/fuel from now on. It was pretty cool cooking on my own stove. But once said hassles were over and my food done the rest of my buddies had cooked, eaten and cleaned. There really is something to pushing a button and less than three minutes your water boiling and it's worth paying for. For the record I mainly use a MSR Whisperlite in the winter and a MSR pocket rocket or Jetboil in the Summer.
^^ike
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bmelanson
Oct 2, 2006, 1:36 PM
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I own a whisperlite internat, its my first and only stove, ive used it alot over the summer, its not to heavy at all. I would suggest it to anyone just because of all the different type of fuels it can take.
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climberforhim
Oct 2, 2006, 1:46 PM
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I own a jet boil and love it
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vegastradguy
Oct 2, 2006, 2:00 PM
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i probably shouldnt even be answering this since i dont cook when i camp- but then i'm a car camper in the extreme...BUT, i did go to the OR show and saw a new stove from MSR that looked pretty impressive.
their new Reactor is their response to Jetboil (well, unofficial response). The cool thing about it is that altitude and temperature do not affect the stove's performance since it's standard pressure when at full power is at roughly the same pressure it would get at altitude and a low temp. It also gets 8 more boils out of a canister than other canister stoves. Impressive, yes?
Anyway, I'm hoping to get this little toy out to my alpinist this fall/winter season for testing- so look for the review right around the time the stove is released......
oh, and for the record- i'm a jetboil whore- its the perfect stove for my lazy ass....
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qtm
Oct 2, 2006, 2:31 PM
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In reply to: I've used them all, the most recent being said alcohol stove. I read about them too, researched and made a few of my own. I thought it cool being able to make my own stove, sticking it to the man who'd cost me a small fortune in my other stove purchases. Well, the man has a good point. Finally after find and making my most efficient stove I boiled water in slightly less than 10 minutes. The stoves are small, don't hold pots well, are hard to load fuel into, you can't see the flame(easy to burn yourself)and a bunch of other stupid little things. I will gladly pay for my nice, new, efficient and expensive store bought stoves/fuel from now on. It was pretty cool cooking on my own stove. But once said hassles were over and my food done the rest of my buddies had cooked, eaten and cleaned. There really is something to pushing a button and less than three minutes your water boiling and it's worth paying for. For the record I mainly use a MSR Whisperlite in the winter and a MSR pocket rocket or Jetboil in the Summer. ^^ike
They're fun to make and fun to play around with, but I won't use one again on the trail.
You don't set pots right on the alcohol stove, but put the stove in the middle of a larger can like a big coffee can. That acts as a wind screen as well. Not to say that works all that well, especially when it's windy and wet. I'm sure they're great if you're in the desert and have the time to sit back and enjoy a slow cooked meal, but when it 's wet, windy and cold, when your fingers are numb, it's nice to just screw on a canister stove and have boiling water three minutes later.
As for which stoves I use, I use the Whisperlite Internationale, MSR Pocket Rocket, and JetBoil. JetBoil is great for cold climbing days when you don't need a hot meal but a hot drink really hits the spot.
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shakylegs
Oct 2, 2006, 3:00 PM
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I have the whisperlite as well. Unfortuantely, I've noticed this past season that fuel leaks out of the flame-adjustment valve when I first open it up for priming.
Anyone know what I should do to fix this?
Besides that, love the stove.
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jr05
Oct 2, 2006, 3:32 PM
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Is anybody else as excited about the new MSR Reactor stove as I am? Hopefully it will work as well as it is said to. The low pressure requirement is a great step up for the canister stove industry. The only question I have about the stove is the cool down period. It is heated with radiant heat from heating a plate which then transmits the heat to the pot....how long is this plate going to take to cool down after use. Guess we will have to wait and see...
As for the thread question. I use both canister and fuel tank stoves, depends on the trip (altitude, fuel availability, etc). I have only used MSR stoves, but have found both types of their stoves to be excellent.
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wyrdrocks
Oct 2, 2006, 3:46 PM
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I've been camping for years, and the best stove I have used is the Whisperlite International. I took it with me on the PCT and use it on all backpacking trips, but when I car camp, I enjoy using my homemade soda can stove, it's just fun.
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skidawg
Oct 2, 2006, 4:53 PM
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Thanks for the replies...they were all more or less what I expected to see I guess. The more I read about the alcohol stoves and the more I tried mine out, it seemed to be much less efficient and just not as sturdy for those long trips where stepping on it would put you out of luck (amoung wll the other little reasons). Maybe for car camping, but otherwise, I think I'll be sticking to my whisperlite.
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skidawg
Oct 2, 2006, 4:53 PM
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Thanks for the replies...they were all more or less what I expected to see I guess. The more I read about the alcohol stoves and the more I tried mine out, it seemed to be much less efficient and just not as sturdy for those long trips where stepping on it would put you out of luck (amoung wll the other little reasons). Maybe for car camping, but otherwise, I think I'll be sticking to my whisperlite.
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altelis
Oct 2, 2006, 5:39 PM
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shakylegs----i work for an outdoor tripping company for high school students and do a lot of their gear managment stuff. at the beginning of this summer while testing all the stoves a lot of our 1 year old msr dragonfly pumps had a similar problem. they pressurized fine but when you turned the valve on at the pump they sprayed fuel everywhere....a lot of fun to clean up seeing as we were on a concrete slab----burn baby burn!
we sent them back to msr and i think they are/did look into this as a possible warranty/malfunction type issue. if i remember correctly they sent us replacements, asap and free.
they are great folks over at msr and always want to know about possible malfunction trends in their gear----give 'em a call.
~alex
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desertdude420
Oct 2, 2006, 5:41 PM
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I have a lightweight MSR whisperlite for backpacking but find myself car-camping 90% of the time, so my stove of choice is a Coleman two burner with a designated folding stand and an upgraded propane tank. It always works, doesn't catch fire, need assembly, or get clogged. As I get older, I find comfort and simplicity more and more important.
I realized this on a trip to castle valley when in the morning, I was boiling water (wrestling w/ a wimpy backpacking stove on the ground next to my bivy sac while my buddies stepped out of their camper vans/shells and hit one button on their Coleman's and kicked back.)
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reno
Oct 2, 2006, 5:49 PM
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In reply to: I have the whisperlite as well. Unfortuantely, I've noticed this past season that fuel leaks out of the flame-adjustment valve when I first open it up for priming. Anyone know what I should do to fix this?
My Wisperlite is packed away in a box somewhere, so I'm going by memory:
Assuming there isn't a gasket or o-ring that can be replaced, I'd send it back to MSR. Friends of mine have spoken well of MSR's warranty and how they stand behind their product... I would not be surprised if they sent you a new part.
To the OP: I use the Wisperlite, and also have the MSR Superfly. Like 'em both.
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westtexasrocker
Oct 2, 2006, 6:11 PM
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Ok this will probably make some gear tech weenie really sour but I just bought one of those single burner, mount on the Coleman fuel cannister type stoves for $14 at Academy Sports and the thing will boil water in like 30-45 seconds. No bullshit, did it several times while climbing at Enchanted Rock this past weekend. Just some cheap ass brand, can't even remember the name. Bottom line, it was cheap, it worked awsome, it didn't weigh a ton, and I was cookin' food. enough said.
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desertdude420
Oct 2, 2006, 6:27 PM
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Backpacking stoves are like expedition tents. Most likely they will never be used in the intense situations that they were designed for. I was one of the 'gear heads' that wanted the lightest, most tricked-out, fragile, complicated, and expensive items available. Now I keeps it real. I still do have a 4 0z. stove that fits in my front pocket and can be used at hanging belays, and a 5 lb. four season tent that can be buried in snow survive 60 mph winds.... But they are both lonely and live in the back of my gear closet.
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westtexasrocker
Oct 2, 2006, 6:46 PM
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Yep, and I have an REI mountaineering tent too that stayed at home this weekend because my son and I wanted a little more elbow room. We took the ole' $25 Coleman 7x7 dome tent for a little more room and so he could get a little further from my snoring :D Pack was a little weighty but I survived. Had a great time still with all that "crappy" gear too.
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climbia
Oct 2, 2006, 7:22 PM
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I use them all but the alcohol. Solo and making drinks equals jetboil. Backpacking is the whisperlite. Car camping gets the single propane coleman. A group at the campground bust out the double burner coleman. Alcohol stove sounds cool but I think it's mainly used by people cutting their toothbrushs in half. :lol:
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buddha_monkee
Oct 2, 2006, 7:41 PM
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I've used the same dragonfly for about 8 or 9 years. I love it. Only complaint is that it can be loud. I had a problem with the original pump, but a buddy of mine at an outdoor store simply repaced it with one from a stove in stock. Heh. I lost the second pump - and the bottle it was in - somewhere along the way. I'm on the third pump.
It's always performed well for me. Although the jet boil is enticing. The inner gear whore in me will likely buy one someday. I've seen the alcohol stoves in action, but it always seemed a heck of a lot of hassle for no that much savings. But to each his or her own.
I'm sure this will get some comments, but I like having a little bottle of white gas when I'm camping in case the fire needs a little encouragement to start. Flame on!
Last but not least, you just cant beat a Coleman two burner when you are car camping. Coffee and eggs - at the SAME TIME. Beautiful.
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bill413
Oct 2, 2006, 7:52 PM
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In reply to: Last but not least, you just cant beat a Coleman two burner when you are car camping. Coffee and eggs - at the SAME TIME. Beautiful.
But don't they taste a little strange together in the same cup?
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gandolf
Oct 2, 2006, 8:17 PM
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I used a Svea 123 for years and loved it. Although you have to empty the fuel tank every time you move camp. But still it was very effecient. Prior to my last backpacking trip this summer, I found out I misplaced/lost a key part to the Svea. So I broke down and purchased a new MSR Whipserlite Int.. It was great. It doesn't simmer well, but for boiling water (which was all I needed) it was fast and effecient. So I wont bother replacing the lost Svea part. For car camping I use a Coleman 2 burner stove.
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kman
Oct 2, 2006, 8:44 PM
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I just picked up an MSR Dragonfly since my last Primus stove crapped out on us in the back country about a month ago. The MSR works great so far.
For car camping though ya gotta have a double burner Coleman. It makes me laugh when the wanna be next to you pulls out their ultra light little single burner stove and then they look at your big stove like your some kind of freak :lol: Get a grip your CAR CAMPING for fuck sakes :lol:
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desertdude420
Oct 2, 2006, 9:08 PM
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In reply to: I just picked up an MSR Dragonfly since my last Primus stove crapped out on us in the back country about a month ago. The MSR works great so far. For car camping though ya gotta have a double burner Coleman. It makes me laugh when the wanna be next to you pulls out their ultra light little single burner stove and then they look at your big stove like your some kind of freak :lol: Get a grip your CAR CAMPING for f--- sakes :lol:
Thanks. Somebody had to say it.
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antiqued
Oct 2, 2006, 9:29 PM
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In reply to: I have the whisperlite as well. Unfortuantely, I've noticed this past season that fuel leaks out of the flame-adjustment valve when I first open it up for priming. Anyone know what I should do to fix this? .
After several years of very light use, mine started doing the same thing - I grabbed the parts kit, and replaced the appropriate gasket, successfully.
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shakylegs
Oct 2, 2006, 9:42 PM
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Thanks, I'll check that out.
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petsfed
Oct 2, 2006, 9:53 PM
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For long trips I have a Brunton liquid fuel stove that I won in a raffle. For short backcountry trips I have an MSR Superfly. They're both adjustable, which is crucial for me, otherwise I'd use pellet stoves or popcan alcohol stoves. Kind of a compromise between light and fast and in-camp gourmet, as it were. The Brunton is a little inconvenient sometimes though.
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thetroutscout
Oct 2, 2006, 11:38 PM
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When I said they don't hold pots well, I meant the fact that you either have to carry another larger can, like the odd coffee can or make some other home-made abomination that still is never as good as the real thing. I'm a gram (or oz.) counter just as much as the next guy but for a 3 oz. (86 g) Pocket Rocket + 4 oz kettle which holds a + 8 oz fuel canister, just shy of a pound for stove, fuel and pot, + 3.5 boiling of water; that is well worth the hassle of that beastie alcohol stove.
^^ike
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thegreytradster
Oct 2, 2006, 11:52 PM
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Svea 123.
I've never emptyed it for packing and never had it leak. In fact. if you fill it or equalize the pressure when it's cool it will self prime as long as you gain some altitude before the next time you use it.
Haven't lost any parts either.
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tradmule
Oct 3, 2006, 12:00 AM
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I have a 15 year old whisperlite and use it for car camping as well as backpacking. I cannot say enough about how good this thing is.
Mule
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nilregrets
Oct 3, 2006, 3:43 AM
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After using a Wisperlight all summer leading backpacking trip I bought a Pocketrocket. There’s something nice about the simplicity. The way I look at it, fuel is cheep enough the way I use it, and when am I really going to be in a situation where I can find aviation fuel, crude oil, or whatever else you can throw in the international and not a pressurized fuel canister.
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lextalion
Oct 3, 2006, 4:40 AM
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I have three stoves.
I have used the Whisper Light International liquid fuel stove for about 10 years. A very dependable stove while not weighing a lot. However fuel is heavy. Another down side is that it doesn't simmer as well as some of the new canister stoves. Then again a lot of them don't work really well either. I also like that it is very stable and can handle larger pans, being that it is low to the ground and can be put on a base plate. It is also very easy to field strip and rebuild when you do have problems. Most canister stoves don't have that option. It also is a stove designed to work in higher altitude without a lot of worry about failure.
My new Primus Omifuel stove is the best of all worlds. Being very stable while weighing more than my whisper light. It runs not only on liquid fuel, but on canister fuel as well. And this little blow torch will boil water faster than any stove I've been around (1 liter in 3 minutes @ 9000 ft).
It also has the rebuildability of that of the MSR Whisperlight, but tweeked a bit better in some aspects.
It's an investment that I'm happy I made. It won't make me retire my whisper light, however it won't be my primary stove any more as I do haul both of them when doing trips where my party is more than the two of us. And I don't like to wait to finish one dish then eat in courses. (to much time cooking and not enough time hiking or climbing).
For car camping I use a three burner coleman propane stove. It is great for taking the family out and rustling up killa chow.
As far as the alcohol beer can stoves, I've seen them however I'm not that impressed as while you're reducing the weight. Cooking time and ability of flame adjustment is a trade off. Also in higher elevation or in areas of higher dew points or humidity - water in can effect the fuel of alcohol stoves more than of the canister or White gas stoves.
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westtexasrocker
Oct 3, 2006, 4:24 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: I just picked up an MSR Dragonfly since my last Primus stove crapped out on us in the back country about a month ago. The MSR works great so far. For car camping though ya gotta have a double burner Coleman. It makes me laugh when the wanna be next to you pulls out their ultra light little single burner stove and then they look at your big stove like your some kind of freak :lol: Get a grip your CAR CAMPING for f--- sakes :lol: Thanks. Somebody had to say it.
Ha ha I love it. Look at all the people owning up to using the Coleman's :D
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qtm
Oct 3, 2006, 4:52 PM
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In reply to: After using a Wisperlight all summer leading backpacking trip I bought a Pocketrocket. There’s something nice about the simplicity. The way I look at it, fuel is cheep enough the way I use it, and when am I really going to be in a situation where I can find aviation fuel, crude oil, or whatever else you can throw in the international and not a pressurized fuel canister.
Well, the beauty of the multi-fuel stoves is that when you travel by plane, you don't need to make a specific stop at a gear shop to buy a canister of fuel. You can stop at a gas station and pick up some kero or diesel, which might take an extra few minutes, as opposed to trying to find a gear shop that's a few miles out of your way, and which might or might not be open.
When I'm travelling straight from home, I'll pack the canister since they're so convenient.
As far as car camping goes, I still use a cansiter stove because I'm just heating water for dehydrated meals and coffee. I haven't gotten into the whole two burner coleman thing mostly because I don't like cooking in the first place. I'm fine with dehydrated meals, powdered eggs and powder creamer for the coffee over having to clean a bunch of pots and plates and more so planning and purchasing groceries for the meals. I don't cook at home either, it's just not worth the time for me.
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david_smithrock
Oct 3, 2006, 11:05 PM
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I always laugh at my friends when they singe their eyebrows lighting a whisperlite or XGK. In the northwest, where most backcountry climbing trips are at low altitudes (14,000 ft. or less) and take a week or less, I love my little cheap Primus that screws on top of the fuel canister. Plus it only costs like $30, and weighs nothing. Not to mention it lights easy, is easy to maintain, is quicker to set up, and boils just as quick as any stove.
For car camping, you definitely can't beat a nice double burner propane powered Coleman. I have a big propane tank rigged up with attachment hoses, so I can go to Mexico and not refuel for 2 months!
Just don't buy the big Colemans with the liquid gas (the kind you have to pump). The seals always harden, crack, freeze, or some other obnoxious problem you never have time to repair (one has to eat, right?) I went through two in five years, then started using the propane powered kind.
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petsfed
Oct 6, 2006, 8:10 PM
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In reply to: Ok this will probably make some gear tech weenie really sour but I just bought one of those single burner, mount on the Coleman fuel cannister type stoves for $14 at Academy Sports and the thing will boil water in like 30-45 seconds. No s---, did it several times while climbing at Enchanted Rock this past weekend. Just some cheap ass brand, can't even remember the name. Bottom line, it was cheap, it worked awsome, it didn't weigh a ton, and I was cookin' food. enough said.
Well yeah, its just the burner out of a big two burner job with a fuel regulator tacked on there for kicks. Gets the job done, but its unstable as all hell. I've used them before. If you have a table or a nice slab of concrete to set it on, its great. Otherwise its a terrible stove. Gets blown over in the wind.
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climbaddic
Oct 6, 2006, 10:28 PM
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Posts: 108
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I was originally going to buy MSR Whisperlite International stove before my friend (who knows much more about backpacking than I do) suggested something else and I have to agree with him 100%.
Stove is made by Brunton's Nova stove.
http://www.rei.com/...REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC
Few things I found better than Whisperlite:
1) It doesn't come with PLASTIC pump. It comes in aluminum pump. Less chance to break I suppose.
2) Like Whisperlite, it can burn just about any burnable liquid you can get your hands on. However, you don't have to replace an jet like Whisperlite. Just put the liquid inside the tank and light.
3) Darn thing is so durable that you can't even get a maintance kit. No need.
4) you can actually simmer to any level!
5) You can clean the jet while you are cooking (use the magnetic wand)
6) It comes with the tool to clean everything you need.
7) When you want to turn off the stove. You just have to flip the canister and pressurized gas will release. Not a drop of gas is leaked anywere and make it very simple to pack it backup.
Bad thing:
1) Price is about 2 times the Whisperlite.
2) It is noisy little sucker. I use the MSR's windguard and it toned it down a notch.
3) It seems to take longer to boil water (this maybe due to Whisperlite having wider burner???).
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kobaz
Oct 8, 2006, 1:54 AM
Post #40 of 41
(2708 views)
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Registered: Sep 19, 2004
Posts: 726
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I have a whisperlite, a dragonfly and a pocket rocket, and I used to have a simmerlite (poor stove was lost somewhere in South Carolina).
The whisperlite is definitely my favorite for melting snow and boiling water, it has a very high heat output. I love my dragonfly for cooking pasta and frying up onions and garlic and things like that, it does take a while to boil water.
I used the pocket rocket for 94 days on the Appalachian Trail. It's only 3 ounces and the canisters weigh 2 ounces when empty. I would say a good half of the people on the trail this year had alcohol stoves. I find this odd because even with the lightest weight alcohol stove at about 1 ounce you don't really save much.
You need about the same amount of alcohol as pressurized fuel, and you're carrying a 1-2 ounce bottle for the fuel anyway so your real savings is about 2 ounces and you get nothing but drawbacks: longer boil times, more difficult flame control, limited burn time.
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al_piner
Oct 9, 2006, 3:04 PM
Post #41 of 41
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Registered: Sep 20, 2006
Posts: 142
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Car camping - Coleman dual burner ( bring griddle for choclate chip pancakes )
Altitude or cold weather - Whisperlite multi fuel
Backpaking , day hike - alcohol
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