View Full Version : Replacement stove
Aoresteen
08-28-2006, 19:14
Well, I'm down to my last can of Gaz GT 106 butane for my Gaz Globe Trotter. These butane canisters have been discontinued and are no longer being made :( . So it's time to look for a new light weight stove.
What do you reccomend? I have a couple of MSR bottles lying around so that seems to be an option. My budget is $150.
Coming from a mountian team I would want a stove that works well in winter in the mountians as well in the summer in the swamps of Florida.
I still have my old heat tab stove that will do in a pinch but I think I want to move up a step or two! ;)
Thanks for your input!
http://www.msrcorp.com/stoves/whisper_intl.asp
I used this stove just about every day for 2 years straight burning Kerosene. Due to my weekly cleanings it ran flawlessly. Over the 2 years it only needed a few preheating wicks and a one or two o-rings in the pump.
IIRC I used about a 1L of Kero a week (one pot of coffee in the morning and a soup or pasta plus tea in the evening)
If you have access to white gas it will stay much cleaner but it will burn just about anything you can find.
do Whisperlites still sound like a C130 at take-off? i had one while i was in Toelz (i thought everyone who was anyone had one in Toelz) along with an Esbit stove (which i still have one or two of lying about)...
i'd recommend them, although when three or four guys were brewing up, it sounded like an incoming Mass-tac...
The Reaper
08-28-2006, 21:34
Well, I'm down to my last can of Gaz GT 106 butane for my Gaz Globe Trotter. These butane canisters have been discontinued and are no longer being made :( . So it's time to look for a new light weight stove.
What do you reccomend? I have a couple of MSR bottles lying around so that seems to be an option. My budget is $150.
Coming from a mountian team I would want a stove that works well in winter in the mountians as well in the summer in the swamps of Florida.
I still have my old heat tab stove that will do in a pinch but I think I want to move up a step or two! ;)
Thanks for your input!
I just replaced my old Whisperlite International with a new Whisperlite Dragonfly last winter.
It will also burn Coleman Fuel, unleaded, kerosene, or diesel.
It is not silent, but is a lot better than the old XGK my Team Sergeant had. Not a C-130 prop sound, more like an F-16 on afterburners.
It will boil a liter of water in less than four minutes with any of the above fuels, and will run for more than 2 hours straight on 20 ounces of fuel.
Also has a very sturdy base if you want to cook in something more substantial than a canteen cup.
Weighs less than a pound, empty. Good company (they want me to send in the old stove for repair), great service, outstanding products.
TR
Good company (they want me to send in the old stove for repair), great service, outstanding products.
TR
+1
They paid the international shipping on, and tossed in a bunch of extra replacement parts for my MSR "water works" when I was living in Vanuatu.
And yes it is still a very loud stove but in an oddly comforting way...
The Reaper
08-29-2006, 07:40
+1
They paid the international shipping on, and tossed in a bunch of extra replacement parts for my MSR "water works" when I was living in Vanuatu.
And yes it is still a very loud stove but in an oddly comforting way...
Yep, and the Dragonfly glows pretty brightly as well, but I do not think a heat signature is a problem if you are in a location where it is okay to light off a stove.
The Esbit stoves were very nice and compact for warming things up, I do not believe I ever actually boiled anything with one.
TR
Rumblyguts
08-29-2006, 09:26
Just another boost for MSR's
My civilian background (after my short Army stint) is as a wilderness trip leader, and the MSR Dragonfly and Whisperlites seem to be the best. Yep, really loud, and that F-16 comparison is dead on. Also, the shaker jet allows for easy cleaning of the fuel line. Backpacker magazine has a nice little stove search in their gear section.
My tiny bit of advice, which you probably already know coming from the mountains, would be to keep to the liquid fuels as the gaseous variety can condense and foul stoves in cold weather.
Cheers.
Well after a really long break from the backpacking scene I've come back to the fold and have hopped on the "ultralight" backpacking bandwagon, a.k.a. "fastpacking".
During block leave I purchased the Jetboil Personal Cooking System. I decided on getting a canister stove the last time the ODA went up Pikes Peak and all the guys with canister stoves were done boiling water in the time it took me to set-up and prime my 15+ y/o Whisperlite. It still works as good as it did the day I bought it, but these canister stoves are really fast, lightweight, and compact. I decided on the Jetboil specifically because EVERYTHING fits inside the insulated mug.
I won't go into specifics since so many geardo-uber-geeks have written better write-ups than I ever care to do. But it is one of my "best buys" of the year for sure...
The Reaper
08-31-2006, 07:48
The Jetboil is good, but it is a more limited purpose item.
It is as heavy as the MSRs, and requires a proprietary cartridge which you may not find in East BF. It is designed for the recreational campers with access to modern supply systems. The ones that burn gas or kerosene have an advantage.
You can boil 500ml of water with it about 25% faster than with a conventional stove. If you want to cook in anything but the provided container with the heat exchanger, or boil more water than that, a conventional stove will be much better.
It is quieter than the conventional stoves as well.
Just my .02.
TR
Aoresteen
08-31-2006, 08:43
Thanks for all the input! I spent some time reviewing the different stoves at BackPacker Magazine and I read all the posts here at least three times. I decided on a MSR stove and the two that I liked were the DragonFly and the Simmerlite. I downloaded both instruction manuals and read through them. The Simmerlite uses only white gas so I eliminated it. The DragonFly will burn most fuels available.
I have decided on the MSR DragonFly and a bunch of Esbit tabs for my old Esbit stove as well.
You all have been very helpful. Thanks again! :D
BoyScout
08-31-2006, 20:37
Philmont burned me on whisperlites. We had three on our crew, two sprung leaks where the hose from the bottle met the burner.
BigJimCalhoun
09-18-2010, 19:21
I was hoping to buy a whisperlite, but a pawn shop had a deal on a Dragonfly so I bought that today. It seems to work ok and appears to have all the parts. I like how it can run on different fuels.
http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=4174
I've got three of four of them, and a fistful of spare parts. Except for the leathers in the air pump, they are damn near bulletproof. Takes a little skill to get started (preheat, manipulation of the gas valve). Burns any kind of mogas.
http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=4174
I've got three of four of them, and a fistful of spare parts. Except for the leathers in the air pump, they are damn near bulletproof. Takes a little skill to get started (preheat, manipulation of the gas valve). Burns any kind of mogas.
Jesus - two other pieces of team equipment that never went to the field. Cleaned and kept in their case for IG inspections.
Hot item in the 80's in 5th Group was the grasshopper stove working of the small camp propane bottles. Worked well just about everywhere. Needed to sleep with the bottles in arctic like conditions but still worked somewhat better than pre-heats.
The style died out years ago. For a while you could get a round stove that sat on the stubby bottles with a larger plastic base. Even those are not to be found these days.
I concur with the observations above for a backpack stove.
I'm still running a Coleman one burner multi fueler I picked up around 1990. While lighter than a PRC77 I would not consider it a backpack stove. More a basecamp, car camper stove - but it is small enough to pack if you wanted to.
If your stove will spend most of it's travel time in a vehicle and most of it's cooking time on a table it's better to go one step up to a slightly larger stove. They handle bigger pots - mostly heating water or frying stuff.
NoRoadtrippin
09-19-2010, 21:03
The other pro of the Dragonfly is the extra flame control. Unlike the Whisperlite, the DF has a adjustable nozzle on the stove body itself in addition to the one on the fuel pump. It's considered their "gourmet" stove and allows you to cook much more delicate items.
Boomer-61
09-24-2010, 12:04
Depening on your needs an Esbit (heat tab) stove works well. I too entered into the fast packing style of camping and tried out the Esbit. The tabs weigh an ounce each and will heat a cup of water at sea level in 8 minutes. Not a world record. They are easy to travel with, light and all you need is a match or lighter to get them going. Most of the food I cook is add hot water type so this works well for that applacation. I tend to have a small chunk left over which can be used to light up fires when needed. Another benefit is that you consume weight as you go unlike the cannister stoves where you are left carrying the can for your whole trip. I made a wind screen, pot holder combo that weighs about two ounces. If you buy the stove I believe they are less than 7 bucks with 6 tabs included.
Boomer
Jesus - two other pieces of team equipment that never went to the field. Cleaned and kept in their case for IG inspections.
Ah, you should have used them. Probably a little heavy for pure backpacking compared to some of the modern space age materials, but like I said, damn near bulletproof. I have never had it not fire up (sounds like a jet engine when it is up and going) and heats water fast.
Takes a little throttle manipulation sometimes to get the generator vaporizing the gas correctly, and so if you don't do it right it can be frustrating, but once you learn it -- its easy. There is one operational downside, in that the stove always starts off with a bright soft (and soot generating) yellow flame until the preheating causes it to "go blue," unlike the propane or vapor canister stoves that start off pale blue from the start.
Ambush Master
09-24-2010, 20:38
If you're mainly looking at boiling H2O, look at these!! They only require indigenous fuel.
http://www.kellykettle.com/?gclid=CIP1oebFoaQCFSda7AodmHhV5g
Take care
Martin
This reminds me that back in the day we would use small chunks of C4 to heat C-rations. Had to watch out for the fumes though.
If you're mainly looking at boiling H2O, look at these!! They only require indigenous fuel.
http://www.kellykettle.com/?gclid=CIP1oebFoaQCFSda7AodmHhV5g
Take care
Martin
Looks to work on the same principle as those charcoal starter cones you can pick up and Lowes & Home Depot.
Squad Stove,
Can't agree more with CSB. They ARE bulletproof and will work where fancy backpacker stoves won't and, you can fix or clean it with a pocket knife at altitude. My pappy gave me his when i joined the army and it's served me well till i got with the times and bought a lightweight civvy one (Whisperlite Int and Jetboil-both great)
Now my Squad stove goes in my truck. In the winter my transmission fluid freezes overnight so i have to set it under the t-case for a about 10 mins on cold mornings. Which, is pretty amazing that where Internal Combustion Engine fails the US ARMY Squad stove M-1950 does not!
I wish i had spare parts or maybe a specialized cleaning kit, though.
craigepo
09-25-2010, 09:58
Squad Stove,
Now my Squad stove goes in my truck. In the winter my transmission fluid freezes overnight so i have to set it under the t-case for a about 10 mins on cold mornings. Which, is pretty amazing that where Internal Combustion Engine fails the US ARMY Squad stove M-1950 does not!
Dude, have you considered moving? Seriously. If you have to thaw out your transfer case in the morning, that is not "cold". More like "holy shit what am I doing here I'm freezing my ass off!"
I now see why you keep your gel packets in your pocket to keep them from freezing.
Craig:
two things actually
1) you get used to the cold-i guess
2)wear more clothes lol...
who am i kidding-at the end of the day, cold is cold is cold right?
I have a Jetboil, i've tried using at altitude in the winter time and the canned fuel is sluggish at best. I've got a pal who wraps a couple strands of copper wire tight around the can/burner area. The idea being that the copper heats up on the element and the heat radiates down the wire to the can, heating it up enough to get the molecules of iso-butane moving around a bit better.
When he explained it to me i thought it sounded like a gurgling time bomb, death-trap but he swears by it.
I reckon its a problem that plagues all canister fed stoves in cold weather and altitude. If anyones got any more tricks i'd love to hear them.
Bear
Grand58742
09-27-2010, 23:11
Another good multifuel choice is the Primus Omnifuel. Runs on white gas, mogas, diesel, JP, kerosene...just about any liquid fuel besides alcohol. You can change the nozzle and run on LP and butane canisters. Weight is kind of an issue (near a pound for just the stove) but the thing is built like a tank. Sometimes you have to make the choice between weight and durability. Not saying MSR stoves are flimsy, but they just aren't built like the Primus.
Like a lot of stoves, it's pretty noisy. But if you are looking for something that can burn damn near anything you are likely to find in the field, this should be a serious contender. Most sites list it at around $150, but I got it at $115.
The instructional video that comes with the stove.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdja7UCIt0Y
I remember when I was the only guy on the team with an XGK and everybody complained about the noise: not tactical. I said "if you are worried about the noise of the stove you shouldn't be cooking..."
BTW: I too have been looking for a new stove since discovering my XGK is looking very rough after 8 years in storage. I need a stove for cub scout camping so I bought a Coleman Exponent Gemini 2-burner from the BX on sale at $79. It is a backpacker type that I hope can double as a small camp stove.
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Exponent-Gemini-2-Burner-Dual-Fuel/dp/B001H55KN4/ref=sr_1_12?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285602994&sr=8-12
MVP
The old coleman 2 burner is standard issue in the army up here. Theres one in every toboggan tent group(8-10 man) and they are run all hours that humans are in the tent, with the exception of the couple of minutes every few hours it takes to re-fuel it.
Its what my scout master had as a camp stove when i was a small guy and the design hasn't changed much, which worked out cool because i knew how to trouble shoot it once i got in the army.
Goes to show you: "If it ain't broken.........."
Bear
The Reaper
10-01-2010, 15:01
The old coleman 2 burner is standard issue in the army up here. Theres one in every toboggan tent group(8-10 man) and they are run all hours that humans are in the tent, with the exception of the couple of minutes every few hours it takes to re-fuel it.
Its what my scout master had as a camp stove when i was a small guy and the design hasn't changed much, which worked out cool because i knew how to trouble shoot it once i got in the army.
Goes to show you: "If it ain't broken.........."
Bear
IIRC., the new ones are made in China, and the quality/materials leave much to be desired. If you have an old one, keep it.
I have had the Coleman backpacker stove, a couple of Esbits, a hobo stove, an alcohol burner, an MSR Whisperlite International, an XGK, and a Dragonfly.
They each have their pros and cons, and their niches.
TR
Guys at Toelz were pretty fond of the GAZ "Bluet" stoves in the 1980's. I never owned one but there are a few good stories connected to them. My single experience though came as a passenger in a certain W/O's old VW. We were attending the German Ski Instructor course at Mittenwald and had deccided to go home for the weekend. When I got in the car the W/O handed me the bluet and then proceeded to lite it. I asked "WTF" to which he replied "the heater tubes are rusted out so I use this to defrost/heat the car". We drove to Toelz and back that weekend with me holding the lit stove the entire time.
Ah, the good old days.....
MVP
Dozer523
10-05-2010, 09:00
The Seva 123
is and was my pack stove of choice. The same one has been with me since '83 and it always starts. three continents, sea-level (actually below sea-level) and up to 13,500 feet, all seasons, temp down to -50.
for a long time I did not know about the "optional" pressure pump. In those cases I just poured a little bit of gas around the throat and that got it going. I've mostly burned white gas but in a pinch gas, mogas. I've been told diesel, pure alcohol and good scotch will work too.
It does have a 'jet engine sound" aspect to it when it's at operational but as said before, if you're worried about noise you should probably be worrying more about light discipline. Of course when you awake to that roar you know someone else is making coffee and you don't have too!!
Probably the thing I like the best about it is with the cover / cup replaced over the burner it can go right into a nylon mesh bag and straight into your pack stow pocket without fear of burning yourself or melting anything.
http://www.spgear.org/gear/555/svea-123.html
NoRoadtrippin
10-05-2010, 16:37
The Seva 123
is and was my pack stove of choice. The same one has been with me since '83 and it always starts. three continents, sea-level (actually below sea-level) and up to 13,500 feet, all seasons, temp down to -50.
for a long time I did not know about the "optional" pressure pump. In those cases I just poured a little bit of gas around the throat and that got it going. I've mostly burned white gas but in a pinch gas, mogas. I've been told diesel, pure alcohol and good scotch will work too.
It does have a 'jet engine sound" aspect to it when it's at operational but as said before, if you're worried about noise you should probably be worrying more about light discipline. Of course when you awake to that roar you know someone else is making coffee and you don't have too!!
Probably the thing I like the best about it is with the cover / cup replaced over the burner it can go right into a nylon mesh bag and straight into your pack stow pocket without fear of burning yourself or melting anything.
http://www.spgear.org/gear/555/svea-123.html
What an outstanding piece of backpacking history. I'd love to have one of these, but I'm determined for it to be a random one I find in a thrift store with plenty of use to it. Buying a brand new one just wouldn't be the way to go.
doctom54
10-05-2010, 20:34
If you're mainly looking at boiling H2O, look at these!! They only require indigenous fuel.
http://www.kellykettle.com/?gclid=CIP1oebFoaQCFSda7AodmHhV5g
Take care
Martin
I have one and after a few uses bought another for a good friend.
They work great :)
He just got back from NM and used it every day at 6000-900 ft. One night he used sage brush in a rain.
NoRoadtrippin
10-05-2010, 20:44
Speaking of the ones that only require indigenous fuel, I love my Sierra ZZ.
http://www.zzstove.com/
For me, its a great option for trips that I want the beauty and sound of a crackling fire along with the freedom from packing fuel, but still want to cook on a stove. Also is great in areas where fires may not be allowed on the ground. I use the cross grate with mine, but not their windscreen or pot. I did modify a MSR windscreen to work with it.
Dozer523
10-05-2010, 22:05
What an outstanding piece of backpacking history. I'd love to have one of these, but I'm determined for it to be a random one I find in a thrift store with plenty of use to it. Buying a brand new one just wouldn't be the way to go. What a very nice way to call me old. You Bast. . . :D
ZonieDiver
10-05-2010, 23:08
What a very nice way to call me old. You Bast. . . :D
Dozer... in a museum... what a concept! :D
Dozer523
10-06-2010, 05:10
Dozer... in a museum... what a concept! :D
Keep it up, Mr "This-year,-I'm-retiring-for-the-second-time-from-my-second-career". I know where you live and I have beer. (And I'm not afraid to drink it with you.):D
Yeah that is an interesting thought isn't it?...............;)
Big Teddy That goes for you too, old timer!:D
greenberetTFS
10-06-2010, 11:41
Dozer... in a museum... what a concept! :D
Yeah that is an interesting thought isn't it?...............;):rolleyes:
Big Teddy :munchin