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!

Sten · 08-28-2006, 19:27

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.

lksteve · 08-28-2006, 21:01

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aoresteen

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

Sten · 08-29-2006, 07:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sten

+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.

longtab · 08-30-2006, 23:02

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...

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

CSB · 09-24-2010, 12:55

Quote:

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=CI...FSda7AodmHhV5g

Take care
Martin

alelks · 09-24-2010, 20:49

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.

**Pete** · 09-25-2010, 04:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

If you're mainly looking at boiling H2O, look at these!! They only require indigenous fuel.

http://www.kellykettle.com/?gclid=CI...FSda7AodmHhV5g

Take care
Martin

Looks to work on the same principle as those charcoal starter cones you can pick up and Lowes & Home Depot.

BearW · 09-25-2010, 06:35

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.

doctom54 · 10-05-2010, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ambush Master

If you're mainly looking at boiling H2O, look at these!! They only require indigenous fuel.

http://www.kellykettle.com/?gclid=CI...FSda7AodmHhV5g

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.