View Full Version : Stove advice
Now I know using a stove isnt very bushcrafty! but when you are at the top of a snowy mountain, there sometimes isnt much choice :lmao:
so im thinking of either a simple pocketrocket, or the more expensive but sufficient JetBoil Pcs
Does anyone have any experience of the two? how did they perform?
cheers, Bunn
Remember that all liquid gas stoves suffer in the cold, output drops dramatically as the temperature falls.
This weekend in Brecon, it took a small gas stove around 10 mins to boil a half litre of water for a brew, my Nova boiled a litre in around 4 mins. Don't rule out liquid fuel stoves as a stove option, they perform better, burn hotter, and are cheaper to run
Any ideas what sort of liquid stove I should look at? and prices?
Would a gas stove be better in warmer weather?
Eric_Methven
30-01-2007, 21:48
I have a JetBoil for quick cuppa's and the like. Excellent piece of kit, and much quicker and lighter than my Trangia.
Eric
Any idea where I can get one at a good price? I dont mind paying £60 like they go for in the shops, or 50 on ebay, but cheaper is always good :rolleyes:
Msr, Optimus and Coleman make some fine stoves liquid fuel. See if there are any reviews see backpacker.com.
Cheers
Lee
for a well build liquid stove, go for optimus or primus.
If you want the option to burn both liquid aswell as gascannisters, go for the primus multi fuel stove or omnifuel. Both are good stoves.
chas brookes
31-01-2007, 08:43
Hi Bunnerz
this seller in US gives an excellent service and does not rip you off with carriage costs. I have brought several petzl head torches and other equipment from him, it normally arrives within 8 days. I have been lucky with customs so far and avoided any duty.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-Wright-Stuff-Outdoor-Gear
Chas
hammock monkey
31-01-2007, 09:39
MSR ultralight stoves are great, i have the dragonfly - ebay brand new for £50, with repair kit etc, not bootle tho.
its one of those things that youre bloody glad you bought when you need it!
Squidders
31-01-2007, 10:04
MSR gets my vote too, not only for stoves and bottles but for pots and pans. Very good indeed!
Silverback
31-01-2007, 10:25
MSR Dragonfly roars like a harrier jump jet - I absolutely love mine and it would be my weapon of choice every time. A mate of mine took a Jetboil up Ben Nevis last year and nearly left it there he was so unimpressed with it. It seems that the fuel cans need to be kept warm to get reliable performance in lower temps. It is also worth keeping a watchful eye on the new rival system by MSR that if memory serves is due to launch very soon. Check out this (http://www.trailspace.com/news/2007/01/17/integrated-canister-stove-showdown.html) link for more info and a comparisson to the jetboil. I must confess to being a bit of an MSR fan owning both the Dragonfly and Pocket Rocket both of which I absolutely cannot fault
gregorach
31-01-2007, 10:43
Gotta echo what everyone else here is saying about gas cannister stoves and low temperatures... You get to the stage where you're holding the gas cannister over the stove trying to warm it up enough to get a brew going, thinking "this is not a good idea..."
Plus you end up with a cupboard full of mostly-empty gas cannisters - too empty to be worth carrying, too full to throw out... About the only time I could imagine firing up my old Epigas Alpine would be if the gas went off in the house.
richardnhunt
31-01-2007, 10:50
Tried jetboil (it was free with a trail credit card!!) at the weekend whilst off canoeing. very impressed. made my noodles hot enough to burn my tounge! Would suspect that it will always be better at lower levels/higher tempretature - just because of the problems gas will always face in these adverse conditions.
I have a MSR whisperlite which I love (must find the fuel bottle sometime!) & if MSR are bringing our a version of the jetboil, I would be interested in giving that a go - they do make very good stoves
I have to agree, but I also know I love my little catalytic gas stove. It's very fast, windproof, incredibly stable, easily adjusted heat output and no mucky pots. If I'm not going high (like *that* happens much :rolleyes: ) the gas isn't an issue, it's safe in a tent and unlike the liquid stuff it can't leak over my kit either.
Horses for courses I reckon.
Cheers,
Toddy
Silverback
31-01-2007, 11:10
I just re-read the first post and thought I had better summarise :D In short ditch the cannister stove for brewing up on top of a snowy mountain and go for a nice liquid fuel stove (run on panel wipe as opposed to overpriced coleman fuel ;) ) Oh yeah and make sure it has the letters M S R stamped on it somewhere :D
Silverback
31-01-2007, 11:17
I have to agree, but I also know I love my little catalytic gas stove. It's very fast, windproof, incredibly stable, easily adjusted heat output and no mucky pots. If I'm not going high (like *that* happens much :rolleyes: ) the gas isn't an issue, it's safe in a tent and unlike the liquid stuff it can't leak over my kit either.
Horses for courses I reckon.
Cheers,
ToddyWhich one have you got Toddy?
never had a problem with my old gogas alpinist gas stove. Certainly beat my friend's Whisperlite the other week in the lakes. And with a small canister its a lot lighter. Nevr had problem in Scottish winters (do we still get tehm) either.
Also sometimes use an old Optimus R8
Big Bad Stu
31-01-2007, 11:39
Hi Bunnerz,
I recommend the MSR stoves, either the Whisperlite 600 or the Dragonfly. I have the Whisperlite and used to use it for mountaineering all the time. It is a solid bit of kit and is field serviceable, you have to buy the kit separately.
A mate got me a gallon of aviation gas some time ago and the whisperlite went better than ever. I have read somewhere that automotive panel wipe is white gasoline without the £40 per gallon price tag of Coleman fuel.
Initially you seem to have to buy the stove and then the extras, service kit, fuel bottle etc. but it is all worth it in the long run. It is also worth mentioning that you also get a really good wind shield with the stove.
I am with Squidders regarding the cookware, I have the XPD Cookset and a Stowaway pan, both are excellent.
It is also worth mentining that MSR make a triangular base plate to attach to the stove to prevent it burning it's way through snow. I use mine to provide a stable base by packing it with stones etc.
Forget gas go with petrol, you know it makes sense. :D
Stewey. :D
in the end, what matters is you knowledge of your gear, what i can and can't do. Every type of stove has it's place.
Certain gascannisters ( the iso butane) will work at colder temperatures, although liquid seems to do best with attitude and cold. Although a liquid fuel stove can fail too. I heard people having the hightech liquid fuel stove fail, when there are to high.
I'm kind of suprised to read so many positive feedback about MSR, there stoves seams to be build of lesser quality materials the primus or optimus stoves. And most importly primus and optimus uses a alluminium pump, way strong, durable and safer.
hammock monkey
31-01-2007, 14:03
the great thing about the cooking kit i've got is that the whole lot (excluding fuel) fits into the pot i use, with a days tea and porridge in there too...
good and compact, doesnt break, or fail and is as light as i can expect.
ha ha, the harrier jump jet bit is about right tho!
in the end, what matters is you knowledge of your gear, what i can and can't do. Every type of stove has it's place.
Certain gascannisters ( the iso butane) will work at colder temperatures, although liquid seems to do best with attitude and cold. Although a liquid fuel stove can fail too. I heard people having the hightech liquid fuel stove fail, when there are to high.
I'm kind of suprised to read so many positive feedback about MSR, there stoves seams to be build of lesser quality materials the primus or optimus stoves. And most importly primus and optimus uses a alluminium pump, way strong, durable and safer.
I agree, the MSR stoves are good when they work, but the build quality is just not as good as the Primus or Optimus stoves, and the MSR pump is well known for failing.
A Trangia setup is not fast (whats all the rush about anyway), but it works everytime and will never fail so long as you have fuel. You can always buy a Nova at a later date as your funding improves and match it with the Trangia. This is the route I would take if looking for a primary stove setup (remember, the model 25 is the big set, the model 27 the small set when buying online or you could end up with the wrong size for your needs).
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j188/rik_uk4/th_DSCF1915Small.jpg (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j188/rik_uk4/DSCF1915Small.jpg)
Thats the larger Trangia and a 1 litre fuel bottle
:wow1: thanks for all the advice :You_Rock_
to make things more simple for me... :lmao:
...if you could use one stove, which would it be? Im after something light, small and quick :cool:
light, small and quick ?
well on sea level and none-freezing conditions: MSR pocketrocket.
High altitude, cold, melt a lot of snow: Primus MFS or omnifuel
On impulse I bought the jetboil! i saw it through that link chass_brookes put on here for just £40 or so! had to do it. That will do me for most of my trips, and may invest in a trangia in the next few weeks as a back up for when it is too cold for the gas.
Thanks for all the advice, has definatly given me some stuff to think about :)
what do you mean by altitude? 1000m 2000m?
I have had nothing but problems with stoves since I came back to europe. I used a small (tiny) little gas burner in Asia in all weathers (except deep cold) down to minus 10 at altitudes up to 3000m. It was absolutely perfect.
Europe: Bought a primus which is very very tempremental and just stops burning occasionally. Then I bought a trangia which I can respect but don't like mostly because it's heavy and smelly.
what do you mean by altitude? 1000m 2000m?
I have had nothing but problems with stoves since I came back to europe. I used a small (tiny) little gas burner in Asia in all weathers (except deep cold) down to minus 10 at altitudes up to 3000m. It was absolutely perfect.
Europe: Bought a primus which is very very tempremental and just stops burning occasionally. Then I bought a trangia which I can respect but don't like mostly because it's heavy and smelly.
Which Primus, gas or liquid fuel?
gas (why do messages have to be over 10 characters?)