Fuel for whisperlite, any ideas?

[w00dsmoke]

I know this has been covered a hundred times in one form or another but I need some advice from folk who have tried this.

Has anyone used parafin in their whisperlite? I can buy a gallon at my local garage for £5.
If so how did they find it? A buddy of mine swore by it as long as you primed it with something else such as meths.

I've tried and tried to get a hold of Panel wipe up here i(west Glasgowish) and cannot find a supplier anywhere. I can get Aspen 4 t but there nearest is a 20 mile drive and that seems a bit pointless to me so thought I may try parafin after all they do work on the stuff.

WS.

[sapper1]

Parrifin works well,make sure you change the jet to the "k" jet.You will have to pre-heat the generator tube first other wise it wont vapourise the parrifin.
I tried it myself but couldn't be fussed with carrying two fuels,I just use coleman fuel or unleaded petrol.Coleman fuel seems expensive but at £5-£6 per 500ml it's still cheaper than a coouple of pints and lasts a hell of a lot longer.

[ryback]

I have an MSR XGK and use parafin to prime/preheat and fuel it. I have had no problems what so ever going through at least 10 liters of fuel.

[w00dsmoke]

Thanks for the replies. I'll give it a go then and see how I get on.

Cheers

WS

[MacFeegle]

Any large well equipped motor factors should be able to sort you out with panel wipe, if you know anyone in the motor trade in your area get then to ask for you, mine works out at almost £4 less for 5 litres at trade than buying over the counter.

Paul

[Shewie]

Is it not cheaper to run it on unleaded WS ? I've never used anything else in mine and it's always been okay

1 gallon = 4.5L

4.5 x £0.90 = £4.05

[w00dsmoke]

I think the problem with unleaded is all the crap that comes off it when you burn it. There's been a lot of talk on here and in stove forums over the years with folks saying unleaded is pretty bad stuff as a stove fuel for your health. It's cheap though.

As for panel wipe, I've tried all my local factors and none stock it. They do a degreaser for £14 for 5 litres but it does not say if it's petrolium based on the tin.

So I thought parafin is easy to get a hold of and is very cheap but I'd prefer naptha (panel wipe).

[rancid badger]

I've tried unleaded petrol and don't like it at all.
I've used paraffin in my Whisperlite for over 14 years and as long as you clean the jet, with the pricker, after three or four burns; it runs like a jet engine.
Actually; haven't the later model Whisperlites got some sort of "shaker jet cleaner" thingy?

Anyway, I highly recommend paraffin rather than unleaded petrol.

cheers
R.B.

[bikething]

Actually; haven't the later model Whisperlites got some sort of "shaker jet cleaner" thingy? Mine has.. not sure if it's specific to the 'international' version though

regarding paraffin, it's what I mostly use in mine,,, and I seem to find it's less thirsty on paraffin compared to Coleman fuel..

[sapper1]

The later models do have a "shaker needle" it's sopposed to clean the jet while being shaken in your rucksack,and yes it does work.

[rik_uk3]

5 Litres of 4T will last you a good few weekends, could be worth the trip. The panel wipe you mention should be OK, it worth giving it a try. The price of paraffin varies big time, from a fiver up to twelve quid for four litres:eek: If you can get it for a fiver I would get 20-24 litres for back up, it won't go 'off' Half a litre of 4T cooked for a weekend no problem, two evening meals, two full brekkies plus tea coffee etc with fuel left over

Unleaded is a no no for us stove collectors, very nasty fumes, crap builds up in the stove, it stinks for ages if you spill, none of this with 4T or PW

[w00dsmoke]

Well I changed the jet on the whisperlite and bought the parafin. By heck it runs a treat. Takes slightly longer to pre-heat and vapourise but that's purely subjective on my part. There was no big flare up when you first open up the fuel line after vapourising and it seams a heck of a lot friendlier to use than coleman. I'm very pleased with it so far. Thanks for all the advice. If i come across panel wipe I'll give it a go to.

cheers

WS

[rik_uk3]

You need to get a real paraffin stove now, this will start you off well

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-MONITOR-PRESSURE-STOVE-BRASS-PRIMUS-TYPE-BRITISH_W0QQitemZ250385746727Q QcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectab les_Militaria_LE?hash=item2503 85746727&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688|66%3A2|65% 3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

:)

[British Red]

Wow - that's an awful lot of money!

What's the point? For the UK all you need is a simple gas stove for £10 and a few screw on gas cylinders.

Fine if you want to throw your money around I suppose - but, when you come down to it, its just being a bit obsessed with looks isn't it?

Red (with tongue in cheek)

[Chainsaw]

I don't use my whisperlite that much, prefer my trangia (oops that's how wars start) but it does say on the box that run time for 600ml white gas is 110mins and kerosene is 160mins and it takes just under a minute longer to boil a litre of water (4.4mins)


You need to get a real paraffin stove now, this will start you off well
linky (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-MONITOR-PRESSURE-STOVE-BRASS-PRIMUS-TYPE-BRITISH_W0QQitemZ250385746727Q QcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectab les_Militaria_LE?hash=item2503 85746727&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688%7C66%3A2%7 C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 )


Rik you'll get an court order for hanging round forums selling stoves to innocent bushcrafters.... it is very shiny though... :rolleyes: I just bought some tilley spares off that guy after my preheater blew away in high winds, good seller.



Its just being a bit obsessed with looks isn't it?

Red (with tongue in cheek)

and what's your point caller? (tongue in both cheeks) no.. wait..you couldn't... ach never mind ;)

[w00dsmoke]

Rik- thanks for the link. Eventually I will own a wee stove like that. I think they are truely remarkable stoves. I quite fancy the optimous hiker 111 ? with quiet burner as well...

Well Chainsaw, I used a Swedish army trangia every single day for over a year and a half as my only method of cooking and getting hot water and sure trangias are great wee stoves but my whisperlite international is a heck of a good stove and for serious outdoor cooking very good, although Rik's parafin stove link is up there too with the best of them an all time classic.

cheers

WS

[rik_uk3]

Red are you looking at the same stove 350176850911 £30? Same output as the Whisperlite, simmer well, cheaper to run than gas and works in freezing weather:)

Get the 111T, cracking stove, easy to fettle. Get one with a crap tin, people seem to pay loads more for a bit of paintwork:rolleyes: You can get a kit to let you mount the 111T burner in a Trangia, gives you the ultimate cold weather cookset:cool:

[British Red]

Red are you looking at the same stove 350176850911 £30? Same output as the Whisperlite, simmer well, cheaper to run than gas and works in freezing weather:)


Clearly not Rik - the one I'm looking at is £35 and another tenner for postage (£45 delivered)

My cheap little gas stove cost £8. The cylinders are about £2.50. Thats a heck of a lot of outings for a lot less than the base stove price. No faffing about with priming and pricking and all that other pretentious twaddle. Flick of a bic and a brew is on. Screw in the gas mantle lantern that was another fiver and you have light from the same fuel source.

Much more sensible when you are just "camping" after all :lmao:

I'm sure this "old school" stuff is very cool - but what a palaver! And you pay through the nose for it too!

Red :D

[sapper1]

Very impresssed with "flick of the bic" Red,still chuckling.

[rik_uk3]

Red, you go through the ritual of lighting your Vapalux lantern? Same thing with the stove really?

The gassies are OK for a quick brew, I've one or three myself:o But they have no 'soul' nothing to look at and please the eye. The ETA Express is OK but like the jetboil you can't invert the gas can to improve winter performance, you can with the full ETA system or Omnifuel; now they are 'gas' stoves I'd use anytime of the year.

I can reccomend these though, you can use the cheap gas available in pound world, Wilkinsons etc with your screw thread stove or lantern

Ebay item 200315546618 but shop around you can get them for less. You'll soon get your money back using the cheaper gas.

[British Red]

I'm messing with you Rik ;)

You love the soul of "proper" stoves. Its as cool as hell. Man you know stuff about stoves and lanterns I can't bring myself to imagine. I'm not above "tapping in" to that knowledge" either.

But its all a game of "let's pretend" really, Loving axes (as I do)...or ventile... or knives..or ....whatever.....is all part of the same thing really. To be fair you must acknowledge there are cheaper ways of cooking when camping than your many, many old stoves. But you love them. Thats very cool. But others love other aspects - clothes, sharps, whatever, Thats just as cool (cost not withstanding)

Red

[rik_uk3]

Wood is cheaper, its free most times:)

About four week ends ago I did a trip and cooked only on stoves, first time in ages; had a wood fire in a drum (all that was allowed on the site) at night and both were good. My many stoves are now shrinking, I need the room, and my hunger to collect has gone. I've recently sold a good few both here and on other forums to interested parties. Stoves are like many other hobbies, only king for a day often. A mate of mine has decided to sell off his collection, his rational is "What will happen to them when I'm gone" skip? eBay by family members who don't know what they have? He's a third way through the process and has raised over £5K to date. An exceptional collector with a far greater depth of knowledge and range of stoves than I and a true gentleman. That said, and with less to sell, I feel much the same as him, so my lad has picked out a dozen or so stoves he fancies, I have my own list, and the rest can go. The sales will fund my new radio ham hobby all being well.

I am looking forward to rigging up the fire grill I received from Jerbal, making a small stove based cooking range or fire range when allowed, should be fun.