What mini stove for backpack trip?

[MichelD]

What little camping stove do you use for multi day pack-in trips?

I don't do it much, and my buddy with the old Coleman Peak stove is going elsewhere this year.

I've been thinking of the:

1. Primus Classic

2. Snow Peak Gigapower

3. MSR Whisperlite

4. MSR Simmerlite

[skyliner 270]

msr pocket rockets

[Poguebilt]

any msr product will last you a lifetime... I use a msr whisperlite....

[budismyhorse]

I picked up one of these this year and can't say enough about it.

Primus Eta Express. For a multi day back pack trip, it is the cats rearend.

http://www.primuscamping.com/product.php?id=68

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RagK-WZL-M

[mr.280]

I have used a MSR Wisperlite for a good 15 years and it has always fed us well up high in the mountains.

[d6dan]

I have used a MSR Wisperlite for a good 15 years and it has always fed us well up high in the mountains.


Same one here, bought it in 1989 and still works great.:grin:

[guest]

I personally love my Peak 1 Coleman, Damn close to 30 years old still works great with a quick boil at high elevations.

CT

[Kody94]

I used a whisperlite for 10 yrs or so but picked up a pocket rocket last year on a whim (saving ounces eh!), and it is a hot-damn! Love it. Fast, simple and light.

bud, that primus looks pretty cool. The weight isn't too bad when you factor in the pot, lid, etc.

[stonecrazy]

jet boil is a really good product, i have a wisper lite and a jetboil and prefer the jet boil, only problem is the fuel cans. with my international wisperlite i can use my quad gas to cook with, its a little stinky but works, i usually leave the wisper lite with the quad and take the jetboil into the mountains with me.

[brad ferris]

i'm also looking to upgrade from my wisperlight.i'll have a look at that pocket rocket. i noticed the primus stoves is specified to be used when temps are above 5 c. not always the case in high elevation hunting.is this because it uses propane.

[Ron.C]

Another vote here for the MSR pocket rocket. Awesome little stove.

They only run around $35 bucks, and are incredibly light and compact.

[budismyhorse]

that is a limitation of all Iso Pro canister stoves like that one......the burn time increases slightly is all. You can also buy "winter mix" fuel and you are laughing for high elevations or colder temps.

I've used it in colder temps than that rating and it works fine. The heat exchanger on the bottom of the pot really works well.

For space/bulk and weight savings, it is tough to beat.

[Devilbear]

I have a 30+ yr. old MSR XG that works as well as when it was new and just needs a little tuneup to replace a small washer that got lost. I have had a lot of these mountain stoves and mSR make GOOD stoves, I also had a Whisperlite until some piece of filth burgled my home and stole a lot of my best gear.....Rottweilers live here now.............

I have an Optimus Nova multifuel stove, which I love, a Brunton-Optimus Crux the same and last winter I got a Snowpeak Litemax Ti, the lightest canister stove made...and it is a REALLY solid little performer.

I prefer to have both a good "expedition" type white gas stove and a canister stove on any trips and then put the one into my pack that is best suited for the conditions I am in. My complete camp for backpack hunting runs about 10 lbs. and getting to this without using a canister stove is not easy.

I am an old baztard and am not as tough as I was 30 years ago, so, I enjoy my comforts and like having a cuppa tea several times per day, which is easy with a Snowpeak LiteMax and 700 pot, weighing about 6 oz. together. You have to buy the Litemax from R.E.I. or Prolite or another US outlet as they are not available in Canada.....typical.

[bigwhiteys]

Jetboil is the way to go if you're cooking with boiling water, freeze dries, soups, etc...

If you try "cooking" something with it you'll be sorely dissapointed unless you're using the new "pot/pan system" they have out.

Carl

[BlacktailStalker]

I use an MSR dragonfly.

[huntcoop]

that is a limitation of all Iso Pro canister stoves like that one......You can also buy "winter mix" fuel and you are laughing for high elevations or colder temps...

Can you or someone else provide a link or more info on the "winter mix".

[boatdoc]

I really like my snow peak giga power, very small,light and i get long burn time out of each canister.

[budismyhorse]

http://www.primuscamping.com/product.php?id=24

only looked on the primus site.....there is probably others out there.

[huntcoop]

Sweet, never knew it existed.

[Ambush]

We always take two stoves. A Pocket-Rocket and a Snow Peak Giga Power. The Giga-Power has an auto-igniter which is VERY handy.

The Pocket-Rocket, in side by side comparisons, is faster, but both use about the same amount of fuel.

I used white gas for many years, but now am completely sold on these little, simple stove!

[tracker]

MSR pocket rocket has been a great small compact stove for me ,never let me down :tongue:

[Smokepole]

MSR Whisperlite in my pack. It's got to be close to 15 years old now, still works like new.

[6616]

I used a whisperlite for 10 yrs or so but picked up a pocket rocket last year on a whim (saving ounces eh!), and it is a hot-damn! Love it. Fast, simple and light.

I've had a Wisperlite for over 20 years and it still works fine, but "do" remember to take the orifice cleaner with you when you head out. I have needed mine several times. I usually tape it to one of the fuel bottles.

Chris, I used to take 3 or 4 Whisperlite fuel bottles for a 8 to 10 day hunt. How many butane cylinders do you take for your new Pocket Rocket? What's the weight/space requirements in your pack for fuel compared to the Wisperlite.

[tuchodi]

I bought my MSR back in 1972 and have used it a lot in the mountains. Back then there was only one model but now with all the differant ones I think you would not go wrong with any MSR unit.

[Kody94]

I've had a Wisperlite for over 20 years and it still works fine, but "do" remember to take the orifice cleaner with you when you head out. I have needed mine several times. I usually tape it to one of the fuel bottles.

Chris, I used to take 3 or 4 Whisperlite fuel bottles for a 8 to 10 day hunt. How many butane cylinders do you take for your new Pocket Rocket? What's the weight/space requirements in your pack for fuel compared to the Wisperlite.

I was concerned about that too, but I find that the fuel is lighter and more compact.

The MSR IsoPro cylinders come in two sizes. The burn time on the small cylindar is 30 mins and on the large one its 60 mins. It takes about 3.5 mins to boil a litre of water.

So, just cooking for myself, I usually boil about a litre in each of the AM and PM. So 7 mins per day. On a 10 day trip, one small cylinder and one large should last easily.

And, in fact, I just got back from a 9 day trip and only used up one small and maybe 2/3 of the large. That included a few extra boils thrown in (tea on a rainy day, a second pot at dinner to make extra coffee etc).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/Staggerino/SheepHuntAug9-182009180.jpg

[GoatGuy]

I picked up one of these this year and can't say enough about it.

Primus Eta Express. For a multi day back pack trip, it is the cats rearend.

http://www.primuscamping.com/product.php?id=68

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RagK-WZL-M

Don't take it in October or you'll be eating cold backpacker's panties. They're super hard to start.

Nothing like walking downhill a couple thousand feet to eat.

[Kody94]

cold backpacker's panties.

They are better warm.

lol

[6616]

I was concerned about that too, but I find that the fuel is lighter and more compact.

The MSR IsoPro cylinders come in two sizes. The burn time on the small cylindar is 30 mins and on the large one its 60 mins. It takes about 3.5 mins to boil a litre of water.

So, just cooking for myself, I usually boil about a litre in each of the AM and PM. So 7 mins per day. On a 10 day trip, one small cylinder and one large should last easily.

And, in fact, I just got back from a 9 day trip and only used up one small and maybe 2/3 of the large. That included a few extra boils thrown in (tea on a rainy day, a second pot at dinner to make extra coffee etc).



That's pretty darn good performance. The Whisperlite fuel bottles usually lasted me about 2 hours, but the stove is a little slower (colder) and wind can really play a number on it if you happen to forget your wind screen. The only complaint I've had with the whisperlite is that lighting it up can be a little dangerous is you let the pan overflow which is real easy to do.

[6616]

I was concerned about that too, but I find that the fuel is lighter and more compact.

The MSR IsoPro cylinders come in two sizes. The burn time on the small cylindar is 30 mins and on the large one its 60 mins. It takes about 3.5 mins to boil a litre of water.

So, just cooking for myself, I usually boil about a litre in each of the AM and PM. So 7 mins per day. On a 10 day trip, one small cylinder and one large should last easily.

And, in fact, I just got back from a 9 day trip and only used up one small and maybe 2/3 of the large. That included a few extra boils thrown in (tea on a rainy day, a second pot at dinner to make extra coffee etc).



The Pocket Rocket certainly is priced well in comparison to it's competition as well.

[Kody94]

The only complaint I've had with the whisperlite is that lighting it up can be a little dangerous is you let the pan overflow which is real easy to do.

Yep, I agree. The Pocket Rocket is much faster to set up and just a spark gets it going immediately.

[huntcoop]

Don't take it in October or you'll be eating cold backpacker's panties......


They are better warm...

Aren't those called "snatch snacks" ?

[budismyhorse]

Don't take it in October or you'll be eating cold backpacker's panties. They're super hard to start.

Nothing like walking downhill a couple thousand feet to eat.


With the winter mix fuel....and as long as you keep the fuel bottle in your pack until you need it....it works great.

as far as starting goes...I always bring matches anyways...

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I was concerned about that too, but I find that the fuel is lighter and more compact.

The MSR IsoPro cylinders come in two sizes. The burn time on the small cylindar is 30 mins and on the large one its 60 mins. It takes about 3.5 mins to boil a litre of water.

So, just cooking for myself, I usually boil about a litre in each of the AM and PM. So 7 mins per day. On a 10 day trip, one small cylinder and one large should last easily.

And, in fact, I just got back from a 9 day trip and only used up one small and maybe 2/3 of the large. That included a few extra boils thrown in (tea on a rainy day, a second pot at dinner to make extra coffee etc).



I'm using a Brunton Raptor Stove and I have yet to use up one 450gm cannistor of fuel on a sheep hunt and that has been up to 13 days and frying up a few batches of sheep meat as well.

I built a windscreen for the Raptor out of my Whisperlite windscreen which helps conserve fuel. Most importantly we usually only need to boil 750mls of water per day. The Mtn house propacks only require 1 1/2 cups(375mls) per pack.
To reduce fuel we've opted to eat dry oatmeal right out of the pack in the morning and wash it down with cold water. That way you can eat right in bed(or when you get to your first glassing spot). Really, it's not all that bad.
We also have the occassional "hot" Gatorade in the evening after supper when the air starts to chill.

If you can think of it ahead of time...it helps conserve fuel if you fill up your water containers in the morning and allow them to warm up throughout the day. Boiling ~20 deg C water uses less fuel than boiling water right out of a glacier or snowpack-fed stream at ~3deg C.

The only problem with conserving that much fuel is that I have several unfinished cannistors kicking around the garage.:smile:

SSS

[huntcoop]

I also have the Brunton Raptor, quality piece of equipment, very small, packs very compact and works like a hot damn. Never used it in "cold" temperatures but this November I will put it to the test. Hope the "4 season" mix will work..........that is my only concern.

[bigwhiteys]

To reduce fuel we've opted to eat dry oatmeal right out of the pack in the morning and wash it down with cold water. That way you can eat right in bed(or when you get to your first glassing spot). Really, it's not all that bad.

Are you serious... You and Rams are hard up! Try a mountain house Granola with blue berries. 1/2 cup cold water and that's it. Makes for a great glassing breaky and doesn't taste like your eating paper pulp. Get some freeze dried strawberries to sprinkle in too. A morning Coffee with a little CarolAnns for good measure is nice at about 5am!


The only problem with conserving that much fuel is that I have several unfinished cannistors kicking around the garage

I've got the same problem with my Jetboil. It's such a miser on fuel that I have a pile of partially used canisters, with no idea how much is in them. So I just keep buying more.

Carl

[budismyhorse]

I'm using a Brunton Raptor Stove and I have yet to use up one 450gm cannistor of fuel on a sheep hunt and that has been up to 13 days and frying up a few batches of sheep meat as well.

I built a windscreen for the Raptor out of my Whisperlite windscreen which helps conserve fuel. Most importantly we usually only need to boil 750mls of water per day. The Mtn house propacks only require 1 1/2 cups(375mls) per pack.
To reduce fuel we've opted to eat dry oatmeal right out of the pack in the morning and wash it down with cold water. That way you can eat right in bed(or when you get to your first glassing spot). Really, it's not all that bad.
We also have the occassional "hot" Gatorade in the evening after supper when the air starts to chill.

If you can think of it ahead of time...it helps conserve fuel if you fill up your water containers in the morning and allow them to warm up throughout the day. Boiling ~20 deg C water uses less fuel than boiling water right out of a glacier or snowpack-fed stream at ~3deg C.

The only problem with conserving that much fuel is that I have several unfinished cannistors kicking around the garage.:smile:

SSS

Brunton fuel is excellent as well Brent... not sure if you use it. But it seems to last the longest from what i've seen. My buddy and I couldn't kill one of them during a 10 day hunt.

the whole Iso-Pro stove situation totally depends on how you manage it.....

Techmologee is improving all the time. There is a reason why my old Coleman 5 lb'er I used all through my high school years is still sitting with an inch of dust on it.

[coldbuc69]

I bought the MSR Reactor last year and love it. It's a little bigger than the JetBoil, but everything still fits in the pot. I also found a clip on you tube and posted it. I'm leaving on the 9th of sept for 3 weeks for sheep,goat and elk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lneyC-FlFpE

[budismyhorse]

Get some freeze dried strawberries to sprinkle in too. A morning Coffee with a little CarolAnns for good measure is nice at about 5am!




Carl


Carl you don't p#ss around eh! I love it.

early in our hunt, to save on fuel, we were putting freeze dried coffee in with a cup of water and forcing it back. I can still taste them.....:frown:

after the hunt when we still had fuel left, we said goodbye to the "Iced Capps" forever.

[bigwhiteys]

Carl you don't p#ss around eh! I love it.

No we don't... Good Food and Drink keeps a guys spirits up and keeps you going on those early mornings!

With my Jetboil we've never worried about not having enough fuel and cook away and heat water to our hearts content. One of those big canisters 225gram? would be fine for a 2 man 10 day hunt, boiling water for coffee and dinners.

Carl

[GoatGuy]

Are you serious... You and Rams are hard up! Try a mountain house Granola with blue berries. 1/2 cup cold water and that's it. Makes for a great glassing breaky and doesn't taste like your eating paper pulp. Get some freeze dried strawberries to sprinkle in too. A morning Coffee with a little CarolAnns for good measure is nice at about 5am!
Carl

The worst I had was half frozen cream corn and chili con carne out of the can. Haven't touched either since.

[budismyhorse]

I also have the Brunton Raptor, quality piece of equipment, very small, packs very compact and works like a hot damn. Never used it in "cold" temperatures but this November I will put it to the test. Hope the "4 season" mix will work..........that is my only concern.


huntcoop,

You'll be fine, just remember to keep those cannisters warm, don't leave them out all night. Manage your fuel.

On another note, I've tested three different fuels out of the freezer before. I put normal MSR Iso PRo, Primus 4 season, and Brunton High Performance in my freezer for 30 mins (with the stove).

By far, the Brunton High Performance was the best fuel out of the freezer....but all three were fine if you added some kind of heat to the cannister while it was running (hands wrapped around it, keep it in your jacket for a minute or two ect).

I pack the Brunton Fuel because it performed the best in that test and I have never been dissapointed in cold weather, high elevation, what have you.

Bring matches though.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I also have the Brunton Raptor, quality piece of equipment, very small, packs very compact and works like a hot damn. Never used it in "cold" temperatures but this November I will put it to the test. Hope the "4 season" mix will work..........that is my only concern.

Haven't used mine in the cold either. Keeping the Whisperlite just in case.

I think I'm using Primius fuel??(Grey bottle with red/black writing) Never used the Brunton stuff.

That 13 day hunt with frying up sheep meat that I mmentioned was back in 2005...full sized Mtn House meals and I was also boiling water in the mourning for oatmeal and tea. Had a couple of days worth of fuel left.

I broke the ignighter off this trip but it was my own fault. Wasn't paying attn to where I was grabbing the stove when I was screwing it on to the cannistor. I might look at it as an opportunity to buy a Jetboil:smile:. Wanted to get one but I do like the fact that you can fry up some meat with the raptor..although we haven't needed that option lately:rolleyes:.

Carl-Eating dry oatmeal is just way to get us out the door faster. Us old guys need our beauty sleep:redface:.
Maybe I'll pick up some of the granola with blueberries. Sounds yummie!

Kept day-dreaming about a cup of coffee on this last trip. Might take some instant next time. Pretty light stuff.

SSS

[Kody94]

Kept day-dreaming about a cup of coffee on this last trip. Might take some instant next time. Pretty light stuff.

SSS

SSSSter's tip of the day #12: if you stay at hotels once in a while, take the coffee "bags". They are designed for drip coffee pots but they work very well just like you'd use a tea bag.

Also take the Coffee Mate packets if you enjoy that better than dried milk (I do).

This was the first trip that I had tried those coffee bags and it worked fantastic. Way better than instant coffee IMHO.

[Kody94]

I think I'm using Primius fuel??(Grey bottle with red/black writing) Never used the Brunton stuff.
SSS

Yep, that's Primus.

[Kody94]

To reduce fuel we've opted to eat dry oatmeal right out of the pack in the morning and wash it down with cold water. That way you can eat right in bed(or when you get to your first glassing spot). Really, it's not all that bad.

The only problem with conserving that much fuel is that I have several unfinished cannistors kicking around the garage.:smile:

SSS


Try a mountain house Granola with blue berries. 1/2 cup cold water and that's it. Makes for a great glassing breaky and doesn't taste like your eating paper pulp. Get some freeze dried strawberries to sprinkle in too. A morning Coffee with a little CarolAnns for good measure is nice at about 5am!

I've got the same problem with my Jetboil. It's such a miser on fuel that I have a pile of partially used canisters, with no idea how much is in them. So I just keep buying more.

Carl

Eeeeeeeyuch!! Dry oatmeal! That is hard-core.

On Carl's recommendations (previous posts here), I brought a few of those MH Granola w/ blueberries.....mmmmmmmmmm good. Those blueberries really add some pop. Your idea of adding dried strawberries is good too.

One of my partners brought some Granola from a different manufacturer that was Cinnamon Meusli....man did that stuff smell good! I will track some down for sure.

Carol-Ann's eh? Not a bad idea. I was having Wiser's with black tea and a little sugar in the evenings and that was darn fine....not sure I could justify packing Irish Cream liquer too! :)

On the topic of the little touches that makes the eating part of a backpacking trip better....one of my partners also tried throwing some cashews in with his oriental flavored freeze dried. Was a major hit. Made me start thinking of other light weight additions (like a couple cubes of cheese in with Chilli-Mac, etc).

I have the same problem with partial fuel cannisters too....I intend to start taking them on day hunts in the late season to burn them off...a 'tea break' is always good in cold weather, and this stuff weighs so little, why not?

[Kody94]

The worst I had was half frozen cream corn and chili con carne out of the can. Haven't touched either since.

GROSS! There is just no excuse for that. :) Couldn't even build a fire?? Half frozen cream corn sounds worse than frozen panties!!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

[quote=SSSSter;502718]Eeeeeeeyuch!! Dry oatmeal! That is hard-core.

quote]


One good thing about it is that you get reeeeeally hydrated trying to wash it down! That's always a good thing on a sheep hunt.

SSS

[huntcoop]

.....On the topic of the little touches that makes the eating part of a backpacking trip better....one of my partners also tried throwing some cashews in with his oriental flavored freeze dried. Was a major hit. Made me start thinking of other light weight additions (like a couple cubes of cheese in with Chilli-Mac, etc)....

Or throw in a tablespoon or 2 of peanut butter.....yummy.

[GoatGuy]

SSSSter's tip of the day #12: if you stay at hotels once in a while, take the coffee "bags". They are designed for drip coffee pots but they work very well just like you'd use a tea bag.

Also take the Coffee Mate packets if you enjoy that better than dried milk (I do).

This was the first trip that I had tried those coffee bags and it worked fantastic. Way better than instant coffee IMHO.

If anybody wants any I can pick up a couple thousand a year.

Think we've got 50 or so starbucks bags sitting at the house.

[GoatGuy]

GROSS! There is just no excuse for that. :) Couldn't even build a fire?? Half frozen cream corn sounds worse than frozen panties!!

3 hours down the mountain wasn't a sacrifice I was willing to make.

[NorthShoreX]

MSR Dragonfly. Spreads wide for stability (base plate system available for soft ground), 11,400 btu's, boils 1 liter of water in less than 4 minutes, all weather and altitudes, no need for priming pastes, burns: white fuel (napatha), diesel #2, aviation fuel (piston), jet fuel, keroseen; comes with a stove bag but I think you need to purchase a fuel bottle separtly, you can get different sizes of bottles. Comes with a heat refelector and a wind shield, stove repair kit and the two jets for burning the different fuels. Best simmering stove on the market. Has a built in shaker jet for cleaning the jet.

If you're going to be using your stove in winter conditions (below freezing) I would stay away from any Butane stoves. Butane's evaporation temperature is 32F/ 0C, so it doesn't work too well below that.

[troutseeker]

Ditto in the MSR Dragonfly. Mine is a pleasure to cook with and good on fuel too.

[anglo-saxon]

MSR Whisperlite - take it to the bank - it WILL NOT let you down!

[d6dan]

MSR Whisperlite - take it to the bank - it WILL NOT let you down!

x2 here, Best stove I've ever used!. Its been dropped, beatup, sat on, and never cleaned and still works great.

[Gateholio]

Boiling water? Don't want to pack fuel?




http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&cat=2,40733,40996&p=43901

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/gardening/45k1780s4c.jpg



http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/gardening/45k1780d2c.gif

I don't have one yet, I use an MSR, but they do look intriguing.:smile:

[kennyj]

MSR Wisperlight.

[Vinny]

MSR Whisperlite International, used it only a couple of times but worked well everytime.