Im looking at two different MSR stoves. The MSR Whisper Lite and Pocket Lite. Not sure pro and cons of gas vs cannister. I'm guessing you have to refill gas and canister and you just buy the prefilled cans for the cannister stove. Its been many years since I used a stove. Looking to get back into to some backpacking and hitting the trails with my boys.
Backpacking stoves?
- Thread starter OneTime
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Superu
Explorer
Can't speak directly to the specific units you mentioned, but there are a number of things to consider in fuel sources.
Canister gas stoves are typically a great choice for cleanliness, portability and controllability of flame. They tend to burn clean and eliminate some of the potential mess of spilled liquid fuels.
Personally, I like to take a smaller stove with a 20lb propane tank and adapter hose if we'll be out for a week or more and plan to be based around the vehicle.
All that said, a multi-fuel stove has advantages if you are unsure of canister availability and want the flexibility of using the best of whatever is available.
Depending on the type of trip, we use everything from a Tool Box Grill, to a Coleman Fold-n-Go to a Coleman Peak 1 Feather 442 Dual Fuel.
For short backpacking trips with the kids, I would probably favor a canister type for the ease of use and cleanliness.
Good luck with your decision and good on ya for getting your boys out with you. :victory:
- Availability of fuel
- Amount of fuel you will need. (depends on length of trip and number of people for whom you'll be cooking)
- Whether you will carry fuel in packs or will be using a vehicle as base.
Canister gas stoves are typically a great choice for cleanliness, portability and controllability of flame. They tend to burn clean and eliminate some of the potential mess of spilled liquid fuels.
Personally, I like to take a smaller stove with a 20lb propane tank and adapter hose if we'll be out for a week or more and plan to be based around the vehicle.
All that said, a multi-fuel stove has advantages if you are unsure of canister availability and want the flexibility of using the best of whatever is available.
Depending on the type of trip, we use everything from a Tool Box Grill, to a Coleman Fold-n-Go to a Coleman Peak 1 Feather 442 Dual Fuel.
For short backpacking trips with the kids, I would probably favor a canister type for the ease of use and cleanliness.
Good luck with your decision and good on ya for getting your boys out with you. :victory:
vanderpooch
Authentic Adventurer
I was a wisperlite guy for years and years backpacking but now I only use this for backpacking solo.
http://www.rei.com/product/761095
If I have company I take with us a jet boil pot also.
I could not be happier with teh system and jetboil products. Plus it boils water wicked fast! the canisters are the way to go...fuel is messy and dangerous. but I do have a whispelite sitting on a shelf in the garage i could sell you on the cheap.
This looks cool for group trips:
http://www.rei.com/product/769451
J
http://www.rei.com/product/761095
If I have company I take with us a jet boil pot also.
I could not be happier with teh system and jetboil products. Plus it boils water wicked fast! the canisters are the way to go...fuel is messy and dangerous. but I do have a whispelite sitting on a shelf in the garage i could sell you on the cheap.
This looks cool for group trips:
http://www.rei.com/product/769451
J
Rallyroo
Expedition Leader
I have both a white gas stove and a canister stove for backpacking. Which one I use depends on the type and duration of the trip.
My MSR Whisperlite (not the International multifuel version) is over 12 years old and has never failed me. I reserve it for long duration trips and for snow camping trips now. Weight is 14.5 oz without fuel or the weight of the fuel canister. Some people don't like having to prime the stove because of the liquid fuels. The Whisperlite's stovetop is very stable for large pots.
My Snowpeak LiteMax I use for short weekend trips. Weight without fuel is 1.9 oz. I love that it's lightweight and low in bulk. Less weight on my back means I can hike faster. The stovetop is designed for smaller pots so you need to be more careful as to not tip over your food.
You may also want to consider the long term cost of fuel. 1 gal of white gas is about ~$4.50. One 250 grams of fuel in a canister costs ~$4.50.
My MSR Whisperlite (not the International multifuel version) is over 12 years old and has never failed me. I reserve it for long duration trips and for snow camping trips now. Weight is 14.5 oz without fuel or the weight of the fuel canister. Some people don't like having to prime the stove because of the liquid fuels. The Whisperlite's stovetop is very stable for large pots.
My Snowpeak LiteMax I use for short weekend trips. Weight without fuel is 1.9 oz. I love that it's lightweight and low in bulk. Less weight on my back means I can hike faster. The stovetop is designed for smaller pots so you need to be more careful as to not tip over your food.
You may also want to consider the long term cost of fuel. 1 gal of white gas is about ~$4.50. One 250 grams of fuel in a canister costs ~$4.50.
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paulj
Expedition Leader
Overall fuel costs are a minor part of a backpacker's budget, especially if you are only going out a few times a year, and just on overnighters. If doing long trips (like the PCT), fuel weight (including container) is a bigger issue, along with resupply options.
My fuel of choice is alcohol. When I bought a gallon last year it cost close to $15/gallon, well up from previous years.
For someone just getting into backpacking, especially with a couple of kids, I think the simplicity of a canister stove is a big plus. But a couple of things to watch out for regarding canister stoves:
- simpler, lighter stoves perch on top of the canister. With pot, to combination is tall and top heavy. Thus you need to be careful that it is on a sturdy surface, and that no one bumps into it while in use.
- simpler stoves do not have good wind shielding. Presence of wind can significantly increase the water boiling time
- canister stoves do not perform as well in cool weather. That's because the fuel does not evaporate as readily. The canister cools during use, as fuel evaporates.
Pot supports, wind screens, heat exchangers can as important as the details of the stove itself.
Regarding long term storage of unused fuel (say to next year or later) - canisters are nicer. I've had white gas cans leak and smell. On the other hand, I still have canisters that I bought 5 or more years ago.
matt s
Explorer
I have the whisper light. It is a great stove. One thing to keep in mind is that propane performs very poorly in cold temps. I also have a stove that uses the small propane canisters and when winter camping it's almost useless. White gas is better in that situation. Also I find that I can find white gas nearly anywhere. Since you cannot take fuel on aircraft/ferries/etc. It's nice to know that you can find fuel easily where ever your destination is.
Also MSR makes a version that runs on almost any fuel from white gas to kerosene, even paint thinner. We bought one of these for my dad to keep in his cessna. Pretty nice to have options. I have heard that running the other fuels can gum it up and should only be done out of necessity.
I also have one of these (pic below) and have to say that while a bit heavier, it's a pretty sweet option
Also MSR makes a version that runs on almost any fuel from white gas to kerosene, even paint thinner. We bought one of these for my dad to keep in his cessna. Pretty nice to have options. I have heard that running the other fuels can gum it up and should only be done out of necessity.
I also have one of these (pic below) and have to say that while a bit heavier, it's a pretty sweet option
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A
agavelvr
Guest
After using a Primus canister stove for 10 years, I recently began converting to alcohol too. It fast and readily available. If you use Everclear (expensive) you can use the fuel for other purposes.
Another great choice is a small Kelly Kettle. You can boil up some water using found twigs, pine needles, leaves, etc...Thanks Graham & Connie
I think it all comes down to what you want to cook. If you are just doing the occassional backpacking trip w/dehydrated foods, you don't really need a fancy stove. Trying to make dulce de leche in the bush, you might want something with really good simmer control :sombrero:
paulj
Expedition Leader
Either that or a compact pressure cooker
However, the 1.5L Hawkins PC that fits in my Trangia stove isn't deep enough to hold a can of condensed milk covered with water.
Rallyroo
Expedition Leader
Oh yeah, that's right.
OneTime: The MSR Whisperlite is basically either off or on full blast. It doesn't simmer well.
Hey guys thanks for all the info. I think the cannister is the way to go. Right now at least for the type of over nighter stuff i'll being doing with boys. I like the Jet boil, but wonder how it would be for cooking for more than one person. Seems like soups would be great but if you tried to cook a freeze dried dinnner for more than one you would need a bigger pot.
Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
As a buyer for an outdoor store I have a serious personal inventory of stoves. I have a 15 year old Whisperlite, a 10 year old MSR Dragonfly, a Snowpeak Ti canister stove, an Optimus Crux stove, a Jetboil Helios and tw Jetboil Personal cooking systems. Yes...I need therapy.
Liquid fuel stoves like the Whisperlite have a couple advantages. Fuel is really easy to come by. You can SEE how much you have by peeking into the bottle. It burns well in almost all but the most ugly of cold temps. The MSR liquid fuel stoves can be rebuilt again and again and again, usually in your lap, in the field with minimal replacement parts. I used my Dragonfly on a 90 day solo and rebuilt it often and quickly. I burned some gnarly fuel in that baby. The only risk with liquid fuel is spilling or fire.
Canister stoves get crazy light. My Crux stove fits in the concave recess of a fuel canister!! Not that I would, but I could fit the whole think in my mouth....not with the canister.
Canisters don't burn well in super cold temps (sleep with your canisters to keep them warm). They can't be found everywhere. Plus, you always seem to be toting around half a can of fuel. That gets annoying. And, it's hard to tell if you have 15 minutes of fuel left or 2 minutes.For uber light trips under a week I use a canister stove. For trips over 2 weeks in rugged country I ALWAYS take a field serviceable liquid stove.
7wt
Expedition Leader
OneTime,
Canister stoves are great. I use my MSR Windpro the most but it does have one drawback that all canister stoves share. They aren't so great at high altitudes or in very cold weather. The gas inside doesn't stay at a constant pressure and the canister will freeze up. I find that below 50 degrees or so my canister stoves start to get a little fussy. For those situations I use a MSR Simmerlite, mechanically it's the same stove but uses white gas. The knock on it is it's a little flakey when it comes to simmer control. It will do it but it takes a lot of prodding and tinkering. It is easier to operate than the Wisperlite and quieter too. When it's warm and I can pick anything, I grab the Windpro almost 100% of the time. I say almost because I love the smell and sound of the white gas stoves!
Canister stoves are great. I use my MSR Windpro the most but it does have one drawback that all canister stoves share. They aren't so great at high altitudes or in very cold weather. The gas inside doesn't stay at a constant pressure and the canister will freeze up. I find that below 50 degrees or so my canister stoves start to get a little fussy. For those situations I use a MSR Simmerlite, mechanically it's the same stove but uses white gas. The knock on it is it's a little flakey when it comes to simmer control. It will do it but it takes a lot of prodding and tinkering. It is easier to operate than the Wisperlite and quieter too. When it's warm and I can pick anything, I grab the Windpro almost 100% of the time. I say almost because I love the smell and sound of the white gas stoves!
lamontagne
Adventurer
times a billion for the JetBoil!
Add the Group pot and the fry pan to the solo pot and your covered for most any trip. :coffeedrink:
Well, maybe except for a 6 month trip down in..:costumed-smiley-007
Add the Group pot and the fry pan to the solo pot and your covered for most any trip. :coffeedrink:
Well, maybe except for a 6 month trip down in..:costumed-smiley-007
cruisertoy
Explorer
We use two jetboils to cook for a group of 7 on our Alaskan float trips. We mainly eat fish which we cook over a fire, but the first two meals of the day are made up of Cup of noodle soups and MountianHouse meals. 2 cups of boiling water in like 3 minutes, you can make a lot of freeze dried food. We never use the boiling pot for anything other than boiling water. I have yet to use my jetboil pan for anything. It just sits at home.
If your looking for a unit that you can boil water in and not carry fuel, I picked up a Swiss military surplus stove that acts a lot like a Thermette, but only cost about $6. It will boil water with twigs and grass in 4 minutes. Not too shaby.
If your looking for a unit that you can boil water in and not carry fuel, I picked up a Swiss military surplus stove that acts a lot like a Thermette, but only cost about $6. It will boil water with twigs and grass in 4 minutes. Not too shaby.