Looking for a new stove

[Dan_Millsip]

My trusty old Optimus stove is finally packing it in after 20 years of use -- the last time I used it, fire started coming out of places where fire is not supposed to.

So, I'm looking for a new stove. I've got my eye on the MSR Simmerlite that retails for $109.00 at MEC.

Does anyone have any experience with this stove, or have a stove that they could recommend? I'm looking at a white gas stove as opposed to a canister type stove.

*****

 

[ztar]

Does anyone have any experience with this stove, or have a stove that they could recommend? I'm looking at a white gas stove as opposed to a canister type stove.

*****

I might be in the market for a stove as well. What reasons would one have for opting for white gas over canister type or any other type?

Cheers
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[Dan_Millsip]

For me, it's more of an environmental decision -- it just really bugs me that the canisters are neither recyclable or refillable. I also don't like it that you can never know exactly how much fuel you have left. Plus, the cost of white gas is considerably less than canisters in the long run.

I've narrowed my prospective choice down to the Simmerlite because of it's ability to... well, simmer. A lot of stoves don't simmer well at all -- my Optimus stove was full on or off. And it sounded like a jet engine when it was running. If anyone has a different stove to suggest other than the Simmerlite, I'm certainly willing to consider other choices.

*****

 

[DarrenM]

I have an MSR whisperlite and a Primus something..
Both clog up on me all the time. I find the best way to make your stove last longer is to leave it at home and use Marks.

 

[Dave_Barrie]

I'm pretty happy with my Whisperlite Internationale and my Peak 1 multifuel. But I recently spotted a two burner propane stove that was made of stainless steel - kinda big, but it would be perfect for group trips. Now if only I could remember where I saw it....it was either Crappy Tire or Wally World.

 

[Mark_Schilling]

Yup, I avoid using the propane stoves whenever possible. It's complete stupidity, in my opinion, not being able to refill or even recycle the empty canisters. Plus, they're rather bulky and I find that the propane stoves burn much more fuel than the white-gas (naptha) stoves. White gas is also a lot less expensive.

I have a Peak 1 single-burner stove which has done me well for about the last 14 years, but it's getting worn out - I have to 'overhaul' it after every trip now, or it burns the fuel before it gets to the burner, making for a very dangerous situation. I use a Coleman 2-burner propane stove on group trips (it fits in larger hatches but not my little 10" round hatches) but I'll eventually get a white-gas 2-burner for such events instead. The Peak 1 will have to be replaced soon too... the simmerlite looks like a good (although rather expensive) option. It'd be nice to be able to try a few out first...

 

[tim_in_bc]

I bought the MSR Dragon Fly. Very noisy but it does heat water quickly and also has a simmer control.

If noise is an issue then this stove is not for you.

 

[Andy_Ferguson]

I have the plain old whisperlite; pretty much good for boiling water is about all but for cycling and hiking trips weight and size are factors in which stove to choose. If you're not overly concerned with either (because you have a bit more room in a kayak) why not look into something like this?

It's on sale at Canadian Tire now.

 

[Dan_Millsip]

LOL! You've never tried to pack a weekends worth of gear in my skin-on-frame, have you?

I actually already have one of that model and do take it with me when I use my double.

*****

 

[Andy_Ferguson]

LOL! You've never tried to pack a weekends worth of gear in my skin-on-frame, have you?

*****

I assumed you just handed your gear around for everyone else to pack? :lol:

 

[Redcedar]

I use an older single burner Coleman , it burns unleaded gas just fine. It needs to be stored upright otherwise it slowly leaks fuel

Here is a link to a home-made camp stove archive , including a kayak stove from a BC paddler http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html

 

[Dan_Millsip]

Well, I picked up the MSR Simmerlite last Friday and used it over the weekend on a trip up Pitt Lake. After figuring out how to properly prime the stove, it worked great.

It does simmer very well. The control valve requires turning in miniscule amounts and will take a bit of getting used to. A really nice feature of the stove is that it's incredibly small -- it easily fits into the 1 litre pot in my cookset. A 650 ml (22 oz) bottle of fuel lasted the entire weekend. It's also very quiet -- a real nice change from the excessively noisy Optimus stove that I've cooked on over the past twenty years.

After I've used it for a while I'll make a complete evaluation but so far, my initial impression of the stove is very positive.

*****

 

[garyhaupt]

I use one of the Coleman white gas units. Small with the fuel tank under the burner. Heats like the dickens, good fuel economy and turns down to a nice simmer. Mind you...my barge is not short of room.



Gary Haupt

 

[Steve_Fairbairn]

I use one of the Coleman white gas units. Small with the fuel tank under the burner. Heats like the dickens, good fuel economy and turns down to a nice simmer. Mind you...my barge is not short of room.

On our recent trip up Pitt Lake I think we had 3 Coleman Peak's going at once. Great stoves - mine had been used and abused for about 10 years and is still going strong.

 

[Wild-Child]

I have both an MSR Dragonfly and a Primus Himalaya. my preference is the MSR Dragonfly for many reasons...

First - it is a little lighter in design

Second - it simmers beautifully which means it works better with my Outback Oven (I like baked things)

Third - it has a larger design when fold out and supports a larger pot nicely

Fourth - I have stove base for it (from the UCO company) that keeps it nice and stable on uneven ground

Fifth - it is 10 x quieter than my Primus

The Simmer Lite is a great stove - several of my backpacking friends absolutely love theirs.

Hope that this helps.

 

[Dan_Millsip]

Hmmm... I looked at and seriously considered the Dragonfly but from what I read and from what the sales clerk at MEC told me, it was my understanding that it's a pretty noisy stove. I was told that it simmers exceptionally well though.

I ended up purchasing the Simmerlite and am so far very pleased. I've now used it on two trips and have found it to simmer very well -- and it's amazingly quiet (big points there). I like that it packs very small as well -- when you're trying to pack 3 days worth of gear in a very low volume skin on frame kayak, every square centimeter counts.

Is your outback oven the one from MEC? Do you have the big one or the small one? It looks like a pretty handy unit.

*****

 

[Wild-Child]

I have the ultralight outback oven that you use with your own pot set. My pot set is the MSR Alpine (nice and light). I love it - I always use parchment paper in the bottom though. Never forget to put the pot riser on because things burn very quickly without it. The OO takes dinner from survival to event. The OO Plus 10 is really nice for larger groups but I prefer the ultralight because of both volume and weight.

I've made Apple Crisp, Blueberry Pie, Birthday Cake, Pizza, Choc Chip Cookies, Banana Bread, Muffins, Cinnamon Buns, Coffee Cake, Lasagna, Brownies, Baked Ziti, Baked Tortellini, Herb Bread and Macoroni with Cheese... just to name a few. The only drawback is that I've become camp cookie. This is also how I got the job of writing a cookbook (which I don't mind at all actually).

 

[DarrenM]

mmmmm Baked Ziti..... Whats Baked Ziti :?:

 

[Wild-Child]

Baked Ziti is an Italian thing - baked pasta with a tomato sauce sprinkled with some freshly parmesean and basil (sliced paper thin). I've kept fresh herbs for almost a week in a nalgene with a little paper toweling and water int eh bottom. I've also grown alfalfa sprouts in a Nalgene - great for multi-day trips. Well it's an ungodly hour here in Ontario - off to bed for this paddler.

 

[Wild-Child]

forgot to mention that Baked Ziti has cheeses in it - much like a lasgna - good for early in the trip. I also dehydrate many foods... sauces, goulash and all sorts of yummy things. I'll let you know when I post some new recipes on my site (which will be soon).