Primus 71 Stove: the Camper's Companion

[@bccanoe]

I met a fellow while canoe camping who had one of these stoves, might have been the Svea. His method for priming it was to just hold his hands against the fuel tank with the valve open. The heat from his hands was enough to expand the gas vapours in the tank, which forced a small amount of liquid fuel up the riser tube. The fuel then dribbled down into the priming cup, when enough had accumulated he lit it to start the stove as usual.

[@martkbanjoboy8853]

The Optimus 88 is a commonly found version of this. Very reliable. Unless the valve packing goes, all you usually need to replace is the seal for the fuel filler spout. This you can easily make out of automotive gasket cork. The fuel aperture can get clogged. A sewing pin held with pliers works if the fancified one breaks.Some are frightened of this type of stove due to the close attention required when lighting them.

[@tomsitzman3952]

Putting your hands on the tank to prime is kind of silly. It only works on a warm day. don't try it a below freezing. It only takes a drop of fuel in the spirit cup to get the flow going.

[@mikemorgan5015]

@@tomsitzman3952 Bullshit. The colder it is, the better this method works. The colder the air, the more expansion, and therefore pressure, with every degree of temperature rise. Full power will take a bit longer, regardless, since you need to get the fuel itself hot to generate operating pressures. After reading this and some of your other comments, I don't believe you've ever used one of these. Edit: On further reading, it's clear that you HAVE used these. I don't know why this doesn't work for you. You may want to try it again. In bitter cold, not wanting skin contact with brass is a real thing, though. Slipping the stove under my coat for several seconds has always worked very well for me in those situations.

[@TheGreatGastronaut]

I have a Primus 71 in the rectangular tin windscreen/pot stand. I bought it new in the mid ‘70’s and used it extensively for mountain backpacking for the following 20 years. I always primed it by letting raw fuel dribble from the orifice into the well atop the tank. In warmer temps, it did this reliably just based upon the vapor pressure of the fuel. In the cold, I kept it in my sleeping bag so it would stay warmer than out in the snow and then put it inside my parka just before priming and lighting. This was a sure fire process and I never had a problem firing it regardless of how cold it was. I still have the stove. It’s absolutely bulletproof, unlike Coleman’s and butane stoves. I’ve helped out many a camper that had a failed stove. The successor to these stoves are the MSR’s which operate on the same principle, but by not having the heavy brass tank, are significantly lighter.

[@garman1966]

Was it an older man named Dan Karig? He is my father, and was a competitive canoeist till about 5 or so years ago. He still has his Svea stove, and he taught me to use your hands to warm it up to start the flow, etc. Maybe Adirondacks area? That would be cool if it was him.

[@lloydhayne2488]

I got my Primus when I was 11 in 1965. I still use it occasionally. Fantastic piece of engineering. I might mention NEVER use auto grade gasoline.

[@TrapperAaron]

Aren't they kerosene stoves?

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

I often used one in the 1970s, at our fishing holiday home. I second that NEVER use petrol. The brass conducts sufficient heat to the body of the fuel , that when the amount has burnt low, it goes into a run-away flare, that gives more heat, so more flare, and off you go to heaven in a ball of flame once it gets sufficiently hot..

[@RobertCraft-re5sf]

@@TrapperAaron That's what he means.

[@HootOwl513]

@@TrapperAaron Most are. But the smaller Primus 70 and 71 were built to use Naptha. Coleman '' White Gas'' in the US, Aspen 4 in the UK. These stoves like the Svea 123, Optimus 8R, and Optimus 99 must be run on Naptha. Automotive Gasoline [petrol] has additives that help combustion and clean cylinders, but are toxic to humans if burned in a stove. [Optimus made a 111T [T for triple fuel] and 199 that can be configured to run on Kerosene, White Gas or Alcohol.] The bigger brass, three legged types from the last century, all ran on kerosene. They are not common in the US.

[@chubbyadler3276]

11:00 That leak in the cap is a bad sign. It could easily result in the seals of that cap being melted/burned away, resulting in a large fireball resulting in 3d12 damage to you and everything around you within a 10 foot radius.

[@CB-ke7eq]

😂

[@GarySBCA]

I’m 65 years old so I remember all of these stoves and have either used them or had friends who did. They all were persnickety to a degree and each had pros and cons. Most of the issues related to starting and cold weather operations. Some of the fun foibles were freezing your hands on the cold metal stove. Burning your hands on the hot metal stove because it was hot enough to burn your hand but still wasn’t hot enough to start. Burning your fingers on the stove key because you didn’t take it out. Spilling fuel. Acquiring the plethora of different fuels. Sleeping with your stove in an attempt to mitigate some of these aforementioned issues. Sure these stoves bring back memories. The rocket engine sound once it did get going was a rewarding delight. You might even say using one built character. It certainly gives a greater appreciation of the choices we have today. I think most of us have moved on… but, we remember.

[@paulbrogger655]

Among explorers who relied upon the Primus stove, don't forget Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. His Primus provided warmth, hot drinks, and cooked food -- especially once the group had taken to the boats, crossed to Elephant Island, then 800 miles across the South Atlantic to South Georgia island, and finally hiking across South Georgia itself to the Stromness whaling station. One of the great survival stories of all time!

[@HootOwl513]

Shackleton's ''primus'' was a Comet #5 Scout. Primus was a generic term then, like ''BandAid.''

[@RandallFrequentFlyerFlagg]

Jerry was a race car driver, he drove so goddamn fast, he never did win no checkered flags but he never did come in last… Wait, wrong Primus.

[@housellama]

Jerry was a race car driver He'd say "El Sob number one" With a Bocephus sticker on his 442 He'd light 'em up just for fun

[@DisheveledSuccess]

Dog will…summit everest!! Go!!!! Lmfao

[@clarencebarnes2510]

I had to watch this UT video to remind myself of the workings of the primus stove. I have several of these models using different fuels that I began using more than 40 years ago and they all still work. I bring them out every 3 to 4 years to keep them functional. They came in very handy during a month long 1998 ice storm in Quebec. Thanks for posting your video. Its a reminder that old things still work and come in handy. 👍

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Yeah boy I would own three of them if I lived in The Great Northern Cold. If you had to, you could set up semi-industrially and produce your own turpentine to burn in them. In fact, in Australia, you can make a very suitable substitute for kerosene from Tea-tree or eucalyptus. And yes, turps both mineral and vegetable burns quite well in one, with the sole problem of a different and certainly less agreeable smell produced.

[@HootOwl513]

A couple of notes: A] A candle flame from the top of your Fuel Cap is NOT a good sign, and means you need to replace the pip of the SRV [safety relief valve] and probably cap gasket too. B] Primus 71 model predates the Svea 123 by a couple decades. It superceded the Primus 70 which has no regulating key or valve. Light stove -- melt snow -- full blast is ON. Not sure how to shut it down? C] This model would not have the self-cleaning needle. That feature was introduced by Optimus in the early '60s after they bought out Primus and Svea. Early Svea 123s had a downward sloping regulator spindle arm and jet cleaning was done by poking a proprietary needle thru the hole. When Optimus began producing their own regulators for the Optimus 8, Primus 71 and Sveas, they revised the designation to Optimus 8R, Svea 123R, etc. The regulator with self-cleaning needle is stepped down, but comes out with a level spindle. The 71 has been copied by the Soviets, Germans, [Jewel 33, 34, & Arara 37] Czech Meva and others. Svea 123 came along in the early 1950s. It was preceeded by the Svea Campus 3, but the Pri 71's lines are clear in the 123. I've had a Svea 123 since 1970. Still reliable.

[@johncremeans969]

That valve always lights up I've had Optimus and the SVEA that valve will always lights up in the 20 years I've use those things never had a problem but they always light up I just blow it out

[@HootOwl513]

@@johncremeans969 Have you replaced the SRV pip in those 20 years? There sholud be no leak under normal operation. Like the gasket in the fuel cap, the SRV pip is just hard rubber that deteriorates over time.

[@marksmith9295]

Good post and absolutely correct about the nrv pip or cap seal needing replacement. Have had to replace both on some of my vintage burners. Alwsys good to pressure test under water for pump models or soapy water for self pressurizing ones.

[@Murgoh]

I really like my Svea 123, very simple, effective and reliable. I use alkylate fuel sold for small engines, not expensive and works great. I light it by first momentarily loosening the filler plug to relieve any vacuum (there might be a vacuum as the stove has likely been hot when the valve has been closed so when it cools down it will pull a vacuum which would make lighting it harder) in the tank, then I either warm the tank with my hands and open the valve to get some fuel to dribble out for preheating or simply pour some from my fuel bottle. No need to carry a separate supply of alcohol, the primary fuel works fine for preheating.

[@Inflorescensse]

One of my favorite lines from a Neal Stephenson book involves the use of one of these in the land thousands of years after the invention, the dude explains that primus stoves haven’t changed as the simplicity is just unbeatable

[@hitchpost5822]

I really like those old brass stoves, I even like the sound they make. When I was younger I did a lot of caving, we used small brass carbide cap lamps. They are another interesting vintage technology, they not only provided a reliable light source when batteries were expensive and had a limited life span, but were a heat source in cold caves. You might consider doing a video on them or even acetylene gas lighting in general. It was used in car headlights and even gas lighting in houses. Thanks for the interesting video.

[@CanadianMacGyver]

I actually have a video on carbide lamps! It's an older one and the audio isn't as good as my current work, but it's still comprehensive: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnbCe4iHeLiYd9U

[@hitchpost5822]

​@@CanadianMacGyver Thanks another interesting video, You might be interested to know The reason acetylene gas produces usable light is the incandescent particles of carbon. If you look into early gas lighting, the gases that were used had high carbon content. It wasn’t until the gas mantle came along that cleaner gases could be used. If you look at straight acetylene gas burning it is actually a yellow flame, it creates light in the same way candles do, incandescent carbon. Old houses had coal or wood gas piped into them for lighting, which along with light produced a lot of soot.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Great idea.

[@geodkyt]

I found out about these doing WWII reenacting. I've been using a Svea 123 model, and most everyone I know calls them "pocket rockets" (because of the sound and heat output). This will bring a British mess tin or a small aluminum kettle to a boil in a *ridiculously* short period of time. Now, I've only used it with Coleman fuel, but it's great.

[@HootOwl513]

Don't use anything else. Except Crown Camp Fuel, which is a generic white gas and somewhat cheaper. Walmart has it sometimes. I have a Svea 123 and 123R. Love them.

[@Not-THAT-ChrisPratt]

In reading Shackleton's book "Endurance" about his attempted trans-polar expedition across Antarctica, I wondered about the Primus Stoves that he used. Now I know what one looks like and how it operates. Thank you.

[@johnhess351]

He also used a different dirty blubber stove which could be fabricated by hand.

[@Mariner311]

Sweet - I had a Svea 123 from 1976 to 2015 - worked SO darned well - carried it with the Boy Scouts and skiing/camping after - even had it while I was Naval Aircrew. I also carried it working with CalFire on wild-fires. My model had no primer - we carried an eye-dropper to put a little white gas in the priming cup. It "walked" off during the Butte Fire in 2015 - I bet it is still running for whoever stole it

[@tomsitzman3952]

I was going an overnight bike trip this past week to try out some new gear. II have a variety of pressurized stoves of different sizes based on the number of people I will be traveling with. this trip was only me. i brought a stove that was a little of an over kill for one person. Instead of bringing the Seva 123 I brought a stove with a little larger tank that has a built-in pump, the Optimus 00. that I have been using for over a half a century. At the same time, I was using a 50 plus year old stove and was checking out my new solar lighting and electronics, GPS, Smart Phone with maps, compass, weather, tracking and up dated ideas for my sleep system. So simple and reliable. I have never seen a reason to switch over to a cartridge stove. And no cartridge to deal with .

[@mikemorgan5015]

Great comment! That really speaks volumes to how well these were engineered and designed, doesn't it? They are still tried and trusted along side all the other "modern" stuff we use daily.

[@michaelerickson5623]

I've got a couple of these... the one in the metal box finally rusted away, but the older one with a pump (that was acquired by my father quite possibly as early as 1947) has been up the slopes of Mount Rainier in the big ice quite a number of times. Good tough little blowtorch. Quite dependable.

[@markknochenhauer9640]

I’ve used one of these in the past and found it to be very simple and easy to use

[@hyunchulshim3195]

I used to have this when I was a teenager.

[@tissuepaper9962]

Concept is almost identical to a modern MSR white gas stove, which is by far my favorite kind of camping stove. I have had countless spirited discussions with fellow outdoorsmen about isobutane vs. propane vs. white gas stoves and I have always held that the white gas stoves are the best option by far. One of the main advantages IMO is that you don't have to pack out the empty canisters like a propane or isobutane stove, and the fuel is *significantly* less expensive. If you do require more fuel than can fit into your stove directly, the containers for white gas stoves are at the very least reusable, contributing both to the reduced cost and the minimization of waste. I will die on this hill and I will continue to viciously tease anybody I catch using a gaseous-fuel stove as long as I live.

[@paulbush7095]

Another wonderful post. It’s amazing how simple and ingenious this device is and I surmise a likely precursor to modern fuel injection. I had a similar Primus stove that was nicknamed “Pump & Eat” because sometimes it was the only heating source readily available to cook with. Merci beaucoup Mssr. Messier!

[@ivandasty277]

I've been addicted to this beautiful channel .😉

[@RobertCraft-re5sf]

Very cool to see the same types of stoves that the great explorers used.

[@DanielFCutter]

Love your channel and telling my friends. So many neat things that I’m familiar with. But now have more depth of history and use. I had this very Svea stove and the sound reminds me of many happy backpacking trips. I had it burn my tent down in Yosemite in winter. User error-familiarity breeds inattention. Had no option than to snowshoe out in one long 16 hour day. I’ve used the same stove at 14,500 feet atop Whitney. Dented and with the patina of hard use it’s retired to my own shelf of curiosities.

[@jasonplant5432]

I've read so many old stories of famous expeditions where this stove is mentioned a lot. I've always wanted one.

[@terrychapman5466]

Mom and Dad had one when I was young. Boiled the kettle for tea and made toast for breakfast. Used right into the 60's

[@davidgold5961]

Please make a video on the US Army M-1950 stove - a fascinating piece of engineering with many great features.

[@briantaylor9266]

I used a Svea 123 for many years. I abandoned it when one day the concave bottom rapidly became convex. Fortunately the tank did not rupture, but I was pretty puckered.

[@AIM54A]

I still use a Svea 123. You do need to make sure the relief valve on the fuel cap is in good condition.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

I had a SVEA 123 through my army career and beyond. It was brilliant. I had to part with it in the early 2000s. I bought a new one a year or so ago. It doesn’t work properly as it won’t completely turn off. Apparently this is now a common fault and I understand the SVEA has been sold to China. If I could find someone to repair it I’d leap at the chance.

[@richiehoyt8487]

​@@bob_the_bomb4508 It seems like just about everything good, be it cigarette lighters, camp stoves or electronics, in the last 20 or 30 years they've sold off the names and the plans, and in many cases the actual plant to the Chinese, so they can lash out cheap and nasty versions that capitalise on the name. Might as well, I guess - half the time they were probably producing knock - off versions anyway...

[@UnitedElectric]

​@@bob_the_bomb4508 You need to reset the geared built in cleaning needle under the jet. Remove the jet, poke the cleaning needle on a pencil eraser, turn the knob and count 3 to four clicks while resting the rack gently on the spindle.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

@@UnitedElectric thanks! I tried that but to no avail… :(

[@lordofelectrons4513]

My old Svea stove I bought nearly 50 years ago still works as well as the day I got it. Nearly a constant companion when in the outback. On one memorable occasion provide my climbing partner and I some much needed hot drink as we plotted our escape from the sudden appearance of a sub zero white out while we were on the crater rim of Mt. Hood. Can't say it saved our life but Hot onion soup never tasted better.

[@Bornintheseat]

very informative video thank you!

[@oregonlogger9775]

I bought an Optimus 00 50 years ago, my nephew still uses it. We used a tube of fire ribbon paste to prime it. Noisy but it always worked when we needed it.

[@Leightr]

My old Boy Scout troop in the 90s still had about a dozen brass Primus stoves in our equipment locker, though at the time were were all using Coleman Peak1's (white gas). We were each told to take one home and shine it up to be sold. I wish I had had the presence of mind at the time to buy one. I do have two much larger Svea stoves ( they look almost exactly like the Primus logo at 2:49) from my commercial fisherman grandfather and they will, at full blast, melt lead in a pan (for casting sinkers, not like we routinely melted lead in our cookware). When I light one, I cheat and use a plumbers torch to get the fuel vaporized. Grandpas method was to tear up small bits of paper and place them in the "spirit cup" you were supposed to put alcohol in and them soak the paper in a bit of kerosene from the spout and let the kerosene burn using the paper as a wick until it warmed up the fuel pipe.

[@BIG-DIPPER-56]

Fascinating - Thanks ! 😎👍

[@Skorpychan]

I used one a few times as a scout, but the little Trangia stoves are my choice for camping nowadays. Although that's because I only camp at festivals, and only really need a stove for heating water for hot chocolate.

[@MicrophoneMichael]

Great video! Thanks for finding your way into my algorithm.

[@r0bhumm]

The scout troop I belong to used mini primuses. And we ended up collecting related items, The most common being Coleman Lamps. We also had some of the blowtorches you mentioned, And one much larger device with a parabolic reflector, and a burner that heated up metal gauze to red heat to reduce a beam of heat for a large area. Though the most interesting device we found was a very large burner in a heavy duty frame with a crucible that appeared to be designed to melt lead. It had a label on it calling it the portable furnace. All of these devices worked on the same principles, and for all of them, we had the specialist little wire tool for poking out the small burner holes, which was an interesting job that needed a steady hand and could be difficult in the extremely cold weather.

[@Calum_S]

We had Primus stoves in my Scout troop too. I remember they could be a bit finicky in inexperienced hands but they had done a long service before I was there and are probably still going many years after I left.

[@TheSpookiestSkeleton]

wait a minute, this isn't Les Claypool!

[@ArturdeSousaRocha]

Not enough fandom overlap.

[@petesheppard1709]

Great video!! I'm a dinosaur; My Optimus is the only stove I use. The man who introduced me to the Svea 123 showed me how to prime it by warming the fuel tank in his hands--but also warned that it needs insulation underneath if sitting on cold ground. I have only used Coleman fuel; I didn't know it could run on different fuels!!

[@arduinomistakes8879]

Before priming, I open the valve a little. Sometimes I get a dribble of fuel that runs down the stem. I can use that to prime. With a little practice, the first dribble burns with enough heat to cause another dribble and that is enough to get your little friend roaring. I don't know the physics, conditions, etc. But I'm guessing there is some pressure in the fuel tank left from the last use. Maybe only works with changing elevation or temp or barometric pressure - I haven't kept a record. But it is always worth the quick check to see if I'm lucky.

[@scratchdog2216]

Svea 123 is another classic. Naphtha backpacker but still a classic.

[@richiehoyt8487]

I have fond(?) 🤔🤨 _Mostly_ fond(!) memories of my parents using a Primus №1 Model to feed all 7 of us (and friends) on camping trips here in Ireland back in the late '70's. Super - finicky to use, if I remember right, and I should imagine a pretty steep (or is that shallow?) learning curve for someone coming to one of these untutored. Nevertheless, it got the job done; and though I seem to remember Camping Gaz stoves and such like being around at the time, I would imagine that back then the simple design and versatility of the Primus would have made it a winner. The sorts of places _we_ went camping, even if you couldn't snout out (strictly as a last resort) petrol, one could always find ethanol - of one sort or another... It would have been more calorie efficient, of course, to ingest the booze directly, but even in the '70's, even in Ireland, your kids wandering drunk around a campsite wasn't a good look! Nowadays, however, the seeming difficulty of getting a~hold of Coleman Fuel or 'White Gas' - or even paraffin (certainly in anything less than 4 litre containers) in Ireland, for some strange reason, and the additional need, at least ideally, for a quantity of methylated spirits or somesuch, suggests to me that for somebody going camping for the first time, maybe to a music festival or the likes, that they might do better to bow to convenience and go with a cartridge system. Or there's a great deal to be said for those Trangia set ups that'll boil a kettle of water in a matter of minutes with just a few twigs, or even miscellaneous bits of litter. Also, it has to be said, those Primus' do kind of look a bit like museum pieces, at this stage... which of course, if like me you appreciate the steampunk aesthetic, is a _good thing!_

[@CompleteAnimation]

I love the principle of using the heat of the stove to heat its own fuel, which in turn makes the stove run properly, and continue heating its own fuel. The only part about it that's not very elegant is starting the process with a messy open flame.

[@elmigwar]

Great video and presentation. A minor note: The self cleaning feature, was not introduced for the 71. Keep up the good work.

[@TrapperAaron]

Living in south Florida a coleman stove and lamp are gifts from the gods. The lamp i run on white gas ( naptha) the double burner stove w wind shields will run on about anything. Usually i run it on Rec 90 straight gasoline if i run out of that, i use 87octane/10%ETOH (Regular pump gas)

[@brucecarter8296]

can squirt into spirit cup by pressurizing tank, some will squirt out the top and drip down

[@Adam-dd7xn]

Nothing better than having your gas cap on fire.

[@tomsitzman3952]

Sounds like your pot was too large and overhanging the pot ring. If your gas cap shoots out a flame. replace the gasket in the gas cap.

[@davidgold5961]

You don’t want to live forever, do you?

[@johnhess351]

There were also priming pastes for use instead of a bottle of spirits. I have heard that gelled hand sanitizer works. There was also an accessory pressurization cap and pump for Svea 123. At temperatures above 0 degrees F, priming or pumping was never necessary since a little fuel could generally be coaxed into coming out the orifice and running down into the spirit cup. I normally used unleaded gasoline as fuel which worked fine for me without gummy clogging as well as much more robust flame than camping fuel. I never experienced a runaway, but never used it for longer than the time to boil a pint of water before allowing to cool. Perhaps if you were trying to cook raw stew from scratch in a big pot for an extended period on full power you could have a runaway with gasoline. When the whole burner assembly turns orange hot, common sense says back off. It goes without saying you should never use it inside a tent with any fuel.

[@asadabdulqaabir4006]

That gummy residue in modern gasolines it's must likely due to ethanol mixes and the additives needed to prevent moisture absorption and corrosion.

[@MunchkinKF]

The Air Force issued a similar version of this stove in their survival kits. We called them Kamikaze Kits but they worked great!

[@professorsogol5824]

Ever have the relief valve fail/open? I did. Fortunately the tent door was open and the key was on valve. Also, there is no "simmering" possible and boiling water or melting snow takes forever if there is any wind.

[@ahah1785]

the 71 heats up itself so much its quite scary....and it does not take long time to do so either...so perfer bigger ones.

[@acemannotsomeother]

All I can remember of the the book We the living, by Ayn Rand was the mentioning of the Primus Stove. Perhaps I will read it again.

[@sierraecho884]

I love those genius inventions. The simpler the better. Every idiot can make something super complex to do a job but it takes a genius to complete the same takes with simpler means.

[@randyshoquist7726]

My Svea 123 isn't shiny like yours. 😉 I normally carried a small container of alcohol for priming, but that isn't necessary. The instructions tell you to warm the tank in your hands. That will pressurize it enough that a little liquid fuel will dribble out of the nozzle and fill the spirit cup, which you then light to heat the burner stem. That works, but I preferred alcohol because a little spillage isn't as messy or smelly as stove gasoline.

[@georgepretnick4460]

I still use my SVEA 123.

[@huxleywolfkin1202]

Fun fact white gas is the older form of gasoline and still can be bought today

[@tomhenry897]

Not really a gas

[@davidgold5961]

Yes, it is called Coleman Fuel or Naptha. It is a very clean burning fuel with no or very little odor, and they can last for years with no break down in the metal 1 gallon containers.

[@oldestscout]

Enjoy your content very much, but find it frustrating because most of the items you consider old, I have owned or used in the past (even your 19th-century blow torch!) I got my Optimus stove in about 1970. It came with a Primus stand like yours, but mine is still red and blue. It ran on kerosene or white gas (sold exclusively by Amoco at the time.) Two points you missed: 1) you don't need to carry extra liquid or a pump to start the stove. You warm the base up with your hands (e.g. body heat.) When you do, the air pressure increases inside so when you open the valve, a little fuel trickles out and down into the spirit cup, and you are ready to light. 2) The needle valve does not clean the orifice. When it clogs, you use the wrench built into the handle of the key to remove the orifice and clean it. The stove came with a piece of wire just the right size to do the job. In its place, and scrap of the first string on a folk guitar would probably do the job. Hats off for your excellent content and research.

[@Ronilac]

Please correct the information about the dawn of the oil industry: Jan Józef Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Polish pharmacist, engineer, businessman, inventor, and philanthropist, discovered of how to distill kerosene from seep crude oil, invented the modern kerosene lamp (1853), introduced of the first modern street lamp in Europe (1853) and constructed of the world's first modern oil well (1854). He was a pioneer who in 1856 built the world's first modern oil refinery.

[@Bialy_1]

I love how you mentioning John D. Rockefeller but failing to mention Ignacy Łukasiewicz, the guy that provided the know-how to John D. Rockefeller for free so ofc you mentioning the guy that got dirty rich from all of it... Modern and most popular versions of the paraffin lamp in 1853. World's first oil field in 1854. World's first modern oil refinery 1856. He invented it all... But who cares about a guy that did more for the industry than anyone else if the guy was Polish? Right? This documentary is so British.

[@toml.8210]

I prefer to use my Coleman Peak 1 stove with White gas, but I've seen these stoves at flea markets.

[@canadianman000]

Was your intro music created for you or is it a piece of music? Its quite nice!

[@professorsogol5824]

Created especially for this channel in 1874 by Modest Mussorgsky. It's called Pictures at an Exhibition. Glad you like it.

[@aaronwoodward3766]

I found that you can also use sanitizer. 9:59

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@CanadianMacGyver >>> Great video...👍

[@P_RO_]

Old technology isn't always bad technology, and it usually makes for a more versatile result even if newer technology may be more efficient or inherently more safe. Newer isn't always much better but modern marketing has convinced a lot of fools that it is.

[@bb5242]

Had one in the 80s, the Svea type. I think my sister and her boyfriend stole it and sold it for whatever cash they could get, which is what happened to a lot of my stuff due to those a-holes.

[@mikemorgan5015]

PLEASE! Post a video of this running on 60 proof(30%) vodka. I gotta see that to believe it. Also, this doesn't have a built in cleaning needle. These downward angled valve models need a separate "pricker" that came with them. They can be easily made with the right size piano wire. Just make sure to deburr the end of the cut wire or it can enlarge the jet and it won't run correctly. The models with built in cleaning have the valve horizontal/perpendicular to the riser to facilitate the rack and pinion action for the needle.

[@tomhenry897]

Be like an alcohol stove

[@Bialy_1]

Vodka is a Polish invention and according to Polish law, it needs to be at least 37.5% of alkohol to have the right to be sold as vodka("wódka"). btw. Russian text with the first mention of vodka is a list of items purchased in Poznań(Poland)...

[@AlexanderSchreiber]

60 proof vodka? Someone's sold you short there. Vodka is supposed to be at least 37.5% (and typically 40%) of alcohol by volume, so 75..80 proof.

[@rsmorex]

lol Optimus Primus 😂

[@jonr6680]

IKR, this surely can't be a coincidence?!

[@26betsam]

Sounds like a V-1 pulse jet engine.

[@acemannotsomeother]

What is the music at the beginning of the video?

[@professorsogol5824]

Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky

[@chrisscott1547]

The main difference is the gasoline is much more volatile and vaporizes at a lower temperature - no need pump it.

[@syari6094]

I have one I need some written sources about it

[@ZOMBIEHEADSHOTKILLER]

I have a Primus Stove (different model then the one shown), and the manual says it can run on pretty much everything, both liquid, or gas, except alcohol ( because it corrodes coper, and brass has copper in it and the stove has brass parts). So your part at about 4 mins in, where you say they mostly run on gas, not liquid, and the ones that do, mostly use camp fuel, isnt entirely true.... maybe for some models, but definably not all of them.

[@sierraecho884]

How hot would this burn with alcohol compared to a modern gas stove ?

[@juslitor]

Alcohol has a lower energy value, so with the right nozzle it would heat about the same as a modern gas stove but it would be a fuel guzzler.

[@tomsitzman3952]

Alcohol burns with half the BTU of Kerosine. Pressurized Kerosine temperature is twice as hot as pressurized alcohol stove and you can't buy a pressurized alcohol stove anymore. The unpressurized alcohol stove is good for a sunny day in the summer. Modern stoves are a joke and more of a sales gimmick. Serious travelers need heat now, not later and they want a hot flame to boil water and not a flame to simmer a fish.

[@mikemorgan5015]

@@tomsitzman3952 Are you the official spokesperson for "serious travelers"? While boilers are all the rage these days, there are a lot of Trangia users out there who ARE "serious travelers" and would disagree with your premises. Some of us like a fresh cooked meal from scratch in the field. It's part of the adventure for some. And for some, cooking IS the adventure. The best stove is the one that best fits YOUR purposes. I personally don't use alcohol stoves, but acknowledge their legitimate niche in the stove world. I personally prefer stoves that can bring serious heat and actually cook too. There are advantages and disadvantages to every stove. Go with what works for you. But just because one doesn't fit YOUR personal needs and/or desires, doesn't resign it to being a "joke".

[@tomhenry897]

Didn’t these have a problem with carbon monoxide?

[@44R0Ndin]

Since kerosene is so hard to come by these days (having been supplanted by either diesel fuel or #2 heating oil, depending on use case), those Primus stoves that were originally designed to run on Kerosene will readily run off of either Diesel fuel, or if you happen to have a ready supply of it, Jet fuel. And if you happen to work at NASA or SpaceX, RP-1 is also suitable, and will offer reduced coking as a benefit over the other alternatives. Similarly, if you instead work at Roscosomos, RG-1 is virtually identical to RP-1, as far as performance goes (both in rocket engines and in these kerosene stoves). The only suitable fuel that you can't use in a Primus stove is Syntin, which was a Soviet-era SYNTHETIC kerosene type fuel that offered slightly higher specific impulse to rocket engines using it, in Primus stoves it would either perform identically to RG-1 or there would be no statistically significant difference in the time to bring a given mass of water to a boil. The reason that these are all so widely interchangeable is because they're largely just differentiated by the presence or absence of certain additive chemicals, other than that they're all pretty much just kerosene. The additives do various tasks, such as depressing the gelling point or making the fuel more conductive to prevent accumulation of static charges (in jet fuels), increasing the cetane rating and lubricity (in diesel fuels), and in rocket grade kerosenes you will find a notable LACK of additives (aside from the anti-static additive found also in jet fuels) combined with a more narrow "cut" of the refined petroleum products used, with the specific cut of refined petroleum products specifically chosen to avoid those that easily polymerize and form deposits when the fuel is rapidly heated (this is done to allow it to be used as a coolant in the regenerative cooling passages of the thrust chamber, throat, and nozzle of a liquid fueled rocket engine).

[@realityshotgun]

Jet fuel pretty much is kerosene.

[@44R0Ndin]

@@realityshotgun So are all the other ones I mentioned, that's the whole point of my comment. RP-1 and RG-1 especially are literally just rocket-grade kerosene.

[@AIM54A]

RP-1 is by far the cleanest fuel you could ever run in a kerosene stove. However it's impossible to get. Remember that all Kero fuels have to be stored in air tight containers to keep them from sucking up water from the air.

[@44R0Ndin]

@@AIM54A Actually if you can keep the temperature in the right range that's not such a problem for kerosene type fuels (and it's a pretty wide range, all you have to do is avoid condensation). This is because kerosene type fuels are NOT hygroscopic, unlike ethanol gasoline, which very much is, to the detriment of the carbs in lawnmowers and other outdoor power equipment that I work on as a side job to my normal auto mechanic job. Oh and if you're ordering enough of it, RP-1 is very much available, the problem is that the minimum order is "one semi truck tanker trailer full of the stuff" or thereabouts.

[@UnitedElectric]

Your NRV is leaking. Very dangerous. Also let the prime dwindle until almost out, then light. Or better yet sell it to somebody who knows how to use and care for it.

[@andrepohle7485]

So alt und mit ein wenig Pflege funktioniert es bis heute.

[@Kingpingamer]

this can also run on use oil

[@ejonesss]

also using gasoline is quite dangerous as it puts off carbon monoxide witch can be deadly so you would have to use the stove outside for sure.

[@funpolice8128]

I didn’t know Pee Wee Herman had a son…

[@hhhhhhyy]

Beard?

[@otisarmyalso]

These are fine if tuned well but avoid cheap third world knockoffs unless u want pump them up constantly

[@northdetroit7994]

TT

[@dxb338]

primus blows

[@agostinodibella9939]

It looks pretty scary to use compared to today’s camping stoves.

[@davidgold5961]

They are perfectly safe as long as you know how to use them. I have been using them for 40+ years.

[@robertmcgovern8850]

As the happy longtime owner of the notorious MSR XGK, which is a variation on the same design ... I can say both eyebrows and tent flys are overrated. Hot breakfast, OTOH, is life.