Svea 123 - Will It Light - After 50 Years??!!

[@rv6amark]

Wow! Really glad I found this. Just last week I found my Svea 123 stove that I purchased in 1970. I used it a lot until 1974 when a very close encounter with a rattlesnake scared me off the trails. I barely survived, but I went home, drained the fuel, and packed the stove away with my other backpacking gear. At 71, I have just now taken a new interest in backpacking. I was planning to replace the rubber seals, but I think I will try it first...like tomorrow! BTW, I always used the "handwarming the tank" trick to fill the cup for priming, and it never failed me. The stove never failed me, and that sound (including the silence when you shut it off) brought back a lot of memories. Thank you, again.

[@AirsDream]

Yes, rattlesnakes are a hazard, as are loose shale, bears, and hypothermia. But we all know the greater hazard of sitting in armchairs! I’m sure a new set of seals couldn’t hurt, but mine at least “seems” fine as-is. Good luck with the old war horse.

[@Chompchompyerded]

@@AirsDream No problems with rattle snakes at the elevations I go to in Colorado. Their lungs embolize above 9,500 feet so they can't live there. Bears do live there, but in Colorado and in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains in Utah they get hunted and are very afraid of people. I've only seen them a few times out there, and both times I saw the tail end of them for a fleeting moment on the far side of big meadows or parks. It's different in places where the hunting pressure isn't as great or where they have become habituated to humans. I wouldn't feel safe anywhere in the Eastern United States not only for the reasons you mention above, but also from the most dangerous animal there is; the human beings. In the areas where I backpack you can go for months and never see anybody. That makes run-ins with humans much less likely outside of hunting season. Hunting season is a whole different story. Every single year one or more people get killed in hunting accidents. Some of them are not so accidental, while others are just sheer carelessness. I've got stories and more stories... to many for here. Just understand that tromping around in the woods is dangerous in the west during hunting season, and that's even if you're covered from head to toe with blaze orange.

[@XJarhead360]

Glad to see your age. I'm 76 and have taken up hiking again. I was doing day hikes in the local mountains (San Bernardino, CA) and the Sierra until the 2020 fires shut down all the trails. I'm hoping to do a 4 day backpack and see if I can still tolerate sleeping on the ground. Unlike in my 30s and 40s I don't speed up the mountains anymore instead I stop and rest a lot, LOL.

[@ImaOkie]

Bought one in "82" still in use , no issues ! Used this morning on front porch to make coffee . More reliable than my last wife !!

[@maasai-]

😂

[@williamstatt8651]

I am 73 years old and have been using the Svea 123r since the 1960's. I figured out a neat way to start it. Just tear off a small piece of paper towel, toilet paper will not work. Roll it long ways between your fingers. Then open the fuel cap and dip the rolled paper towel into the ful and let it soak up some gas. Put the rolled paper towel in the preheating cup, being careful not to let it get near the fuel cap so you don't burn the o ring. Jut light it and open the vaqlve when it gets hot. That way you don't have fuel running down the outside of the stove.

[@puma1304]

just a couple days ago I rescued the Svea stove I used in my childhood, which was stored in my container for decades... WOW, such a nice piece of brass! and such great memories! Since those days of mountaineering and fishing trips I have been enjoying the "stealth-quiet cooking" of my Trangia stove, besides my Firebox nano twig stove, but I think my old Svea is going to join them very soon... like the old Primus burners and lamps, or the Coleman double-burner stove, it is just THE absolute classic camping gear!!! greetings from wild, wet, windy, and wonderful Western Patagonia, Chile

[@Chompchompyerded]

I was going to be very surprised if it didn't light up. Mine is almost 75 years old. My parents bought a little Svea stove in 1958 and used it quite a bit up until I was born. At that point they took a few months off, then started hauling me along on something similar to a Native American Cradle board until I was old enough to keep up on my own, all that while using the little Svea stove as our heat source for cooking. When I was ten or eleven years old, they passed the stove on to me and I have used it ever since for my backpacking trips. It gets heavy use... practically every day during the summer months with only a day or two off when I go down to civilization to resupply. It is still working perfectly and going backpacking with me nearly three quarters of a century after it was purchased. It is that high quality. Not many things these days last that long, and if the Svea 123's made today are still made as ruggedly as they were back then, it will be a stove which will last you a lifetime, and that you can then pass on to your children for them to use for another lifetime. I recommend this stove over all others because of it's ruggedness, long service life, and because of it's ease of maintenance. Buy the funnel and the spare parts kit. The whole stove has only 17 parts to it (including the tiny pot that comes with it) and it is simple enough that anyone can break it down and repair it. I also recommend that you buy one of the third party pressurizer pumps. It will save you having to prime it by lighting white gas on the ring around it, which isn't a fun process. This is one little stove that you will never regret purchasing, and probably the only backpacking stove you will ever need or want. I have a Sigg cookware set to go with it which has two larger pots and a pan all of which nest together with the stove nestled safely inside, but it is my understanding that those are no longer made. That's unfortunate as they have also lasted ever since I bought them. It would be worth looking for a gently used set of these. It comes with a secondary windscreen with a wider top so that you can safely use the larger pots and pan. I also had a small bag for all of it so that if I needed to travel a distance before getting to water clean enough to wash it all in I could do so without getting everything else in my backpack dirty. The bag was waterproof and washable so that anything that got in it could be easily washed off when I got to a location where I could clean the cookware. If you know what's edible in your area you can take a couple of extra bottles of fuel along, and extend your time away by foraging and using your little Svea 123 to cook it all with, resorting to using campfires as little as possible and using only available fire pits which have been used by others in the past. Further, you are less likely to catch the whole forest on fire using one of these little camp stoves than using a fire pit. If you catch and cook fish, poach it or make a fish stew. It will be easier to clean up than fried fish, and it will save you having to carry cooking oil. Save a forest and use a camp stove!

[@AirsDream]

I think you’re right about the Sigg Tourist cook set no longer being made … but there are lots of them on eBay at reasonable prices. My set is all dented up; one day as I was setting it up, a gust of wind blew it off of a rocky cliff in the Canadian Rockies near Banff, without the stove onboard to weight it down enough. Took me a loooong time to work my way down, rescue it, and climb back up. But worth the effort. Great stories - thanks for writing.

[@Chompchompyerded]

@@AirsDream LOL! That is an awesome story of the sort that only true backpackers have to tell. All of this stories if told true include a lot of muttering under the breath, and a lot of temptations to shout expletives in the aftermath, but in the end, the damage is simply evidence of heavy use and love for a good item which you don't want to trade in as long as it is still serviceable. Mine wasn't the Tourist cook set. That only had only two pieces, and if I remember correctly, both were pots.. Mine is a three piece set which had a skillet and two pots. It was slightly bigger, but not enough bigger to account for much. It did not keep me from wanting it in my pack. I don't remember what the model name was, and I got it out just now to look to see if it was stamped on it somewhere, but it's not. The only thing stamped on it is the word Sigg. I've never seen a used one for sale online. I'm guessing it was a limited run of some sort. The only way they could make this stove better would be if they would make one that could burn dirt or water. You can find that just about everywhere, but you have to pack bottles full of fuel in and out with you. Yes, a silent burner is nice, but not essential, and a pressure pump helps a bit, especially at higher elevations, but it still needs heat primed. Even with that being the case it's really hard to beat the 123 or the 123R, and I probably won't trade mine in until they come up with one just as simple which burns dirt or water. I assume that's never.

[@chrisward4576]

I still have one of these that I bought in 1974. After 25 years of non use, I fired up this morning. It took right off and I boiled 3 gallons of water. That stove has never failed me one time

[@AirsDream]

Good job! You’re ready for the zombie apocalypse!

[@chrisward4576]

@@AirsDream ha, Bring it on I am not scared!

[@MrTangent]

3 gallons??

[@peggynulsen1365]

How wonderful to hear the roar of the Svea again!! I bought mine new in 1972....$25.00 if I remember right. I used it for many years, in all kinds of environments, along with my old Colman double burner gas stove when car camping. Those were great times, but I have to admit I like the propane Colman better, and my backpacking days are over, so the Svea still resides happily nested inside the aluminium cook pot in an old camping box. You are right though....it will always work, can be repaired if something goes wrong and I cannot imagine not having it for an emergency. Two gallons of Coleman fuel and I'm set for a month. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@gryhze]

$16.00 in 1970. Love the roar. Love the immediate silence when the flame was shut off.

[@Kove51]

Great video. I was cleaning my basement and came across my Svea 123 from 1970. I also haven’t used in in 40 years. Mine also had been drained. I got some new white gas, primed it and it light right up. Even boiled water in record time. It is now in my kit thanks to you.

[@AirsDream]

They just keep chugging along ... glad you got yours running again!

[@henryneal2962]

So cool! I can't believe I found this video. I went looking for my old backpacking stoves the other day and found them in a box in the garage. I have a Svea 123R and a Optimus 8R that my wife and I carried all over the Smoky Mnts. during the 70's BC (before children ). They look rough due to a lot of use but I bet I can get them to fire right up. Loved these stoves ! One time we cooked breakfast and coffee in a blizzard at 15 degrees F in Cataloochie. Thanks for the memories you brought back!

[@XJarhead360]

Congratulations. I never could get my wife to go backpacking or hiking. Her idea of outdoors is a 3 star motel.

[@chrissewell1608]

I just picked up a (1970s?) Svea stove w/ Optimus cook kit, combo set, at an estate sale. The entire kit is in good shape. I have always like the style of the 123 stove. Mine is the same stove but larger mess kit. I hope to clean it up, get it running, then buff & polish it all up. But had No Idea how to light it until now! Thanks, and I'm glad you got yours running so easy.

[@algentry1]

I put the screen back on before I light the priming. Delightful video. I got mine in 1970. Thanks for posting this.

[@ronkierstead]

I’ve a much later SVEA123R, but I loved watching your 50 year old stove spark up and take off. The SVEA is great for motorcycle camping, as I can run it on Coleman fuel or gasoline from my fuel tank on the bike if necessary. Thanks for sharing!

[@wildweasel8564]

I purchased a Svea123R in 1975 and it is still going strong in 2024, 49 years later!

[@thomasmusso1147]

OF COURSE it lit up .. its an Optimus 👍. I've got it's Sister, the Optimus 8R Hunter. Bought new 45+ years ago, in regular use and still going strong. Great Stoves!

[@pops9190]

Nice to see you still have all your old moves while handling the stove, that's when I knew you were for real! Just returned yesterday from a backpacking trip in the California Sierra Nevada's with my original childhood 53+/-? year old SVEA 123 dropped into the bottom right corner my pack where it always always goes. I'm a bit of a old guy now! Mine sounds exactly the same as your does at Wide Open Throttle. I wish to be buried with her in by back pocket just incase I need something goes haywire!! OK, this short video clip is for any of you Newbie SVEA people; some of us old timers too, out there contemplating acquiring one of these. This is how a fully functioning SWEDISH 123; non-Taiwanese 123R model must preform. This is how from simmering Idle, to Full Wide Open Throttle Lift Off she should Look and Sound. Pre-Flight before Fly! Don't end up with one of these unless it performs like this. Being in the back country with any misbehaving stove is irritating. My stove has been performing flawlessly untouched since the day I spent some of my paper route money on it. Paper route, what's that? I sent this video to an old childhood backpacking buddy of mine a month ago just for fun, so enjoy the silly dialogue. Thanks AirDreams for flipping open the blast to the past page! photos.app.goo.gl/8EtKoLZtri3RU6ij8.

[@SandyLove1]

Wow loved your video!

[@SandyLove1]

Where can I purchase a new Swedish 123 here in California?

[@nattydred2593]

When I started up an 8R that had been left dry for a couple decades, opening the valve after pre-heat resulted in a puff of smoke. The wick had been dry or gummed up, and no fuel made it to the pre heater. After running some ethanol through it, it started working again, but wouldn't completely empty the tank because the end of the wick was a little burned and wasn't wicking well. Changing the wick brought it back to 100% Lesson learned - after a long storage period, make sure there's gas in it and maybe add some alcohol to the first tank. The alcohol will burn poorly, but will recondition the wick.

[@BinManSays87]

If anyone see's this and wants one of these cracking little stoves remember not to use a wind screen with it as it has one already fitting and if you use a second one the stove will overheat and force the pressure relief valve to spit out a lot of flammable gas making a huge fireball and a big mess in your underwear more than likely or the valve may even fail as it's old and then it'll just explode ruining your day and old pretty stove

[@mistermac4118]

Thanks! Proof that old doesn’t mean obsolete. If it works after all those years, it is a good solution.

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

Would not have expected anything else, the SVEA 123R is an incredible stove, many a time I have used this up a mountain, beats my trangia anyday always. seld warming using your hands no need to prime.

[@starlingblack814]

I kept mine too and it is also about 50 years old. I fired it up last year and it started easily and gave me that old familiar sound also. I still have it, but more often use an alcohol or twig stove these days. I live in Arizona and had the heck scared out of me by extremely large rattlesnakes on the trail. The stuff nightmares are made of. Thanks for the video as I enjoyed it very much.

[@MrTangent]

The benefit it has over wood stoves/fire & alcohol stoves is simmering and variable heat output. While butane stoves can do this, too, white gas (or gasoline) is more readily available, generally.

[@tombowers2020]

Brings back a LOT of memories, doesn’t it?

[@MrKmoconne]

Oh come on! That sexy, brass, stove roars like a kitten! I have three of them.

[@AirsDream]

I think these things are pretty much indestructible, short of running over them with a tank! I also have a same-age Sigg Tourist cook set, which has always worked just fine ... something on the order of a Trangia cook set for the Trangia stove. But it’s just too big and bulky for one-person outings. But for a group ... probably fine; I’ve carried it over the spine of the Rockies several times. Good luck with the stove. If you need to rebuild it (unlikely), look at the jiujistu2000 KZbin on this topic. And for the more or less original ideas about how to light it, take a look at Colin Fletcher’s old book, “The Complete Walker” for how he lit his, using e.g. tea bag labels lit with a match to warm the fuel tank and get a little fuel out. Works just fine.

[@gertvanpeet3120]

In 1983 i bought an 8r model. It did not survive 5 years...had to buy too maney new parts. All worn out.. so the second thing was an msr. Also that had to be replaced after a few years. Now my second msr. And a Coleman 442. Why everything wears out? Allmost all holidays, weekends camping...even in winter...that happens when you have fifty days off , per year...

[@rogerhunter]

I have a Svea 123 (2nd gen) for 30 years. I had to replace one part; the gasket for the fuel cap. $3 for 5 on ebay from some person in Sacramento CA. I think I'm good for next 150 years.

[@Ancientinian]

Yup, my Svea is three generations old and still kicks ass. It has been used for 50 years. by all three generations. I will pass it along to the fourth generation.

[@AirsDream]

Hard to beat that sort of durability and longevity!

[@ljaysperspective1775]

Very nice stove i own one with a similar patina. I enjoy the cool factor of the design and the model hasn't changed at all over the yrs. Thx for sharing👍

[@ernieschatz3783]

In the late 70s, my Father owned the nearly identical (in my mind at that time) Optimus 80. They were functionally the same, but I've always liked the rugged case on the Svea 123. I never knew the subtle differences beyond the tin case of the 80, but now I learn that the 123 has a self cleaning valve and is more short and squat in stance. The burner thread size is different as well. You cant mistake the sound of those optimus stoves!

[@HootOwl513]

Actually the later Optimus-made Svea 123R has the self-cleaning needle inside the regulator. Same parts as the box-like Optimus 8R. The earlier Sievert-made 123 have different regulators and keys.

[@TooGouda]

my dad just gave me his old 123R from the early 70's a few months ago that had been in a cabinet ever since then. I replaced the seal on the fuel cap and its been working great even with the original wick still in it! Its a finicky stove to get proficient at when dealing with temp differences and altitude but it still works!

[@Romin.777]

Sounds just like my old Hunter 8R (Logicaly) Served me wel for over 2 decades. Been using Trangia for the last 8 years but just bought a second hand svea. And indeed, the forest is even more peaceful after turning it off. :))

[@filmic1]

I bought mine in the early seventies. The only servicing besides polishing, it to replace the graphite packing at the end of the control spindle. Lost the cup, but it burn your lips anyway.

[@notmyname3883]

You did that like an OLD HAND. It's funny how, even after fifty years, your muscle memory still works. I can imagine you as a young man doing that to get a warm cup o' joe after a day on the road! Very nice.

[@Thereal111t]

There’s a line in one of Colin Fletcher’s books about the peaceful lack of noise when you switch off a svea123.

[@AirsDream]

Yep, I read The Complete Walker several times. Hard to believe today thst he carried around a little stove that heavy ... but it works!

[@ex-engineer6657]

@@AirsDream we all carried a lot of things back then that were heavier than today; technology marches on weather we do or not.

[@rronmar]

A simple wonderful stove, of course it will light...

[@johnplecki1716]

Great video. Bought one of those a few years ago. Works great.

[@Jack-pm1ve]

Don't even need to watch video YES IT WILL!!!

[@practicalman45]

I have similar story. Mine was bought in '71. Used it all along motorcycle touring the US and Canada in '74-'75. It's been sitting in my same backpack ever since. I paid $25 for mine back then. Checked ebay and found old vintage 50 yrs old ones like ours are now selling on ebay, some for $100-200!! And Coleman fuel we used to get for $1.98/gallon is $20 now!! Jeesh! if that doesn't make a guy feel old.... I've still got my gear, but hoping not to have to use it for bugging out!😄

[@AirsDream]

Short of bugging out, it’s still fun to take a short hike, then take a little break from the walking, fire up the old beast and have what the Brits charmingly call a “brew up” or heat up some soup, etc. Brings back a lot of memories of those old road trips, mountain hikes, etc. And you can chuckle when these young folks here on KZbin and elsewhere “discover” the Svea, Optimus, Primus, Trangia etc. cookers! Moreover, just last week with a power failure from the “big wind,” it was nice to have a hot meal while waiting for “civilization” in the form of the power grid, to come back to life! 😀😀😀

[@irakmarin4911]

My stepfather gave me one that he also bought in the 60s and it still works fine.

[@AirsDream]

Nice stepfather!

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

I live vintage backpacking gear, thanks!!!

[@cimbrerbushcraft-vikingheritag]

Great stove and great video Thanks for sharing this with me. Atb to you my friend 😉 Tom

[@AirsDream]

Thanks, Tom. Love your videos ... maybe best when you just sit back and light your pipe and watch the world go by!

[@XJarhead360]

I got interested in this stove again that I purchased 40 years ago. Today I tried lighting it again by preheating the cup. There was fuel on the burner but it wouldn't light. On another site I read that you shouldn't top off the fuel tank which is what I did. I'll try lighting it again. Though I don't think I would take it on any backpack.

[@AirsDream]

Yes, it needs some “headspace” to build up pressure … and a pretty full preheat “cup” to get it warm enough. Not a lightweight option, that’s for sure. But it IS reliable! Good luck getting yours going.

[@tony-lx6cz]

i have one , now my son uses it . none better!

[@Skully317]

Best sound ever👌

[@miketaylor6700]

I love my Svea 123R. I know it’s not the original like yours, but it still works like a champ! Oh, and I also love your HAT! Omg what brand/model is that?! :)

[@AirsDream]

Had to look at the video to see 😂😂 but it’s an old Filson Packer, maybe in shelter cloth. It’s been around for decades, and like most of their products, it’s hard to kill. Doesn’t so well fit under the hood of the anorak, though, so not so terrific if it's raining hard.

[@techguy9023]

The question is will that old cap seal leak and have a big fireball? Everything needs maintenance even if it’s a gasket on the cap.

[@AirsDream]

That’s a fair question. Long ago, I replaced the original with a Viton gasket (ounce of prevention and all that) and it appears just fine.

[@bittidude]

going to buy one, I have primus ETA for 1 person now but always need those gas cannisters and after a while you end up with 3-4 of those half empty and you dont want to bring a half empty on youre next trip. Bought primus Omnilite (multifuel) but its to big for one man trip, but this one is perfect for that no more gas cannisters for me

[@AirsDream]

Of course, I’ve got gas canister stoves also, and alcohol stoves, and an Omnipotent, etc. But they all have their drawbacks - everything is a compromise in design - and yes, the question of whether to take a partially-used canister is an issue. I weigh mine, so that helps. They ARE handy and fast when you’re just out for a short hike.

[@TurnFullCircle]

Great video.......I wonder if a jetboil will work when 50 years old?.......I think I might just have to invest in one of theses classics.....thank you for this excellent video.....cheers!

[@marzsit9833]

jetboil itself will still work, it's just a valve and a jet. the bigger question is, will you still be able to buy new fuel canisters for it?

[@peetsnort]

How did you get the kerosene to light so quickly without a wick when you started..?

[@AirsDream]

Not sure what you’re asking … it burns white gas, not kerosene, and I used (shown in video) a little eye dropper to put a few drops of the white gas in the preheat cup … and then, being white gas, it just lights very easily - down to very low temperatures.

[@peetsnort]

@@AirsDream thanks for the reply. I googled it but I thought it was kerosene or paraffin. Coleman is expensive in the UK and we've always been using paraffin. I have been renovating a OO PRIMUS MADE IN SWEDEN don't know the age but they're pretty efficient and i use a little wick in flask with chafer fuel and as soon as it reaches temperature i put it out and screw the lid on. It's a cigar shaped hip flask. Built strongly Nice video

[@HootOwl513]

@@peetsnort In the IK, use Aspen 4. It's all just naphtha, really.

[@robknott1687]

just got mine today and no matter what fuel i put in it its has lots of pressure lots of gas but wont stay lit just sputters out fuel till it goes out

[@robknott1687]

any ideas?

[@AirsDream]

@@robknott1687 Hard to diagnose without seeing it, but it sounds to me as if you’re not pre-heating it enough, or maybe something wrong with the orifice opening. Pre-heating is everything with these little stoves. If it’s a Svea, the only fuel that I “think” it’s designed to use is white gas. I suppose that if you got yours used and it’s been run with other fuels, say auto gas, the generator tube could be clogged. You do need to have the valve turned “off” while the preheat fuel burns off and warms the generator tube enough for it to run properly.

[@marzsit9833]

@@robknott1687 2 things on a svea can cause it to do that, first is a loose burner head or loose deflector plate. the stove is made of brass for a reason, brass and copper conduct heat very well and this stove relies on that heat conductivity to vaporize the fuel. if the deflector plate is loose on the burner head or the burner head is loose on the vaporizer proper heat transfer will not occur and the stove will sputter and go out. the deflector plate should snap on tightly to the burner head, and the burner head should screw on tightly to the vaporizer. the other issue that can cause your problem is a scorched vaporizer wick. pressed into the bottom of the vaporizer inside the fuel tank is a cotton wick that absorbs the liquid fuel and raises it up to the inside of the vaporizer where on contact with the hot brass the fuel vaporizes and turns into flammable gas. if a hot running stove suddenly runs out of fuel, the end of the wick in contact with the hot brass becomes scorched and no longer transfers the liquid to the hot brass efficiently. for this reason it is critical that you never allow any stoves of this design (svea 123, primus 71, optimus 80) to run out of fuel, always shut the stove down before the fuel tank goes dry. the only solution to this problem is to replace the wick, which requires unscrewing the vaporizer from the tank which must be done carefully to prevent stripping the tank or vaporizer threads. getting the new wick inside the tank is a pain in the butt, i do it with a small bamboo skewer and lots of patience and time...

[@robknott1687]

@@marzsit9833 thanks my friend this was the problem I solved it forever with and ecco wool glass wick can never burn again and works a treat! Hopefully your answer helps anyone else with this issue

[@MARKIEBANUNCE]

I HAVE A 1953 BEST SURVIVAL STOVE EVER MADE

[@kevincooper8666]

Svea 123 indistructible always works

[@donaldpang]

nice! will it take unleaded patrol for vehicle?

[@AirsDream]

No idea. I have only run in it, what in the U.S. is called “white gas,” which is sold here in camping supply stores in one gallon (~4 liter) cans. This stuff has no additives, while I suspect that even unleaded vehicle fuel has some additives, that might eventually clog up the generator.

[@jayk3784]

상향식 저소음 연소캡잇써요

[@mg34mg34]

This is not 123 from the SVEA factory

[@walk6602]

Is that a Filson Hat you are wearing?

[@AirsDream]

Sure is. Also old - just not as old as the stove 😂😂😂