White Gas Backpacking Stove

[@bubbalovesoatmealadventure108]

I been using this for over 20 years...and you are right, there is an art to it. The best thing about this item is that you can extract the fuel to light things on fire that you don't like. Like a vehicle, person, or building.

[@Pietop]

Ha! I guess that is the best thing about white gas now that I think about it.

[@SH1974]

I have an MSR Whisperlite (and a "Dragonfly") since 2001 in use, they're really good. Different to alcohol stoves (especially those "gravity feed" without pump) they have way more power. I usually have the pump device in the fuel flask (protected from dirt & dust) and often use alcohol from a small steel flask to pre-heat the stove. That avoids building russ and soot, especially when using not so clean burning fuel like diesel or lamp oil. (Which would need the glass-fibre "sock" as wick to burn in the pre-heat bowl).

[@Pietop]

I've never considered using alcohol to preheat my stove, I'm going to have to try this before my next trip. I could see it cutting down a step and saving my actual fuel for just cooking - could be the difference in being able to make one more meal and not.

[@stevhoff]

Skip the cap and use the pump as your cap, saves weight and keeps that small filter on the fuel intake hose from slipping off. Now your ground heat reflector is different from mine. Probably because I have an older model. Mine has a hole in the middle so it slips around the hose and the feet of the stove to protect the flex hose from getting hot and melting(my model has the flex hose going closer to the stove than yours). Also that windscreen serves a dual purpose to reflect heat back on to the item being heated. You use less fuel that way and get it to a boil a little bit faster. Now for your little cup that's probably not a good idea as it will get the handles hot. Make sure the ground underneath the stove is clear of any combusible debris for a 1 foot diameter to avoid any accidental fires. Those stoves are pretty bombproof, had mine since 1992 and still works fine.

[@Pietop]

So much good information here, thank you for sharing. I'm going to play around with some of these ideas, might even cut some holes in my heat reflector too. And I'm not surprised yours from '92 is still cooking just fine; my dads got an old MSR Dragonfly that wont quit. Compare that to some of the canister stoves, which are objectively lighter so they have their place, but I've broken 1 of those and I know a couple of others who've had theirs break as well. Can't do much to hurt on of these white gas stoves.

[@robertbrunston5406]

OK cool Dude.

[@Pietop]

😎