I have bought every backpack stove known to mankind up until about 2010, when I gave up finding anything better.
Everything except the original Whisperlite I bought in the 90s sits in the shelf and gathers dust.
The downsides are the size and weight and the bright flame when priming possibly giving you away if you’re stealth camping.
But they are durable as hell and will run on anything flammable.
I’d probably only take mine on another trip if I’m going to really remote and rather poor areas. Otherwise a lightweight propane/butane stove is much more convenient.
What is stealth camping?
Sleeping in a place you probably aren’t legally allowed to. I do it pretty often when cycle touring. Not rare to end up in a place with no proper campsites or any affordable hotels anywhere close. So you just ride until well after dark, find a bit of forest, pitch the tent and sleep, then leave before dawn.
My buddy and I would regularly backpack in state parks and just park the car in the lot. We only found out a few years later we had voicemails from the state telling us we were illegally camping overnight. It was around that time when talking to other enthusiasts that they called it bandit camping.
How did you get voicemails? As in how did they know your phone number?
Not entirely sure, but I’m pretty sure the park Rangers did a search on my license plate then looked up registration or personal property and found a phone number tied to something. I didn’t have my voicemail setup for a very long time so never got their messages, lol.
Yeah it’s insane how often camping in the woods is illegal.
That’s why places like Scandinavia and Scotland are rad. Unless you’re basically in somebody’s garden, it’s fair game.
They’re so much better in the cold compared to canister stoves too. Suck for cooking though (you need to control the pressure to simmer).
Takes forever to boil water at -25, but it will boil.
Yeah, I like my dragonfly because it simmers so nicely, but it is so loud
The Simmerlite was sort of like a Whisperlite that you can cook with, not as versatile for fuel sources though, but tbh I’ve never had issues finding white gas but don’t really bring it too far from home
Yeah I can see that, though I usually try to avoid camping when it’s much below freezing.
And I never found cooking on mine to be much of a problem? They take a while to really properly prime / heat soak, but once they do there’s pretty good control
The Optimus Nova+ is a heavier but beefier version (technically the original) of a whisperlite that you can get silence caps for which reduce the sound and visual.
The WindBurner is amazingly fast and if traveling with freeze dried stuff, you only need hot water
Bruh 140$ is insane for a stove, i use some random amazon one i got, my whole kit(without fuel) is like 200g and it was below 50€. It works perfectly tho if it gets really windy i have to improvise.
Nah brs3000 master race
I busted out my brs3000 at a camp with some friends of friends at exactly the same time as one of them did. It’s truly a moment when you meet your stove bro in the wild. I do miss my pocket rocket sometimes though, rest in rusty peace lil fella.
MSR XGK-EX > every other camping stove
its only problem is that its basically a rocket engine and you have to diffuse the heat because it will melt a pan if your not careful
On a camping trip several years ago, intended to be 2 nights bridging into New Years day, my friend and I bailed a day early. We’d both brought only isobutane stoves. His was only 3 season fuel and wasn’t working at all. Mine barely worked.
I immediately was kicking myself for not bringing my Whisperlite with a bottle or 2 of fuel. Would’ve been plenty and would’ve worked beautifully in the 17F/-8C weather.
Definitely not whispering more like roaring jet engine
If you think the whisperlite is loud, you haven’t used many hiking stoves. I’ve had a couple that warranted ear defenders.
I just do jet boil
Love my whisperlie
The only bad thing is that i have a seal that needs replacing and the flame isn’t as big as it used to be so something needs cleaning
Pump seal kit.
Yeah… I have the full maintenance kit… Tried cleaning it already. The flame pulses a bit, but have to give it a serious try again. It has been through a lot
They burn dirty AF if you use gasoline
I use Shellite. I think in US its called White gas which is cleaner
Oh yeah, that’s way better but you still eventually get buildup
Mine does have a shaker pin… But, I think its more than that at this point…
almost got banned from a national park bc one of these guys. still love it
No-cook supremacist here, just leave all the cooking gear at home 😌
No. I need a coffee in the morning and a hot meal at the end of the day.
No. You want a coffee in the morning and a hot meal at the end of the day :)
Let go of your cravings and suffer like mother nature intended. Next you’ll tell me hiking is supposed to be fun! 😆
I’m convinced cold soak hikers are aliens
Yeah I’m not into it.
I have my pack weight dialed super light at this point. But I will not compromise on bringing a stove+fuel, or a real pillow.
You misspelled masochist
You say potato, I say potato.
Mine’s the hot potato.
I gotta at least be able to boil water for coffee.
I just use butane when I’m not cooking over the campfire…so basically breakfast and morning coffee. I just saw this runs on unleaded fuel which is pretty amazing.
