Wanted:Dual fuel stove info.

[hovenator]

I am looking to get a small dual fuel stove I can take backpacking and use for camping. I was looking at the Coleman 442 and 533 and the MSR Whisperlite Internaionale. I need help making a decision by 4/17/09 because of an upcoming camping trip to the Keys. All comments welcome.
Thanks.

 

[grahamfitter]

I've owned a MSR Whisperlite International for a decade or so. Its stable, robust, very effective at boiling water, needs a careful touch when simmering (the Dragonfly is better) and generates a lot of soot during priming. It works great on white gas and unleaded petrol and doesn't clog up but is lousy with paraffin/kerosene at altitude. All things considered I like the stove and I'd consider buying another one if this one vanished but better options may be available now.

There was a backpacking stove review in Overland Journal a while back which might be worth taking a look at.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[1leglance]

I have used a 442 for years beyond counting...the reason I really like it is because it packs into a coffee percolator (I tossed out the perc part since I don't drink coffee) and I replaced the coffee pot lid with some stainless bowls that are the right size.

this setup make for a compact kit that has what I need and never lets me down....white gas, unleaded, kero (soot), diesel (soooooot) it works anywhere & everywhere.
Also no teardown/assemb req....the only downside it the hgt when using can make it tippy.

 

[roamingaz]

I recently got a new dual fuel stove, it is the Brunton Vapor-AF. This stove is pretty cool because it will burn liquid fuel or canisters. When I first got it I took a few pics and did some testing, it is not the quietest stove but boils water fast and it is relativily small and compact.
I have previously used the MSR dragonfly, MSR pocket rocket, Jetboil, and Brunton optimus nova, the Nova would be my second choice dual fuel stove.

everyone loves pics so here it is.

nice clean hot flame using canister fuel.

to show size, here it is with my MSR 1 liter water pot.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Whisterlites are nice and safe and reliable, but really very very old style design and setup. I still use one but there are dozens of better stoves these days IMO.

 

[saburai]

Whisterlites are nice and safe and reliable, but really very very old style design and setup. I still use one but there are dozens of better stoves these days IMO.

Do tell:sombrero:

 

[hovenator]

Great info guys......Anybody else have any comments or info to share?

 

[tdesanto]

I have the Coleman 442, the MSR Whisperlite International, and the MSR Dragonfly.

The Coleman:

Pros:
Compact
Nice, wide burner
Practically no priming required
Very quick setup

Cons:
Doesn't have a full windscreen and using a separate one can be dangerous due to the potential to overheat the fuel in the built-in canister.
Can get a bit tipsy when using a large pot.

Whisperlite:

Pros:
Excellent durability
Automatic cleaning of jet (shaker jet)
Very hot and efficient burner
Use of a windscreen can be very effective in windy situations
More stable with larger pots than the Coleman

Cons:
Very difficult to simmer foods and can quite easily burn certain foods.
Time-consuming setup (compared to Coleman)

Dragonfly:

Pros:
Again, very durable design that is typical of MSR products
Clean burning—cleaner than the WL model
Excellent flame control
Windscreen use can produce excellent results in windy conditions
More stable with larger pots than the Coleman

Cons:
Time-consuming setup (compared to Coleman)
Very loud…one of the loudest stoves I've ever used
Flame is narrow and you can get hot spots in the center of larger pots

I just wish there was a way to combine the efficiency and style of burner on the Coleman 442 with the separate canister as in the MSR stoves. That would produce the best of both worlds, so long as you don't mind the extra time to set these up.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

The thing is I haven't paid a lot of attention to the multi fuel stoves unfortunately. I have an older GAZ canister stove (or did before it mysteriously disappeared) and I hate to be a 'disposable cartridge' sort of guy but they are so nice. This one was only $4 at a yard sale as well ... As a result if it being MIA I've been looking and missed out on a Primus stove with pots/pans for only $54 last night on Steep and Cheap. That said its been in the circulation quite a bit lately so shouldn't be too hard to catch again... For world travels, its a good question. I really have no idea how hard it is to get white gas. Gasoline would be a preferred fuel I think as I've cooked with diesel/kerosene as well and it is a really stinky and isn't a great camp fuel. I would look at it as a last resort. White gas burns nicely but you consume it and its storage is probably less safe and just as cumbersome as a cartridge stove or worse. I have used my International significantly (maybe 15 years) but only run it on exotic (meaning not White Gas) maybe a half dozen times, if that, ever... My gaz cartridges all lasted a really long time, I don't think its too unrealistic to carry 2 or 3 of them "just in case" but I'm assuming that even international you can encounter a gear store here and there and restock... There is something really neat about internation gear stores or markets as well. The Thamel in Kathmandu comes to mind

My favorites currently are Jetboil and those Primus stoves look nice as well. This said I've put zero time into them unlike the test in Overland Journal for example... My car camping stove is some generic no-name that were given to me by some Brits at Burning Man who acquired their needs at Walmart (and then gave us almost all of their stuff when they left). It is extremely cheaply priced I would guess less than $30 or $40 but works as well as any Coleman or other long term durable stove I've used and have been using it for years. I find that "more expensive" generally doesn't mean that much with stoves, if it helps. I would bet there are some really good reviews out there and people to pick their brains. There is a very good outdoors forum at bogley.com and there might be some excellent people to ask there as well, the real backpackers and regular users... cheers, Andre

 

[wgwood]

I have used a Coleman 533 for many years with absolutely no problems or maintenance ever needed. I also have a dual fuel lantern, so it just makes sense to me.

Regards,
Greg

 

[dlbrunner]

After years of using a whisperlight, then getting the internationale, I finally upgraded to a jetboil.

The MSR's were great, so good that both of them disappeared into other people's kits at some point or another. I have to echo the other people's comments though. The soot was nasty upon priming, and keeping a simmer was really tough. I also found I did not use them all that much and had to constantly replace the o-rings. I also had more than one issue with the pumping thingy.

Also, I pretty much used the windscreen every time, even the slightest breeze and cold temps would increase the boil time substantially.

The other thing I did not like was the complexity. you have to keep the service kit with you and be prepared to use it (o-rings were my bain). Also you have the fuel bottle (with a cap) and the burner unit. Sometimes finding a flat spot is a pain.

As for the JetBoil....I love it. the canisters are easy to find and use. The whole setup is really clean. The only gripe I have is the stability. it is a tip over waiting to happen. There is a reason I never order a cocktail in a hi-ball glass........Shoot I am even skittish around stemware...

The other plus with the JetBoil, I have a Optimus Lantern that uses the same canisters, both units plus a couple of canisters barely take up any space in my kit.

The Grand Caveat for all this follows: I do a lot of cooking over coals, or in a Dutch oven, so the stoves primary duty is for boiling water. A buddy has a single cartidge burner that we use to simmer sauces, stir fry etc... It is actually a pretty cool unit, he picked it up at an asian food market for $20, it is meant for the table top. I have yet to field test (or home test) cooking an actual meal in the Jetboil. Some of the recepies on the site look pretty tasty though.

 

[hovenator]

It looks like I am leaning towards one of the two Coleman's. I like the smallness of the 533, but the 442 has legs for somewhat better stability and the unit isn't sitting directly on the ground, etc. I used to have a GAZ Bluet canister stove, but always hated having to use the canisters plus they don't last all that long. Also, it can suck when out of sight of the nearest camping store and the cartridge goes empty. White gas and unleaded gas can be had just about anywhere for a lot less money and no throw away waste. We cook mostly over charcoal or wood when out camping, but it's much easier and quicker to boil water and cook things in a pot over a small stove.

 

[Colorado David]

Cartridge stove efficiency and fuel economy has gone up since the Bluet stove. A friend of mine used a Bluet cartridge stove pretty extensively in Kenya in the 70s and didn't have any big challenges finding fuel. I'm using an MSR Reactor and am very pleased with it. The canisters can be recycled. When empty, I believe they must be punctured to recycle.

 

[roamingaz]

I almost bought the Jetboil Helios guide stove because it offers all the features of Jetboil but is stable because it uses a remote canister. I settled on my Brunton Vapor because it is a remote canister stove and it also has the abilty to run any liquid fuel out there.

 

[hovenator]

I just bought this Coleman Exponent multi-fuel stove for only $39. It can use white gas, unleaded fuel, kerosene, diesel fuel, or jet fuel (if you happen to have any on hand). Thanks for everyone's information, it really came in handy helping me decide on a stove. I'll be putting it to the test this weekend and will post how it performs.