Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Winter Access Forum What camp stove are you using for late season?

Okay local experts, what camp stoves do you rely on for late season backpacks in the Sierras? I'm starting to go on more late season trips (typically 3 days) and my trusty Jetboil hasn't been happy with the colder temps. I've resorted to sleeping with my fuel canister in the hope of having a hot cup of coffee in the morning. I must not be loving it up right because getting the stove lit at sunrise is still a challenge.

Can anybody recommend a stove that works reliably up to 12,000' and can handle temps down to 20F? This sounds like a job for a white gas stove. Which one has worked well for you?

I would trade off a few extra ounces for added reliability or being able to adjust the flame (simmering is good).

MSR Whisperlite intl. It's the standard for a reason. That and a big ole pot with a heat exchanger will do you well.

Try using Snowpeak fuel with your Jetboil. It has more iso-butane which is better in colder temps. The fuller the canister, the better. I've used my Snowpeak gigapower stove down to around 20 degrees without much problem.

I'll give that a try. Santa might be able to chuck a few canisters into my sticking. I'll give that a try before committing to the MSR. Mr. Jetboil will get one last chance.

If you are going to be in temps lower than 10deg. F, try this out. the inverted canister supplys the condinsed fule and you don't have to worry about spilling fuel like you do with a white gas stove. a bit lighter to as well....

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/...unton_stnd.html

Can I ask what happens to the JetBoil in cold weather? Sounds like there are lighting issues, and some decreased performance? Anything else. Once lit, is it okay? (JB site says have backup matches / lighter on hand) I'm cool with lighting with a lighter (I always carry a lighter and backup matches too), but if it flat out won't work, that's a different issue.

I'm planning on a few first-time winter hikes (likely nothing below 20degF) but also use a JB. I do have a trusty Whisperlight International, but honestly haven't used it since getting my JB 2 years ago.

From the Website, http://www.jetboil.com/faqs

The MSR Reactor is the best stove I have used. I've used it at 13k in temps between 5-10 F with gusting winds and it boils super fast and lights easy. The best thing about this system is its wind resistance which also helps isolate the heat better even when there is no wind which produces faster boil times. The MSR system is a very compact and efficient system.

I didn't like the similar Jetboil sysem because it has some fragile plastic and metal parts that can break, get lost or bend very easily.

GL

Justin

I'm curious too. I've used a JB exclusively for about 2 years as well, and love it. Never had an issue firing it up and getting it super-hot fast. Coldest temps, though, have been in the low to mid-20s - maybe. Not that far below freezing, anyway.

It's lighting issue. When cold (<35F) I have a really hard time lighting the stove using the ignitor. (Note:I've installed a brand new ignitor and it's working well)

During a November backpack up McGee Creek, we pulled the Jetboil from my backpack for making dinner. The temps had dropped to the low 30's. The stove would not light using the ignitor no matter what position we held the canister. I could hear gas coming out, but the sound was a bit different than normal.

Sleeping with the canister helped. I didn't use the chuck the canister down by your feet method. I mean actually putting it up around your torso. Then I held it for an hour before waking up. Outside temp was 24F. With a really warm fuel canister the Jetboil started readily using the ignitor. I put the fuel canister in my pants pocket while we enjoyed some hot coffee and tea. Five minutes later, I tried heating more water and the canister had already cooled off. The stove wouldn't light at all using the ignitor even though gas was coming out. Lighting required holding the stove upside down and using a match. Eventually we got a nice big fireball then the flame took off bit better and turned blue.

Note: I checked my camping gear and I have 4 partially used Snow Peak canisters and one partially used JetBoil canister. I'm going to experiment by taking along both brands during my next trip to see which one works better.

Maybe that's why I've never had an issue - I always use a lighter instead of the ignitor. I have a deep-seated distrust of ignitors, whose primary purpose seems to be adhering to Murphy's Law - failing at exactly the worst possible time.

I've used the one liter PCS system almost two years and love it. Usually it's just me solo, so the size is perfect. Extremely compact for a backpack, self-contained with the small fuel canister, and gets really hot really fast. The problem I always run into is in traveling to a lot of hiking destinations by air, so I can't take the fuel along. Having to locate a place that sells the JB fuel canisters at the other end is a crapshoot. REI is a slam-dunk, but I couldn't find any sporting goods stores in Lone Pine who stocked it. One had no clue what I was talking about.

Now, if Mountain House and Backpacker's Gourmet would just make single serving meals widely available . . .

Other than lighting in cold temps, the JetBoil has been bulletproof. I hate to give that up for a white gas stove.

How problem free are white gas stoves like the Whisperlite? What kind of problems do you run into? What extra maintenance steps are needed for insuring trouble-free operation?

I'm asking because on nearly every trip, there's been somebody with a white gas stove having problems. They furiously try to fix it and after we're done eating they will meekly ask to use the Jetboil. (they're less shy about asking in the morning when looking forward to some hot coffee). Maybe they are doing something wrong and I'm just seeing the downside.

Ha! Been there, done that! For some silly reason, there's a population of purist backpacking snobs out there who look down their noses at Jetboil (and other similar spiffy products). I suppose their thinking is, if it's simple to use, compact, reliable, affordable, and doesn't use white gas - well, it must be the backpacking version of Wal-Mart and has to be ghetto. Well, it's just about the best Benjamin I've ever spent!

I love my Jetboil when I can keep the can warm. When the can is cold enough, the fuel will just sit there and not turn into gas after the isobutane fraction is gone. Sadness ensues. Remember, the can gets colder as you use it.

My personal favorite stove for cold weather canister use is the windpro. Its a simmerlite that has a canister adapter instead of the white gas adapter:
http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/MSR-WindPro-Stove/CAS0211M.html

You can turn the can on its side or invert it when the can is too cold and it works like a white-gas stove without all the priming mess. Just watch yourself when you do this with a lit stove. Turn the volume down as you invert and invert slowly. "This end toward enemy." If you burn off your face, you didn't hear this trick from me. They left the pre-heat tube in place like the simmerlite so it works great for the can inversion trick.

I bet the MSR Windpro stove used with my Jetboil pot (the wide 1.5 liter) a wind screen would heat water really fast! I like all of the heat transfer ribs on the bottom of the Jetboil pots. Jetboil now has an inverted canister set available in their Helios product but it costs $149 and weighs about as much as a motorboat.

I hope Santa still has his request line open.

Where are the staunch advocates of MSR and Brunton white gas stoves?

They're out climbing in the snow.

As I said above, Whisperlite for the winter. I do love me my optimus crux when it's above 30 though.

I agree with JHonda. The MSR Reactor is an awesome stove. We have the reactor, the SnowPeak titanium, and the MSR PocketRocket. I always carry the SnowPeak as a back up, my boyfriend takes the Reactor. We have used the Reactor in mid 20 degree blustery weather at 10k with no problems at all. It boils water twice as fast as the others at altitude or in wind.
The extra $$$ and weight are well worth the performance gained.

We're here.
*MSR Dragonfly for winter trips and long treks.
*Pocket Rocket for overnighters (be careful when googling Pocket Rocket without including the "stove" part)
*Coke Can stove for fun

I would recommend the MSR Dragonfly. Nothing simmers as well as it does.

Think about this.. Butane boils at 33 degrees F. The mixed propane / butane in the normal uprite use burns the propane first then you have a can of butane that's not going to work unless its above 33 degrees F. Inverted the propane provides the pressure to force the butane out to the burner at all temps.

For winter use your choice is limited to White Gas or Propane.

Myself I use a Peak One white gas stove its heavy as a brick 2 pounds. But its simple nothing to assemble nothing to break and it puts out a lot of BTUs. I use fire paste on the genarator tube to get started. Its easy to work with gloves on and never fails me......... The Siva 123 never fails also.

I love the ease of use of canister stoves, but by yearend I have accumulated a bin full of partially used fuel canisters. The logical thing to do is go on a backpack armed with 2-3 half used containers. This sounds like a great plan but I can't bring myself to do it.

White gas lets start every trip with a full load of fuel.

I guess I need to borrow a friend's Whisperlight and give white gas a try.