I'm considering buying either the MSR Whisperlite or Dragonfly stoves. I believe the Whisperlite is smaller (a clear plus when travelling); how important would the adjustability of the Dragonfly be? It's been a while since I've used a camping stove, and the opinions of people who've used them would be welcome!

Where are you planning to go, and for how long? How many of you?

Sorry to answer a question with a question

To repeat what's been posted on countless threads on here.. Unless you're riding up Everest, you really can't go wrong with the reliable, versatile and simple to use, Coleman Dual fuel stoves !!

Is there a better biking companion ????

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Depends where you are going and what you want to heat up. Hexamine tommy cookers and Swedish army Triagias can be had on e-bay for 20-quid. To make the odd cuppa on bank holidays when the shops don't open until late they are just as effective as an MSR unless five minutes really is that important to you. If you want to cook a stew every night some of the Coleman an Optimus stoves have pan holders etc. that make them more stable. I have a collection:

Hexamine stand: Pointless, carry kitchen foil in a crusader cup.
Swedish Triangia: Hot drinks/soup anywhere.
Kelly kettle: more use on a stove, but the ability to burn anything is useful.
MSR Dragonfly: Powerful, but not easy to use, not that stable and after 5 years and three lots of foil reflectors still pretty kaput.
Korean Army Optimus: Old, tough, small. Can be left alonne to boil.
Optimus: Big, bulky, heavy and stable, can be left alone for hours while the pressure cooker does it's thing.
Disposable BBQ's: Feed the family once.
Bucket BBQ: Feed the family time and time again.

I ride anything from a full on winter camping trip where the aim is roast some large dead animal while we all get drunk (carry the BBQ plus ), through to solo small road trips where the stove would only be used if things went wrong. You take the tool to do the job.

I wouldn't rush out to buy an MSR just because they have lots of glossy expedition pictures.

Andy

The MSR whisperlite is a good stove. It worked perfectly well for the duration of our trip in SA and is plenty powerful. Any flame control is very limited. The Coleman mentioned by T' Ted is said to be very good and consideraböly cheaper than the MSR. As I understand it the MSR can burn a greater variety of fuels but I doubt you'd ever need them! The only advantage I would say the MSR has, being dismantlable, can therefore be packed into nooks and cranies, if needed.
Is that worth the extra cost, though?

If you are considering the Dragonfly, you may as well also consider the Primus Omnifuel which also has flame control but also burns propane/butane fuel from canisters which the Dragonfly will not. Both expensive though so, unless adjustable flame and the possibility of cooking with any combustible is necessary, is it really needed?

Finally, if you are only travelling within Europe, I'd say just buy something a little like the MSR Pocket Rocket. It is tiny and lighting a canister stove is a breeze: why bother with all the fuel bottles and pre-heating?

I've just done what I often loath of others...:
Nothing like asking about 2 stoves and having 3 more offered, eh?

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

If you want just to boil water for tea/coffe then any stove will do.
If you want to actually cook, then it must be controllable enough to simmer, most stoves wont.
I am in the position now where my expensive omnifuel is really just an unnecessary backup for my £10 gaz stove as it simply can't simmer.

If you flash fry (stir fry) then it would work for you, perhaps that is why so many of the modern stoves are made in China?

My wife and I purchased a Dragonfly last year, and even though we have only used it a few times, we were pleased with it. Haven't had it long enough or used it enough to notice if there were any flaws. It has an adjustable flame, runs on several types of fuel, and packs up pretty small.

(It does sound like a jet engine though.)

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I am the Penniless Adventurer.
http://tpadv.com/

I’m with Ted on this one I have had one of these for years and so have a few of my mates and they have all been great
They are not the smallest cooker in the world but they are reliable and if you have fuel in the bike you will always have fuel for your cooker
You can’t go wrong

I love my Coleman Apex stove with the detached bottle. It's been a trusty piece of gear on my Backpacking and Motorcycle Camping trips for close to 17 years now. I'm going to have to soak some money into it for this year and may even have to bite the bullet and get a new stove because it's looking like parts are getting hard to get for it.

What I also like about my Coleman exponent Multi-Fuel stove, it fits nicely into the Coleman PEAK1 cooking pot and lid. Doesn't get much more compact and multi purpose than this combo.

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Thomas

"Hey, ...I'm just ridin' shotgun"

Thanks for the help! I'm quite happy to receive other suggestions from more experienced riders! I particularly like the multi fuel approach, and will have a look at some of the ones suggested above - thanks!

Ditto Exactly what I have & you only ever run out of fuel if your petrol tank is empty, it donst take that much space as far as i can see

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

Use a MSR micropocket rocket with base stability for the gas canister.

Brill little stove , if you use gas steady it a lasts long time and cooks only marginally slower.

Small works well.

Hexamine mmmnnn . In my opinion take some ally foil , bang a few rocks under it and use some sticks and wood

I bought one of these to play with:

Pocket Stove | New products | Wild Stoves

On the Trangia burner a pint of Yorkshire tap water in a lidded crusader cup boils in 9 minutes, 2 hexamine tabs 10-minutes and wind blown sticks from the local woods 20 minutes.

As means of getting a hot cuppa the stove, trangia burner, two hexamine tablets and the means to get them going all fit in the cup, so wood will be for desperate measures only.

Andy

Hi,

Another stove that may be of interest is the Optimus nova. It's a multi fuel stove like some of the others mentioned.

Plus points over others are:
made of metal - even the pump so less likely to brake.
Fully adjustable flame.
Magnetic jet cleaner - wave the supplied magnet under it and it cleans the jet without taking it apart (even works when in use).

I've had this stove for around 7 years. I taken it on several extended (1.5 year+) trips and abused it thoroughly. I bought a service kit at the same time as i got the stove but have yet to replace a single part!! I've stripped and cleaned it a couple of times but thats it.

The biggest problem i've had is the pump stopped working. Stripped it down and found the pump seal had dried out/was a big dirty. As it made of leather this was a 2 minute job with some doubin (could have use oil butter etc) to soften it up and it was back in action.

This is one of the rare pieces of kit that if it got lost/stolen/broken etc i wouldn't even look at what else had come along since. I would just replace it with the same.

A great bit of kit.

Sam

EDIT: I've just reread some of the other posts here to clarify i use this burning petrol or diesel (mainly petrol as the bike has a ready supply) and have never found it hard to use. Pump it up, turn it on (letting some fuel out), turn it off, light it (to warm it up), as the flame dies down due to lack of fuel open it back up slowly. It can take a minute(?) if that for it to warm up fully and the yellow flames turn in to small blue ones (you only get big yellow flames if you open it up too quickly after the initial warming - this is simple to control with the simmering control as it is not just on/off like some of the others).