Cooking stove choices?
 

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 ????

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? :innocent: doh

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.)

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.

http://trex63.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...78_BvEwQ-L.jpg

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! :thumbup1:

Trangia for me
 

I bought a meths trangia then realised meths was not as long lasting or as readily available as I thought. (I ran out in the middle of nowhere) I bought the multi fuel conversion, hellishly expensive but as long as there is petrol in my tank I have fuel and the whole lot packs down and fits inside its own windshield complete with pans and kettle. The whole lot including pressurised petrol bottle fits inside a British army mark 5 gas mask bag which hangs off my crash bars. I loved the coleman but it did not seem to be as compact for me although when fellow campers have used this it has been brilliant.

I would have gone for the Coleman as it is a lot cheaper, has had rave reviews but with pots and pans and maybe a kettle it just seems a whole lot bulkier. Each to his own.

Hi i use a coleman multifuel it fits nicely inside a billy can with a lid which doubles as a frying pan so makes a nice compact unit.

Jetboil
 

To throw a spanner in the works dominated by lesser brands IMHO, why don't you have a look at jetboil.

Downside is that it is expensive and only takes screw on type propane/butane bottles. But it is compact, hard-wearing, and boils a litre of water in less than 2mins. And very very economical on fuel. One bottle of 460ml butane fuel lasts us (cooking 2meals per day for 2 people) about 3 weeks!!

We travelled with the same jetboil for two years now and the only thing that went wrong was the mesh burnt out and we asked jetboil about a replacement part and they sent us one for free where we were at the time.

Good old fashioned customer service.:thumbup1:

All good points, thanks!

I particularly like mulit-fuel burners (I like the idea of being able to use petrol) and the controllability of the flame seems useful too. I intend to actually cook, as opposed to just making tea! I will be using it in Europe, but am venturing further a field in the future . . . .:scooter::palm:

Continued thanks for the help . . . .

Dragonfly
 

We've used a Dragonfly for about 9 years including two year-long trips. It has been durable and easy to service in the field when necessary using an MSR kit. It simmers well and boils water quickly. It takes a bit of fiddling to get started and is generally fussier than other stoves we've owned, all in all just what a BMW Airhead rider would own.

Coleman
 

Thomas,

I have one of those Coleman exponets, worked great for about a year, then you had to just keep pumping all the time just to hold a flame, the seal had gone then the other 2 both went, but before that it did not like the bad fuel in Ethiopia I was waiting for my F650gs twin to give me grief but it turned out the bloody stove instead. I tried to get parts for it in Nairobi to no avail, so when I returned to Australia was told they don't make them anymore, so I would be a little cautious with them.

Cheers
Paul

Theres no choice for me. It will always be a petrol stove. I've had my Optimus 8R since '92 and it has always worked. It's been dowsed in fuel and set alight bashed bruised and totally abused. Makes no difference t still works. Parts are still available ( think came into being in the 50's).
Unfortunately no longer made but you can still pick them up second hand and good cheep copies can be found. Fits in its on Big Mac container.

Optimus SVEA is still around and works same way (came out back in the ice age.).
Hiker is like the 8R but a little bigger but comes with a pressure pump. Better if you're cooking for more..

Downside.... It's an on off stove. Simmering can be achieved though if you suspend the pan above it. Its a simple solution to a common problem with most petrol stoves, though things like soaking rice before hand and swishing it around massively reduces the cook time also.

If I can I'll cook my evening meal on a 3 Stone fire so any simmering sauces aren't a problem. A stoves for boiling water, eggs and pancakes...

Mate, I have the Coleman multifuel stove! Unreal stove and comes setup for unleaded and other similar fuels, but also comes with adaptor for kero.

Just remember that if you intend to take it overseas, don´t use it before you do, or if you have, wash it out so it has no smell of fuel whatsoever, using either cooking oil or detergent or other. Otherwise you will need a dangerous goods certificate...quite a hastle unless you´re also shipping a bike.

Hi, this months issue (3) of Adventure Bike Rider has a stove review. Andy

stove
 

have always used a meths stove cant fault them but last year in the uk, i did have a problem getting meths, so bought a coleman feather lite petrol stove it is a very good stove and i would recomend it.

denny.

I like a combination of stoves. A meths or alcohol stove for boiling water and the little MSR Pocket rocket for simmering stuff. Both stoves are super tiny and light, and take up hardly any space.
Sometimes you have to buy a gallon of methylated spirits and carrying that can be cumbersome.
It's often very handy to be able to have two stoves going at the same time.

As for multi fuel stoves I've found them quirky and difficult to use unless they have an exclusive diet of coleman fuel.

I bought a small gas stove in Nouakchott for €6 but it was stolen in Mali. Then now I found a very similar stove for €11 here in Dakhla and I can't fault it. Cartridges cost about 20 cents and last quite a while. I have seen gas bottles being sold all over the place here in North Africa.

I've used these types of stove all over Europe and the Middle East, and they're great (light, fast, controllable, though wind-susceptible) provided you have a ready source of cartridges. Which type are common in N Africa? Camping Gaz or Coleman? If CG, which type? Pierced or resealable?

Thanks once again for all the info; very helpful and lots to consider!

As an aside, when's the next issue out? I thought it was going to be January?

Probably only applicable for us guys who stay out in the cold, but gas cartridges start to fail in a typical European winter. Stick a full one up your jumper for half an hour and you'll mostly get it going, but they really aren't the sort of thing you want to sleep with night after night just so you can have a cuppa in the morning. 90% of riders will probably never notice or care, but something to think about if your trip will include cold places.

Andy

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

The re sealable cv270 and cv470 type are a mix of propane and butane so will run well below freezing. not in -40 of course, but you are right, I don't often camp above the snowline.

I used the MSR multifuel stove. Strapped a litre of fuel to the fender... used it as backup fuel and for the Chili at night.

By the way, I did test it and I got 14km out of my camp fuel.

:rofl: That's some pretty poor economy, how many meals does 14kms worth of fuel equate to I wonder? beer

Propane/Iso-Butane cold weather mix
 

We use the EN417 type canisters with self-sealing valve and Propane/Iso-Butane (80% iso-butane and 20% propane) cold weather mix, all major brands like MSR, coleman and Jetboil provide these mixes. It lights just fine in high altitude the Himalayas above 5,000m and in -10 degrees C in the Alps in Switzerland and Austria. Every time we never have a problem starting and without pre warming the canisters either. :thumbup1:

Ref: Frequently Asked Questions About Lightweight Canister Stoves and Fuels @ Backpacking Light

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).