There is a way around the gas in the line. When you setup the stove you lay the bottle down with the valve adjustment facing up for obvious reasons. When you are done using the stove, flip the bottle over with the valve facing down. This causes the stove to pull pressurized air instead of fuel emptying out the fuel line (let it burn until the flame goes out).
The MSR Whisperlite was my favorite for many years. In the mid-nineties I tried to thruhike the AT with a canister stove. Just couldn't find new canisters and bought a Whisperlite around Hot Spring (NC): Kind of annoying since I had a XG-K at home that I could have used. Turned out it wasn't a waste of money as the Whisperlite was a much better stove for a thruhike and the Whisperlite was what everyone used at the time. Here's what I learned and used: We never depressurized stoves except when buying new fuel. It'll hold pressure quite well and you have to pump a lot less before each use. Before inserting the fuel line we always moistened it (licked) which is supposed to reduce wear. No Idea if it actually help but my Whisperlite worked without any real maintenance for the next four months on the AT and then the PCT a couple of years later and many more trips, including several multi week ones. I almost never had to relight it after priming and with some practice you'll know exactly how little fuel is necessary for priming and I've used it in tents many times without any problem. Don't do that without some practice though.
You can also avoid the sooty priming by using alcohol to prime the stove. Of course that is something else to have to carry, but a small bottle of alcohol is pretty light and saves stove fuel in the long run.
Ryan. I store my xgk inside pot so i burn all fuel inside hose and stove by flipping fuel bottle when I need to disconnect from bottle before shutting down the pump. Pumps receiver is facing up and air is sent to stove so burns all remnant of fuel is burned. Then i shut off the pump and disconnect the hose. Its not for saving fuel but keeping pots, gloves and hands clean. It just takes a few min more time.
This is a messy stove to use. I'd use alcohol to prime. The superpower of this stove is the relative quietness. These single valve at the bottle designs are made to be on or off in general. I think for most people a Dragonfly or similar with two valves are more useful when doing real cooking. A whisperlite can be made to simmer but this is quite different to the instant flame response you get using a dragonfly and the needle valve at the burner. It is just something worth noting for people new to liquid fuel stoves. I have the Optimus Nova, Optimus 8R, the MSR XGK, MSR Dragonfly and the Soto Muka.
Hey Ryan, all of your content has been super helpful as I've been going through The Mountaineers basic climbing course this year. I'm curious what kind of stove you would recommend for a Rainier climb, canister or white gas? And how would you calculate how much fuel is needed for either one, assuming a hot meal and snow melting at Camp Muir.
There is a way around the gas in the line. When you setup the stove you lay the bottle down with the valve adjustment facing up for obvious reasons. When you are done using the stove, flip the bottle over with the valve facing down. This causes the stove to pull pressurized air instead of fuel emptying out the fuel line (let it burn until the flame goes out).
Wow great 📹! very informative for folks that have never used a white gas stove
The MSR Whisperlite was my favorite for many years. In the mid-nineties I tried to thruhike the AT with a canister stove. Just couldn't find new canisters and bought a Whisperlite around Hot Spring (NC): Kind of annoying since I had a XG-K at home that I could have used.
Turned out it wasn't a waste of money as the Whisperlite was a much better stove for a thruhike and the Whisperlite was what everyone used at the time.
Here's what I learned and used: We never depressurized stoves except when buying new fuel. It'll hold pressure quite well and you have to pump a lot less before each use. Before inserting the fuel line we always moistened it (licked) which is supposed to reduce wear. No Idea if it actually help but my Whisperlite worked without any real maintenance for the next four months on the AT and then the PCT a couple of years later and many more trips, including several multi week ones.
I almost never had to relight it after priming and with some practice you'll know exactly how little fuel is necessary for priming and I've used it in tents many times without any problem. Don't do that without some practice though.
I have one of the original MSR multi-fuel stoves I bought back in the 60s.
You can also avoid the sooty priming by using alcohol to prime the stove. Of course that is something else to have to carry, but a small bottle of alcohol is pretty light and saves stove fuel in the long run.
Ryan. I store my xgk inside pot so i burn all fuel inside hose and stove by flipping fuel bottle when I need to disconnect from bottle before shutting down the pump. Pumps receiver is facing up and air is sent to stove so burns all remnant of fuel is burned. Then i shut off the pump and disconnect the hose. Its not for saving fuel but keeping pots, gloves and hands clean. It just takes a few min more time.
This is a messy stove to use. I'd use alcohol to prime. The superpower of this stove is the relative quietness. These single valve at the bottle designs are made to be on or off in general. I think for most people a Dragonfly or similar with two valves are more useful when doing real cooking. A whisperlite can be made to simmer but this is quite different to the instant flame response you get using a dragonfly and the needle valve at the burner. It is just something worth noting for people new to liquid fuel stoves. I have the Optimus Nova, Optimus 8R, the MSR XGK, MSR Dragonfly and the Soto Muka.
😆 I immediately was saying does turning it off go counter clockwise? 😆
Hey Ryan, all of your content has been super helpful as I've been going through The Mountaineers basic climbing course this year. I'm curious what kind of stove you would recommend for a Rainier climb, canister or white gas? And how would you calculate how much fuel is needed for either one, assuming a hot meal and snow melting at Camp Muir.