What are the sheep and goat hunters using for stoves? MSR,Jetboil or others. Good and bad features.

I think I've had them all at one time or another and if your asking about extream backpack hunts there is one answer. MSR Wisperlight international.

For backpack sheep/goat hunts I use the MSR Pocket Rocket, very lite and reliable, I can use one 8oz. gas canister with my mountain house and other stuff for a 5 day spike camp.

I have used a jet boil before and the igniter went out on it and ate dry mountain house meals for 3 days, another occasion a friend had one and dropped it by accident and the igniter did not work either. The manufacturers of the jet boil need to go back to the drawing boards on the igniter for the jet boil.

+1 on the pocket rocket.

I also have a dragonfly but the pocket rocket works better at higher elevations IMO.

whispeeerrrrliiiteee!!!

Never had a cold meal because of a whisperlite! You can always make them work.

Another vote for the whisperlite used mine all over the place with no trouble.

quote:

Originally posted by AKsheephunter:
......I have used a jet boil before and the igniter went out on it and ate dry mountain house meals for 3 days, another occasion a friend had one and dropped it by accident and the igniter did not work either. The manufacturers of the jet boil need to go back to the drawing boards on the igniter for the jet boil.

Old fashioned matches/lighters work well in these type of conditions

jetboil or pocket rocket..jetboil is super on fuel!! i can't stand liquid fuel stoves on backpack hunts...been using the same jet boil for five years and love it!!

I used a whisperlite on one sheep hunt years ago. Too many parts and too much that can go wrong, which happened to me.
I like the canister fuel stoves. Instant lighting and heat.
FWIW I think the best liquid fuel stove ever made was a Svea Climber 123. It hasn't been made for 30 years or so. It's a fuel tank, valve, and burner in a very compact unit. My last one got lost a few years ago. I should look for another

We have started using the MSR Reactor ... the best stove there is.

I leave my Jet Boil at base camp for backup now ...

We use MSR stoves and love 'em. In fact all MSR gear is top notch. You just don't hear much about them.
Bear in Fairbanks

I haven't use them sheep hunting but I've used the MSR Dragonfly on a caribou hunt and it worked great , but it might be a little heavy for sheep hunting. I used a Snow Peak Giga Power w/igniter on a touring trip to AK last year. Had problems with it heating in the wind and used up more than half a 4 oz canister to boil 2 cups of water - which is apparently a problem http://www.sierradescents.com/...-peak/gigapower.html . I may try the windscreen. The wisperlite might be good compromise, but I'm not selling off the Dragonfly to get a whisperlite.

My Whisperlite International has yet to fail me in cold, wet and windy conditions.

Svea 123. These new fangled MSR's are just a passing fad!

I have use a SVEA stove for 40 years and never had a problem with it.


http://www.combattactical.com/...c-stove-p-18764.html

Barstooler

If just used for boiling water(mt house,coffee,tea,etc.)Check out MSR Reactor.
I do between 6-8 goat hunts a year. Only stove I would bring up the mt anymore.Great stove for 2 people!
MSR Whisperlite intl is definitely a great stove I've carried many years. But, the reactor has a quicker burn time and is more efficient.My 2 sense.

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:

Damn fine ram.

C'mon sheep tag - this Friday's the day for results (I think.)

The hell with hot water - I'd eat cold, dry food for a week for something like that!!1

+1 on the Seva, mine is about 35 years and going strong.

the optimus seva was state of the art in it's day I remember using them when I was in High school.
They are heavy by todays standards and not fule effeciant but they have been around for ever and there was a lot of years/ (decades) when the Seva set the benchmark for all to follow.

quote:

the optimus seva was state of the art in it's day

I saved up for a long time to buy one of those when I was 14! It served me well for many years, but about 15 year ago I switched to a bibler hanging butane canister stove. There are beter ones today, but is still does the trick well enough for me and is great when the wind/whiteout has you tent/snowcave bound.

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:
whispeeerrrrliiiteee!!!

MAGNIFICENT Ram!! WOW!!
Kudos on great hunting to nail that one!!

Don

Dear Alaska One:

Me, too with my old 1977 Optimus Svea 123 white gasoline stove.

I've used it at 10,700 feet on Mount Phillips in Philmont scout ranch in 1978, and still use it today at ~500 feet in Pennsylvania. It sounds like a locomotive when its running though.

There are a number on E-bay right now, including one that is brand new.

Don't need no stinking bottles!

Unfortunately, I cannot accurately answer your question as to the modern stoves.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

I'll jump in here as well...awesome sheep. I dream about rams like that.

Stoves? MSR POCKET ROCKET has worked flawlessly for me.

snow peak for the last few years without incident. one of the bigger canisters last me a week.

+1 on the Svea/Optimus123.

They are compact, reliable, simple to use, no moving parts other than valve, no pump to break, reputation for good high altitude performance, easy to maintain, runs on coleman fuel, don't need assembling, excellent simmer performance.

They don't have as fast of boil time that an MSR has but you have a five minute head start on getting it running and no disassembly when your done.

Wow, congratulations!

What cartridge did you use to get that great ram?

If You put up a basecamp, I would go with the MSR Whisperlight and enough petrol...

If You are out on your own backpack and short time only, I would think about the MSR Reactor - both are great stoves and I have them in action for several years now... (the MSR for about 20 yrs now...)

Although you have already read it several times, I too will give a thumbs up to Svea 123. Perhaps it is just nostalgia. I got mine when I was 14 or 15, for $15. As did my best friend. I have been using it since. Some years more than others obviously. Just this year, I found you can't just set the stove on the snow. The cold keeps the fuel from vaporizing or something. One has to set it on a piece of wood or plastic or ..

I went with my son's BSA troop to Philmont this summer. We took two Whispter Lites. One crapped out immediately. The other required a complete tear down and reassembly half way through the trip. (With all the food Philmont provides you probably don't even need a stove unless you want to boil water.)

Anyhow, Campmor has the 123 on sale, now.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___82426

BTW: We also have my dad's Optimus 8R. My son uses that one. Another oldie that is still being made. Also available, though like the SVEA is branded Primus. More pricey too.

Good times. LouM

I used a simmerlite for backpacking for the last year works good as long as you use the wind blocker an 20oz fuel just got 2 people 3 hot meals a day and coffe for 5 days on a sheep hunt I had about 1/4 bottle left at the end of the hunt. I had a canister stove but didnt like all the half empty canister sitting around the house

How does white gas stand up functionally in colder weather (maybe -10F and colder) compared to the cannisters?

Thinking of getting a new stove and need it to be part of my cold weather emergency kit.

they work better in the cold used my simmerlight at -45

one nice thing about the jetboil, i can cook in my tent, i can cook while i'm walking, no need for a flat spot for a stove, you can hold onto it while it boils...sips fuel. if your used to a pocket rocket the fuel the jet boil uses will blow your mind! i carry the pocket rocket as a backup.

quote:

Originally posted by MT:
they work better in the cold used my simmerlight at -45

"They..." bieng the cannisters?

the canister stoves dont works as good in the cold also when i had a canister stove I would endup with alot of half empty canisters so i got the MSR simmerlight I run coleman fuel works good just light it at home a few times befor you go on your hunt and make sure you have the wind screen that saves alot of fuel.

Gotcha, thanks.