Campstove selection...

Hi Folks,

I've always used a liquid fuel stove during my outings. I have an MSR Dragonfly and I've always done well with it.

I am considering switching to a canister stove to drop some weight and complexity.

Possibly the Optimus Stella+

Has anyone used the Stella+ and do you like using it? Why?

Thanks, Scott.

I haven't used the Stella, but love the MSR Wind Pro which is similar. Although it doesn't have a piezo (which I avoid anyway because of their unreliability) the Wind Pro is hot, efficient, light (6.5oz), clean, very easy to operate and will fit in a one liter pot. It has excellent pot supports and is very quiet. The combination of the MSR Ti 1L Pot (from the Titan Cookset) and WindPro is one of the best all-around, all-season weekend warrior backcountry cooking setups IMO.

+1 on the decision about piezo. I have one on my Giga stove and found that it won't light the burner if things get wet. It's good to carry a lighter or something just in case. It's very convenient if it's kept dry.

Hey Now...

I appreciate the repsonses.

The comment on the sound level of the canister stove was something that I was really thinking about... I wanted a quieter stove than my 'jet engine' inspired MSR Dragon Fly. Geeze... I nearly need to shout when I have that thing fired up.

How do you guys handle the question about 'How Full is my Canister'? I like filling my fuel container to capacity and knowing that I have plenty of gas to go the weekend/trip. With a canister, I might end up bring another container to make sure I have enough.

I'm not worried about having to pack the empty out as that's never a question - Anything brought into the woods, comes back out (well, *almost* everything <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)!

Again, Thanks for the ideas. I'm still open to others.

Thanks, Scott

I answer how full is a canister by weighing it. put it on a scale and compare it to an empty one.. With a postage scale you can also do a few test boils and make an estimate for fuel
consumption.

I have used the MSR Pocket Rocket for week long trips and came back with fuel in the small MSR brand canister, boiling water in the evenings only. They are hard to find in local stores as the larger or different brands are a much better buy because of shipping costs. I'm an old dog, slow to accept change, but having the Pocket Rocket has been great for summer trips, lighter than my old Internationale and quick and easy to tear down when finished for the day. Enjoy your stove.