Hi All,

I gave my old Whisper-lite stove to a buddy. I told him it needed a new "O"ring where the pump screws into the fuel bottle. He filled it with gas (NO "O" RING), pumped and sprayed gas all over, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> but it didn't catch fire fortunately because he was testing it in his kitchen. (We don't know anyone who would do that would we?) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

So I took him an old bottle stopper with an "O"ring and he pumped up the stove and tried to light it, again in the kitchen. Well it sprayed out burning gas and he said he threw it in the sink and ran water over it and at that time his hands were covered with burning gas. Fortunately the evaporating gas didn't burn his flesh and the kitchen faucet also put that fire out. Then he had a fire on the kitchen table to deal with and he whipped off his tee shirt and smothered it.

I brought the stove home last night and without doing anything to it, I lit it right up, outside on a rock in the rain. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

CAMP STOVES ARE VERY RELIABLE OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE PRODUCT LIABILITY INSURANCE. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Every stove failure that I have ever seen was based on user error and generally because the user never tested it at home and never learned to light it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You have to know how to light a white gas stove - it isn't easy - practice at home or you may not be able to do it in a cold windy place. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> But basically - it has to be primed before you open the valve and leave it open. Priming means the burner is hot enough to vaporise the gas that hits it so it burns above the burner, not below.

Another time we met 4 guys in the Sierras on a fast light hike over to Mt Whitney. They had 1 rented whisper lite amongst them! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> That's it - no backup. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> well we met them again 2 days later as they were abandoning their trip and hiking back down. They were really angry and said the 1 stove had failed and that REI had ruined their trip by renting a stove that didn't work. I asked if they had tested it and learned to light it before leaving home - they looked at me with disgust and walked on down the trail. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

A white gas stove is HARD to light in a wind and without a wind screen it could take an hour to melt a pot of water from snow, yet with a windscreen its pretty efficient if low output. I prefer a stove that can do 15.000 BTU and I only crank it about 2/3. I use a Coleman Xtreme compressed gas stove with liquid fuel feed, but they are being discontinued for some reason - either they are too good and out compete everything else, or people have problems using them.

Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I've never had problems lighting my whisperlight in any and all conditions from -15F to high winds and rain but have sure seen some great fireballs from others. You're right on in checking it our before hand. I always light it up at home (outside <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />) before a trip if I have'nt use it recently. Pump, prime, then when the priming is almost out open the valve and pump some more.

I didn't buy a stove in my early days of bping, because I had heard about this "priming" thing you had to do to the stove. Not knowing what was involved, I just stuck to building a small fire until I took a class at the local community college and had the mystery revealed to me. I would say, if shown what is involved one time, you got it. It still takes practice, but you know what is needed or what will happen with too much gas.:)

No Jim, no we don't. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> We don't know anyone who would set a Whisperlite on fire. But if we did, the kitchen is the best place to put out a fire since you have towels and other fire suppressants standing by. Not that I would know anything about that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />