Can I caveat this a wee bit: do watch out for the Svea flamethrower. It's quite impressive.

Cheers,

Ah, we hit a good nerve here.:) Good to see others appreciate the vintage and older things.
Duane

I am new to the forum and have recently reintroduced myself to backpacking, more importantly lightweight backpacking and came across this discussion. I was curious as to what a SVEA 123 looked like and was awestruck when I did a search on the net and saw the first image. This is the stove my father carried during years of backpacking trips with my brothers and I. Dad passed away some 20 years ago but I have this stove tucked away in the garage and can't wait to get home and pull it out. I love my Jetboil Sol but may have to bring the SVEA along on my next trip. Thanks for the memories guys.

Yes! Men/boys love to play with fire.:)

On the topic of ye olde stoves and use of same, be mindful of the stove's condition before firing it up. Seals can dry, shrink and crack, leading to fuel leaks or failure to pressurize. Also, don't overfill it with fuel (needs airspace to function) or get too zesty with preheating it. Even if it's not following the Dude Rules, find some instructions if you've never before operated one.

Very generally, simple stoves like the Svea or the self-presurizing Primus and Oltimus models are likely to work after a long sleep, but a fuel leak at the valve or the fuel cap might just make your day more interesting than you'd hoped.

Fire on,

As you can tell many of us just have fond memories of the Svea. For many of us it was our original backpacking stove. It is slightly heavier than the current crop but it is probably one of the most dependable stoves ever built. I have no intention of parting with mine and and keep thinking about taking it along on a trip just for old times sake. I now use a SnoPeak most trips but when it give out and we have to part ways I will not be as upset as I would be if I my Svea died. The chances of the Svea dying are pretty remote. The chance of my SnoPeak dying are much greater.

Having rebuilt all of mine I found:
1) the valve packing seal is carbon and very tiny. Don't lose it. They really don't wear out.
2) the filler cap gasket is replaceable with a scuba 'o' ring or piece of inner-tube in a pinch. The new stock ones are red silicon.
3) NEVER run your Svea out of fuel. The cotton mop wick will caramelize and fail.
4) Before disassembly for rebuilding, spray the plumbing bits down with wd-40 or other penetrating oil and let soak a day. Brass parts around the burner become annealed and quite soft. And seized.
5)Never shield your Svea...they need ventilation...or you'll experience the "flame thrower" effect or worse. Mine have never done this but I've heard stories.

A & H Enterprise had parts for all three of mine. Good company.
http://packstoves.net/cart/index.php?main_page=index

They've got some interesting Svea and Hunter R-8 stories.

Gershon (and others) I'm late with this one as usual, but thought I'd add my .02. I have a Svea that I have had since the late 1960s. It has had no serious maintenance but still sputters away very nicely. I still like to use it, though I don't go out in deep winter enough to justify having it in my pack. But canoeing and car camping still give it a reason to stay in my gear. I still start to salivate at the sound.

I also have a much older Borde "bomb" that I salvaged out of a WWII field sterilizing kit. I used it all the way on my first AT thru-hike about 15 years ago, and it worked beautifully. It's light, simple, and reasonably efficient. Even managed to get a new needle valve for it from the manufacturer in Switzerland (fortunately I can read a bit of German).

I can't imagine getting rid of either stove, even though I now use Esbit or alcohol. Best, jcp

Like many others a Svea 123 was my first backpacking stove back in 1975. I bought it on the recommendation of backpacking authority Colin Fletcher. Remember him--the eccentric British backpacker who wrote the book "The Complete Walker"? That book was the hikers bible back then. The Svea served me well for many years, but I grew tired of the hassle of white gas and switched to canister stoves. Now I do mostly freezer bag cooking and use a Trail Designs Caldera Cone Sidewinder. I cannot find a better stove for my style of cooking. In My opinion the Svea 123, while a good stove in its time, is now a dinosaur and there are better options.

A dinosaur? Well, maybe. I, too, have gone to a canister stove or alcohol for most of my excursions which now predominantly occur in fair weather.

Some years ago, my SAR team was facing an overnight hike on snowshoes to reach an exhausted hiker. Three of us were getting ready to go, carrying one Svea. My companion, said, this could save our lives, and tossed in another Svea in his pack. Gas stoves are still the best thing for cold weather situations. Yes, they are finicky, but when you absolutely, positively must have fire, nothing beats them. In my ooinion, the good old Svea, or its near relative the Primus 71, are as good as any out there.

I'll put it this way I contemplated selling mine . Someone even made me an offer and sent a check. I then offerd it to them for free . Under the condition that they used it. Once they told me that they were a collectlor and didnt intend to use it I couldn't find in my heart to box it up an ship it. I know I eventually will I'm just having a hard time sending such a great working stove off to sit on a shelf.

Ps. I never cashed sed buyers check, actually torched it. I still intend to send them the stove. Just after one last great memory making trip

Yesterday, I went to a very small store to buy a couple caribiners for my hammock. Turns out the guy working was a hanger so he taught me a great suspension system which only cost $11.00. It was using straps to strap a kayak to a car. No stretch and very strong.

He had also been a backpacking instructor and climbing instructor at the local university. So we spent about 2 hours talking about my gear. Turns out we wear the same Keen shoes. He loved the Danner boots I bought.

When it got to the Svea, he said he loves his Jetboil. It's "lighter and easier to use." Well, I had my postal scale with me. (Does that mean I'm obsessive.) My Svea stove weighs 485 grams. The Jetboil without the cannister weighs 435 grams. It's also a LOT bigger. The jetboil pot is a lot bigger, but you can pour the water into a cup which attaches to the bottom. Since I like to cook food in the water as it's heating, that would mean two pots to clean.

Cannisters are convenient, but I'd end up with a bunch of half cannisters around, I guess. Or maybe weigh them and take the one I need based on the length of the trip. They are hard to get here.

Still, I could see he loved his Jetboil as much as I love my Svea, so I didn't say much.

If you gotta analyze over using a classic, may need to just bring a newer stove. The Jetboil is a much faster boiler, but not designed for cooking, whereas the Svea will simmer and you get to see the flame. The oldies are fun, plus, other bpers etc. don't have one for a trip, so you'll be the only one using a classic. I just won an embossed Optimus 8 on the Bay last night. Cool! 52 stoves or so now. Or is that 53 now?
Duane

Chuckles, saying I overanalyze is an understatement. This summer, I've replaced EVERYTHING but the stove, cell phone, and the SPOT transmitter. I've had the last couple weeks off, so I spent it analyzing and cut my pack weight in half (even getting rid of the pack.) The SVEA is the only thing that withstood both the tests of equal or better functionality and lower weight.