MSR Wisperlite question

I went on my first backpacking trip in over 5 years this weekend and had an interesting problem with my stove.
We were camped at about 10500 feet and the temp was a balmy 38F. I had tested the stove before we left and, even after 12+ years, it ran like a top. Well after fishing, we came back to cook and the stove barely ran. It did not have the infamous chug that I was used to and took about 40 minutes to boil water. New fuel, too. I was wondering about the altitude or temp, but I didn't think it was either of those. The pump is new, also.

The next morning I primed the stove and it fired right up and boiled our water in no time.

The only theory I have is I may have over filled the bottle (A small MSR bottle) slightly over the fill line and it did not get enough initial pressure? Any thoughs or experience?

Since I have gotten the bug again and am going to spend the winter replacing some gear, what is a good stove for overnight to 4 day trips over 10k feet?

(BTW, the trip was fantastic! I hadn't done it in years and had a great time even if my boots finally gave up 2 miles from the trailhead!)

Can't say about the balky stove. The MSR Whisperlite was always a good performer for me. There are many who argue that for LONG hikes, the gasoline stoves like these golden oldies are too heavy. The fuel bottle weight plus 12 ounces of stove that you carry constantly are contrary to the "ultralight" mentality.

So, what's next?

Butane stoves with an 8 Oz. container that lasts much of a week for those who just boil water to add to their dried food. The metal part of the stove is typically 3-4 ounces.

You can also head over to become an alcohol stove user. The fuel isn't as calorie rich per weight as is the gasoline, but you can make stoves which weigh under an ounce. And you can carry the fuel in a plastic container. You can make your own alcohol stoves, and you can write constantly about how great the latest version is and show pictures of the flame pattern.

They (alcohol stoves) take a little longer to get water to boil, but you can use that time to invent even more stoves or to tell even more stove stories.

Over at Thru-Hiker.com (or thruhiker.com) there is a calculation of the weight carrying consequences of the stove choices, at least the major ones.

You might wish to figure out HOW you want to cook before you get hooked into the stove debates.

When I bicycle camp, for example, I will stop and buy fresh hamburger whenever I can, and will fry it up for dinner or breakfast (along with real eggs). I also boil wash water and clean up the kitchen stuff really well.

I can do that easily with either a butane or gasoline stove. The fuel cost for the trip for the gasoline stove is maybe $0.50 and for the butane is maybe $5 to $7 for the same week-long trip. An extra 12 ounces or so in the bike trailer is no big deal.

Work out a little more how you want to cook before you get all caught up in the savings of ounces and grams and the wonders of alcohol.............

Your problem may have been an overfilled bottle, or, I noticed sometimes on my Internationale, the pump cup may not have been making a good seal to allow you to pump air into the bottle to pressurize it. All I can think of that might be happening. Have a good time.

Coleman's Exponent series of eXtreme Stoves are literally Thee best canister stoves on the planet. I have one and so does Jimshaw on this forum, we both love ours alot. They burn pressurized white gas in a crushable, recycled aluminum long canister that sits horizontally on the ground look very similar to a Whisperlite but NO need for priming whatsoever. These stoves also burn less fuel and burn very hot! 14,000 BTU's.

http://www.moontrail.com/stoves/colemanexponent_xpert.php

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___85216

BTW, The Whisperlite Stove is just like driving a manual stick shift vehicle both you have to learn to listen to what the Stove is doing. I spoke to a Stove Tech repair guy in Berkeley, California's REI who told me they get ALOT of customers returning their Whisperlite Stoves complaining of poor performance or long boil times or whatever and the fact is most (not all) of these people did not read the operating instruction included with each Whisperlite Stove and thus failed to understand how these stoves work. Fully 95% of the problems reported by users of Whisperlite's are people who don't know how they work and failed to read and/or understand how they work.

That conversation was over twenty years ago.

I have been inside MSR's factory here in Seattle, and have talked to their knowledgeable, very friendly/helpful staff and they all know what time it is. My Whisperlite is the original one a non-shaker jet model that I bought in 1983. Five years ago, I had it fully serviced by MSR and it works excellent. For $20.00 they installed new jets, and gave me a brand new Pump which that part by itself cost well over that service charge. Great company, U.S. made that fully supports their products.

Over pressurization of one's fuel bottle will make a Whisperlite perform sluggishly. The beauty about this stove is when one is informed they work flawlessly and are utterly reliable that's precisely why the Whisperlite model and it's simliar cousins (Simmerlite, XGK, etc still out perform the competition worldwide in demanding cold weather useage worldwide.

The first thing I check with Wisperlite is whether it is overfilled.

It might also be that you need to clean the line. The cable inside the fuel line may need cleaning. MSR has a very good trouble shooting manual on their site.

My "go to" stove right now is an EverNew 600 ml pot with Caldera Cone Stove.

http://www.antigravitygear.com/proddetail.php?prod=TDCE06

http://www.antigravitygear.com/proddetail.php?prod=ECA251&cat=99

The Coleman actually burns a propane/butane mix. I have one since Jim insisted I couldn't possibly go camping without one.

Hi guys,
I am trying to give my whisperlight to a buddy, but the pump seems dried out, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />I have to investigate it. No sense giving him a non-working stove because he might bring it camping with me. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A long time ago I talked to MSR and we discussed that it is impossible to overpump a whisperlight with a leather washer pump. SO I pumped my XGK actually, 500 times - same pump. I must say the fuel does not dribble out! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> its a fine spray which burns nicely.

P.S. Bill S and I had written a lot on the internet but never met in person until he invited me to an orienteering meet. Anyway he read my report of pumping 500 times and wondered "Is Jim Shaw a figment of the internet? Will I die trying this?" Bill and I have had some camping adventures of our own in the Sierras.

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

JIm, last time I had a dried out pump leather on my whisperlite, I figured "well, it's leather, so why not sno-seal?" Worked like a charm, pumps as well as it ever did.