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.