MSR Stove Buying Guide
Posted by Mark Richardson on Jul 14, 2022
Gas Stoves
Gas canisters are by far the most common and convenient of all the camp cooking methods because they are easy to set up, easy to light and you can control the heat output to a high degree. One disadvantage is that performance drops off either when it is cold or if the gas canister is nearly empty. Another issue is that for international travel to remote areas the gas to power your stove may not be available.
Pocket Rocket 2
The Pocket Rocket 2 stove is a great example of the most common type of gas stove, one that screws onto the top of the gas canister. Great for solo or two person use but with bigger pans this type of stove can be unstable. The Pocket Rocket stoves are classics, note the three wing wind break over the burner.
Pocket Rocket Deluxe
The Pocket Rocket Deluxe stove is a distinct improvement over the standard Pocket Rocket 2, it has a built in regulator which vastly improves the stoves performance when the gas canister is becoming empty or you are using the stove at low temperatures. In addition the deluxe model has a larger burner head (for larger pans) and a push button lighter making lighting the stove simplicity itself.
WindBurner
MSR have designed a Radiant Burner head which allows for 100% primary air combustion, which means that the burner can be completely shielded from wind and outside air thus solving the main issue with gas stoves - the drop in performance when its windy. Furthermore, by close coupling the pot to the burner using a heat exchanger to funnel the heat directly to the pot the fuel efficiency of the process is transformed so, although these stoves are heavier, you don't have to carry as much - thus offsetting much of the extra weight.
Reactor
Reactor stoves use the same technology as WindBurner to ensure the stove is virtually impervious to wind, burns really efficiently and boils water fast. The Reactor series are tweaked compared to the WindBurner for faster performance, for this reason they are best suited to boiling water rather than actual cooking or heating food through. If cooking's your thing then the WindBurner still delivers the other benefits.
Liquid Fuel Stoves
Liquid fuel stoves are favoured for high altitude and cold weather use, and for places around the world where gas for camping stoves is unobtainable. Compared to Gas stoves they are difficult to use, hard to light in the first place, need different burner nozzles for different fuels and need regular maintenance for them to keep working well - but they have their place!
XGK EX
Burns: white gas, kerosene, diesel, jet fuel, aviation gas, unleaded petrol. Primary use is boiling water or melting snow, too powerful for cooking or simmering.
Dragonfly
Burns: white gas, kerosene, unleaded petrol, diesel and jet fuel. MSR Dual Valve technology allows a degree of flame control - can be used for cooking and simmering.
Whisperlite International
Burns: white gas, kerosene and unleaded petrol. Lightweight option with easy maintenance, can be used for general cooking, boiling water or simmering of larger pots.
Whisperlite Universal
Burns: gas canister fuel, white gas, kerosene and unleaded petrol. The Whisperlite Universal is the Whisperlite International with the additional functionality to burn gas from canisters.
On this page we summarise the MSR range of stoves, what they are, how they work and what are their key features.