Petrol Stoves

[iel20]

Hi Everyone,
Could somebody recommend a cheap and reliable petrol-fuelled Camping stove for use in the Mauritania and Mali next year?

Thanks,
Lenny

[nobby]

hi lenny
I have use a msr petrol stove over the last 5 years all over Europe and Morroco Its still going strong in England its how called dragon fly for £95 or in canada its called Whisperlite intel 600 for $95 check their website out www.mec.ca
take care
nobby

[ollieholden]

We've used an MSR Whisperlite for the past year, using a mixture of leaded and unleaded. We had some friends with a Dragonfly - sounded like a jet engine and didn't boil water as quickly. I would recommend the Whisperlite. Well made, easy to clean and fairly compact.

[electric_monk]

Hi Lenny

I have been using a Coleman Dual Fuel stove for the last year and a half and have found it very effective. It runs on regular unleaded petrol or a special Coleman fuel and it has never been blown out no matter how strong the wind may be. The only problem I had was when someone was burning twigs (don't ask) over it and the residue from them clogged up the ring and injector nozzle. I was able to take the ring apart and clean it in around 10 minutes and Coleman replaced the injector nozzle very promptly and without any quibbles. I rarely leave home without it now.

[OUTPOST]

@electric_monk
I've been using the same Coleman stove. It runs very reliable but unfortunately it's hard to regulate a "low flame". It either goes off or the heat is just too much... no good way to keep your lunch warm :-)
Do you have the same problems? Any solution?

Thx
OUTPOST

[Chris Scott]

I've just been using the new Optimus Nova multifuel stove in the Yukon and, to tell you the truth, I'd feel safer with my old but bulkier Coleman Peak jobby.
Full equipment reports on stoves and all will be linked from here to my website when I get back

Chris S

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Author of Sahara Overland and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, among other things

http://www.sahara-overland.com

[Seth S]

I have been using an MSR (Mountain Safet Research) Whisper lite stove for many years. They make 2 versions of the whisperlite. The version I have can only be run on white gas, as gasoline will burn hotter and tend to clog the stove. The second version is known as the whisperlite International and will burn just about any liquid fuel known....you can even run deisel if you want to...ugh. If I were going to get another stove I would get the MSR Dragonfly since it is capable of burning multiple fuels and it has an adjustable flame. The whisperlite stoves have one setting....on.

[El Penguino]

There is one cheap easy solution to stoves that are too hot ,and that is a heat diffuser .

Am in Sth America at the mo ,and you can get this "thing" made from sheet metal to go over a gas cooker .It has 2 sheets or metal and normally serves as a toaster over a homecooker or to cook /warm soups etc .

Weighs 200-400grams ( dunno for sure) and costs 1.50US . Measures around 5inches by 5.

But hey,its one more thing to carry .....

[Kurt]

As one of the other posts mentioned, the Dragonfly sounds like a jet engine taking off. Not necessarily the way to make friends in a campgound if you wake early. But it does simmer very well. Great for making beans and rice!

Kurt

[Fuzzy Duck]

I love my Coleman Peak - but I've never tried it with leaded petrol. I've had no problems contolling the flame - you just have to give it a few minutes to get upto a good temperature and then it's really smooth. They also sell a dual fuel lantern - which doubles-up as a heater. Handy for cold nights in the UK - but the filament is a bit fragile for a trip abroad.

I think the stove runs better on petrol than the Coleman fuel. The only fault I've had was with a leaky valve - that was fixed in seconds! Coleman reccomend taking a spare generator with you in case of clogging. The MSR looks too flimsy compared to my Coleman.

I'm looking forward to what Chris has to say once he's done his tests...?


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Fuzzy Duck
(I'm quackers about bikes)

[This message has been edited by Fuzzy Duck (edited 15 April 2002).]

[Seth S]

Thought I'd mention the main competitor to the dragonfly...if they still make it. Primus made a stove that could run any fuel and has an adjustable flame. I forget what its called. But you can run any liquid fuel in it, and it can be attached to cartridge fuel like propane and butane.

[Paul Hennessey]

Hi all

I've used an MSR Dragonfly for about 4 years now and wouldn't swap it for anything else. Sure it's not that quiet but then that isn't really a design priority. What is important (imho) is a stove that will run on just about any liquid fuel, has an adjustable flame, is very reliable, is small when packed (fits inside my set of MSR 'Alpine' pans) and is easily servicable in the field. The Dragonfly fits all the above requirements and a whole lot more.

I most of all like the fact that I don't need to carry any fuel or gas cannisters with me when touring, I just syphon a small amount of fuel from my bike's tank when I need the stove and that's all there is to it.... Wonderful.

I would recommend this stove to anyone without reservation.

Regards
Paul

[El Penguino]

I agree , the MSRs are good stoves . And , because the bottle is sold separately you can save even more space by buying the 330 ml fuel bottle .

Seems a waste of space to have a 1 ltr fuel bottle in the pannier when I am riding a 20 ltr fuel bottle ! :-)