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MSR Dragonfly Camp Stove
Recently started using an MSR Dragonfly stove after having used Coleman Peak 1 and a Bluet. The Dragonfly is a multi-fuel capable unit that will use regular gasoline. Now I carry 26 litres of camp fuel with me all the time! An optional 300 ml fuel canister is all I take along now and I just use a quick disconnect to drain a little gasoline from the motorcycle tank into the canister. Then, after dinner, I just pour the remaining fuel back into the tank. Handy!
The stove runs best on white gas (Coleman fuel) so that is how it is used when backpacking. Gasoline burns a little sootier but it still boils water quickly and simmers without difficulty. The stove is quite stable and comes with a windscreen. The only downside so far is the noise. It almost sounds like a jet engine! Overall I give this item a thumbs up. ------------------ Ekke Kok Redwood Meadows, AB '89 R100GS |
Ekke, Thanks for the info!
One question - when you say regular gasoline do you mean "Regular" as in "Leaded" gasoline? Every MSR I've ever used clogs up in about one tank of leaded gas - necessary for the 3rd world 'cause that's all there is - and needs a lengthy cleaning process. If you do mean leaded regular, how long does it go before needing cleaning? ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
I can't say for sure, since I live in an unleaded gas country (Japan), but according to MSR's home page it will burn Diesel, Naphtha, Aviation (AV), gas, Stoddard Solvent & auto gas. The "shaker needle" cleaning device built in should prevent clogging.
I use my Dragonfly almost always with gasoline and have never cleaned it in the year I have been using it. I would assume with the mix of fules it is rated for, leaded fuel would be OK. I give it a 'thumbs up' for performance. It is a bit expensive, though! Chris Lockwood Tokyo, Japan |
My experience with the Whisperlite and XGK would disagree with the leaded gas being ok.
The XGK is rated for all the fuels as well, but clogs completely in less than one small tank of leaded gas. The Whisperlite was hopeless. Until somebody can state that they have USED leaded gas reliably I remain sceptical. And even then I would do considerable testing before I believed it. Anybody?? ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
What many people forget is, if you are going on a long voyage (many months) and you use a
cooker very often, gasoline is quite unhealthy. I know that you always have gasoline in your tank. I will travel Latin America and will use my Trangia. I hope I will get Alcohol in most of the shops, drug stores, painting shops, hardware stores, pharmacies ... PS: What about the swiss army cooker "borde". This one shoul work with leaded fuel. |
Sorry Grant, I have not used the stove with leaded fuel. I wonder what leaded fuel would do for the health aspects?
------------------ Ekke Kok Redwood Meadows, AB '89 R100GS |
I don't know about the health aspects and prefer not to think about it - although when used leaded fuel I just think about all the times I've sat in traffic jams breathing nothing but lead in years past. Also I use a lid on the pot as much as possible.
Unfortunately in places like Africa it's leaded - or leaded. White gas is unheard of, they think you're making a joke when you ask and they just don't understand. Kerosene is possible but I hate carrying it when I have 40 litres in the gas tank. The search goes on... ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
I decided to ask someone who knows (or should know): the manufacturer.
This is what MSR has to say about leaded fuel in the Dragonfly stove: "Maintenance will be frequent when burning leaded autofuel about every 5-8 hours of use. The best stove for burning this fuel is the XGK." I also asked about the shaker needle. I was concerned that it wouldn't last being bounced around on the back of a bike for months at a time. They say: "The shaker needle will not wear out from bouncing around the needle has to be physically bent to break or wear out." Yes, of course this all may differ depending on how you use your equipment. Now, all I have to do is quit my job and go out and see if what they say is true! Currently accepting donations to the Chris Lockwood Tests a Dragonfly While Touring the World Fund. Most likely not tax deductable... |
I have to take MSR's comments on the XGK and leaded fuel with suspicion. My experience - granted it was on African leaded - was not good, clogging up with soot deposits on the wire in 30-45 minutes of burning. Very dirty job cleaning it, to have it clog up again in 10 minutes if you don't take the time to do a thorough job. In Africa I just stayed dirty while Susan cooked as fast as possible. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/frown.gif
I may do some testing on UK leaded and see what it's like. All I can say is "Test before you go!" ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
I'm in the early stages of planning a trip around Africa, and will soon have an opportunity to buy some camping gear in Canada, which apparently is cheaper than here in England. On the subject of stoves, I'm not clear from reading this thread whether anyone knows of one that works OK with leaded (African) fuel. If there isn't one, what would be the preferred choice of you guys for a stove in Africa?
James |
Hi there,
In Africa I used a Sigg and that was a disastrous stove. After I bought an MSR (Whisper??) and that's a wonderful stove. I use it now for 2.5 years without cleaning!!!Burns everything (but I am not shure I ever used leaded..) I know guys who use the oldfashioned Optimus-stove with great joy in Africa. Its the one 'folded' in a metal square box.... Peter |
I used a Whisperlite 2000 while in Europe for the summer (1991) for 3 months and never had a problem with it clogging. I only cleaned it once that summer, after using lighter fluid in desperation. I found it to work very well.
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Hmm. Never has an item of equipment elicited more words, or shall we put it the other way round, never has so many words been expended, from/by more riders than /on arguably the most crucial of travel items, the humble stove!
Yes the stove is both crucial and humble. There in is found one more of life's many paradoxes. Be that as it may, American savvy and hard sell has again succeeded in transforming an ordinary object, in this case the humble stove, into a glamorous and glossy object much sought after and debated by roaders not unlike an egroup of fashion designers discussing the merits of their latest creations with names just as inventive and evocative - dragonfly, whisperlite, whatelse, whathaveyou. So, if I may add my penny's worth: using the gasoline in your tank which is intended to fire your engine to light a stove meant to heat up your cold beef is an overkill (no pun intended). You may prefer not to think of the hazard to health blown your way for the duration of a few minutes after spending years behind a soot-spewing third world logging "saiwong" (bare-knuckled truck)in a traffic jam, but methinks the practice runs counter to what should be in every roader's handlepack - the minimalist treader's pocket reference. The practice may impress onlookers among whom may be fellow roaders who may be sorely pressed not to feel technologically challenged in the same the other group of onlookers, the locals, with their stick-and-strands method of starting a fire, are likely to feel technologically deprived. This brings us to the next sensitive roader's maxim of not doing anything to drive yet another wedge between him or herself, BMW'ed, and the locals, BMWless, thru whose tribal lands we are roaring through. The advice then? As far as possible, use what the natives use. An acquired skill? Okay, you may use your MGS WHISPERLITE, but go kerosene. Smelly, but no worse than roader's grease and sundry else. The locals use them too. I've said my say! |
So, your stove plugged up. At least it didnt set you on fire, right. I have been using an old XGK MSR for years. This stove came with a jet cleaning device that had a wire mounted on the end of a little lever . Every time you use it you clean the jet and no problems. Leaded or unleaded plugs fuel will plug any XGK jet. My stove doesnt have a shaker jet so you can throw yours out if you do it my way. In my experience they too are not perfect. My stove howels. Sometimes it clogs, but it never fails completely(like my R 80ST). Nothing's perfect so we live with it because its the best, safest and most reliable stove so far that burns motorcycle fuel. MSR should be able to supply the jet unclogging device. The jet on the XGK is easy to reach. When I shut down the XGK I blow out the flame when it is low and then run some unlit vapor thru it. Be careful or it will relight with explosive results. When possible cook on the campfire.
One more thing I do is pack everything in an Outdoor Research "Padded Cell". This soft carrying case is made specifically for the XGK and holds the stove and a full liter sized fuel bottle. There is also a compartment for spare parts, matches, the unclogger, a stove wrench and a lighter. The wind screen fits as well along with a rag for cleanup. This case really tames the beast and various sizes are available for the Wisperlite stove and your water filter also. Way cool. Available from Campmoor but hard to find in the catalogue. Look near the backpacks. Msr has an 800 number and wants to help you. Use them for questions and repairs. Stay loose, smile and wear your earplugs when you run the XGK . Bill [This message has been edited by moonbmwr (edited 17 November 2000).] [This message has been edited by moonbmwr (edited 17 December 2000).] |
For my input,I used an Optimus "fold up in a box" type for many years in Africa on leaded fuel and never had any trouble. My MSR is good but I get fed up assembling and disassembling it and being covered in soot when putting it away, even when using white gas. Smelly hands! As for fuels, just remember, gasolene has double the amount of energy than kerosene which in turn has double the amount of energy of alcohol.
------------------ Tim ('91 R100GS-PD) |
I have a dragonfly and love it (except for the noise, especially in the morning). As for leaded fuel: Lead is a deadly poison. I believe the guy who thought of using lead as a gas aditive eventually came down with lead poisining. Even the Romans learned of how deadly lead can be. Cooking? I'd avoid it at all costs, especially over long periods of time.
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What Optimus stove were you referring to above, Tim? I'm looking for a stove to take to Africa, and if you truly had no problems, I'm going to try to return the Dragonfly I just bought and find an Optimus.
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Thought I would add my two bob's worth to the discussion on stoves. I have used both SIGG and MSR multi-fuel stoves with reasonable success using unleaded petrol which is available most places in Australia. (They run even better on a product called Shellite which is sometimes available and is - I think - some sort of high octane "clean" fuel). Even so, the stoves require regular maintenance to keep them running and cleaning soot-covered clogged stoves by torchlight after a long day in the saddle is not my idea of fun. many years back in Africa I used an Optimus stove. I can't remeber the model number but it was the smallest in the range and the fuel was pressurised by the heat from the burner (not the greatest design I've come across). Needless to say, with leaded fuel the mongrel thing was more trouble than it was worth and I eventually ditched it. I never did replace it for many years reorting to a trick I'd seen in an old movie about the Desert Rats. Empty a can of beans or whatever into a cooking container and punch a few holes around the rim of the empty can. Fill it two thirds with sand, add a little petrol from the gas tank, place the can on the ground well away from anything of value, stand back and light the fuel. It burns (smokily) long enough to heat throgh the food and to bring water to boil for coffee. Just bury the junk when you've finished - no extra gear to carry around and no reliability problems - minimalist indeed.
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The Optimus stove I referred to is an "8R". It comes in a metalic blue metal box which on unfolding, sets up the stove for use. It's still on sale here in Oz (A$80) so I guess it's still being made. All you do is put the control knob in the side and to avoid loss, this is retained by a chain. The brass resevoir holds about a pint and is pressurised with a pump. The box measures about 8x8x6 inches, so it's not so small. They also make a smaller version but I've never used it. In 10 years of use, I never cleaned it after using any sort of petrol in Africa (unleaded hadn't been invented then). Being in a box, you just fold it up and go (clean hands). Optimus have been making petrol stoves for a very long time. I had a Coleman a few years ago which needed a new preheating tube after 2 years when it became clogged (with lead?). So far, I haven't had to clean the MSR but I tend to stick with white gas if I can, mainly because it burns cleaner and is available. I don't like the pump though as it's plastic. I would prefer brass with a leather washer for reliability.
I have fitted to my R100GSPD fuel lines two in-line quick disconnects from Wudo (A$70). These are great for filling your stove easily or dismounting the tank in seconds. Tim '91GSPD |
Love this thread!
Tim, the stove you're talking about that is "8x8x6 inches" isn't the 8R - the 8R IS identical in appearance - but is a miniature version at 5x5x3 inches. The big one was called the 111, if I remember rightly. There was also a multi-fuel version of it. The 8R is still available. It is functionally identical to the Svea / Optimus 123, (and THIS design goes back over a hundred years!) and another one in an aluminum can, exact same size as the 8R, can't remember it's designation. I had an 8R for years, and it was a very reliable albeit noisy stove. There is an optional pump for it that works well to increase the heat. Leaded fuel does clog it badly in my experience, but that was 20 years ago. The design MAY have changed infitesimally since... and I'm not making a joke, the design was old 30 years ago and never changed that I know of except for the optional extra pump addon. Tim says it works well with leaded - that would be nice if it does! Speaking of fuel, to help everyone around the world understand what everyone else is talking about: Shellite = Coleman Fuel = White Gas = the recommended fuel for: all "gas/gasoline/petrol 'type'" liquid fuel/non-kerosene or alcohol stoves. Re the health aspects, I use a lid on the pot as much as possible, and don't worry about the fumes - I'm sure I breathe more in a daily commute to work than I would from the stove. And I stay upwind! Tim, I like the quick disconnects! I've been using a separate fuel tap on a T junction. Nice, but it's now died and I can't find a suitable replacement. Naturally. still looking for the perfect stove... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif ------------------ Grant Johnson Share the Dream! at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com |
About as bad as having a clogged jet is filling the fuel bottle from the tank on your machine after dark. I fought with this on my BMW until I stuck a 12 inche piece of fuel line in with the stove. Now I pull off the fuel line to the carb and attach my 12 inche piece. The petcock is easy to control with this system. Dont over fill,about 3/4 full. The beasty stove will simmer better sort of.Wear your headlamp. Rehook the old fuel line immediately or pay the penality we all have. Stop before dark next time. Bill.
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I'm looking for a stove aswell.
I got in touch with Optimus (http://www.optimus.se) regarding the suitability of leaded petorl for their range of stoves. Their website states that you'll probably die : ) if you use petrol leaded or unleaded! This is what they sent in reply to my question... Any kind of car gasoline is bad for any kind of stove, and EXTREMELY bad for your health. Technically, the Nova is capable of burning car gasoline, but it will clog the stove more frequently than other fuels. It will also expose you to cancerogenic substances, that in a worst case scenario could develop into leukemia. This has nothing to do with what make/kind of stove you use. Car gasoline (both leaded and unleaded) is dangerous because of all the additives that are put in the fuel. As a manufacturer of stoves we feel we have an obligation to warn about this. ------------------ Would it be true to say that they are overstating the safety aspect of petrol for stoves? |
I discovered Trangia stoves while backpacking in the States and Costa Rica. Since then I used it almost every condition you can imaging.
plus: * unbreakable. you basicly have to run your bike over it to get broken. also for packing this is easy. * works in all weatherconditions (rain, heavy wind,...) * with some inspiration it is easy well-placed on any surface. no danger of seeing youre precious hot water running away in the sand... * there is noting to block up * I believe they are cheaper than MSR stoves or any other quality camping stove. (in belgium) * last but not leas: no danger for explosions. minus * it is limited in sorts of fuel it can burn. I wouldn't know wich is more economical, the MSR or Trangia's. Any other Trangia users outthere? [This message has been edited by fireboomer (edited 27 October 2001).] |
Just to add one more vote for the MSR Whisperlite -- I used one for 4 months in Southern/East Africa using unleaded gas, and it worked just peachy -- never clogged.
Had it in the pannier of my bike, no problems with vibration damaging "declogger". Have to buy a new one -- mine got heisted along with an almost brand-new ultralight tent (and a manky old down sleeping bag and my favourite pair of designer jeans). Right here in the there-is-no-theft-here UAE. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/frown.gif |
Dammit, this thread is maddening - now I'm losing faith in my much loved Sigg Fire-Jet! I've only ever used it with unleaded and although it cakes up with soot it doesn't seem to matter whether you clean it or not - the soot only collects underneath.
So Peter, please tell me why your Sigg was so bad in Africa! I want to know if I should ditch it before I head off. Even more worryingly, Sigg don't mention stoves at all on their web site - have they lost faith in their product too?? |
We are having problems with the Dragonfly stove we are carrying (clogging up daily) and I'm running out of methylated spirits for my trangia. Anybody out there managed to buy meths in Pakistan and India ?
------------------ Kirsten http://www.worldtriumph.co.uk address fixed by Grant [This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 27 January 2002).] |
I've used the Optimus from London to Thailand. It's great.
Yes, it is filthy to use bike fuel. Just stay out of the way of the smoke. But it means saving space; when you are two-up with camping gear every litre counts. It is simple super-tough and burns petrol. Perfect for overlanders. |
For more information on stoves and to make it even more complicated, take a look at: http://www.spiritburner.com
and http://stovecollector.tripod.com/ Regards Mads -traveller & stovecollector ------------------ Mads/Norway http://www.geocities.com/mads-are |
Ok, I,m going to wade in and add (confuse?), some more.I have used an Optimus 8R for years in north america and mexico, with both coleman fuel and gasoline,both leaded and unleaded.It always worked fine, but using the square lid as the pot,(minimalist) and the small fuel resivoir, I found it messy and time consuming, setting it up ,filling with fuel, and dirty scorced lid evry time,but it always worked.
I liked the idea of the MSR shaker jet, but dont like the seperate fuel bottle,it takes up more room and has to be hooked up every time. I inherited an old beautiful round aluminum Optimus svea 123, but concerns over aluminum pots,(it contains two) and being untested (by me), I decided not to use it on my on my rtw trip. The stove that I have chosen is the Coleman exponent 550B. It is the modern version of the Coleman peak 1. One piece, decent sized fuel resevoir, pump up and light, no fuss, and I found a plastic bucket with top that it fits into perfectly. However, upon doing research about gasoline compatibility, I learned that they are not warranteed if used with Canadian gasoline. It seems we put some additives in our gasoline( for cold weather use) that eat the generators in coleman stoves, so with spare generator on hand, I will set off rtw for a real world test. I can always have the Optimus svea sent to me if needed, and if all else fails the old 8R. I hope this clears things up, ha! |
Am also thinking about getting a multi-fuel stove, and this thread is great but I'm getting confused! All stoves seem to be poor at burning petrol - correct? So should the choice of stove come down to how easy it is to clean?
Considering the Optimus Nova over the Dragonfly as (in the UK) it's £15 cheaper, comes with a bottle and has an aluminium plunger. Dragonfly - £115 in the UK, $99 in the US! |
I've been using an optimus Nova for about 2 years and I have to say it is fantastic. I put standard petrol in it when I'm with the bike and it is fine. Yes standard petrol does burn a little dirtier but nit much. When using the stove on long trips I find it needs cleaning after about 3-4 hours useage. (About once a week to 10 days ish). It is realy easy to clean and is only a couple of munite job.
Bo not that the reason you should use white gas rather than normal 'road' petrol is that the latter contains benzine which rots the seals of the stove over time (like a year or 2) so get some spare seal. They are cheap and it isn't hasle Chris |
OK - this is my opinion. I love my Trangia. I've used it throughout Europe with no problems, and have even dropped the whole thing down the road at about 35mph. Dented, but fine. Doesn't pack up as small as some, and isn't as light as others. But you have what you need to cook in one package, and you can always leave some bits behind!
The main problem? It runs on meths. I don't get why this is such a problem for so many people, as meths (white alcohol) is not only easy to get in *most* places, but is also extremely low-density (very lightweight) and not so volatile as petrol. It also doesn't smell as much, burns cleanly and can be used as a cleaning agent. I think I'll be taking a litre of meths on my african trip ... and if it runs out, I agree with a previous poster - when in rome, do as the romans do. I will be cooking on a log fire if necessary. |
In 1996, I put leaded gas in my MSR Whisperlite. We got the gas at a station in Peru (we were climbing, not riding). Used it for 2 weeks or so, never a problem. Mine has a shaker jet, shake it briefly before and after every use. I think it's important to let the MSR get really hot and cover your food. Since boiling water wants to escape out, I don't think too many bad chems can get inside the pan. Use a stainless steel or Titanium (expensive) pan.
------------------ Kevin http://www.nohorizons.net |
if the other stoves can burn petrol, why not the simple trangia?
------------------ dave |
Petrol has twice as much heat in it as Kerosene which has twice as much heat as metho. By my calculations, if you have a Trangia, then you need four times as much fuel as a petrol stove.
On a similar thread, an Australian inventor has produced a tiny stove which will burn absolutely anything and has no jets. It's called "the blowfly". I hear MSR might take it up. Tim |
An other downdraft for the Trangia:
It is quite hard to find the right fuel in some places... Africa for ex... Think I am gonna have to buy me an other stove in the future. But they stay unbreakable and very safe in my eyes. |
The DragonFly is a good stove in my opinion, however, Optimus Nova has got to be the best I have ever used. In 18 years of using liquid fuel stoves I keep going back to Optimus.
Desert heat to Norway colds they work perfectley at all tempratures and altitudes. You really do get what you pay for. Geordie |
Has anyone used a Sierra Zip stove?
http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ory_rn=4500455 I'm trying to decide on a stove to go anywhere with(S.America in near future), and all signs seem to point to this one. Looks pretty rugged, light and compact. Cheap too. Anyone know why it may not be a good(best) choice? The only downside I've heard is soot/smoky smell, but I prefer that to leaks/gas smell(when carrying in pack on hikes). I guess maybe in barren desert/glaciers/etc it'd be tough finding fuel. |
Tim,Fireboomer,
i meant why cant you burn petrol IN the trangia? ------------------ dave |
Has anyone used an ex-army Hexamine stove? They seem super-lightweight and good enough for limited occasional use?
See one here on the right... http://www.strikeforcesupplies.co.uk/pics/mugholder.gif |
Hi,
Not wishing to see this fantastic thread come to an end, I just went to my local Mountaineering equipment shop and they recommended a Primus Omnifuel stove that claims to run on any kind of fuel, liquid or gas, even aviation fuel! It looks good to me, has anyone tried one? http://www.primus.se/ Cheers Andy. |
Too right apatrick we can't let this die just yet. Look on this link under making your own gear. Lot's of home made stoves - mainly seem to be variations on Trangia.
http://www.backpacking.net/. Interesting and a bit scary, but could get you a temporary stove in a pinch. I take no responsibility for loss of eyebrows etc. My own experience is mainly with paraffin(kerosine) stoves - best being optimus 111 (in the blue box). good heat output and fuel capacity, but hard to light in wind. I have just bought some preheating paste (modern version of using meths to warm stove up) so will see if that fires it up better. Also a fan of trangia - the only stove which actually likes wind.Last few years this is what I have used, but I travel in places where meths is available.(Incidentally you can reduce boiling time by raising pan a further 10mm or so above burner- don't know what that does to fuel consumption). Recently got a Coleman Sportster 2 stove which will burn unleaded petrol, but not impressed with burning time, wind tolerance or cold morning performance. Will continue to test, possibly with preheating paste as I like the idea of using the bike's fuel tank. I have used ex army hexamine stove,good for short periods, but fuel seems to absorb moisture and become difficult to light. As has been said, the search goes on. Great thread. |
Sorry - left this link out of last post - it refers to trangia boiling times.
http://www.ultralight-hiking.com/stoves-trangia.html Seems like others are equally fascinated by their stoves. |
Well, I took the plunge and went for the Primus OmniFuel. Light, small and looks really solid including a very robust looking aluminium fuel pump. Claims to burn anything combustible including leaded fuel (only not recommended for health reasons) and comes with different jets for gas, white gas/ petrol and diesel/kerosene. Cleaning the jet takes about 10 seconds with the nifty 'bit of wire on a stick' provided. Fired it up for the first time last night and boy does it go! It has more power than the cooker in my house! Only 30-40 seconds preheating time required, flame adjustability is really good and controllable with 10 half turns to go from gentle simmer to mental boil. Well impressed and worth the money I reckon. It's even a few quid cheaper than the Dragonfly which has a plastic fuel pump plunger and a shakerjet thing that seems like an unnecessary gadget IMHO.
When I've actually used it and bashed it about on a real trip I'll let you know how it goes. Andy. |
Well, as the starter of this thread (2.5 years ago!) it certainly has made for some interesting reading.
We just spent a year travelling throughout Europe and then into Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco for the winter. Since Europe is hideously expensive (at least for Canadians) we camped as much as possible. The Dragonfly worked reasonably well throughout that time, needing a good cleaning at about the halfway mark of the journey. While in Tunisia (after about six months of continuous use with unleaded fuel) we started having trouble. The flame would extinguish easily and the boiling times increased. Also simmering (the best feature of the Dragonfly) became spotty. After much disassembling and cleaning without success I took out the in-line fuel filter. This improved performance significantly but not to the same level as with a clean fuel filter. Apparently the filter acts as a regulator of some sort. This filter is just a little white thing that looks like foam and couldn't be more than 2 cents to make. In Morocco we arranged to have some supplies sent out, including a spare parts kit for the stove. ($140 in customs duties and taxes for $60 worth of stuff!!) Installing the new fuel filter included in the kit fixed all the problems we had. The stove worked perfectly again. A few months later, when back in Europe, we started dropping by camping stores to see if they had these filters in stock. We eventually found that you must buy the entire maintenance kit in order to get the 2 cent filter. Back in Canada my Mom went to the Mountain Equipment Coop and mentioned the filter problem to the staff there. They rooted around and "borrowed" a filter from their demo model. Other than the filter we had no problems with the stove. It was essentially self-cleaning with the shaker jet. Somewhere along the line (in Spain I think) I picked up a set of disposable, plastic gloves (used at self-serve gas stations for filling with Diesel) and wore those when filling the fuel bottle from the quick disconnect on the bike so no more smelly hands. Come to think of it, it wasn't the filling of the bottle that was the smelly part, it was unscrewing the top of the bottle when there was still some gasoline under pressure in the bottle. When working well (with a clean filter) the Dragonfly boiled water very quickly and yet was able to simmer low enough to make rice pudding. A happy user http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif Ekke Kok Redwood Meadows, AB 1989 BMW R100GS |
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