Questions for the stove experts.

[Kevin Egelhoff]

I just ordered the MSR Windpro as I think it has the best potential to make a light weight stove that I can use for our group hikes of 5 people. We typically are out for 6 to 10 days so we need the canister stove for all the group cooking we do which is mostly just boiling lots of water. I think the remote canister setup is going to work well as I can now incorporate a nice windscreen and really start looking at conserving fuel. Plus, we will be able to use the modified windscreen (Thanks to Bill F.) as a wood burning stove in areas designated acceptable to have fires.
I'm now looking at taking the stove apart to remove the legs and wanted to know if you think I can also remove the pre-heat section of the tubing that passes over the burner and just go straight into the stove. I don't plan on using the stove in conditions below freezing? Do you still need the pre-heater to "vaporize the fuel" or can this be bypassed if you don't encounter super cold conditions?
Also, I want to have a plate of aluminum as the support piece that holds the stove and radiates the heat up towards the pot. Can this be mounted directly under the burner? Maybe just 0.5" below it? Seems like there would still be plenty of air to circulate to the burner. Not sure if this would affect the performance?
Would love to hear all advice before I tear into this one.

THANKS
Kevin

[Roger Caffin]

Hum ….

If you remove the legs, what holds the pot up? Will the new version be any lighter?

If you want to cut out the preheat tube you will have to remake the connection from the short remaining bit of the preheat tube to the flexible hose or rebraze the connection between the tube and the jet holder. Both are liable to be a little tricky, and you want to be 1000% sure the result won't leak gas.

Aluminium support plate and reflector – can be done, but of questionable value.

The WindPro is actually one of MSR's better stoves imho. Trying to improve it will be a little difficult, but we will be very interested in what you achieve.
(A titanium version would be interesting!)

Cheers

[Kevin Egelhoff]

Thanks for the info Roger. This is basically going to be a similar version to BIll's "Son of Balrog" stove using the aluminum windscreen that allows one group stove to be used as a canister fuel stove AND a wood burning stove. I already have the aluminum part built and now just want to figure out what to do with the burner portion to make it lighter and to work with the alum windscreen. Legs come off just like Bills as the windscreen holds it in place with the support plate / reflector. I will take a CLOSE look at the pre-heat tube and see if I can remove it without messing it up! If it leaks that is a disaster in the making!
At what outside temperature would you REALLY need the preheat tube left intack to make the stove work properely?

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Kevin

Ah, OK.

> At what outside temperature would you REALLY need the preheat tube left intack to make the stove work properely?

Well … I have used an upright at -5 C, but that took some doing.

There is no simple answer to this. What happens is that as you draw fuel from the canister, it evaporates inside the canister and cools the remainder. The longer you have the stove running, the colder the canister gets – and you are planning on cooking for a number of people with it. I have had frost on the canister when the air temperature was at least +5 C – and the stove stopped. Evaporation! :-)

If you put the canister in a bowl of (liquid) water you are supplying heat to the canister, strange though that might seem. And you can add a few spoons of warm water to the bowl as you go, so you can keep going to -5 C if you try. But at -5 C the water in the bowl is going to start chilling down as well, by its own evaporation. Tricky.

I suggest you look carefully at what weight you might possibly save by chopping some of the tube out. It is not going to be more than a few grams. It may well be that having the option of using the canister inverted when it is cold may save you that much fuel weight in one night, just by making the stove so much easier to use.

Personally, I would take the WindPro just as it is, in the expectation of having to use the canister inverted on a night or two. Chopping it might save you 50 grams at the maximum, but at the expense of considerable complications, unreliability and worry for the whole group. Remember: 50 grams is 1/5 of a standard teacup of water – that's not a lot. There is something to be said for reliable gear. Myself, I would look for weight savings elsewhere.

Just my 2c.

Cheers

[Kevin Egelhoff]

Roger, Thanks. That seems to put a lot into perspective on doing all the work to eliminate the preheat tube. Think I will just remove the legs and try it out.

Kevin

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Kevin

Happy to help.
Pictures and report needed of the result of course!

Cheers

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