MSR Whisperlight / Internationale

[David Kuchtrczyk]

Basically a slightly heavier version of the Simmerlight at 11.5oz. This stove comes in 2 versions, the Whisperlight and Whisperlight Internationale, which also burns kerosene and unleaded automobile fuel.

It’s fairly bulletproof, I’ve never had a failure of any type or had to replace any parts after years of service. Even the pump cup still makes a good seal (I leave fuel in the bottle all the time).

It’s almost 1/2 the price of a Simmerlight for a bit more weight. Stove works in three modes, OFF, Med and High. If you use the bottom heat shield you can set the stove directly on hardpack snow with minimal melting under it. A titanium version would be nice as would titanium bottles but I expect the price would be too high for most people.

[Devin Montgomery]

For years, this was the Model T of backpacking stoves, and for good reason. Runs on almost any fuel, easy and reliable to use in all conditions, "light" for traditional packing. Can accomodate and quickly heat large pots for a group.

Its biggest downfall in the ultralight realm is its weight – at more than a pound including an empty aluminum bottle, this thing is serious overkill for 3 season, Ti mug camping. I never could get a true simmer out of it (flow valve is sensetive) without holding my mug much several inches above the holder until I made a stand extension for it (more weight). It also has a lot of small parts that require maintanece after extended use.

Having said all that, I still use it for winter and foul weather camping, and I would rate it at a 4.5 for those conditions. It'll melt all the snow you could ever need, and it would take a gail force to blow it out. There's still nothing that beats it's fuel versatility. If you can find a gas station (or even an abondoned car and a syphon) you can fill it up.

If you have it, keep it, if only for the rare winter expedition. If not, look into the far lighter inverted cannisters systems that are coming out now. There are also plenty of instructions on how to invert your own. Just be careful not to blow yourself up.

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