White gas

[soilman]

I hiked the entire AT with a Svea 123 and used unleaded gas probably 90% of the time without any problems. I cleaned it regularly and replaced the original orifice with a self-cleaning one. After I finished my AT hike I gave the Svea to my brother and bought a Coleman multi-fuel stove. I used that mostly with white gas but occasionally used unleaded. Still have the Coleman. I used a alcohol stove on my 2010 AT thru but since then I have gone stoveless.

[cmoulder]

All sorts of charts re BTU.... here's one I sometimes reference.

Yes there is significant variation, so I like to use those round numbers when that particular myth arises. A lot of people think naphtha has a big advantage when in fact it is butane that generally has a small advantage.

I don't bake so I can't address that issue.

[bikebum1975]

As my Svea approaches 50 years of reliable service, I have no reason to change to a stove that burns much more expensive fuel, puts out far less heat, fails in cold weather, or any combination of the above.

I habe a svea in the same age range took it out a few months ago had been sitting for better part of almost 2 years andit just sputtered right to life with the first light. Sure I have canister and alcohol stoves but I have zero reasons to give up my white gas stove they just work. The svea and Coleman may be a bit heavy to some but ease of use and less maintenance are hard to beat them

[cmoulder]

I.......The svea and Coleman may be a bit heavy to some but ease of use and less maintenance are hard to beat them

Easier to use and less maintenance than Pocket Rockets and Starlytes?

What's less than none, lol?

[bikebum1975]

Easier to use and less maintenance than Pocket Rockets and Starlytes?

What's less than none, lol?

I was referring to other white gas stoves

[cmoulder]

OK, misunderstanding on my part — I thought it was a continuation of the point in the previous sentence.

That said, I used XGKs and Whisperlites a bunch and never found them to require very much maintenance, nor to be all that hard to prime, which is something people seem to complain about quite a bit. Biggest two maintenance problems were pump flange breakage (although it could still be pumped) and scuffing/damage to the o-ring where the fuel tube inserts into the pump.

It is interesting to note, however, that both Whittaker Mountaineering and American Alpine Institute have switched over to canister from WG for expeditions.

[colorado_rob]

Just one more vote for canisters vs. white gas.

I've used white gas stoves for a couple of decades, first that dinosaur Svea (beautiful dinosaur though!), then both the XGK (AKA the Jet Airplane) and the Wisperlite. I still use the wisperlite in the winter and on long cold expeditions as my tests and calculations show that that system is slightly overall more weight efficient than a canister setup (separate argument).

But for 3-season, non snow melting long distance hiking, the Jetboil setup is amazingly simple and efficient. I even think that for heavy hot water users like myself (I love my morning coffee and evening tea), the Jetboil Sol Ti stove, without that silly cup thingie and "pot stabilizer" thingie, is the single most weight efficient system for hikes that are longer than 3-4 days, even more efficient than any alcohol setup. It's all about fuel efficiency, and the Jetboil is second to none.

There is zero maintenance with canister stoves, but as said, not much with wisperlites either, but bottom line, white gas setups are silly for AT hikes, though you still see them used, and they work for some. I do hate seeing all those burnt circles on picnic tables all over the place though, I sure wish people would practice priming their stoves before using them on the trail....

[colorado_rob]

Woops! I meant to say I've used WG stoves for FIVE decades, and canister stoves for a couple of decades.

[zelph]

Practice at home and don't be in a hurry. But....as we know, canister users are in a hurry or else they would be using alcohol as a fuel

[cmoulder]

I always thought of the XGK as an F-15 on full afterburners. Great way to wake up everybody at 4 am when it's -25°F.

Dan, I'm almost always using alcohol these days, and really diggin' the XL-3 with the Sterno Inferno, as is Kevin B with his Sterno setup!

However, when I want to go crazy light I'll take the Esbit setup with Toaks 550. Hard to beat at 4.4oz, with fuel at .8oz per day.

[zelph]

I always thought of the XGK as an F-15 on full afterburners. Great way to wake up everybody at 4 am when it's -25°F.

Dan, I'm almost always using alcohol these days, and really diggin' the XL-3 with the Sterno Inferno, as is Kevin B with his Sterno setup!

However, when I want to go crazy light I'll take the Esbit setup with Toaks 550. Hard to beat at 4.4oz, with fuel at .8oz per day.

That set-up with the 1 gram BGET and three 4 gram esbit tabs to boil 2 cups is the best way to go. Next spring I'll be making titanium BGET's with the bread pan corners.

[Slo-go'en]

As a veteran white gas stove user, I am happy to have moved on. I don't use my seven pound external pack any more either.

[cmoulder]

That set-up with the 1 gram BGET and three 4 gram esbit tabs to boil 2 cups is the best way to go. Next spring I'll be making titanium BGET's with the bread pan corners.

I'm trucking right along with the 5g Esbits... recently boiled 2 cups of 36deg water with 2 of 'em. I know you prefer the reduced odor of the 4g tabs but, like Col. Kilgore, I love the smell of Esbit in the morning!

[Cheyou]

I don’t use my carbide headlamp anymore . Usually bring a lighter instead of my bow and drill friction kit. Just started using bird feathers stuffed in fabric instead of bear fur blankets .

[blw2]

I don’t use my carbide headlamp anymore . Usually bring a lighter instead of my bow and drill friction kit. Just started using bird feathers stuffed in fabric instead of bear fur blankets .

Can you get fuel for that thing any more?

When I was a kid, I remember visiting my grandparents in the mountains of KY. My uncle had one of those head lamps. He showed me to drop a lump of carbide down a crawfish hole.....listen to it bubble for a bit, then drop in a match..... they were those white tipped strike anywhere ones....and quickly stomp the hole with your heel to seal off the hole......

hey they didn't have TV, what else are you gonna do?

[cmoulder]

Just last week I was checking the weather radar on my phone to see if I could use just my bivy or if maybe I should put up the tarp also.

Times have changed, eh?

Never had a carbide light, although I used one of these bad boys a lot. Remember the Petzl Zoom? Incandescent bulb and 4.5v pancake battery, had a spare bulb inside the housing. I got the very first Tikka to hit the market and never looked back.

old petzl.jpg

[colorado_rob]

I used a carbide lamp spelunking in southern Indiana the early 70's.... yikes! Gotta be really careful with carbide (technically, Calcium Carbide).... Do NOT keep some in your pocket then wade through some water....

Ramble all you want on white gas stoves being "archaic", they are not, and are probably still the #1 type of stove used on mountaineering expeditions, though at pointed out below, canister stoves are becoming very popular for larger groups.

But still, white gas as a fuel on AT hikes (or other long hikes) is indeed a significantly less efficient option, though you still see a lot of them out there. To each his own!

[Hikes in Rain]

Can you get fuel for that thing any more?

To my surprise, you can. And some other fun toys to use it in. http://cheapcarbide.com/

[zelph]

I don’t use my carbide headlamp anymore . Usually bring a lighter instead of my bow and drill friction kit. Just started using bird feathers stuffed in fabric instead of bear fur blankets .

Carbide fueled stove:

carbide stove.JPG

[Cheyou]

Carbide fueled stove:

carbide stove.JPG

Do you have them in ti and in stock ? :0) ha ha