Originally Posted by
nsherry61
Well yeah, unless you count being a nuisance and dangerous(ish) to prime, or deafening to listen to, or heavy compared to other modern alternatives, or not good in high winds without an auxiliary windscreen which then dramatically increases the danger of overheating, or requires maintenance that modern canister stoves do not, or requires pouring of fuel and associated risk of fuel spills . . . I'm sure others can remember a few more failings of this iconic stove.
Let's not wax to poetic about this highly functional, but far from perfect stove. There are many good reasons it is no longer the market leader it was generations ago. There is a reason that my SVEA stove sits on my shelf unused along with my MSR XGK that replaced the SVEA in my pack in about 1979. They both still work. They both hold a place close to my heart in my memories. BUT, I haven't used either in decades because of the many better options for my use these days.
Now days I like stoves that are lighter, easer, cleaner, smaller, safer, more reliable and/or quieter.
There is no doubt that lots of old technology worked well and continues to work as well as ever. And, there is no doubt that we get obsessed with having the latest and greatest which isn't always better than the old and cherished gear. BUT, why (other than posterity, which is a damn good reason) would anyone choose to spend $75 on an old Svea stove now when there so many less expensive, modern "stoves that are lighter, easer, cleaner, smaller, safer, more reliable and/or quieter."
Along these lines, I've got an old scratchy felted wood blanket for sale, probably from my dad's days in the 10th Mountain Division during WWII . . . no even the army was more modern then, they used down sleeping bags with a light cotton outer fabric. ;-)
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