BEST Backpacking Stoves Test - MSR XGK EX vs MSR REACTOR vs MSR WHISPERLITE vs VANGO GAS BURNER
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ม.ค. 2021
- MSR WHISPERLITE - MSR REACTOR - MSR XGK EX - VANGO GAS BURNER -
I own all of these stoves so I thought to have some fun testing them out for cold weather performance. The temperature was measured at minus 3 degrees on the summit of Slieveloughshannagh at 617M in the Mourne Mountains Northern Ireland. The test was to boil 500ml of water as fast as possible. A few surprises with this one and a few outtakes too.
All filmed using Sony A7111. Tom
Video Sponsored by Ledlenser - www.ledlenser.co.uk/
Subscriber discount - head over to the link above for a 10% discount off all Ledlenser genuine products.
Use Code - THA10SAVE ATB Tom - กีฬา
![ชวนน้องลงทุ่ง - เงาะน้อยเพชรบ้านแพง X น้องมายด์ [ Music Video ] Official Saman Music](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bq7Hw9culjE/mqdefault.jpg)
For multifuel stoves, I own Primus Omnilite Ti, MSR Dragonfly, and MSR Whisperlite Universal.
My favourite is MSR WLU, because it has a preheat coil to help fuel to be ready to burn.
MSR WLU is my favourite also because we can modify the air inlet to be fully closed or half open. By tuning the air inlet, we can burn alcohol without needed to modify the standard petrol nozzle jet.
We can also burn alcohol with MSR DF and Primus Omnilite Ti, by modifying the nozzle jet to 0.7~1.0 mm. Drilling the Primus OLT is easier than drilling the MSR DF's which is a harder metal.
Most people said that the MSR Dragonfly is the king of multifuel+simmering, well I agree. Thought, I cannot see an absolute difference compare to the simmering quality that MSR WLU has. We can still make the simmering on MSR WLU more smooth by making the needle fuel adjuster more pointy, a little bit, just a little bit and not too much drill.
Simmering quality on Omnilite Ti is not better than MSR WLU nor MSR DF. The flame sometimes is not consistent.
Burning LPG on a modified connector on MSR DF is a bit challenging, unless we go from preheat mode. Inverted mode is preferable for it, in my experience.
MSR WLU also still my choice to burn LPG, because it has the inverted mode adapter, compare to Omnilite Ti and MSR DF.
The last reason why MSR WLU is my favourite, is because it can fit the Trangia windshield without needing to use any adapter.
MSR WLU is my choice for multifuel-versatile stoves.
For an ultralight stove, i still use the CHS alcohol stove. Because I avoids bringing gas canister while travelling.
This is great input thank you and provides great depth of information to other watchers. ATB Tom
Thanks Tom & Happy New Year from the US! I’ve watched this video a number of times and really appreciate your time and energy put into such great videos.
Hey happy new year to you too.. I really appreciate the comment.. This is an older video but was fun to make in very harsh conditions to film . Best wishes Tom
information always delivered with a true talent, thank you for sharing and explaining; appreciate the company too!
Hi thank you for watching and of course the positive comments. This was a really though video to do due to the freezing conditions but I really enjoyed it trying to bring a full field test to my viewers... ATB Tom
Brilliant video, nothin beats MSR!! Loved the videography, as always.
Hi Phil, your right as long as its their stoves as not a great fan of their tents!! The videography was some challenge and with only one boil chance on each stove no chance to do a couple of takes or re shoot the shots. I had a few people come and start talking to me too just when I was trying to capture the boiling water and the time on the stopwatch! Maybe I should have gone up Donard for less people ha ha!! Thank you for your positive comments and send me some pics of your new (worlds strongest tent) in action... ATB Tom
Great review , you looked extremely cold, so really appreciated your efforts. Really surprised by the Vango boil time. Thanks for sharing. ATB stay safe
Hi Dessie, thank you for your comments. My hands were a bit red for sure and it was an effort especially waiting for the water to cool between boils!! I was surprised too but had had a go with it in my back garden the day before and it did well there too but I though the cold would kill it but it didn't!! ATB Tom
Thanks Tom.Might invest in that little vango after watching that.Looking forward to more of your videos.Happy new year.
Thank you Joe. It's a great little stove which punches above its weight even with this lot.. ATB Tom
Awesome to see these stoves battle it out, thanks for getting out there in the cold and showing this to us. I've never used a white gas stove before, in winter I go for a wood fire or a trangia normally and just have patience 🤣 but that whisper lite stove has me interested. Loved those beautiful sunrise shots! And the outtakes lol.. Cheers Tom🍻
Hi Pete, thank you once again for your comments - I think I enjoyed doing the review!! I love the snow and to get snow here in Northern Ireland you need to be on the summits. The summits have no source of fuel so need to use white gas or gas itself.. Having some thoughts on lighter options though so might do a video on that if I decide to go down that route. The Whisperlite surprised me how well it performed compared to the XGK. Not nearly as expensive either.. Decided to include a couple of outakes just to show the reality of filming and have a laugh at my self too... ATB and hope to see more posts from yourself real soon. Tom
Tom, that was a beautiful morning on Slieve Loughshannagh to do your test. The £30 option looked good for its burn time. I could literally feel your cold hands ❄️❄️ and admire your perseverance👍 It can be really tough to film in cold conditions.
Hi Gerry, thank you for your comments... Yes a great morning with not too much wind but visibility not the best! I was well surprised by the £30 stove too and how well it did. I conducted a sort of trial run in the garden the day before and it performed very well there too. Filming in conditions like these was definitely a challenge. Hard to correct mistakes on testing like this too. ATB Tom
Hi Tom! The Reactor can be finicky to start at times with just a lighter, since its flame might get sort of deflected by the rough outer mesh or not reach close enough. What works best for me with it (in snow, no risk of setting fire to the moors!) is these ferrocerrium "firesteel" rods, the sparks land right inside on the metal foam and ignite it pretty reliably even in stronger wind. Or a lighter from the sides where the logo is, as there is a small hole in the rough mesh there. Pretty sure you probably know that, but might be helpful for others :)
Hello and thank you very much for your comments. Yeah I have looked on the MSR website and seen the comments about the sparks working better than with a lighter. It is great that you have sheared this here as a reference for others. I have found it difficult sometimes to light the reactor but always managed in the end as I carry a number of small lighters and one always works. Might be time now though to try the Rods I must admit. I always try lighting above the logo too but that still on occasions takes a couple of go s. ATB and thanks for your input once again. Tom
A well deserved hot chocolate and excellent comparison in those harsh conditions. That Vango looks to be great value for money. Cheers
Hi James thank you, yes its a different ball game trying to do something like this at a location and in such conditions. If I was to do it again I would do a few things different but sure that's always the way. The chocolate was actually great once I eventually got to drink it. Hope you are well and thanks for your support once again. Good weather for a trip up Slievenagolough!!! ATB Tom
Interesting and I really admire your determination! TBH all the fiddling around setting up HAS to be included in the boil time. It's a bit like the plane being faster than the train except it's not if you have to drive 30 miles to the airport and check-in 90 minutes before the flight. I like the overall preparation start -> boil time as a true measure. My choice is always to go for convenience and cleanliness first and then choose based on what will work at the temperature range I'll be operating in, I'l sacrifice a bit of extra speed. Wind resistance is also a massive factor for me. Generally the best for me is the MSR Reactor, it is quick, it is clean, it works in pretty much all the conditions I'll encounter and it is very wind resistant. Hope you enjoyed your hot chocolate and got warmed up!
Hey thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it.. Yes I agree regarding the burner set up and preparation being relevant... I too use the reactor more for most of my camps unless I maybe just want to have fun with one of the petrol stoves.. The reactor just works so well for a great range of conditions and is very efficient. It loses a bit of pace once the gas gets low but thats ok by me.. After all the filming I definitely enjoyed some time having a brew than you... best wishes Tom
Thanks for the struggle, you suffer and I'm entertained.
Hey no worries great that you were paying attention to see me suffer 🤣🤣 live to fight many more days in the cold, sure its fun afterwards laughing at it yourself... ATB and thank you for your comments.. Tom
Great comparison video!
Hi Jeff, thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. ATB Tom
It looked a lot colder than minus three! I'm going to get a msr reactor very soon,very impressive quality.thanks for the cool video
Hi Daniel, thank you for commenting and watching of course. Yeah it felt a lot colder especially filming and my hands getting wasted with the cold. It just takes too long to do everything with gloves on... You will love the reactor. One of my good friends from Outdoors inspiration (TH-cam Channel) got one after using many different stoves and really loves it. Its a little heavy but makes up for it by the power. I used to work for Cotswold Outdoors and one evening we were having training on stoves. A lot of the staff brought in their stoves for the training and we had a boiling water test. My MSR Reactor wiped the floor withs all of them and two other staff members went straight out and bought one.... ATB Tom
Great job as always Tom. Hard to beat a hot chocolate in the hills with those conditions! Cheers
You got that right thank you I really enjoyed it. Great just to be out too but the hanging around between water boils could have been better. ATB Tom
Vango looks good for price/performance
Great video. Thanks Tom
Hi Mark, the Vango works very well. It is a little heavy though but that's the only way I could fault it. A great little stove as a first time one or if you just fancy a change without spending too much money. ATB Tom
You just convinced me to get a hand torch lighter. I had no idea Ireland had mountains. This was a treat to see.
Hi Patricia, thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Yes Ireland has many mountains but none too high unfortunately... We get snow maybe 5 or 6 times a year on the summits. Once maybe in the valleys.... ATB Tom
Very nice, I like the reactors secondary role as a heater!
More like primary role ha ha. Thank you for our comments. ATB Tom
Your red gloves are very cool 😂
Thanks for the test, greetings from Italy
Yes they are great in the cold... The whole thing would have taken me hours to film with proper gloves... Thank you for watching and commenting... All the best Tom
You looked like the cold was getting to you there Tom 🥶- Fabulous scenery. The Vango remote canister stove looks like a Fire Maple, which is also identical to the Alpkit Koro... huge variation in price but the same product. The Reactor... what a Bobby Dazzler that is 😊🥳👍
It sure got to my hands but that was about it.... Had a look at the Koro and it actually looks impressive. But the REACTOR is king once its lit.... Did you see the "NOT FOR DOGS" Quote at the end just for you and Petra?? ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 - I did see it 😂
Nice video tom, was thinking of getting the msr reactor after seeing you use it in another video, you looked like you were freezing btw 🙂
Cold enough after being stationary for so long letting the water cool between each boil. Should have carried up another litre.... Thank you for your comments and I would definitely recommend the Reactor. ATB Tom
Like the real world testing, surprised with XGK EX. Have a 2 litre home made pot set inside a heat exchanger which is between two skin's of aluminium and tight fitting lid, to go over cooker which is fastened to a base board for melting snow. These a friend has made for various Polar Expeditions brings snow melting / boil times right down. Have put wind shield from XGK loosely around MSR Reactor so gas canister keeps a bit warmer and burns better (can dig a hole in snow and put Reactor cooker in does same thing, need insulation under gas canister). Looked quite a chilly day the sort that chill's one to the bone when sat outside not moving, appreciate video thanks.
Hi Finse. Your comment came up as likely spam so I just approved it thank you. Good tips for the reactor. Yes I had a heat exchanger a few years ago but I wanted to keep the weight down. I didn't use the windshield on the reactor and thinking it through maybe I should have. I suppose I wanted to help the Vango stove out a bit giving it a fighting chance and knew the Reactor did not need any help!! The not moving sure does let the cold through to your hands at least. ATB Tom
I may have to look into getting a different type of stove after my gas stove really struggled in the snow this weekend
There is so much choice and if you only want to boil water fast then I have had good experience with the MSR Reactor. Most MSR stoves are a fairly safe bet as the company has vast experience making stoves.. It is always frustrating when something doesn't work especially in harsh conditions. ATB with your choice. Tom
Nice video - I reckon something is up with the XGK though - I'd be checking the jet and fuel line as it seemed a bit starved and sounded a bit quiet. I also find that one of those flint sticks is the best way to get most stoves lit (and you can keep your gloves on!)
Hey thank you for the advice. I will actually check the XGK as I was a bit surprised myself..ATB Tom
I had a finicky Reactor, I ran it down to the MSR warranty shop in Seattle, the guy gave me a new burner, now I have two Reactors and they are awesome. I have the XGK, the Whisperlite international and a Dragonfly from MSR, the Reactor isn the stove I grab when I head up Rainier to melt snow.
Hi Richard, thank you for watching and taking the time to comment and share your experiences with MSR Stoves.. I had a few issues with my reactor too but it was replaced no worries by MSR. A great powerful stove to boil water very fast... ATB Tom
Another great review, Tom. I have all of these stoves except the Vango. I like the MSR Reactor with the lowdown remote canister for stability and easier to put the canister in lukewarm water, but adds a little weight. I like the XGK with white gas or kerosene, but for some reason, I don't like bringing the gas in my pack...it doesn't leak, but I always think it will as I move through elevations. What is interesting is that none of these are good for me for a tent vestibule...too much flare up on white gas and the CO discharge from the MSR is quite interesting in testing from articles I have read online. Probably fine, but I prefer outside. I always also wonder about the fine mesh on the Reactor - if it became wet, would it work? Trade-offs everywhere, as always. Great review!
Hey thank you for the comments and watching. This video is quite old and gave me many challenges filming and completing a field test under these conditions. I love all of the stoves here for different reasons but have now moved on to lighter options to get my pack weight down.. Yes the reactor can be difficult to light on some occasions so it may not like the wet.... All the very best wishes Tom
One trick I learned in the Military with the reactor canister if you place a chemical hand warmer packet under the concave bottom then place it in a wool sock it keeps the fuel in the can warm no matter how cold it is. I was in Spec Op and was in all types of Arctic climates and it worked I place it in my sleeping back at night also
Hi Dojocho that's a great trick that I honestly would never have thought of..Keeping the gas warm makes a massive difference to the boil times and also the fuel used. I really appreciate you sharing this information here... ATB and I hope that you are still getting out on many camps..Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Hey props to you Tom You were freezing your hands there but had the b*lls to keep going. I know what that's like. One tip about cold hands if you have to do very dexterous work..get scuba gloves they keep hands warm and have a sticky rubbery surface and water proof They come in different warmth levels depending on the water temp you dive in.
@@dojocho1894 hey thank you once again for your advice.. Might just give them a try... ATB Tom
I just put the cold canister in between my legs for 2 min and good to go!
Great video Sir. However, you looked and sounded very cold. Hope you don’t get I’ll making the video. I have to say I like my Reactor even more after having seen your comparison of the different stoves. The radiant heat the Reactor gives is great. I have this notion that the Reactor is a safer heat source because it doesn’t run an open flame, but I really don’t know if this is correct. Anyways, I really enjoy your videos. I would really like to see how you live/organize your Soulo tent during a winter stay/hike, and the logic behind it. Can always learn something from others experience. Best wishes for the new year 🇳🇴
Still fighting fit no harm done. Only my hands were cold and I will be out for more asap.. Yes I smile like a cat as soon as its lit seeing the burner glow red hot. I gave it a nice panning type shot in the video too to show case it ha ha. Thank you for the idea on tent organisation and logic. I will do something like that soon and you can look out for the Reactor shot as it will be there... ATB AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. Tom
Last 35 years....only msr whisperlite, optimus 8R, sigg firejet....never used propane/ butane... Always ordinairy car gas... After some years buying a new stove was cheaper than buying spare parts... Intensive weekend use in the Ardennes... climbing and wild camping... Stopped the climbing...i am almost 65... And wait til easter for the first camp....
Thank you for your comments and experience of stoves over the years.. Easter is not too far away so hope your first camp this year goes very well. ATB Tom
Where did you get those bright red hands from, Tom ? Ha. The winner for me was the Whisperlite, obviously not because it was the fastest, it wasn’t, but because is was just an inconsequential 20 seconds behind the Reactor. I’ve got a MSR Dragonfly and was thinking that a Reactor was essential as everybody raves about that type of stove. So, you’ve just saved me over £100 - drinks are on me !
.
BTW for interest, the Dragonfly is noisy and I bought the QuietStove damper cap to avoid waking the dead souls. It worked as far as noise is concerned, but it completely upset the burn: flaring and extinguishing. I sold it on. Keep the great videos coming, good TV.
Hi Gary I agree. Its been in my roof space for 5 maybe even 8 years very suity and it just fired up first go and delivered the goods... You will love this one... My friend that has the super quasar also has a dragonfly. It flared up on us one night (probably not the stoves fault) and removed our eyebrows and one of the pole sleeves of the tent...
Back to the SUPER QUASAR, My friend might sell it and I just might buy (based on your comments) it off him as he is not camping any more and it has Easton Poles. Some of it is about personal opinion and we could discuss all day (and sure why not its about sharing experiences). Finally back to the bungies, I never like modifying a tent too much and the bungies most likely reduce the strain on the fly material IMO by their stretching and absorbing force. I would be slow to apply fixed cord in case the lack of flexibility caused a fly rip under extreme wind conditions. If it did rip and you told Terra Nova of your mod I wonder what they would say re repairing it under warranty ! You are right about the brass eyelets for fly tension adjustment. Easy enough but primitive for this day and age and people with bright red hands that glow in the dark.. Great to share and was a bit worried that I had offended you with my previous comments on the Super Quasar. ATB Tom
Ha, I take serious offence at personal comments, but never over a different viewpoint; there’s so much to learn. I don’t have the extreme environment experiences that you have, but I’ve read a lot. Ha.
The MSR stoves do flare and best to give it maximum headroom, or put an aluminium plate above it. How badly is the tube/stocking damaged. You can fix it yourself if small. TN are not expensive for repairs, or use the Scottish outfit that are excellent. One thing it took me years to discover is that the porch can be swung to one side for a much bigger opening with wind protection. Hope it’s the right price for you. Buy a red poleaxe swap the other one around if the tent is ten years old. That’ll double the life of the other for about £30.
The tent comes with Lifetime Warranty for the first owner only, so let your mate handle any claims. You could fit paracord alongside the bungies and then use whichever suits you. Remove for TN if necessary. ATB.
Hi , thanks to show us your summet conquest with sunrise. Someone gave me a MSR Simmerlite, but missing the pump. Do you know this burner and is worth to keep it and by a pump ( red pump ) ?
Hi Normand, not sure I am afraid as I have no experience of the Simmerlite.... You could possible order a dragonfly pump from amazon then return it if its not compatible.... Good luck with getting it sorted... ATB Tom
Tom how could you resist doing a smiley face on one of the rocks fair play chief !!!better man than me have a Kelly kettle myself the Kelly le brock model like a normal one but slimmer more curves but you have pros and cons it’s not great in the wind honestly I tend to favour the whisper myself btw Norman says hi and can come on holiday with you he loves snowdrifts take care ps happy new year from me and mine to you and yours
Hi Christopher, thank you. I almost lost my sense of humour up here due to the crowds of people and dogs and the cold of course... But I did miss a trick re the snow and a smiley face that's for sure. I will think of something for next time soon. ATB to you and your family and Norman of course..Tom
And so you have new subscriber.
Thank you for your subscription and comments across my other videos. I am glad you watched this one as I suffered a bit filming it ha ha. I try to bring as much real world content to my channel s I can. ATB Tom
Hi Tom how do you find canister top stoves in the winter? I’ve taken to using remote and invert the canister to liquid feed as canister top just give up the ghost I find. I see the reactor seems to be popular for winter use but surely must suffer the same problems. The idea of cooking inside my tent in the winter with a petrol stove frightens the life out of me.
Hi Richard, you are right even the reactor struggles when the gas gets low but for me I now use a Soto windmaster and titanium pot purely to save weight but still have decent performance. This works fine but still a bit short of remote stoves or petrol. There will always be sacrifices in some areas for gains in others. ATB and thank you for your comments. Tom
Hi Again Tom. I too thought that the XGK sounded a bit lame. I have both MSR's you tested and I always thought the XGK was a ferocious burner compared to the Whisperlite. I thought maybe the XGK was a bit under pressurised? That difference in boil times seemed huge. I don't think that would be the case from my exp with mine.
Hi again yourself ha ha.. Yeah I always thought the XGK would blow the others away and wanted to show this here to be honest.... I have used it many times and always pump it up until I hear it get no louder so not sure what was wrong here... And I sure don't fancy the hike up here or trying it again.. I must test them again and maybe get someone else to carry up a few other stoves as well... ATB and thank you for watching and commenting on a number of my videos its really appreciated.. Tom
Xgk ex is great but When its really cold ( like -20 or -30 c ) always have a spare bottle pump since it’s plastic it can break .
Yes I have had mine for years. In Northern Ireland where I do 90 percent of my camping the temperature never gets below -2 or -3 on a regular basis so the other stoves work fine... ATB Thank you for your comments. Tom
My first liquid stove was an Optimus 8r....now I have the whisperlite and a Coleman 442... The Coleman needs less pre heating...no carbon..
Thank you for your comments. The 442 is a bit different looking but has definitely a number of good features...ATB Tom
Any problems with the canister not vaporizing because of the cold? I have heard of people keeping the fuel canister in their sleeping bag to keep it warm!.
Yes I would always keep the gas as warm as possible. For this test though I wanted to keep all conditions the same for and to show the difference between the stoves. The are occasions when cooking outdoors that it is not always possible or practical to keep the gas warm.. Thanks for your comments... ATB Tom
Have a look at the Alpkit Koro stove Tom. Similar to the Vango, but it has a pre-heating tube like your multi fuel stoves so that it’s more efficient at vaporising any liquid gas when it’s really cold. It’s also titanium and only weighs 124g. A great little stove and not that much more expensive than the Vango.
Hi Neil, just had a look at the Koro it looks impressive with great spec and features. I don't really need another stove bit I would be tempted as I am sure it would perform very well. Thank you for your comments and top tip. ATB Tom
i just bought msr reactor, tested it for 5 overnights, I love it and hate it, i have a question what about this inner gas pressure control thing, as i read one guys comment it works only for lowering the pressure in hot conditions so it wouldn't overheat, and it has nothing to do with cold weather, i myself struggled it to work on 1/5 gas left in cold weather, my vango stove performed better and sucked the gas till the end, this thing I'm afraid to overtighten the seal, to get this last gas, it's already biting on black bottom magnesium part, I'm thinking about refunding it, because i feel tricked about this inner presure regulator for cold weather, or is it just my bad unit ?
Hi Karl, thank you for your comments. I am aware of your communication with Outdoors inspiration on the reactor. Mine too is not great once the gas gets to very low. The regulator helps with the pressure but does drop off quite a lot once the gas canister starts to empty. Its not a perfect system and quite an old one now but works very well 80 percent of the time. ATB Tom
How come no gloves?
Just too much extra time fiddling with the camera etc. Working with a camera with small buttons with gloves is soooooo time consuming so I just suffered it as not cold enough to do any real damage.... Thank you for watching. ATB Tom
At 2:49 you show the MSR XGK-EX boiling but the numbers you put up said 4:10? I've owned a MSR XGK for over 40 years, and when you turn up the gas, it's a blow torch. I've never noticed it taking longer to boil water. Having said that, this is an unfair comparison as the burn temperature of the Isobutane (canister gas) is 1,970 deg C and the white gas is only 1300 deg C to 1500 deg C. Of course it will take longer to boil the water. The real difference is in use of the stove, especially at altitude and in the cold. White gas far exceeds the limits of canister fuel, further, it's less expensive. Since you are using the XGK-EX and Whisperlite stoves, we need to talk about fuel availability. Isobutane canisters only come one way, where the two stoves I mentioned are multifuel stoves burning White Gas, Kerosene, Unleaded Gasoline, Aviation Fuel, Diesel, and Jet Fuel. All of which you can get almost anywhere in the world. Canister gas not so much. I carry canisters with the MSR PocketRocket or WindBurner stoves 3 seasons of the year, but in the winter, it's always the MSR XGX.
Hey thank you for your comments and thoughts 💭 .. Their are certainly some details that I missed, but it was just a real world test in the coldest conditions I could find where I live. Best wishes Tom
Lol u cant get no peace on a mountain 😂, back to camping👍👍
I have camped at that spot a few times as it has great views. The hills are busy at the moment that's for sure. I even noticed last summer on week nights at remote locations there were a lot of people about. ATB and thank you for your support. Tom
Don't reboil water, it would be poisonous.
Thank you for your comments and advice. I am still here but will bear that in mind for the future. On a test like this and in such conditions I seriously needed a hot fast drink. ATB Tom