Stove of the Week: MSR Reactor

Sometimes, technology can be brought to bear in ways that change the very game.  So it is with the technology of the MSR Reactor.Hail the inferno; this is the hottest stove out there.  It boils water faster than anything else I've ever seen.  It's not light, it's not cheap, but dang is it effective.Let's take a look.  Here's a Reactor all packed for travel. The handle locks across the clear lid holding everything securely.Inside...

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Stove of the Week: The Borde Stove

Stove of the Week:  The Borde stove I've been blogging about lightweight winter capable stoves for the last three weeks (the Coleman Xtreme, the MSR Simmerlite, and the MSR WindPro).  I'll conclude this series within a series on lightweight winter stoves with this week's post, but I'm going to continue to feature winter capable stoves for a few more weeks, but this is the last on lightweight ones. Next week will feature the MSR XGK...

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Stove of the Week: MSR WindPro

Stove of the Week: MSR WindPro This week's stove is the MSR WindPro. The WindPro is a remote canister stove, meaning that the stove uses a canister of gas that is attached to the stove via fuel hose rather than being directly attached to the stove.  Here you can see the stove and the gas canister as well as the fuel hose that connects them. What's that you say?  You think the WindPro looks just like last week's stove, the Simmerlite?...

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Types of Gas Canisters

Article revised Nov 25 2011. First, there are six main types of gas canisters out there, only four of which are really appropriate for use in backpacking.  The six are:1.  The heavy steel, typically green, Coleman type 16.4 oz/465g 100% propane canisters.  These are great for car camping, but are generally too heavy and bulky for backpacking.2.  The tall steel cylindrical canisters that look like a traditional can of hair spray. ...

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How Gas Works and Winter Choices

Typical backpacking type gas canisters contain a blend of three gasses: butane, isobutane, and propane.Each of these fuels vaporize at a different temperature: butane at 31F (-0.5C), isobutane at 11F (-11.7C), and propane at -44F (-42.1C). If your stove uses its fuel as a gas (i.e. a vapor), the fuel has to vaporize before it reaches the burner. If the outside temperature is lower than the vaporization point (boiling point) of your fuel, your fuel won't vaporize (it'll stay liquid), and your stove ceases to function. You can shake your canister...

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