Backpacking stove failure

[fatbacks]

Has anyone experienced a stove failure in the back country?

I’ve owned an MSR reactor for 6 years now and have a trip planned this fall where no wood is available to make up for a stove failure.

I had to send in my reactor this winter after it slowly lost power. We had it in the brooks range and it just started taking forever to boil water. I’ll chalk it up as a semi failure. They replaced it no questions asked. I also had a backup stove at the airstrip.


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[as.ks.ak]

That pot looks very similar to my Olicamp pot.

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Def the same. I thought you said you were using a toaks. My bad.


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[motts]

Gregg! I copied you and got the same pot. I’m not sure what stove you’re using. In conjunction with that pot. But I LOVE the setup. Im using an olicamp stove. And found a pot with the heat baffles to use. So a bit of a different setup but same idea. I used a dremmel and notched out spots for the stove arms to slide into as well. I got burn time down to just over 2 mins I think. I have some screen shots from a video I took. Let me see if I can dig them up...the cuts aren’t perfect. But I cleaned them up once I was done with the rough fit. So don’t judge me off these pics!!

I did the same modification to my OliCamp pot a couple weeks ago and was very impressed by the increased efficiency. It definitely bucks the wind a little better now as well. I use a Kovea Spider remote canister stove and an older MSR Pocket Rocket with it.

 

[AK Troutbum]

whats your boils time on the set up?

I can’t remember exactly but I did a side-by-side comparison using that little BRS stove and a couple different pots along with a standard Jetboil SOL. It was all done in a pretty controlled environment and that Olicamp pot/BRS stove combo was just as efficient, and boiled water just as fast as the Jetboil. I didn’t really care how long it took to boil the water, my main concern was trying to get as light and efficient of a set up as I could get.


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[AK Troutbum]

Def the same. I thought you said you were using a toaks. My bad.


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I have been using a Toaks 650For a couple years now but I just bought that Olicamp this past winter, and plan on using it for all my trips when I’m partnered up with someone.


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[OldGrayJB]

Reactors only quit when they're out of fuel.

You have (arguably) the most reliable stove on the market. I wouldn't worry about a backup.

 

[Titan_Bow]

I’ve been using a Pocket Rocket and Olicamp pot with the heat exchange fins for years and never even thought about it failing. What is the draw or benefit to something like a JetBoil or MSR Reactor? Is it just boil times? Granted, I’ve never been in a scenario where I’ve had to boil snow for water or anything like that, and 99% of the use is heating water for tea and backpacking meals.


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[ColeyG]

I've been a huge fan of the Reactor since it was introduced. In addition to the personal ones I've owned, I've probably purchased 15 more as part of guiding and work programs I've been a part of over the years. They are very efficient and very reliable and the best solution to the backpacking hotwater maker I've used so far. I still use mine ever year on backpack sheep hunt and don't foresee that changing anytime soon.

Of the 18 or so Reactors I've personally used or sent to the field, I've only had one develop an issue of any sort, and unfortunately it was a total failure, i.e. the stove was inoperable. Less than ideal for day 1 of an 8 day ski traverse out of the Alaska Range in winter. Fortunately it was a group trip and we had two other stoves (Reactors) along that got us by.

I am not sure what the problem wound up being as the Reactor isn't a field serviceable stove. The burner head took a hard hit in transportation and something inside the stove rattled loose. Something with the fuel supply/delivery process and/or orifice I'd guess.

Despite this event, I continue to take the Reactor far off the beaten path with no plan B. It is a solid stove and system. It has been a long time since I've picked up any other stove for a backpack mission despite having a Pocket Rocket, Whisperlite, Simmerlite, Dragonfly, XGK, and Jetboil to choose from. I should probably have a garage sale one of these days...

All of the liquid fuel stoves and pumps require some form of maintenance and/or spare part kits to rely on with confidence I'd say. The downsides of these stoves tends to be their weight and bulk. One very distinct advantage is that they are field maintainable and serviceable and won't leave you stoveless if you have a proper repair and maintenance kit and know how to use these things.

 

[Beendare]

I’ve seen 3 butane stoves fail in the backcountry2 were Jetboils- all had plastic parts.

I probably sound like a broken record on this site, but The back country is no place for a stove with plastic parts.
—-

 

[Blockcaver]

My MSR Pocket Rocket is probably 15 years old without a problem...used several weeks a year.

That said, I had two Hank Roberts canister stoves fail 30 years ago. They would plug up and you could not clear the orifice with the little wire provided. Junk...each burned about 2 canisters of fuel before failure.

Also had a little Optimus white gas stove start throwing fire out of the pressure relief port on the cap. Before it burned down the heat ruined the PR spring.

Had a pressure regulator fail on a 2-burner Coleman propane stove. 20 years ago. I bought a spare after that as we were on a 10 day quail hunt in AZ in late Dec when it happened. My wife likes to cook in the tent vestibule (now the truck camper) and it sucked not having the stove.

 

[AgentVenom]

I’ve never had a stove fail either, but if you’re really concerned about it, I’d just buy a little BRS 3000. They weigh less than an oz. and are super cheap. I have a couple of these, but I’ve only ever used one, and I’ve used it exclusively for all my backcountry excursions, going on 3 years now.

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that looked intriguing so I threw one in on an amazon order. I wouldn’t have given it even a cursory glance before due to the Chinese writing. I’ll give it go. Might become the bu to my MSR.

 

[AK Troutbum]

that looked intriguing so I threw one in on an amazon order. I wouldn’t have given it even a cursory glance before due to the Chinese writing. I’ll give it go. Might become the bu to my MSR.

I have a handful of these little stoves and although I don’t know for sure, I’d be willing to bet that they’re all made in China, or somewhere really close. I consider where something is made with just about everything I purchase, and I’ll gladly pay more for American made products, but I don’t know if anybody even makes these type of stoves in the USA.


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[archp625]

I have a handful of these little stoves and although I don’t know for sure, I’d be willing to bet that they’re all made in China, or somewhere really close. I consider where something is made with just about everything I purchase, and I’ll gladly pay more for American made products, but I don’t know if anybody even makes these type of stoves in the USA.


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I think Im going to pick of a PR 2 and a Toaks this weekend. Any negatives on the MSR Pocket Rocket 2?

 

[ColeyG]

The Achilles heel of the Pocket Rocket, Jetboil and other stoves with small burners, is wind. They are nice and compact, but their fuel efficiency and usability go way down when it's windy out. The wide burner and heat exchanger that is part of the Reactor kit does much, much better in the wind.

 

[2rsquared]

I’ve never had a stove fail either, but if you’re really concerned about it, I’d just buy a little BRS 3000. They weigh less than an oz. and are super cheap. I have a couple of these, but I’ve only ever used one, and I’ve used it exclusively for all my backcountry excursions, going on 3 years now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNLSNFR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_t738EbH16FRQK


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I run the BRS 3000 as my main stove. Works great and packs small and lightweight.

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[AgentVenom]

Just finished a 3 day 2 nights 24 mile hike (2,000 elevation change - up over, up over No more than 800 feet gradual at a time trail) first for my 8, 9 year old. I figured two hot meals For 4 people- would Be a good (Easy) test for the BRS 3000. Well end of day one my MSR pump filter won’t maintain pressure while pumping (after 12 years I think a seal or two more might have went). So I had to boil all the water (16+ liters a day) plus two meals. It ran like a champ! Luckily I brought a second tank cause I went through 1.5 it seems to run slightly less efficient then my pocket rocket but hard to tell the pot I brought was for cooking and not flash boiling so heating up took longer.

but this is def going into my kit for when I’m cutting weight or space.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have been an MSR whisperlite guy for a while and had very few issues from the Appalachian trail to the Himalayas. I carry one of their repair kits and think I have used it three times for field repairs In 25 years. For longer, group trips I generally prefer more than one stove.

I use a pocket rocket and a jet boil now and then but I still prefer white gad for some reason.

my emergency kit has 3 Esbit tabs in it an I can rig a pot stand from rocks. A small twig fire is enough to warm water for coffee and mountain house (or sterilization) but the pain in the ass factor is high and it isn’t legal everywhere.

 

[Wrench]

I've had a iso canister fail. Just last month I damn near burned my tent down when it shot raw fuel out the mixer tube. I've been using these stoves for close to 30 years and never seen that happen.

Beyond that, my 20 plus year old primus piezo igniter quit when the insulator broke. I pulled it and hi temp silicone and its back in business.

 

[meta_gabbro]

I've had an Optimus Crux regulator fail (stuck open), and a BRS-3000 melt on me. Apparently the BRS issue is somewhat common, just due to lax QC, and they're only so-so about replacements when that happens. I've got a Soto Windmaster now and it's been great.

 

[Clarence]

Got it

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