[pct-l] RE: Seeking advice on MSR stoves

[john@frozenpoodle.com (John Brennan)]

John,
I have an MSR Dragonfly and it's great for simmering.  I also have an MSR
International and don't notice any difference from the standard Whisperlite.
If you want to be able to control the flame level, out of the three you
mentioned, the Dragonfly's the way to go.  It's just so he a v  y.  Some of
the homemade stove are reporting simmer rings.  I'm just starting to explore
these options because they are *so* much lighter.
To save fuel and so I won't need a stove that can simmer, I'm will be
testing on-stove, off-stove rice and/or bean cooking.  I'm pretty sure it
can be done, it's just the interval I want to figure out.  I plan to make an
aluminized fiberglass container for my large cooking pot. The plan right now
would be to start soaking the whole grains mid-day, bring them to a boil
with the large day meal, slip them into the insulated container (cozy?),
reheat with night meal, slip into cozy overnight, then eat in morning and
for lunch.  Writing this out, it seems pretty complicated.

Does anyone have experience cooking whole grains (brown rice, kamut, rye,
job's tears, barley, etc.) on the trail?

Does anyone know where I can get aluminized fiberglass?  (It's what the
backcountry oven use for their product.)  Is there a better lightweight,
heat-proof, sewable, insulating material?

John B.
in sunny Santa Cruz

--
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 09:07:01
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
From: John Musielewicz <a123456@bitstream.net>
Subject: [pct-l] Seeking advice on MSR stoves

Greetings Group

I have been using a MSR Whisperlite stove for the past 15 years and
actually used it when I hiked from Campo to Yosemite a few years ago. I
mostly burn either coleman fuel or unleaded gas in it. Unleaded works
pretty well except it stanks and the stove jet needs to be cleaned
frequently. Anyway I am planning on hiking another leg of the trail and
decided to replace my Whisperlite with a multi-fuel stove. I have been
looking at the MSR international and the dragonfly. MSR claims the
dragonfly is a super simmerer which is important when cooking rice and
beans. Has anyone used either of these stoves and that can make any
comments on how well they work esspecially for simmering? How do each work
for winter use? The weight seems to be reasonable- around a couple, three
pounds with fuel and bottles. One thing about the Whisperlite is it has
worked well under all conditions for me- any altitude, cold weather, wet,
dry, its a standup little stove and I'd like to replace it with one that
works at least as well. TIA

John