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  • Stove Has No Heat Adjustment? No Problem!

    Stove Has No Heat Adjustment? No Problem!

    The Problem

    We love having a light, reliable kitchen setup but hate cleaning burnt food from the bottom of our ultra-thin pots. This is partially our pots fault, but our non-heat-adjustable stove is mostly to blame.

    The Stove

    We use an MSR Whisperlite Internationale multifuel stove which has lasted years and years without a single problem. We literally use it 700x per year at the moment – it’s bombproof! Our only gripe sometimes is that we can’t change the heat level while we’re cooking.

    Why don’t we use a heat-controllable gas canister stove, or a MSR Dragonfly or Primus equivalent?

    We already had the Whisperlite long before our multi-year trip, but we also like that it’s super quiet compared to other multifuel stoves, lightweight, small and an easy rebuild. Another bonus is that we never have to locate gas canisters! Our fuel choice is petrol, as it’s easy to come by, cheap and isn’t wasteful of aluminium cans.

    If you know your Whisperlite well, it’s possible to pressurize it to a low level (for simmering a curry) or high level (for boiling water) when you start it up. But once it’s on, you can only increase the pressure and therefore the temperature. This way of adjustment unfortunately doesn’t allow us to boil veggies first, then simmer our curry later. There is a minimal amount of adjustment at the control valve too, but it’s not enough to simmer.

    Make sure to read our full review of the MSR Whisperlite Internationale for more information.

    The Pot

    Using lightweight pots is a great way to both ride up hills AND burn your food quicker. Our super thin MSR titanium pots are absolutely brilliantly light, but sometimes it is hard to stop things burning to them. 🙁

    The Solution

    Our solution is what we call the SIMMER RING.

    The simmer ring provides a distance buffer from the flame, which we’ve found to be highly successful for meals that need a slower cook, or are susceptible to sticking.

    The simmer ring can be found for as low as $1 (we found ours at a 100 yen shop). We use a stainless steel cake tin with a removable bottom, but you could easily use a metal steaming lid with the mesh cut out.

    Note: The idea to do this came from Benjamin and Anne who are cycling about the world.

  • Review: MSR Whisperlite Internationale Stove

    Review: MSR Whisperlite Internationale Stove

    The MSR Whisperlite multifuel stove has been a favourite for bicycle tourers, hikers and travellers alike, for both its simplicity and versatility. The major drawcard is the fact that this stove runs on petrol/gasoline. I can roll into petrol stations all over the world and typically fill my fuel bottle for a dollar. That gives me enough fuel for a few weeks use, but more importantly, I never find it stressful sourcing it.

    I’ve now used the same MSR Whisperlite stove for 10 years, that includes two years where it was used twice per day. Oh, and I’m currently using the same stove for my current bike tour from Argentina to Alaska!
    msr whisperlite

    Using The MSR Whisperlite

    The MSR Whisperlite needs to be pre-heated, and that takes time. You need to fill the lower cup with fuel, light it and wait until the metal is hot. It’s during this time that the stove gets really sooty and black. I’ve found that after you’ve finished using it, you can blow most of the soot off easily.

    The stove’s performance with petrol is quite poor. It can take up to five minutes to boil a litre of water, depending on the quality of the fuel. Time has never really been a big concern – I do other things while water boils.

    My only gripe with the product is that I can’t change the heat level while I’m cooking, but more on that below…

    The MSR Whisperlite Fuel Pump

    The plastic componentry and rubber seals of the fuel pump were a worry for the first few months of my original multi-year trip. Slowly but surely I built confidence in the materials and have now been burning some dirty, DIRTY petrol for a long time. Ultimately, the MSR Whisperlite pump ended up lasting 1500-2000 uses before it gave up the ghost, leaking even when it .

    I ended up replacing it for my current trip CyclingAbout The Americas.

    Why The MSR Whisperlite Rocks

    – You can burn almost any fuel available all over the world (I always use petrol/gasoline).
    – I’ve only JUST replaced the seals in the pump, after using the stove for four or five years. Due to the Whisperlite’s simplicity and sound construction, it seems like it will genuinely last a lifetime.
    – It’s silent compared to other multifuel stoves with simmer control (eg. MSR Dragonfly).
    – It’s super easy to clean and rebuild.
    – It burns very cleanly and efficiently with high-quality fuels such as ‘Shellite’.
    – It doesn’t require aluminium cans (like a gas canister stove) which can be a pain to find, and frankly, a waste of resources.

    Why The Whisperlite Doesn’t Rock

    – You have very little heat adjustment at the control valve when you’re cooking. If you know your Whisperlite well, it’s possible to pressurize it to a low level (for simmering a curry) or high level (for boiling water) when you start it up. But once it’s on, you can only increase the pressure and therefore the temperature. I have a solution for this problem though: the SIMMER RING!
    – The stove’s performance (boil time) is quite average compared with other camping stoves out there.
    – The most recent model has teeth on the top of the legs to keep your pot secure when cooking. The problem is that the legs are sharp and tend to cut through the stove bag (or whatever the stove is packed next to).
    – When using petrol, the Whisperlite is dirty. I blow off most of the black grime after use and store my stove in a plastic ziplock bag to prevent it making everything else dirty. It’s also possible to use a clean fuel (eg. Shellite) to prime the stove (preheating the metal so that the fuel instantly vapourises) before turning the control valve to run the stove on petrol.

    Price

    US $150

    Would I Buy It Again?

    The Whisperlite is a brilliant product for cycling around the world given its reliability and versatility with different fuel types. If it’s any consolation I’ve yet again taken my stove on a multiyear adventure through the Americas.

    That said, the Whisperlite isn’t ideal for short tours through regions where you can pick up fuel canisters or burning alcohol. It’s possible to save weight, lighting time and dirtiness by using a smaller, lighter, faster and more adjustable canister stove.

    Similar Products

    – MSR Whisperlite Universal (multifuel + canister stove)
    – MSR Dragonfly (heat adjustable but really, really noisy)
    – Primus Omnifuel

  • Video: How to use Petrol with your MSR Multifuel Stove

    Video: How to use Petrol with your MSR Multifuel Stove

    We give you a few tips on how to best run petrol with your MSR multifuel stove!

  • Travelling with Stoves and Fuel Bottles on Planes

    Travelling with Stoves and Fuel Bottles on Planes

    Airports… gotta love ’em.

    Getting gear through airports is annoying… but it has to be done!

    Although I’ve never had any difficulties; people all over the world travelling with empty stoves and fuel bottles have faced problems when flying with their camping gear. Some airlines and airports are quite happy to let you take your fuel-using gear travel with you, however many others will give you a hard time or flat out refuse to let you travel with those items. You cannot bring any flammable liquids, including gasoline, in either your carry-on or checked luggage, so make sure your bottles and stove are definitely empty!

    It is ridiculous that airports go through this process because – without ranting too much – once emptied, fuel bottles and stoves pose no risk of explosion. But to keep airports and airlines happy, let’s just do everything we can to make sure our stoves are on the plane with us!

    Please do not take fuel canisters for canister-stoves on planes! There is a low chance these will make the flight, so post them to your destination or purchase them locally!

    With this information in mind, here are some tips to get your gear on the plane with less fuss:

    Wash your stove and fuel bottle as thoroughly as possible with washing detergent or soapy water

    Make sure all of the black residue is removed from your stove before you fly

    Giving stoves and fuel bottles a good clean is recommended by all airlines as well as the Department of Homeland Security in the US so that no vapours or residue are left.

    Fill your bottle with coca cola or vinegar

    Fill your bottle with coke to get rid of fuel smells

    I’ve heard of people leaving coca-cola or vinegar in their bottle for 24 hours to ensure that there is no trace of fuel.

    Cover your fuel bottle with stickers or tape

    To create less of a fuss with your fuel bottle, I’ve heard of people covering their bottles with stickers or gaffe tape so that it appears more like a water bottle than a fuel bottle.

    Remove the lid from your fuel bottle

    Make sure the lid to your fuel container is removed and duct-taped to your fuel bottle, or packed separately somewhere else in your luggage. This makes it obvious to the customs officials that the bottle is cleaned, emptied and aired out. You can take it a step further with a note attached that states, “Fuel cap removed to demonstrate that this bottle is empty of fuel, has been cleaned and aired, and is absent of fuel vapors” if you wish.

    Keep your cool

    If customs questions your stove, keep your cool

    If someone is giving you a hard time about travelling with your stove or fuel bottle, make sure that you remain calm. Letting loose is not going to get you anywhere. Avoid the temptation to be argumentative, and remember that the airport officials are doing their best to ensure that all passengers are safe.

    Arrive at the airport early

    If you do get pulled up for travelling with a stove, this can take some time to work out. Get to the airport as early as possible to make sure that everything (including you) gets on the plane!