MSR WhisperLite Universal Compact Hybrid Fuel Camping and Backpacking Stove

Great all around compact stove. Made in USA. MSR/Cascade Designs is a reputable company. I've dealt with them on Thermarest stuff and they've been very honorable. Replacement parts should be available for a long time too.This stove appears to be expedition worthy. It comes with a tool for servicing the whole thing in the field. Wherever you are in the world you should be able to find something that it will burn. It runs on gasoline, white gas, kerosene, or butane canisters. It feels very solid.I've only used it on one 3 day backpacking trip so far, and this is my experience...I bought it mainly to use butane canisters (that's all I tried so far) and backpack with. It boils water quickly, and is able to simmer at a very low flame. The flame control is very good. The hose coming off of it is a little too stiff though and can be a little annoying. I would prefer that the stove not move the bottle around and vice versa. It fits nicely in the bag along with a large butane can. The weight was fine but not ultralight. The heat shield is just a folded up piece of round aluminum which I did not use. I did not bring or use any of the liquid fuel accessory parts.I think that the main downside of backpacking with this is the weight. It is light for what it does, and it does it very well. But, if all you want to do is boil water quick and carry a super light pack, there are options at about half the weight. I've weighed this and all of it's parts separately so you can figure out how much it would weigh in any configuration.All weights are in pounds done on a certified Hobart digital deli scale.0.59 = stove alone with the canister valve attached.0.19 = gas/kerosene pump0.04 = service kit. (tool and all orifices and extra O-rings)0.03 = plastic butane can holder0.07 = bag (stuff sack)0.13 = wind screen0.04 = ground heat reflectorMy setup with fuel weighed in at 1.60 lbs. (0.74 for stove and 0.86 for large butane canister)Yes I would buy it again. I may get something different for a windscreen though and may buy a dedicated ultralight stove for some backpacking trips.

This is probably the best camp stove I have ever owned. I have had one for close to 2 years. Just bought this replacement after mine got stolen. "They were jealous of my stove prowess" Now I will be completely honest I normally use a small caster stove "Primus Express W/ Piezo" It is used when I’m backpacking solo or with just my wife. Now when Motorcycle, or group camping I always defer to the MSR Whisper Lite Universal Stove.Now here is what I have to say about the MSR Whisper Lite Universal Stove.First of all the stove has 3 legs that fold up to save space. They are very strong and can support a significant amount of weight. I’ve had a 3 liter pot of water and it supported it no problem. Second is the fuel. This stove can burn just about any fuel. I have personally used canister Fuel, Gasoline, kerosene, White Gas (gas condensate from gas wells), Primus Super Fuel, and Coleman Camp Fuel. I have used Alcohol but it pits the container and degrades the seals on the pump. Now I have met people who have used jet fuel in there stove. Long and short if its liquid fuel this stove can burn it. “Just not diesel”. Third is the assembly of the stove. It is incredible simple to assemble, disassemble and clean.I will say this, the MSR Whisper Lite Universal Stove is not for a solo backpacker or someone who likes to bring dehydrated meals along with no plan to deviate. It’s just big. Now if you are going with a group or where you have a means of transport aka. Motorcycle or in your car it’s a must have.

Ever since I was camping with my dad as a kid, I've wanted a whisperlite. I finally got one, and it's fantastic.This thing does a whole lot more than my Dad's whisperlite, though. It burns butane better than a butane stove--the butane you buy at sports stores is expensive isobutane, which works in lower temperatures than cheap N-butane. Thanks to the preheat loop on this stove, though, I've used N-butane down to 10°F (-10° Science). Since N-butane has a lower vapor pressure, it requires a less robust canister and is consequently lighter overall per unit of energy you get out of it.Which is great, except that this stove's white gas capabilities kind of obviate its butane capabilities. White gas has a substantially better gross energy density than either form of butane due to its minimal container requirements, and with an aftermarket heat exchanger pot and proper use of the included heat reflectors, you can get energy efficiency of over 70%, rivaling or even surpassing that of stoves like the jetboil. Plus, white gas is CHEAP compared even to N-butane.One of the biggest complaints about the whisperlite is its inability to simmer. True, it's not great at it. But you can get it to work by partially unscrewing the cap on the fuel bottle to release pressure, screwing it back down, and keeping the fuel bottle pressure just barely high enough to keep the stove lit. The low flame is not that efficient and will leave a small soot stain on the bottom of your pot, but it's actually not too bad and dramatically expands your ability to cook more nuanced meals in the backcountry.

I love the whisperlite and I personally prefer it to other alternatives but when I bought a new one an opened it the white gas fuel adaptor was not in the box and was extremely disappointed but other than that it works perfectly, easy to use, and will last you a while