MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

I love gas stoves in that I can put the unused portion of the gas back into the tank.

This stove produces a nice spread out flame, rather then one thats concentrates in one small area.

However, this is not a stove for someone that definately requires reliability. It will break and require repairs. MSR gas stoves require a lot of maintanence and it show by the large number of specialized field repair kits they sell.

Furthermore, be tolerant of hands they will smell of fuel. The system design is such that the gas will spray when ever there is presure inside the fuel canister and the cap or punp is removed. There is no way of cleanly exhausting the unwanted presure.

The overall design and quality is questionable. I still use it however, on day hikes and overnights because I don't like having canisters with partial fuels.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

I bought this stove for a two month backpacking trip, but it won't simmer. I ended up returning it to trade it in for a Dragonfly.

"SimmerLite" is a misnomer. (Visualize a burger charred on the outside and raw most of the way through.) It's lightweight for a liquid fuel camping stove, yes, but it doesn't work at all below what I'd call medium-high on another stove. If I try to turn it down more it sputters, flickers, reeks of unburnt white gas, goes out a lot even with a windscreen and no wind. It's worse at higher altitude or in cold weather or with the slightest breath of wind. (White gas fuel only, and that's what I used.)

I was told by a repair technician that with MSR's old pump design it would simmer, "but with the new pump design, it's embarrassing".

All that said, if all you want is to heat water fast it works fine for that, but you might as well save $30 and get a Whisperlite.

If you want a liquid fuel stove that simmers you need to get a DragonFly or Brunton Optimus Nova. I have one of each of those and they seem pretty comparable to me. Both are sturdy, simmer well, boil water fast, are easy to maintain, fuel-efficient, etc. The DragonFly is more stable with really big pots I'd never take backpacking; the Brunton packs a bit smaller and lighter. These roar a bit loud at full blast are but not too noisy when turned down.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

I took this stove on a cross country bike trip, and it performed well. It takes a bit of touch to get good at priming it, but after a while you get the feel of it, and it's no longer a problem. For the first few times, I got some fuel spillage onto the rock that I had it put on, but once I got the feel for it, that never happened again. The temperature is a little finicky as well, but you get used to it. It performed well overall, even though I didn't filter my fuel the whole time.
I was able to make very good pancakes with it, as well as boil water for dishes, cook soup and stir fry, etc. Not for baking a chocolate cake by any means, but if you're for real you won't be making anything too gourmet anyway. Needless to say, this is not a stove for your RV with heated seats and a shower.
I liked how light it was as well. Pretty easy to fit into a small space in the pack or pannier, and comes with a handy bag. I nested mine in my 1 liter pot, and it fit just fine there.
My biggest complaint about the stove was that it got fairly sooty on the bottom of the burner. So when you're putting it back in the bag, be careful to avoid touching the bottom of the burner if you don't want black line across your hands. Very nice stove and WICKED light.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

When I am backpacking, I am looking for a stove that is dependable, simple, and light. Boil water fast on high and let me bring the heat down to at least a medium level for longer cooking. This stove does both. I use this stove with my Primus pot and I can boil 16oz. of water in just over 2 minutes. If I need my dinner to cook for a while, I only use 5-6 pumps for lower heat levels. I normally backpack for 3-5 days (cooking twice a day) and because it is so efficient, I never worry about using all of the 11oz of white fuel I bring. I never bring more unless I am doing longer than 5 days. This is the stove I carry 90% of the time the past couple years. I look at other packs, bags, boots, and other items, but I can't remember the last time I even though about a new stove. This one is it.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

This stove works really well for heating up water or cooking your dinner in the water (like noodles, etc.). I've used it on backpacking/climbing trips for the last 5 years without any problems and no complaints of consequence.

It doesn't really simmer all that well (I'll need to try using less pressure in the fuel canister that some of the other users mentioned), but I've always just planned on cooking something that doesn't need simmering. I find that when I'm camping in the cold or at high elevation, I just want to get water boiling as quickly and easily as possible. This stove performs that task really efficiently. Once it's primed and burning, it sounds like a rocket ship and kicks out quite a stong flame.

Which brings up a quick tip. I haven't had too much trouble with priming it. I think maybe the first one or two times, I let out a little too much fuel, which overflowed the resevoir and landed on the ground, resulting in a dangerous situation. Since that time, I've learned that you need to watch the fuel saturate the resevoir. Once the resevoir (at the top of the stove, not the one below) is wet, then shut off the fuel, light the resevoir and back up. The gas will ignite and result in a big flame at first, but as the fuel burns off and it begins to warm up the fuel line, the fire will die down and you can then open up the gas and you should promptly have a strong, blue flame.

Anyway, it works like a charm for me and I have yet to do any maintenance on it (in the field or otherwise).

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

I recently went to the Cloud Peak Wilderness in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains for my first backpacking trip. I practiced using the stove before that, which I recommend since you have to play with it to figure it out. I haven't simmered with it yet but found the temperature control fairly easy. You can go from a little flame to full blast with this stove. I was mostly above 10,000 feet on this trip and used it at over 11,000 to boil water. The stove is pretty quiet and powerful. I also used less than one 22-ounce MSR bottle in 4 days.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

As stated, its a great cooker. Boils water very quickly, especially with the MSR Titan kettle. The foldable metal base that it comes with makes it very stable to cook on, anywhere. The wind deflector helps too. Lighting it, as stated in other reviews, is a pain. Not that it doesnt light, OH IT LIGHTS. Prime it with just a little too much gas and youve got a rockin flame going on. Dont ever have this stove in your tent, youll probalby be sleeping outside. The white gas exclusive (Super Fuel) is awesome, great fuel. Super light, relatively quiet. Just have to master the priming sequence.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

this thing come on everytime no problems... it brings water to a boil in no time especially if the windscreen is used. i've had mine for a few years now and i've only ever had to clean the hose a few times and remove the soot at the bottom which wasn't even that bad. the only bad thing is the temperature range, the range is from jet blast to napalm... it doesn't really simmer well. other than that, when snow season comes around and i'm caught in a storm i'm glad i know this thing is in my pack.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

Picked up this stove to update my cookset and shave weight. Wasn't all that impressed at first and almost returned it. Didn't really seem to have any clear advantages over the SVEA 123 I've been carrying for the past 17 years....other than weight. Boil times seemed to be very close(except in cold windy conditions, with the windscreen it definitely came out on top), set up/take down nothing exciting there. It really didn't seem to simmer all that well in comparison to my SVEA which has a similar style burner to the Dragonfly and gives you complete flame control from roaring jet engine to candle power. If you really need a stove capable of reducing fine gourmet sauces then the Dragonfly might be a better choice but will just about double in weight.

I found with a little practice and a light hand on the pump you can definitely fine tune the output to a nice simmer. This was all based on practice runs at home.

Well, I happened to take it on a rafting trip last week for a field test and I am now sold. We ended up taking a break to warm up with some tea and I found that it really sets up fast, in cold windy conditions (temp in the low 40s) primed and was ready to go in short order, was efficient at boiling enough water to serve tea for 5 in a flash, and cooled for repacking in no time flat. Definitely use the included windscreen to maximize the stoves efficiency. I also found that if you give the pump a few extra strokes you can really improve the output and get it roaring. I also really liked how well it nests inside my 1 liter pot with room for a few other items.

The only cons I can find at this point are that it doesn't really simmer as well as you might expect and you can get a bit of fuel blow by if you're not careful when you bleed the pressure off the fuel bottle. The other thing I am bit apprehensive about is the plastic pump assembly, I'm trying to find a cup or something I can slide over the bottle to protect it in the pack. Other than that I'm really warming up to it and expect it to perform well in the future. Regetably, the trusty SVEA will now be demoted to backup mantle piece.

Comments about MSR SimmerLite Backpacking Stove:

I have used this stove for several years on everything from extended bicycle tours to backpacking and mountaineering trips and it is a lightweight, good performer. As with all white gas stoves, lighting and simmering take a bit of practice, but can be accomplished relatively easily once you get to know the stove. I've had half a dozen MSR stoves over the years and found them all to be reliable performers. I like this stove because it is light weight and quiet, but still performs well at altitude. I prefer a white gas stove over propane/butane stoves for (1) winter performance and (2) no throw-away gas containers. I've used the same fuel bottles for 25 years.

With a little practice and proper maintenance, I've found the MSR line of stoves to work well and very reliably. However, if you don't like fussing with your stove, don't use it in cold weather, and don't mind throwing away empty gas containers, stick with one of the non-liquid fuel stoves.