Just won this on the bay, says msr international combo on the cloth bag, looks like some type of isobutane stove next to the msr whisperlite. I bought it because the first real camp stove I had was a whisperlite, early 90's. Did they make a whisperlite that came with a canister stove? Paid $20 bucks plus $15 shipping.
@Guerrilla , No, MSR did not make an additional canister stove that went with the Whisperlite Internationale. So, you got a "two-fer". Can't tell, exactly, what brand the canister stove is, but you'll have to see if canisters are still available for it. MSR does make the Whisperlite Universal, which will burn several fuels, and had an adapter so you can use canister fuels! I have two of them, and like them quite a bit. I hope that helps. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc PS - Do yourself a favor and buy a brand new MSR pump for your Whisperlite Internationale. The pump shown is not one of their best. Just my 'tuppence, but if it was mine, I'd do that!
Happy to help. The very first Whisperlite International was a real dog, and I've written about that at great length here on CCS. Thank God, MSR finally redesigned it, and the later ones, like yours, are far better, and well worth having, and using! Have fun, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
I found my early WL International to be a fine stove, I've only used white gas in it, like most of this model and the plain WL, they don't simmer at all unless the bottle pressure is reduced. Duane
No big deal for me, maybe to others. Years ago when I bought my International, I thought it was a good feature but never tried kero in it. The WL would have fit my needs. Duane
@snwcmpr . Ken, thanks for bringing this up, my friend! @hikerduane , we bought that original WL International, because MSR advertised it would prime with, and burn kerosene! As we were trying to backpack the entire 2,560 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, it was Exceedingly important to us that the stove could do just that! We found that it was completely untrustworthy burning, and priming with kerosene, and in fact, on one very cold, and windy night, t altitude, it failed us, completely!! Had it not been for a fellow PCT hiker, who was burning kerosene in his Coleman 550B, we would have been screwed! He loaned us that stove every night, until we got to Agua Dulce, where we could swap out our MSR stove for one like his! The Coleman that we bought from REI, and had delivered to us in Agua Dulce, worked like a champ for the entire rest of our trip, with not a single belch, bobble, or problem! We wrote to Mike Ridout, of MSR, of our problems, in detail, and very soon thereafter MSR redesigned the original WPLI version, into a much better stove that would actually burn kerosene quite well, and not clog and die, as our original one did! So, whereas it might be a big deal to you, to those of us who want to burn kerosene, it's a deal breaker that the original version would NOT do so reliably! For what it's worth..... Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
@Doc Mark, old news, but helpful to newbies. I believe Ken misunderstood my meaning and a good friend to you Mark. Duane
@snwcmpr, your thinking I was questioning Mark's calling the stove a dog and no else can have an opinion. I know we don't understand each other. Duane
HI, Guys, My only reason for calling the WPLI V1 a dog, is that MSR specifically advertised it as a Multi-fuel stove, which it is NOT, in reality. To make matters worse, MSR also advertised that you could easily prime that stove using kerosene, which you "can", BUT, if you do, you will end up with a smoky, mess, creating huge sheets of black soot, wafting up to get in your food, onto your clothes, and into your tent, if cooking in a vestibule. In the end, if all you want to do is burn Coleman fuel, the stove will be ok, though I'm not a fan of the original rubber fuel line. In the end, that stove is NOT a multi-fuel stove, though it was strongly advertised to be one. Hence, in my eyes, and in my opinion, it is a "dog". If anyone else has a different opinion, I have no problem with that. I wish them luck, if they plan to burn kerosene, and prime with it, too. The later versions of the WPLI are much better stoves, and burn kerosene much better than the V1. I also appreciate the woven brass cover on the fuel line on the newer versions. The newer ones are safer to use, and true Multi-fuel stoves. But, Duane, if you love your V1, go for it, my friend. It does not bother me, one bit. I just think that newer Stovies need to see the drawbacks therein. Just my 'tuppence. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
A few of my kero stoves leave my clothes with an odor, mostly if I fail to light the vapor quick enough or when shutting down. Sure lingers. Duane
Doc, could you tell me exactly what seal failed causing the catastrophic melt down of your red and grey pump, I may use the original red and grey pump gently for awhile untill I get a replacement. I sorta like the aroma of fresh kerosene, but not the burned fumes.
@Guerrilla There are 2 classic failure points in the plastic, plus the seals (which can fail with any stove). The first/most concerning failure point is the fuel tap. Overtightening the brass insert will crack the plastic. Since there is no effective stop, this insert only feels tight enough when it is overtightened. It actually does almost nothing and can be left slightly loose. If not currently overtightened it may look fine so careful inspection is required, including pressure testing with fuel. If cracked, it WILL leak. Do NOT tighten the brass for a check! The pressure check needs to be while supplying fuel to the stove. Waste some and make a mess rather than a bonfire. The second failure point, perhaps equally common but less dangerous, is the attachment of the pump end cap. These 2 tabs break with either repeated or heavy force: enthusiastic pumping. The seals are the other issue, and all must be replaced. They will have hardened and will leak in use. I have had 2 broken red/grey older pumps, and currently have a functional DragonFly pump of that generation. With the DF pump I have placed an o-ring the size of the outer plastic sleeve under the brass to prevent overtightening. With this in place, I lightly tighten the brass to minimal grip- close to opening freely. If you do something similar just remember that you will not be able to open the tap to 'full'. If you are familiar with the grey/black pumps, you could not just keep opening the taps on them either. And then, do not pull back hard on the pump. The only fully safe system is to buy a brand new pump, and keep the seals in it fresh.
@Guerrilla , The past that failed on my red and grey pump, was the hard, plastic ring above the fuel bottle o-ring. In point of fact, it cracked off the entire pump, quite suddenly, and without warning! if it was me, I'd keep the pump you have as an historical oddity, and not use your stove until you get a brand spanking new MSR pump, which is MUCH safer than the pump you have. The new pumps are not that expensive, and far less expensive than medical bills, if you are severely burned, or your house is destroyed! Your choice, of course, but let the buyer beware of this particular pump, and a few others from around the same time period, when MSR had been soldto REI, and REI was far more interested in profits, than safety!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Wow, @Doc Mark . I don't believe I had read the details before, and I haven't met any other pump doing that despite having (briefly!) 3 others of that generation. I don't have the same negative impression of REI regarding the failures. Every weakness introduced in these red/grey pumps was an attempted safety step from the black/grey pumps. The pump handle notched into place, but creating a weak spot. The brass insert prevented you completely unscrewing the tap. The plastic ring around the top of the bottle was fixed not removable. Each of these introduced unforeseen weaknesses, but each was an attempt to make a safer pump. The red/grey pump would have been more expensive than the black/grey. In the current pump they went back to square 1, and built a pump that has finally addressed the various weaknesses with the preceding pumps. I have a lot of respect for the designer/s and for whoever decided to commission the current design.
Howdy, @Scrambler . At the one and only OSG (Oregon Stove Gathering) I had invited two of the MSR/Cascade Designs stoves guys, to come and join us, and interestingly enough, they DID! They brought along lots of goodies to donate to our raffle, and Sweet Bride and I ended up feeding them every night. Instead of eating the freeze-dried foods they had brought, we fed them steaks, Coq au Vin, and many other things, cooked, or baked on our older stoves, and the wonderful Bluebird oven. One of the Gentlemen, did a seminar on the MSR pumps, and detailed, exactly, why the newest pumps were far safer than any that had gone before them! I did a seminar on the history of MSR stoves, and it was the first time these guys had heard such things! They were wonderful camp mates, and in fact, one, who had brought a new MSR tent, hated it, and told us every flaw he perceived by sleeping in it! The other Gentleman, did a seminar on the MSR Whisperlite Universal, and I fell in love with it, right then, and there! As an hilarious interlude, I showed them the pot of an MSR Reactor stove, out of which I'd foolishly melted the bottom! They were worried that I might cause problems for MSR, but I owned up to being a moron, and walking away from the stove whilst it was working. MY fault, not theirs, and not the fault of the wonderful Reactor, either! All in all, it was an excellent event. Too bad it was a "one of". Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Mountain Safety Research likely lost the Safety and the Research while owned by REI. The company customer service counter had several changes. Documentation was thrown out. It was not a good time. REI owned several companies that went downhill after. One was Walrus. Details elude me, but some features ended up in other brands, while Walrus, the company, went away.
Received my whisperlite in the mail today, the stove and pump have never been used, it's a late 90's model, the pump is cracked! I guess Doc was right about the red and grey pumps, just from sitting one of the tabs that hold the plunger in is cracked.
