Hello! This is my first post. I am planning a snowmachine trip in the Alaska wilderness. My route will take me through places that will be as cold as -50F and strong winds. What stove would you recommend?
I recommend that you take a stove which you have ample experience using in adverse winter conditions.
In the past, I have used Svea 123, Optimus 8R, Coleman Peak 1, MSR Whisperlite and some canister stoves. The Coleman Peak 1 was an absolute failure on a glacier. The rest of the stoves I have only used for backpacking. I was hoping to get some advice from people who have used the stoves in the cold of winter. I want to use a liquid fuel stove. Anybody have experience with the classic liquid fuel stoves or the new stoves in winter?
For extreme cold I’d be looking for a stove which is: Simple Powerful Stable Reliable Easy to use with mittens Sveas and other self pressurized petrol stoves are too small and have too small fuel capacity. I don’t even use them to melt snow in Colorado where it rarely drops below 0F. A 111 would be good though, probably the best common classic. I’d lean towards an XGK or a whisperlite myself. The valve on the current pump is a big flat thing you could grip with mittens on, the pump and stove connect together without threads, you get your power, xgk takes the lead for serviceability over the more difficult whisperlite burner. Reducing the opportunities to spill fuel on yourself is a good idea too, especially if you’re using white gas. That stuff will really freeze your fingers off in the cold. get the really big bottle and maybe not have to mess with it. I think the xgk is better in the wind than the whisperlite but the windshield is necessary for either. Both are probably Easier to shield from the wind than a 111. MSR makes a cold weather pump for those stoves, an arctic pump. I’m the wrong person to ask if it’s necessary. Mushing teams use big alcohol burners, they just cut the top off heet bottles and pour it on in but they’re melting snow for their dogs too. Might be something to look into.
The XGK is a long time first choice for many people in extreme cold weather as Greenland crossing and south pole journeys and only differs from Whisperlite in the burner housing that makes it more wind resistant - extra bottle with pump makes it easier to refuel the stove on-the-go in bad weather as you just plug it in. I have not been there myself but read some first hand experiences from those trips.
I use 111 and 111T for winter trips. At -20...30 °C they have worked fine. 111 I use outdoors and 111T in tent and cabins since it is more quiet. They backup each other since parts are interchangeable (also I keep some spares with me). Ease of use is advantage. Just open the case and use, no need to assemble the stove. They can be operated with mittens on, only for lighting the match I need to take mittens off. Collapsible windscreen is needed but they are easy to find. For XGK, Primus Omnifuel, Optimus Nova and same type of stoves where burner and fuel bottle are connected together with removable connection many people (here) use "a stove box". In that box/case stove and fuel bottle can be left connected together for transport so it saves user from connecting them together when stove is used. Here is couple of examples of that kind of "stove box":
I second the advice to use a 111. Choose the military version if you can get your hands on it. It has some extra features like a captive tank cap. If you use a 111T you can pribably use the fuel from your snowmobile in a pinch. I also think the probability of flipping or otherwise wrecking your vehicle motivates the sturdiness of a 111. The lack of windscreen can be mitigated with a foldable windscreen, or digging a hole in the snow for your cooking. Also pots and pans rarely nest well with the 111, but you can use those for packing food instead. Pro tip: Bring a small piece of thin plywood for a countertop on the snow. Weighs nothing, and provides a stable surface for cook and prep. Also useful for fanning a fire if you build one.
This kind of foldable wind screen is quite perfect for 111-type stoves (height ~ 25 cm / 10"). It protects the flame and secures heat around the pot/kettle. Long version (f.ex. 10 sections) covers both sides and goes around of the stove via back side: Here many winter stove users follow @pysen78 "pro tip" by using pressed ply wool tray under the stove. In tent edges prevent food&fuel spills to wander onto tent floor and in snow edges keep snow off from the tray's top surface:
+1 on the windscreen and tray-recommendation. I lean to the 111 or the latest MSR XGK EX. The first is combat proven for decades around the world and the latter is being widely used today by regular army units, SOF and the USMC to name a few. Depending on your preferences for your cooking setup - a combined solution like the KAP ARTIC or the Primus Omni -Trangia might be your best solution? Inspiration here: Ultima Naltio If you go for the MSR - don’t spare the full spares set. It might come in handy.
I am new to MSR (Whisperlite universal) but I can say two things -- it is easy to service and despite the latest pump is good, it is not bulletproof. For a longer trip into no-where, I should bring an extra fuel bottle with pump and the "Expedition service kit". No commercial Trangia adapter would fit MSR but I feel tempted to try adapting one of my worst Trangias for my new Whisperlite.
@Lennart F Have you seen this “baseplate” for the MSR Whisperlite in a Trangia? D.I.M.S I haven’t tried it - yet ;-) (it rests where the meth-burner is normally located) - Price around 12$
You have history with the Whisperlite. It is field maintainable. One fuel. Primes with fuel. Get the cold weather pumps. Bring extra pumps.
Something to look at when I get home in the weekend, it may be made for the old Whisperlite that have a quite different stand than the new ones.
@dramey A 111B is a powerfull beast which is easy to light and maintain. The power and the noise still amaze me now and then, when I am using mine. Just keep an eye on the seals and especially the Non-return-Valve (NRV) in the bottom of the pump tube, and you should be good. Its easy to prime with meth as you can just pour the meth directly down the hole in the burner top without having to remove flame ring and windscreen. The Magazine Backpacker did a review in 1976 on a bundle of stoves - here is the 111B and the Phoebus 625 which also is an easygoing gasoline (or kero) stove with a high output and excellent simmering - Maybe one to consider as well? (Never found mine on gasoline temperamental to start)
Thank you everybody for your recommendations. Now I am going to start looking for an Optimus 111B stove. Anybody have a working 111B for sale?
More votes for XGK EX. I don't have link to exact quote handy but in one of the interviews related to this trek: The Last Human to Trekked to the North Pole Larsen reported back: "In my 2014 expedition to the North Pole, I ran one stove for multiple hours a day for 53 days straight with no problem.", "... never had a clogged jet..." and "I believe the XGK EX is easily the best expedition stove ever made." Not that it applies to you but similar XGK EX praise come from extreme climbing expeditions (extreme cold & wind at elevation). We've had members report from above the Artic circle and would welcome any pics from your trip, if a stove happened to get in a pic is just a bonus. good luck
I would recommend the XGK or XGK-EX. You will no doubt have more than one fuel bottle, so take at least two pumps. They're lightweight, and redundancy is a good thing. A 111 or 111T would also be a great choice. I've never used one in really difficult conditions, but they're rock-solid stoves. I would choose one of them (with kerosene as a fuel) over the 111B, due to possible NRV issues. You should research that issue in the archives on this site. ....Arch
