When did MSR introduce the Arctic pump?

The Arctic pump is marketed to be used below freezing temperature. I don't recall when the Arctic pump became available, but I think it has been in recent years. It makes me wonder why they did that. MSR pumps have been used in very cold temperatures for a long time, long before the Arctic pump came out. I have a catalog from the late '90s that shows the XGK being used in Antarctica.

The instruction manuals have changed over the years in how they describe use in cold weather and the risk of leakage due to O-rings that harden when very cold. Instructions from the late '80s say -30 F, in the late '90s -10 F, and now they say below 32 F. What has changed? The pumps have certainly changed in that time frame, the most notable changes relevant to this discussion being the seal at the pump to bottle interface, and the pump cup used to be leather and is now a rubber material. The Arctic pump uses a leather pump cup. Somehow I doubt that they changed the O-ring materials in the standard pumps, but who knows? They do say the O-rings in the Artic pump are different.

 

You are correct when they came out.
Duane

 

I guess I should have done a little more searching before I asked this question. The Arctic pump was introduced in 2017, apparently to address leakage issues in very cold conditions with the Duraseal pump, which uses a different pump to bottle seal and pump cup than the older pumps. This also explains why the older instruction manuals said you could go colder with the standard pump than the current instruction manuals. MSR says the Artic pump is usable below 32 F, but it appears the duraseal pump can go to perhaps -10 F.

Secrets of Polar Gear, Part 6: Cooking Setups » Explorersweb

https://polarguides.org/uploads/gen...A-Stove-Safety-Management-Recommendations.pdf

 

I got mine a few years ago, but now I rarely if at all go out in the winter, mostly or partly because Repo pup gets cold. Old pumps worked fine, just had to get the new pump.
Duane

 

Not sure why they came out with a whole new pump instead of just an Arctic seal kit containing the bottle seal, pump cup and o rings.

 

So you can simply switch pumps based on temperature.