Sigg Tourist and MSR ‘Lowdown’ combination

The MSR ‘Lowdown’ or ‘Remote Stove Adapter’ as MSR also call it is intended to convert a canister-top stove (MSR’s Pocket Rocket Deluxe here) to a remote-canister stove. The stove valve is opened fully and the valve on the flexi-hose canister connector is used to control the flame, which given the fuel, it does as sensitively as the stove valve does. In the case of stoves such as the Deluxe and the Soto Windmaster equipped with a regulator to maintain output in cold conditions the device doesn’t compromise its action.




I specifically bought the ‘Lowdown’ believing it would enable me to use either of those top-performing gassies in my newly-acquired Sigg Tourist set. With a minor tweak to the ‘Lowdown’ it does indeed.

Here’s the combination.






Soto Windmaster and MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe install equally well …




… though the MSR stove’s ignition ‘sparker’ is activated through a ventilation opening in the Sigg base, whereas the Soto’s isn’t so easily.




I mentioned a modification has to be made to the ‘Lowdown’ to install it in the Sigg.

Here’s the problem …




… and the solution is a saw-cut in the same position in each tripod leg.




The Sigg takes the weight of pots, should there be concerns that the saw-cuts weaken the legs, though with a thickness of the Sigg’s aluminium filling the saw-cuts, it becomes a technicality.

That said, with the device in its orthodox role, it would take a very heavy pot to bend, much less shear, the stainless steel struts taking a third of the weight.




The slots provide positive locking of the assembly, consistent with an inherent feature of the Sigg Tourist with its interlocking pots.




The MSR stove’s built-in pot rests (detachable on the Soto) are stowed when it’s installed in the Sigg base and, valve opened beforehand, the valve control is flipped out of the way also.




A very effective combination, not usurping the Svea 123 at all, but providing an alternative. Sigg themselves made an adaptor for the Tourist to mount on a Camping Gas S200 I believe, so it’s a modern refinement of an older concept but now utilising inherently much stronger performers than the venerable S200, and powered by less cold-sensitive modern lpg mixtures.




Controllability to outperform the Svea 123 on simmering ability is very much a strong point.



John

 

Most ingenious and, indeed, excellent.

 

Very nice! The cut in the legs makes it appear that it's going through it, haha.

 

The kit stows nicely.

 

Very nice conversion , thinking " within " rather than outside the box . Any plans for bending a new secondary accessible control valve . Cool stuff

 

No, I don’t see there’s a need to because the stove is perfectly and conveniently controlled with the valve at the canister.

 

Earth to John: The CG C206 carts that I have (not particularly recent stock) are filled with a butane/propane mix, as are the pretenders like Go System 2190 and other more obscure makes including my most recent acquisition, a WELDING WALKOVER appliance cart Art.1120 (Italian?) which rather oddly tells you not to puncture or pierce it! - I guess that is why it is still full.

 

@Dean
I guess I had in mind the fuel contemporary to when the Sigg’s Campingaz adaptor was offered, a good few years ago now. I’ve tried out a modern Campingaz pierceable mixed-gas cartridge, peculiarly equipped with their ‘Gas Lock’ valve which prevents the escape of gas if the cart is detached from the appliance.

So a pierceable gas canister that has a warning on it not to pierce it. Yes, sounds like someone has followed the instructions to the letter.

 

Brilliant!

 

@presscall
Nice on John, I've not brought a remote adaptor yet, it is on my birthday list, however. The Boys have brought me a massive Stanley flask for Father's Day to add to my flask collection, another strange hobby my wife tells me is not normal. Love anything MSR me.

Si

 

I gathered that, Si.



(Part of Si’s MSR collection at Newark)

The ‘Lowdown’ (made in Korea it says on the box) is a precision job I can confirm, probably worth the extra compared with cheaper alternatives from unbranded sources. Certainly I had no hesitation in taking a Dremel cut-off wheel to it! Meaning, I knew it had plenty of reserve strength in those tripod struts to cope with the ‘tweak’.

John

 

Good day gentlemen,
I recently (last year)purchased an MSR lowdown adapter for use with a Windmaster, but on inspection I am a little disappointed with the finish on the threaded section which screws into the bottom of the stove. In particular the shoulder at the top of the (cast aluminium?)thread which would form a “mating” seal with the stove O ring, is or at least appears to be quite rough/unfinished. I’m wondering if, over a period of time this rough surface would cause damage to the sealing O ring at the top end of the thread inside the stove, or perhaps I’m just overthinking this issue. I’ve contacted MSR twice but haven’t received any response.
Your opinions would be appreciated

you may have to zoom in onto the pics to see what I mean. The rough cast surface of the lowdown adapter versus the smooth thread and top surface of the “disposable”gas cartridge.
I can live with the slight loss of fine gas control from the (needle?) valve on the adapter versus the Soto, balanced against the big improvement in stability on what would otherwise be a fairly tall setup

 

@Sizzler670
Looking closely at mine …





… I see why you’re concerned, since it’s hardly a mirror finish! That said, I can report that there’s been no adverse effect on the O-ring seal it’s been in contact with after some considerable use since I coupled up the stove and gadget.

Regarding flame regulation, I know the Low Down’s instructions specify completely opening the stove’s valve and controlling the output with the canister-mounted valve, but I don’t see a problem if the reverse is applied - canister valve opened completely and stove valve controls the flame - or a combination of both with the stove valve doing the fine tuning. True, that does away with one of the stated benefits of the device (not to have to reach anywhere in the vicinity of the pot) but there’s plenty of room to control the valve on the stove and the plot is so much more stable now also.

 

Mine looks a little better than John’s. Have not had a chance to use it yet.
Duane

 

Very nice! Might it have been better to cut slots in the base section of the Sigg pot support, rather than making saw cuts in the stove legs? Agreed that any weakening of the slotted legs is unlikely to cause problems.k But slotting Sigg support would not not have any effect at all on its strength or functionality, at least as far as I can see.

That said, I can understand why you might be reluctant to take a cutting tool to a Sigg Tourist set in seemingly pristine condition.

 

Not that, but its value as having belonged to a friend, now deceased.

 

Thank you for your input @presscall. I may just take some 2000 grit wet and dry paper to the top end and try to get a slightly better finish. I’ll probably just block the hole temporarily with bluetack to keep any loose bits out of the gas port whilst I smooth out some of the rough spots which I can feel with my finger.

 

I missed the initial post, brilliant Sigg Tourist conversion @presscall !!

The MSR lowdown I picked up a few years ago, the mating surface looks pristine on compared to the pictures of the ones shown here. I used a GAZ 270 burner with a Coleman valve conversion on it daily for quite awhile, it currently has a MSR Pocket Rocket II burner mounted to it. The PR-II seems to have a much finer burner control.

 

That's a perfectly good reason for leaving the cookset in its original condition. I'm so taken by the idea that I will probably convert my Firefly in the same way--but given my lack of attachment to my rather battered old Sigg Tourist set, I will probably slot the cookset rather than the stove legs.!!

This is a great idea, so thanks for sharing it!

 

I should have typed "Pocket Rocket" in the post above--not sure how I happened to type "Firefly" instead. My brain usually functions moderately well, but it does go off the rails occasionally....