MSR WindBurner Group Stove System

— Show original

Definitely only one star out of five for this product. TL;DR; if you want a WindBurner, buy either the Personal Stove System or the Duo Stove System package. First the good stuff: * The bulb of the MSR WindBurner is really good. Also the bulb of this model. It works well in the wind and you can adjust the amount of gas quite small, so instead of boiling water, you can also stew things. If you want a gas cooker, the WindBurner is an absolutely good choice. * In this model, the gas bottle is not attached to the bottom of the cooking unit, but is connected to it with a separate hose. This is good because it brings some stability to the whole system. Despite all the good features, I still cannot recommend this product package in any way. Reasons for this: 1. WindBurner's power is based not only on the cooking part but also on the heat exchanger at the bottom of the pot/pot. This heat exchanger is missing from the boiler that comes with the Group Stove System. When using the kettle, the water boils very slowly, especially if it's a bit windy. My basic Trangi is faster than this. 2. If the gas bottle at the end of the hose gets tilted so that gas in liquid form ends up in the regulator part attached to the gas bottle, the whole cooker stops working. There is apparently some kind of safety mechanism in the kettle, which is triggered in such a situation so that worse damage does not occur. The problem is that in the ducted model, i.e. Group Stove System, this safety mechanism cannot be restored by the so-called to normal mode. It must be done as warranty service at the MSR factory. I myself have been without my kettle because of this for a few months already. As far as I understand, in the Personal Stove System and Duo Stove System packages, which do not have a tubular stove part, this return can be done yourself.

I bought this for my extended solo camping snowshoeing photography trips, which I’m on now in Kosciuszko National Park in Australia (11 days in to a 4-6 week trip)… I already have the small MSR Windburner system but thought I’d try this one out. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the same base with all the fins that transfer the heat to through to the base of the pot. It’s just a standard pot with a round bracket that sits on the round stove… Even though I was in my vestibule with no wind getting in, using the MSR Heat Exchanger and an MSR wind shield (neither came with the MSR Group Stove) it used so much gas (3-4 times as much for cooking my pasta dinner or melting snow) I had to stop using it and use my backup system of an MSR Titan kettle and Kovea Titan stove otherwise I wouldn’t have any gas left, and I always bring extra. I wouldn’t have bought this if I had known what I know now. ☹️

— Show original

Great gas stove. I recommend