geartest

Technicallly, MSR bottle capacity is far more bigger compared to Snow peak's latest fuel bottle design. MSR has 650 ml volume while Snow peak has 520 ml. I'm not quite sure how they differ, but the fact is that, the Snow Peak bottle has a shorted height and a wider cylindrical diameter range . As far as lid screw and gasketed cap comparison is concern, they are both the same and interchangeable. That is the reason why I also bought the MSR fuel bottle as my back up fuel supply bottle. But I don't want to make it an excuxe to interchange the parts as shortcut when refueling. Every part has to have its rightful function so as not the confuse and to eliminate any sudden wear and tear for each parts.

It took me around 3 weeks to decide and hunt down this special and unique kind of stove in Dallas Texas (was in the area, so I guess it was a good time to care for some equipment buy-off). As usual, I went back to REI (located at the outskirts of Dallas, along LBJ Freeway or I-635), where I already paid for a $ 15 membership fee as REI coop member (this comes handy when you'll get dividend every Feb of the year depending upon how much you will purchase in their outlet store). I have already informed the customer relations that they don't have any stock on their local shelf and that I saw the item in their website, way back several weeks. When I came back, alas, it was there.... waiting for me to grab it. It has been months, even when I was still in Baguio, that I have been imagining this situation, the situation I described, is me, upfront, looking at the fuel stove that broke the law of initial priming. This was the stove that used liquid fuel yet is lights up like a butane canister stove. Not for long, I was already lining up for the kill......... damn, the piece of art is worth $149.95 plus tax which is about % 8.25 of the shelf cost. What do you know, I paid around 9,000.00 Pesos for this unique stove (this is gonna be expensive in the Phil.)...... well, I guess it makes sense rather than paying for a $ 325.00 North Face Goretex Parka..... but then again this is also the best clothing one can buy.

All the while, after my purchase, I was still thinking of one thing that I almost missed ou: this stove only works on White GAS. White GAS? What the hell is White GAS. Roy Benedicto (buddy climber, but never climbs on a holiday, expect for his own restday or day-off, and sometimes decides a climbing destination but ends up left behind... hehehehe) has been debating about the scarcity and the true meaning of this so called White gas.This has been our most meaningful debate, to the point that I need to call him (i'm several miles away from home so I'm paying much for this) and even debated through email. To make the long debate short, we finally arrived at the conclusion that Fluid Lighter (those that can be bought in some nifty hardware stores and even small sari sari stove) is actually White Gas. Know why? Since Coleman unleaded fuel is the only fuel that is proclaimed to be white GAS and can easily be bought in any complete store in America, I bought a 1 gallon can of this fuel. Although it does not indicate that it is White GAS, the descriptions fits the items we have discussed (Webster dictionary exmplains that White gas is simply unleaded Gasoline, another dictionary also indicated that is is basically Naphtha), the can detailed that it is unleaded, it is only used for coleman stoves and outdoor appliances (of which, several Coleman fuel stoves, majority are using White GAS). One thing that convinced me that this is the one is when I found out that during colder weather, , if the fuel accidentally spills on you hands, it will immediately leave a white residue and the original odor was gone. The odor is similar to gasoline, but is just quite subtle compared to both unlead and leaded vehicle gasoline. Although it is confirmed that Coleman is its fuel, I bought a cheaper but well known brand, Ozark Trail. The can's description included the very similar description on the Coleman unleaded fuel can. I also researched that This type of Fuel is actually cleaner. Yup, so the Fuel issue is resolved. I'm now convince that I'm not gonna end up clogging my stove.

Fuel is good, the stove is ready, just a quick set-up is all it takes, the set-up is probably similar to MSR dragonfly stove, almost all the parts are connected similarly. For most liquid fuel stoves, it is a fact that you need to prime the burner.... in other words you just need to waste sometime before it will light up. Canister stoves or Butane stove on the other hand are quick lighting burners. This Stove is the combination of both. After releasing the fuel Valve, I immediately put a lighted match over the burner while also opening the flame control valve, then... Viola! it lights up with a blue flame. After about 10 secs, its stabilizes then produces red orange flames and is now controllable. This is the magic of this stove, no priming works in cold environment (I test this outside the porch of my aparment with a normal temp of 10 degrees C, but with WC: 7 degrees C).