MSR XGK II Review

"No it doesn't simmer, no it doesn't whisper!!! It is loud, it is RELIABLE, it is AWESOME!!! It does only one thing well: WORK!!!! This stove will work at altitude, it will work with any fuel (ok not propane, butane, or any canister...). It cooks ASS!!!! Pure and simple!! 5 yrs of steady use with many different fuels, it just keeps working.... Best inestment I ever made! I finally cleaned it this year for the first time...."

"Well, what has been said is certainly true, but for the money you can do better. No, it doesn't simmer which is a downside. It has a rigid fuel line which is hard to pack. The shut-off and disconnect is a messy, suity operation. Priming is messy and uses too much fuel as does the stove in general. It has nothing on the Optimus 123 for sure except for multifuel capability. Yes its hot and reliable and can burn other fuels, but its not steady, not easy to shut off, isn't adjustable, has a cheap cheap plastic pump, and requires a jet change to burn other fuels. It gets a 2 from me not because it has a problem wirking, but because it could be a lot lot better."

"I first started using white gas stoves back in the 70's when I happened to buy a MSR 9a, the predecesser of the current MSR XGK. I loved that stove. It was sturdily built, impossible to break, and ran forever. In more recent years, REI bought out MSR and the MSR manufactured stoves began to get cheaper and cheaper construction. Now, they have plastic pumps that either fall apart (literally) or break. The metal stoves themselves are poorly made (e.g. the welds on the MSR Dragonfly). As a result of MSR's continuing decline in manufacturing quality and reliability, I set out on a search for a replacement. I've finally found it in the Optimus Nova. The craftsmanship on this stove is subperb, possibly topping the original MSR's before they began to degrade under REI ownership. Both stove and pump are made entirely of metal (machined brass and aluminum) with the exception of necessary orings and the pump leather. The stove is mechanically so reliable that most retailers don't even sell the repair kit for the stove (a repair kit is available and contains everything necessary to completely rebuild both the pump and the stove - all orings, gaskets, flame spreader, fuel filter, everything - and the stove is field maintainable) which is available for about $11. The stove lights easily with less preheating than any MSR stove. Any compustable fuel can be burned in the stove, without changing jets or making any burner adjustments, with the usual warnings about care in burning fuels that contain poisons, such as auto fuel. The flame is adjustable from blow torch level to a slow simmer with a simple twist of the burner control on the stove. I've used the stove in Death Valley summer and Yellowstone winter temperatures with equal ease. To make a long story short, this stove is built like the original MSR stoves are. If you buy one, plan on its running trouble free for the next twenty years. It's built that well and is so easy to use in camp that you will not want to trade it in for the next pretty face that comes along. The only (minor) drawback to the stove is that it doesn't come with a windscreen. I suggest a MSR folding aluminum windscreen for that function. P.S. It's very fuel efficient also. For solo use, I plan on 2 ounces of white gas per day in summer. If I have to melt ice for water in winter, I plan on 4-5 ounces of fuel per day."

"i don't think detractors of msr's plastic pumps appreciate their safety benefits - i'd sooner have my pump flame out than an explosion any day. if you prime with alcohol, this stove will burn soot-free almost any fuel you can find; in any weather. not a whiz-bang stove, just super-reliable simplicity you can count on."

"Lighting it takes a little practice. My MSR XGK burns hot, once primed. Yes, it'll burn jet-a1 just fine, though you'll think an aircraft has landed in the soup of your solitude. The food'll be just fine though --despite the noise and perfume. As far as plastic pumps, maybe plastic is easier to the touch in cold than is a metal pump?"

"I got a friend who have been using this stove for the last 12 years!!! Amazing isn't it."

"I have used this stove for over 10 years, so i cannot comment on recent quality issues. Mine is bombproof, has survived years crushed in a pack, a number of lengthy winter excusions, has never failed, and that includes the plastic pump. Burns hot, so good for winter. need to use it a few times to get the hang of how to ignite it at first. not the best stove for cooking at low heat, modulating heat is tricky. stiff foil windscreen is a helpful accessory. can burn multiple fuels by changing a part in the burner, a useful feature for traveling overseas or where white gas is not available. highly recommended for steady users - maybe too much and too tricky for occasional or novice users."