Cooking Stove
Argentina is what I would consider in many ways a 2nd world country. It’s definitely not as developed as the first world, but it’s far from the destitution of other nations. In Buenos Aires one can usually find most items they would purchase in the U.S. or Europe. The difficulty comes with imported, name brand merchandise. These items are either very costly or not available. This makes for some interesting substitutions at times. One example is the backpacking stove I purchased last year.
First of all, you have to understand that I didn’t know a thing about backpacking last March when I set out to buy all my equipment. Secondly, there was no place like REI to go to and wander around. I had to learn everything on the Internet and then do the best I could with what was available in Buenos Aires. When I purchased a cooking stove for backpacking, I had no idea what I was missing with the lightweight, foldable stoves that hook directly to a fuel bottle via a flexible hose. The stove presented to me at the store looked archaic, but I didn’t have a whole lot of choice. The big selling point was that it could burn any fuel imaginable, thus useable anywhere in the world. I ended up paying 195 pesos for something that looked like it was from the 40s.
What was interesting about this stove was how it operated. The small base held an ounce or two of fuel and had a screw on cap for sealing it after filling. In order to light the stove, I had to pour fuel onto the outside of the base, where it would form a small pool. This was then lit with a match or lighter. A small visual and auditory show took place for 10 seconds as the fire gobbled up the fuel on the outside of the stove. This somehow created a force so that the stove would then draw fuel from the bottom reservoir. It appeared cave-manish, but it worked for a while.
At first the stove functioned well and ran like a blowtorch. But after a while it became unreliable. It would burn hot for a few minutes, then die down and burn out. At times, it never even got hot and only had a small flame. I tried cleaning away the carbon buildup and this worked for a few minutes, but it still could not boil water. I decided to give it another chance and brought it with me on my recent trip to Patagonia. Unfortunately it let me down and performed poorly. I lamented having not purchased a better stove in the U.S.
I was so disgusted that I threw it away at Parque Monte Leon and decided to buy a replacement in Buenos Aires. I figured the price would maybe be 20 or 30 dollars more, but would be worth it. However, a stove that would cost $79 in the U.S. was going for 539 pesos ($170) here in BA. Along with a fuel pump and a couple other items, I ended up buying the stove online for $79 and paying $60 for UPS international shipping. Even with the customs fees I should still come out ahead.
When you lit that pool of fuel you were preheating the fuel generator. Essentially you were heating the tube that delivers the fuel to the burner so that when the pressurized liquid fuel flowed through it the fuel would atomize or vaporize. I have never seen a stove like that old one it is awesome! I’m sure it was a pain. Did you order the Whisperlite international or the regular one?
Yeah, it was a pain. I even brought along a toothbrush to try cleaning away the carbon buildup, but it didn’t seem to help. Maybe there was an easy fix, but I couldn’t see anything obvious. Plus, it was difficult to pack as it did not fold or collapse at all.
I ordered the Whisperlite international. It was only $10 more and can use various fuels, including gasoline, if needed. Plus it folds up to almost nothing and can fit inside one of the pots. I wish I had bought it while I was at home, but I can’t change that now. It’s supposed to ship tomorrow and take 5-7 business days to arrive.
You will be sooooo happy with that stove. It has been a standard in backpacking/mountaineering for many years. If you want me to send you a expedition service or a maintenance kit let me know. They will have extra O-rings/seals and spare parts. You shouldn’t need anything for it though. Don’t burn alcohol in it as it will corrode the aluminium fuel bottle. Kerosene is the dirtiest, followed by diesel, gasoline, and white fuel being the cleanest on burning. I think you get the most BTU’s out of the diesel though. I have a simmer lite and a Dragon fly. The dragonfly is multi fuel and I have taken advantage of that in the past. I am an official gear NERD so let me know it you have any questions or need anything. You can Call MSR any time and get spare parts. 99% of the time they will send you out some for free. I love MSR products and their service has been second to none. THANK you for this post I think it is so neat to see what gear you can get and use in other countries. AND let me know if you need me to source out gear for you or find you anything.
It’s good to know this will be a reliable stove. I didn’t bother with the maintenance kit for now. I’ll pick one up when I’m back home.
I appreciate the offer for help. That’s very kind of you. For now I’m okay, but I will certainly keep you posted.