Niles H.

What can go wrong?

How and why does it happen?

What does it look like?

Niles H.

Canister is inside windscreen along with burner.

Canister overheats.

Followed by damaged seal.

Followed by gas spraying out into the atmosphere.

Followed by no ignition if flames are not nearby.

Followed by major flames if ignition source is nearby.

Pressurized gas streams out vigorously and ignites.

Followed by variable additional outcomes, depending on response and various other factors, including nearby combustibles and wind.

Indoor environments can provide user(s) with additional challenges and stimulation.

SmallFront

I was surprised at how great the MSR Reactor is in the wind. No amount of etapower pots with no amount of windscreen shielding it comes within the vicinity of the efficiency of the Reactor. I would have liked to say "it doesn't simmer well", but the fact is that it doesn't simmer at all. If you thought other stoves had the choice of "incineration or off", you are in for a surprise.

Speaking of which, I was surprised, not only at how fast it is in a wind-free environment, but how little time extra it took when out in windy conditions. It is so great at stopping wind that I have no qualms using it in really windy conditions.

Besides the reactor, I often bring my old titanium primus canister stove so that I can use a small frying pan. I tried cutting an Etapower pot down to size, so that it can work as a frying pan on the domed Reactor. However, "inciniration" isn't really great for frying stuff, and especially not with a heat exchanger. It just becomes too damn hot. My setup works, though, although I'm contemplating buying a Pocket Rocket for the frying pan, rather than keep using the old Primus for the pan.

Machka 

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ltifuel-Stoves

You've also got an identical, locked thread about Alcohol Stoves started back in May of this year.


What kind of stove do you currently have?
Are you thinking of changing to a new stove?
Is this for your trip to the tropics?

If this is for your trip to the tropics, you might want to determine what sort of fuel might be available there ... wherever "there" is.

SmallFront

Okay then, so he claimed to want to design "a better" multi fuel stove, yet have no idea about any of the types of stove (yes, I looked at what threads he has started)?

I also noticed he is the bloke who asked about tropical sleep gear. Not that there's anything wrong with that per se, but it is quite telling he is asking about everything under the sun. I am beginning to think he has never been anywhere, and especially not camping/touring anywhere - even for a few days. Am I alone in thinking that?

Machka 

Nope.

shelbyfv

You appear to be correct, Smallfront. Probably would be best if folks just didn't reply to the threads but there will always be some who happen upon them and don't know the story. Good of you to clarify the situation.

Tourist in MSN

Concur.

When he proposed to design and build a new liquid fuel stove, I spent a lot of time encouraging him not to. (In the 1980s, I worked in a research lab working on fire protection research.) But after thinking about it, I realized I was wasting my time since all he does is dream up ways to get us to waste our time responding to his questions about backpacks, knives, panniers, stoves, stove fuels, rope/line, etc.

dengidog

While all of you are right, please don't forget that there are many of us who usually just read the postings and actually learn something from them, even if the OP is just a dreamer. It was thanks to a LOT of info that I got from this website that I was finally able to complete my dream of a tour (took 3 times, but, hey, that's another story).

RoadTire 

It blows up with explosive expansion of the bottom going from convex to concave. (if you are lucky and the canister of fuel doesn't rupture)
Because it's hot from windscreens or other stoves right next to it. The canister must never get more that slightly warm to the touch.
Looks like bad face and hand burns, messy food all over the place from the pots being launched.

Niles - you need to use Google and research this stuff that has already been tested and discussed. BPL forums are a great place for this info. Tons of stove mods and safety issues discussed.

Niles H.

Thanks for a refreshingly intelligent and on-topic post. And for the helful spirit, which seems to attend a more accurate and intelligent level of discussion.

I've been working on different designs and mods, and have a strong interest in all that. Will check out BPL on the subject. If you know of any other good, or design- and engineering-oriented possibilities, or sites where I might be able to find a few intelligent or insightful people who may share an interest in this, please drop me a pm. Thanks.

RoadTire 

While this doesn't specifically address your request, I'm a believer of focusing on forum related topics. For instance, this is a bike forum, so I expect bike-centric discussions, including specific bicycle touring / camping issues. All the rest of the camping and backpacking and ultralight discussions go to bushcraft (for bushcrafting) BPL for modern ultralight technical stuff, retro camp stove and lantern forums for those specific topics. Please don't dismiss the folks here - I have learned a huge amount just by listening and reading between the lines.

Part of your research has to be digging through the internet - there is so much to uncover.

Niles H.

Thanks for the reply. There are many equipment overlaps (among other overlaps) between bike touring, camping, and ultralight backpacking. Many of the issues are similar or identical.

The open road and the open trails.

SmallFront

Yes, there are. But there are specialised forums for a reason. I row a lot, and I go camping in a row boat. The best forum for things like that are kayak forums. If I'm a torch fan there are forums for those too (candlepowerforums.com, for one), if I'm into leather (calm down, not sexually) or canvas work, there are forums for that too. It doesn't mean there is no overlap, it just means that people on this forum are more bike orientated for obvious reasons, and you might stumble into the very same people on other geek forums (I mean that most lovingly), where they discuss other areas of interest, be it stoves, Petromax lanterns, torches, stylish clothing, or whatever.

Ah, why do I even bother

Niles H.

Tents, hammocks, stoves, sleeping bags, tarps, ultralight gear (of various sorts, and in principle), shoes (on- and off-bike), food, sleeping pads and systems, bivies, and a wide variety of similar topics are (and have long been) discussed here as well. Occasionally someone has something on-topic and perceptive to add.

spinner

Most fuel burning appliances come with safety rules / recommendations. Most mishaps are a result of not following these rules/recommendations. Understanding the safety rules and the possible results of ignoring them is critical to the safe operation of these appliances. So, experiment/modify at your own peril.

Niles H.

This is understood. It is the specific points that are of most interest, whether about safety or about design.

MSR now includes a much more comprehensive list of possible dangers and mishaps than they used to. But it is still missing some important points.

Juha

I think this thread has run its course.

--Juha, a Forum Mod