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The Cleaner
12-28-2010, 16:11
I was out on 12-19 for a quick overniter in the Horse Creek area,Greene Co. TN.The low temp was 19 degrees and the next morning my Svea 123 would not work properly.This stove was only 16 months old,purchased through Amaz.com.Looking back it never did work as well as the 1st one I got in 1976.It suffered a "blowout" in 2001 and I replaced it with a Coleman Peak One backpacker's stove,24oz empty:eek:.I didn't really like it because it wouldn't simmer and was heavy.So I have an MSR Simmerlite on the way.Does anybody have any experience with this stove and can share the pros&cons?:confused:

Tipi Walter
12-28-2010, 17:00
Like you, I've been thru the whole Svea-to-MSR transition and though the Svea was my beloved companion for 20 years, I finally dumped the thing and took up the Simmerlite with no regrets. See below fotog.

The Simmerlite is a great little white gas stove and a perfect stove for winter backpacking. There's a wire cable that runs into the stove that can be pulled out and cleaned, and this should be done at regular intervals. The pump is a little tricky and occasionally can twist open and let fuel escape in carry mode---I always leave the pump in the bottle on trips.

Of course, along with the Simmerlite you need to get a repair kit with the rubber grommets and perhaps an extra fuel pump for an emergency cache if you're out for a long time. Everything can be pulled apart and so with a little careful cleaning the thing should last for years. The MSR pump cup has to be lubricated about every trip but you can do it easily in the field if you carry the tiny oil container.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/7/8/7/4/trip_111_218.jpg

Hobbler
12-28-2010, 17:42
Cleaner...

I have many stoves, 4-gas, 3-alchy, and a Pocket Rocket and I am "old school" minded and really prefer the heat output of gasoline stoves. The MSR Simmerlite is one of the better functioning units second only to my 123R. It is light and having foladble legs will fit in a very small space. However, the pump unit takes up a large amount of space in the fuel bottle and reduces it's capacity some. It does simmer well but a wind screen does help a lot with boiling time. I am not a fan of its hose set up and feel that it is the weak link and attention must be paid to packing it in your pack or pot. I have relegated this unit to a 45 liter loaded tech pack set up for day-hikes that sometimes turn into over-nights.

There is a lot more regular maintenance involved with the Simmerlite as the kit MSR offers will attest to.

You had it right the first time with the 70's version of the 123R Svea...Best stove that I have ever owned...Still have and use mine from the late 70's and totally love it for it's simplicity and reliability. Self-pressurizing too! requiring no pump, unless you want to purchase the accessory pump setup to make this unit really scream. Works every time with a little practice...And....Real shiny solid brass!..."So Damn Pretty"....Like anything else, "They don't make 'em like they used to"...Sorry about your "Blow out" Maybe look and find another on Ebay? I bought a second one there for a spare on the cheap. For 16 bucks it was minus a wind screen but I made one and It works well. And although tricky, I can get it to simmer like it's older 123 brother. A little heavy but so solid and so simple that it is worth its weight in reliability alone. I take this on multi-night and section hikes.

Take a walk on Ebay my friend.

Hope that this helps.

The Cleaner
12-28-2010, 18:43
Thanks for the info.....I'm so used to the "maintenance free" Svea that having to work on the Simmerlite could be hard in cold weather.I just went out and tried to start the Svea and it fired up and boiled 750ml water in about 7 minutes@30 degrees.I'll leave it out overnite and try to start it again in the morning when it should be about 15-20 degrees.:sun

LIhikers
12-28-2010, 19:34
My wife and I used an MSR Simmerlite for years before switching to alcohol for the warmer parts of the year. We still use it during cold weather and have never had it fail. As for maintenance, once a year I fully disassemble it, replace the seals, clean the metal parts, including the wire that I remove from the fuel line and then reinstall after cleaning, and reassemble it. Like others I leave the pump installed in the bottle, in the field. Occasionally the pump doesn't build up preassure if I haven't used the stove in a long while. In that case I remove the pump, spread the leather cup, and reassemble the pump.
It has been a very reliable stove that has seen a lot of trips and cooked a lot of meals. And to get it to simmer best, don't pump up the bottle too much.

BradMT
12-29-2010, 00:40
Still have my 1975 Svea 123... works great. BUT, switched to the MSR Simmerlite a few years ago.. truly excellent stove. Not sure it's "better" than the Svea, but a touch lighter for sure and better pot stability.


I was out on 12-19 for a quick overniter in the Horse Creek area,Greene Co. TN.The low temp was 19 degrees and the next morning my Svea 123 would not work properly.This stove was only 16 months old,purchased through Amaz.com.Looking back it never did work as well as the 1st one I got in 1976.It suffered a "blowout" in 2001 and I replaced it with a Coleman Peak One backpacker's stove,24oz empty:eek:.I didn't really like it because it wouldn't simmer and was heavy.So I have an MSR Simmerlite on the way.Does anybody have any experience with this stove and can share the pros&cons?:confused:

handlebar
12-29-2010, 16:29
My wife and I used an MSR Simmerlite for years before switching to alcohol for the warmer parts of the year. We still use it during cold weather and have never had it fail. As for maintenance, once a year I fully disassemble it, replace the seals, clean the metal parts, including the wire that I remove from the fuel line and then reinstall after cleaning, and reassemble it. Like others I leave the pump installed in the bottle, in the field. Occasionally the pump doesn't build up preassure if I haven't used the stove in a long while. In that case I remove the pump, spread the leather cup, and reassemble the pump.
It has been a very reliable stove that has seen a lot of trips and cooked a lot of meals. And to get it to simmer best, don't pump up the bottle too much.

My experience: What LIHikers says exactly. Pay particular attention to the need to lube the pump cup at least yearly. I use an alchohol stove except in winter when I break out the Simmerlite.