MSR 1.0L Reactor Stove

[lucky duck]

:confused:I see that MSR has recently come out with a 1.0L Reactor Stove/Pot. The stove/pot weighs 14.7 oz. and is being sold by LLBean for $170. The previous MSR Reactor had a 1.7L pot and weighed 19 oz. Have any of you had any experience with this new stove/pot? Perhaps it's too early to ask, but I'm curious.

[CarlZ993]

I've used the 1.7L version as well as the 2.5L version pot/stove. The stove is very efficient and fast at boiling water. Really fast! Wind has very little effect on it's efficiency On Scout trips to arid places (Big Bend, Grand Canyon, etc), we utilize the Reactor stove using the freezer bag method of cooking (food in freezer bag, boil water, pour into bag, place bag in freezer bag cozy, & wait 10 min and then eat). Very effective for that style of cooking. Regardless of the whether you do freezer bag cooking or cook in the pot, you better have your food ready before you fire up your stove. The next thing you know, it'll be boiling.

Even with the 1L pot, the pot/stove combination would be a little on the heavy side for an individual carry. Backpackinglight did a review on it last August at the Outdoor Retailers Convention in Salt Lake. They weighed it @ 16.7 oz. Unsure what the final weight will be (often variance between show prototype to finished product).

[Mr. Bumpy]

Been using the reactor for a couple of years and it has become my go to stove. It is so efficient that for two or three night trips for two that I quit taking a water filter and just boil what we drink. I've never used more than a can of fuel during these typically short trips and we even make warm water for washing dishes. I don't have a problem with the bulk of the 1.7 pot so even though I like gadgets I won't bother with the 1L pot.

[Starchild]

Been using the reactor for a couple of years and it has become my go to stove. It is so efficient that for two or three night trips for two that I quit taking a water filter and just boil what we drink. ...

I have used a jetboil as a water purification method but I found that awkward because the water was hot and I needed to wait till it cooled down enough to even put into the plastic water bottles (not carrying heavy nalgeen but simple 'Poland Springs' type). Even when I immersed the JB pot in the stream it took some time. From that experience it didn't seem practical to do that except as a backup method, perhaps winter use would differ as hot water may be welcome and as using snow melt. It was only really practical in my application as a base camp method if I had time in one location. Was wondering how you used it so it became your standard method, and what method you were using before.

Peace

[Starchild]

The MSR reactor is interesting and I know a ranger who wishes to get one after that saved their backsides one winter during a blizzard rescue situation. With no escape from the wind it worked perfectly and got them all hot water.

It is good to see the size come down, but the 1L size lost some efficiency in going smaller (boiling 20L of water per canister instead of 22L of the larger ones), which has me suspect that there may be a lower limit to how small (and light) they can make the Reactor.

[Mr. Bumpy]

It was only really practical in my application as a base camp method if I had time in one location. Was wondering how you used it so it became your standard method, and what method you were using before.

Peace

The last few years I have turned into a cool weather backpacker hiking mostly with my young son and another dad and his boy--so yeah--it kind of is a seasonal thing when we are doing less than 7-8 miles per day and have a lot of camp time. During the summer when we typically do a week long trip the Sweetwater filter gets used a lot.
My wife and I started our son on backcountry trips when he was 3 1/2 and especially when he was younger we would find ourselves being overcautious and both filtering and boiling whatever he drank. The boy is 10 now and I'm less concerned about him getting a bug but the boiling practice kind of stuck, plus it sure is nice to have hot water for washing dishes when it is cold.
I do wonder how many scalding injuries happen because of stoves like this. Someone could get a bad burn pretty quick when those stoves get going.