View Full Version : Svea 123 Stove: anyone still using?
I've had a Svea-123 stove for about 30+ years now and it still works as well as ever. I added the small screw-in pump to the top to pressurize it for starting, but otherwise its just the same as when I bought it years ago. Anyone else still using the Svea-123? Is there any advantage to the newer-type stoves out there?
19106
I still have my original SVEA, along with a brand new, never-used one (except for testing). I still use it for an occasional winter trip or car camping. I bought the first one in 1978. From July of 1980 to May 27, 1981 I used it virtually every day for at least two meals, occasionally for three. Eleven months straight of daily use, without so much as a hiccup. Never even replaced the wick. After that I continued to use it for all my backpacking/camping trips. I started using alcohol for three-season about 6 or 7 years ago. Still use the first SVEA for winter.
The advantage of the alcohol are weight, pure and simple. The SVEA is much more reliable in bad conditions. I do miss the ritual of priming and lighting the SVEA, plus I always enjoyed the sensation of absolute quiet that one got when they shut down the SVEA, I miss that as well.
The nostalgia is similar to the end-of-the-day ecstasy we used to feel in removing our boots. That is also missing for today's hikers. AHHHH the old days.
fiddlehead
01-19-2013, 09:42
I blew one up on my first hike in '77.
Was using unleaded in it instead of Coleman (Wasn't so easy to find back then, but gas stations were)
Never really trusted them after that although it was probably all my fault.
Still have one though. (not the one I blew up)
It's in my collection, that you can read about here. (http://fiddlehead.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/my-backpacking-stove-collection/)
The Cleaner
01-19-2013, 09:45
Bought my 1st one in 1976 and it lasted about 4000 miles till 2001 when the pressure release valve blew out.What a surprise :eek: ,looked like an F-14 afterburner kicking in instead of trying to fix it I just got a new one (at a bit more than twice the price of 1st one).Once you learn how to prime it and have the time,it's a great stove for winter conditions.Most thru hikers shudder at it's weight but unlike MSR's white gas burners, they do not have a spare parts kit because you don't need any.A great stove I'd recommend it to all not afraid of it's weight.IMO it's dependability overcomes it's weight as on a cold morning when the alky & canister stoves are slow and sometimes will only heat water to less than a full rolling boil :sun.....
" on a cold morning when the alky & canister stoves are slow and sometimes will only heat water to less than a full rolling boil :sun..... "
Interesting. So, do the alcohol stoves not burn as hot as the Svea with white gas?
Whats that thing weigh ?
I just weighed my Svea, filled with fuel - 362gm. That's the stove by itself. Add another 260 for the 2-piece wind guard and support. Total of 622gm. A bit heveyer than the Primus I have (515, w/ a full can of fuel). How about some of the alcohol stoves out there?
Alcohol stoves are less than an ounce. My entire alcohol kit, minus fuel is 8 oz. That includes, stove, pot, lid, windscreen, priming pan, pot lifter, mini bic, fuel measuring cup. So, yeah, a substantial weight savings. You do loose efficiency.
White gas provides way more heat per oz of fuel.
staehpj1
01-19-2013, 11:32
I still have a 123r and it makes me nostalgic when I see it, but I don't use it any more. I don't buy that it is more reliable than either alcohol or cartridge stoves. My alcohol stove is lighter and more reliable and to a lesser extent is my cartridge stove. White gas has more BTUs per weight than alcohol so some or all of the weight advantage of the alcohol stove might go away if I had a need to carry a lot of fuel on a particular trip. The thing is that a cartridge stove is likely to beat the SVEA for those trips and most trips I manage to restock every few days.
Sgt. Rock has done the math on various fuels on his site, you can make your own comparisons there, plenty of good info.
LINK: http://hikinghq.net/stoves/weight_time_compare.html
Slo-go'en
01-19-2013, 13:27
My SEVA is now semi-retired. I used it almost daily for over 15 years. My home kitchen consisted of a microwave, toaster oven and the SEVA 123. Now that I finally have a real four burner gas stove, the SEVA can rest.
Wise Old Owl
01-19-2013, 13:33
Whats that thing weigh ?
1.4 pounds not including starter paste tube.
Its a high altitude white gas stove- The AT is not high altitude, and the stove is bomb proof and fails in 30 years - rubber parts and valves wear out... yes I used one for years.
The svea stove is reliable and terrific in cold weather.My advice is to bring the pump,saves a lot of time and ag. On the other hand the svea is heavy,hard to refill,and dealing with gasoline has always been a humbug for me.
Feral Bill
01-19-2013, 13:38
" on a cold morning when the alky & canister stoves are slow and sometimes will only heat water to less than a full rolling boil :sun..... "
Interesting. So, do the alcohol stoves not burn as hot as the Svea with white gas? Yes, not even close.
I've had my SVEA since 1968, and it remains my usual stove. In fact, I bought each of my kids one for their adventures. For larger groups, especially melting snow, the gas tank is small.
Cleaning the jet takes a few seconds with a bit of fine wire.The only other maintenance is replacing the filler cap gasket every few years. Cost , <$1.
Still using mine. I might take an alcohol stove if the weather is warm or I want extra space in the pack. If I need to have something hot right now, and if I want a lot of it, the SVEA never fails to deliver.
I use mine on overnight hikes & long weekend trout fishing trips,
the weight factor doesn't worry me....i like a little bit of retro in my life. ;)
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac276/ofuros/Stoves/PC230043Small.jpg
Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 2
Anybody know where I can get an original wind screen/pot holder for the Svea?? What about other parts stuff, like the wire jet cleanout?
19112
Wise Old Owl
01-19-2013, 19:07
Still looking found this!
http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/index.php
Anybody know where I can get an original wind screen/pot holder for the Svea?? What about other parts stuff, like the wire jet cleanout?19112packstoves.net may be able to help you.
Feral Bill
01-19-2013, 20:40
Anybody know where I can get an original wind screen/pot holder for the Svea?? What about other parts stuff, like the wire jet cleanout?
19112Get a bit of speaker cable. The individual wires are just right for cleaning the jet
Monkeywrench
01-20-2013, 07:20
Had a very exciting morning when the pressure valve on my Svea let go while cooking breakfast on a winter hike and turned the stove into a flame thrower. Haven't used it since, and when last I moved it went to a new home.
I do have many fond memories of the Svea rituals, and especially of the profound quiet one experiences when you turn that blast-furnace off.
I don't have any fond memories of this stupid thing. I 've had two of them for 35 years and hate them both. The last time I used one was about 6 years ago on a canoe trip and wonder why... They are loud, difficult to control, a pain to clean, a hog for fuel and generally frightening for small children, animals and neophytes. Being nostalgic for a Svea 123 is like being nostalgic for a chainsaw. Yes it works but you don't want to grab the wrong end of the thing.
The Cleaner
01-20-2013, 10:22
I don't have any fond memories of this stupid thing. I 've had two of them for 35 years and hate them both. The last time I used one was about 6 years ago on a canoe trip and wonder why... They are loud, difficult to control, a pain to clean, a hog for fuel and generally frightening for small children, animals and neophytes. Being nostalgic for a Svea 123 is like being nostalgic for a chainsaw. Yes it works but you don't want to grab the wrong end of the thing. No problem with chainsaws here since I worked in the Arborcare industry for 25 years.A few weeks back I packed in a chainsaw(day trip) to Jerry's Cabin shelter and cut firewood for all that stay there.It's laying around in several places,probably under a foot of snow now :eek:
Feral Bill
01-20-2013, 13:57
I don't have any fond memories of this stupid thing. I 've had two of them for 35 years and hate them both. The last time I used one was about 6 years ago on a canoe trip and wonder why... They are loud, difficult to control, a pain to clean, a hog for fuel and generally frightening for small children, animals and neophytes. Being nostalgic for a Svea 123 is like being nostalgic for a chainsaw. Yes it works but you don't want to grab the wrong end of the thing. Heretical nonsense. :)
Thanks for the tip - speaker wire! Who knew! Now, anybody have the original brass wind screen they don'r need any longer???
The Cleaner
01-23-2013, 09:56
Thanks for the tip - speaker wire! Who knew! Now, anybody have the original brass wind screen they don'r need any longer??? Yeah, I still have the one from my 1st Svea.PM for details..
Feral Bill
01-23-2013, 12:57
Thanks for the tip - speaker wire! Who knew! Now, anybody have the original brass wind screen they don'r need any longer???
These come up on ebay often.
My Dad & I section hiked the LT in the 60's and 70's using a Svea. When I look thru the journal he kept, there are many entries like "stove on the fritz again" and "couldn't get stove going, no coffee." I've never used it since, going with alcohol or canister in the summer and Whisperlit in the winter.
I don't have any fond memories of this stupid thing. I 've had two of them for 35 years and hate them both. The last time I used one was about 6 years ago on a canoe trip and wonder why... They are loud, difficult to control, a pain to clean, a hog for fuel and generally frightening for small children, animals and neophytes. Being nostalgic for a Svea 123 is like being nostalgic for a chainsaw. Yes it works but you don't want to grab the wrong end of the thing.
Well, my comment would be that you may have bigger issues if you continued to use not one but two pieces of gear that you hate for 35 years. There are and always were plenty of other options out there. Your experience is on you.
"you are only truly having an adventure when you wish you were somewhere else" i don't know who said this but it may have been me. But wanting to have adventures explains the use of the of the SVEA 123. Yes bigger issues are involved, Lyle
UofWHusky
01-24-2013, 21:46
I use my Svea 123 for local hikes where I don't have to deal with the airlines. I used it on my 12-day Wonderland Trail hike last September. With the fuel in the stove and a small pocket flask of additional fuel I had two hot meals per day with some additional evening tea during the trip.
Game Warden
08-09-2013, 21:43
I used a Svea 123 through the Catskills, Adirondacks and Pine Barrens, but I was much younger, and back then extra weight meant nothing. Getting the damn thing going was always an pyrotechnic display. BTW, my first stove was a Coleman Peak 1.....how's that for poundage?
I do have many fond memories of the Svea rituals, and especially of the profound quiet one experiences when you turn that blast-furnace off.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Svea123, and hike with it regularly, but god is the thing loud... Never had a problem lighting, only once has it gone flame thrower on me, It's lighter than a lot of other stoves, it's fast, it works every freaking time, and I trust it.
perdidochas
11-01-2013, 09:37
I've had a Svea-123 stove for about 30+ years now and it still works as well as ever. I added the small screw-in pump to the top to pressurize it for starting, but otherwise its just the same as when I bought it years ago. Anyone else still using the Svea-123? Is there any advantage to the newer-type stoves out there?
19106
The Scoutmaster of my troop has one of those, vintage 1965. He likes it for the novelty, and likes being able to refuel with cheap white gas, vs. a canister. Personally, I think it's too much work. I have just gotten a cheap canister (after a Coleman 442), and couldn't be happier. I can make coffee in 4 minutes, including getting the stove set up.
Weather-man
11-01-2013, 09:38
My first real backpacking stove! Bought it at Paragon in NYC, circa 1972, for about $11 IIRC. I used that thing for years and even took it with me during the initial years of my Military service.
About 6 months ago I sent it to A&H for a complete rebuild..which cost me all of about $25. It now works like it did the day I bought it and I'm pondering using it again for light winter camping. All in all the weight penalty isn't that bad considering the "fun" factor of using my old trusty. FYI...the manual pressure pump worked well for me in cold weather. '
Love that stove!
Tom Murphy
11-01-2013, 12:59
When it gets really cold, the SVEA goes in the pack. Yes, it is heavy and loud. It is also the most reliable piece of gear I own.
NY HIKER 50
11-01-2013, 13:14
I had a svea, but I sadly had to divest myself of it. First though, the safety valve is there for a reason. It is supposed to go off to keep the pressure from building up inside and from becoming a great antipersonnel weapon while you're trying to cook dinner and it turns into a fifty foot wide fireball. The stove still works after that.
Now back to what I was saying. It is too hard to try to find white gas. If you try to carry the fuel on a bus or train (forget plane) and something happens you'll be hung. Car gas will clog it up. So I went to alcohol which is safer to carry and gave it up. I'll miss it though.
max patch
11-01-2013, 13:19
Car gas will clog it up.
I used unleaded gasoline which I bought from the gas stations (usually a dime to fill my fuel bottle) at least half the time on my thru and had no problems. I will agree that it probably makes sense to use white gas when available.
max patch
11-01-2013, 13:25
For $89 (!!!) you can buy a "muffler" for your svea that is 5 star rated on Amazon. Supposed to improve simmering to boot. I own a svea but don't own one of these nor would I ever own one of these. Even at a 90% discount.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2Bg-biFcuL.jpg
My first real backpacking stove! Bought it at Paragon in NYC, circa 1972, for about $11 IIRC. I used that thing for years and even took it with me during the initial years of my Military service.
About 6 months ago I sent it to A&H for a complete rebuild..which cost me all of about $25. It now works like it did the day I bought it and I'm pondering using it again for light winter camping. All in all the weight penalty isn't that bad considering the "fun" factor of using my old trusty. FYI...the manual pressure pump worked well for me in cold weather. '
Love that stove!
Really cool that you can refurbish!
That said, I think the pump is for weenies.
Seeing a burn mark on a shelter floor can bring a tear to my eye-- I would probably weep like a baby if I saw someone else with a Svea. Even on my thru everyone laughed as they lit their MSR XKG (?) and girlie Coleman 442s.
Cookerhiker
11-01-2013, 19:46
I used a Svea in most of the 1980s and early 90s. I no longer have it and don't remember what I did with it - perhaps gave it away.
max patch
11-01-2013, 20:00
Outdoorsmen use Sveas.
Outdoorsmen use Sveas.
Mostly deaf by now.
Cookerhiker
11-01-2013, 20:12
Outdoorsmen use Sveas.
Then things have evolved. There was a time when outdoorsmen built fires without the aid of paper or "fire starters."
Bought my 1st one in 1976 and it lasted about 4000 miles till 2001 when the pressure release valve blew out.What a surprise :eek: ,looked like an F-14 afterburner kicking in instead of trying to fix it I just got a new one (at a bit more than twice the price of 1st one).Once you learn how to prime it and have the time,it's a great stove for winter conditions.Most thru hikers shudder at it's weight but unlike MSR's white gas burners, they do not have a spare parts kit because you don't need any.A great stove I'd recommend it to all not afraid of it's weight.IMO it's dependability overcomes it's weight as on a cold morning when the alky & canister stoves are slow and sometimes will only heat water to less than a full rolling boil :sun.....
Used my camping gaz Bluet stove...1st canister type stove made I believe....French maybe?...last winter for 1st time in 20 years to cook pancakes at 3,000+ ft on snowpack in January for me and my 3 boys. It took 40 minutes and an entire canister but it was ok cause we didn't really want to get out of our sleeping bags anyway. Cowboy camping 2 miles from the car. Many fond memories with that old Colin Fletcher recommended stove. Quiet too.
Wise Old Owl
11-01-2013, 21:12
:eek:NO........................
:eek:NO........................
Reminds me of a first time experience night before last. An owl did a perfect, loud, long impersonation of a fire truck siren........ then hooted "Who cooks for you" clear as a bell, on Bluff mountain at 3:33 Halloween morning. Gave me and Ottie goose bumps. Course we didn't get no stinking merit badges.......but who...who...who....whooooooo really cares?
Feral Bill
11-02-2013, 21:08
Really cool that you can refurbish!
That said, I think the pump is for weenies.
Seeing a burn mark on a shelter floor can bring a tear to my eye-- I would probably weep like a baby if I saw someone else with a Svea. Even on my thru everyone laughed as they lit their MSR XKG (?) and girlie Coleman 442s. I'm sure you meant to say tried to light......, no?
earlyriser26
11-02-2013, 22:23
Maybe I should pull out my Optimus 8R?
Wise Old Owl
11-03-2013, 00:41
Reminds me of a first time experience night before last. An owl did a perfect, loud, long impersonation of a fire truck siren........ then hooted "Who cooks for you" clear as a bell, on Bluff mountain at 3:33 Halloween morning. Gave me and Ottie goose bumps. Course we didn't get no stinking merit badges.......but who...who...who....whooooooo really cares?
Nice!
As for the Svea...
My dad had wone from his hiking the alps days,,, we never went to a fast food resturant - instead it was a park bench for lunch and a cup of tea,,,, heavy noisy pain in the butt thing. Its one saving grace was it worked on regular gas. The fire paste was a trip!
Sarcasm the elf
11-03-2013, 04:38
I don't have any fond memories of this stupid thing. I 've had two of them for 35 years and hate them both. The last time I used one was about 6 years ago on a canoe trip and wonder why... They are loud, difficult to control, a pain to clean, a hog for fuel and generally frightening for small children, animals and neophytes. Being nostalgic for a Svea 123 is like being nostalgic for a chainsaw. Yes it works but you don't want to grab the wrong end of the thing.
What does it say about me that this post, more than anything else has peaked my interest in the SVEA. Thanks to this brilliantly witty review the stove may very well make it onto my wish list.
atmilkman
11-03-2013, 09:24
What does it say about me that this post, more than anything else has peaked my interest in the SVEA. Thanks to this brilliantly witty review the stove may very well make it onto my get wish list.
Same here. I want to try and find an old beater and figure it out.
sliderule
11-05-2013, 19:32
I'm sure you meant to say tried to light......, no?
One needs to understand the self-pressurization feature and the related priming requirement. Failing to do so will undoubtedly lead to dissatisfaction with the stove's performance.
I have been using the same 123 since 1972. In 41 years, it let me down once. Needle valve stem broke. Fortunately, on the last morning of the hike.
Claims that the 123 is a "fuel hog," are, in my opinion, totally without basis.
Wise Old Owl
11-05-2013, 20:03
No its not a fuel hog... I agree - its awesome and too damn heavy still used on Everest.
Feral Bill
11-05-2013, 21:23
No its not a fuel hog... I agree - its awesome and too damn heavy still used on Everest. Not even a gas piglet.
I use about 4 oz/day for two cooked meals, drinks and wash water for 2.
sliderule
11-06-2013, 00:21
As I think about it, I might not be real happy with the 123 if I relied on the supplied instructions and tried to warm the stove in my hands in order to encourage the priming fuel to flow from the nozzle. Instead, I carry a small squirt bottle of denatured alcohol and use that to prime the burner. It also helps to monentarily open the fuel cap before each use, so that any negative pressure differential in the tank is eliminated.
Wise Old Owl
11-06-2013, 08:30
The trail name fits!:sun
Tipi Walter
11-06-2013, 10:58
Had a very exciting morning when the pressure valve on my Svea let go while cooking breakfast on a winter hike and turned the stove into a flame thrower. Haven't used it since, and when last I moved it went to a new home.
I do have many fond memories of the Svea rituals, and especially of the profound quiet one experiences when you turn that blast-furnace off.
The Flame Thrower Effect happened to me once too---back in '84.
I don't have any fond memories of this stupid thing. I 've had two of them for 35 years and hate them both. The last time I used one was about 6 years ago on a canoe trip and wonder why... They are loud, difficult to control, a pain to clean, a hog for fuel and generally frightening for small children, animals and neophytes. Being nostalgic for a Svea 123 is like being nostalgic for a chainsaw. Yes it works but you don't want to grab the wrong end of the thing.
All I used for 20 years were various Svea 123's and I pondered this in a Trail Journal entry from 2005---
THE STOVE CHRONICLES
I remember the old tents of the 1970s which had a zippered hole in the floor for stove cooking, an antique feature now obsolete on nearly all small tents. This was I guess mainly used in alpine conditions or at high altitudes in snow but in over a decade the tent vestibule has replaced the zippered stove hole. White gas stoves work good in the vestibule and after the initial priming flareup they can be brought into the vesty for cooking. My old copper Svea 123 round stove was messy to prime and flared up too much for constant near tent or vestibule use whereas my MSR Whisperlite, once cranking out its blue flame, works good in the alcove area. The Svea was my favorite for many years as I refused to go with the newfangled MSR because I thought all of its tubes and pump and gaskets and O rings was an accident waiting to happen. But the Svea had its drawbacks. The old Svea did not have a self cleaning needle making it hard to keep the jet clean. The next model had the needle and used a smaller on/off rotation which was more efficient but the Svea was still a hassle to operate.
One problem was locating and keeping the on/off key handy at all times and not let it get too hot. It would usually get messed up in the stove's housing when unpacking, adding to my frustration. Another big problem was the loss of the 3 nail-like stove prongs which supported the pot. These always seemed to fall off and were nearly impossible to find in the leaves and dirt.
All my many Sveas had replacements made from nails which did not stay in and which were even harder to find when dropped. Two other problems concerned the fuel. Getting the gas into the little hole on the stove with an opened Sigg bottle was always a mess and I hardly ever carried a small funnel for this job. Getting gas to the small priming trough was a mess too and the recommended eyedropper method only added to the confusion.
For quick results I would usually pour a small amount of gas directly from the Sigg but it was always too much and was a waste of precious fuel. The initial flareup of course was therefore too big and too long. Another hassle was trying to refill a hot stove with fuel in the middle of meal preparation, the little tank just didn't hold that much.
One last problem was the thin brass sleeve that fitted around the stove and twisted on and off. It must be on to cook but must come off for refueling and this little devilish item(with the 3 hellish loseable prongs attached)always seemed to get bent and deformed enough to make it a real pain to use. The Svea is still today sold and is not cheap but I would like to get one just to go back down memory lane yet I must remember the 6 I had before and say goodbye.
The MSR line of stoves is now where my interest lies, there is one in particular I would get to replace my current model and it is called the Simmerlite. The one big drawback to the Whisperlite is it doesn't simmer whereas the Svea simmered like a champ. In the old days I would cook up brown rice or lentils for a full hour, something that just can't be done on the Whisperlite. But where would I be or have been without these little gas stoves? They added a vital comfort on long cold trips and made edible a wide variety of foods. All Hail the White Gas Stove! END
LINK HERE---
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=164046
Getting gas to the small priming trough was a mess too and the recommended eyedropper method only added to the confusion.
A straw -- or better still a long plastic tube -- works well. Just dip it in your fuel bottle, then put your finger over the end of it and get the small amount of fuel needed for the prime.
Feral Bill
11-07-2013, 11:09
A straw -- or better still a long plastic tube -- works well. Just dip it in your fuel bottle, then put your finger over the end of it and get the small amount of fuel needed for the prime. Works every time, with no fuss or bother.
atmilkman
11-07-2013, 11:19
I've seen people selling the vintage ones on ebay and stating they are made in Sweden. Are the new ones from places such as Campmor made somewhere else now?
Feral Bill
11-07-2013, 11:30
I've seen people selling. the vintage ones on ebay and stating they are made in Sweden. Are the new ones from places such as Campmor made somewhere else now?
Yes, I believe Taiwan. A friend bought one recently and was not impressed with the fit and finish. Best to get a vintage one, I think.
atmilkman
11-07-2013, 11:35
Yes, I believe Taiwan. A friend bought one recently and was not impressed with the fit and finish. Best to get a vintage one, I think.
Thank you for the info. I've been scouring different sites including the Optimus site looking for the info to no avail. Thanks again.
NY HIKER 50
11-07-2013, 11:46
Used my camping gaz Bluet stove...1st canister type stove made I believe....French maybe?...last winter for 1st time in 20 years to cook pancakes at 3,000+ ft on snowpack in January for me and my 3 boys. It took 40 minutes and an entire canister but it was ok cause we didn't really want to get out of our sleeping bags anyway. Cowboy camping 2 miles from the car. Many fond memories with that old Colin Fletcher recommended stove. Quiet too.
After I used the Gerry stove I got a bit turned off by the propane/butane stoves. Here's the reason: Eventually the gas canisters became unavailable and I watched the Bluet for awhile. Then those canisters ceased to be available. I finally gave up and went to alcohol. I can use any type, and I never had a problem with the drug store variety.
This is now what you have to think about. Whether you want to pay $150.00 for a stove and risk the canisters becoming unavailable. Oh, and the Gerry had an Achilles heel. When you put the needle into the can you might sometimes heaf a clunk. This meant that you were about to lose all your fuel when you were putting it away.
atmilkman
11-17-2013, 21:02
Does anybody know anything about the svea 123 clone made by Fire-Lite?
atmilkman
11-18-2013, 10:36
Does anybody know anything about the svea 123 clone made by Fire-Lite?
Bumping this up. Does anybody have any experience with this stove or has even heard of it?
UofWHusky
01-24-2014, 18:27
Still use my 30+ year old Svea 123 when I don't have to fly someplace. Used it while hiking the Wonderland trail. I use the little pump to pressurize the tank, bleed some fuel out, light it and start the stove. When I fly somewhere to hike I use a canister stove.
Tipi Walter
01-24-2014, 19:38
Just saw one on a recent backpacking trip---
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/Citico-Wilderness-Trailwork/i-TWmq2fP/0/L/TRIP%20149%20097-L.jpg
max patch
01-24-2014, 19:41
I did some research maybe a year ago and reviews by users said it was made in China and did not work flawlessly like the original Swedish made Svea. I have no personal knowledge of the knock off as my 30 year old model refuses to quit.
If it's anything else like other copies from China it will look just like the original, but it won't work at all like the original...
An Asian customer once took me aside and explained about "visual culture". aka You are what you look like.
stillatit
05-01-2014, 19:07
This note ought to bring this old post back to life. I've been hiking for over 30 years and my Svea is the oldest gear I still use. My original Svea lasted about 20 years and finally crapped out. That was about the time they had disappeared from retail outlets and stores. Fortunately, Campmor decided to get rid of their stock of them and reduced the price to do so. I picked up a spare which has become the one I use now.
Perhaps the funniest thing that happens now is when I use it, the younger hikers around look at me and ask, "How old ARE you?"
Last summer I did a section that included NJ and at the Wawayanda shelter in the state park I ran into a father-son team (adult son) who were also using one. That made me feel good...
I love my Svea... People always think about the weight, but in reality it weighs right about the same a s a canister stove with the canister. The Svea will heat more, longer and plus you get the added benefit of sounding like a jet engine for a few minutes and scaring all the bears away. I hike in Texas and through the great plains and regularly use my Svea. I don't have to screw with finding canisters where there are none, and have used White gas and gasoline in my stove. (dirty but works)
I had one when I first started backpacking. It was quirky and I had some close calls with it. I was happy to retire it and replace it with an MSR Whisperlite (ca. 1989.) The Whisperlite still works but is in the hiking relics bin. I dunno what became of the Svea, I either tossed it or gave it away.
I had one of those when I was a kid in the Boy Scouts. Used to burn unleaded gasoline in it that we bought on the way out to our hikes. Made an awesome sound when you ran it. Thanks for the pictures!
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