MSR XGK Expedition
£80.00 plus fuel bottle
Burns: Virtually anything including petrol, kerosene,
diesel, avgas, etc
Time to boil 1 litre: 4 mins 05 sec (unleaded)
Weight: 440g
The
definitive expedition stove got even better when MSR revised the
burner design after developing the Dragonfly. It's not subtle with no
simmer control - it's either on or off - and burns with all the
discreet charm of a low-flying Harrier jet, but it'll process
virtually anything except gas and alcohol using the special MSR
bottle as a pressurised fuel tank. The rigid fuel line gives the
burner decent stability too and performance is generally excellent
even at high altitudes and low temperatures.
A big plus with all MSRs is the Shaker Jet mechanism that lets you
clean clogged jets with a quick shake of the stove rather than a full
strip down, which is invaluable with dubious fuels. Having said that,
the whole design is geared towards easy field maintenance, so it's
easy to keep running smoothly. Included with the stove are a
windshield and heat reflector plus basic tools, but a full expedition
spares kit can be purchased separately.
Disadvantages include the plastic pressure pump which has been
known to break and the lack of controllability - Jamie Oliver won't
be raving over this one, but if it absolutely has to work, this is
the one to go for.
Verdict: Still the world's best ever expedition stove for
trips when stove failure simply isn't an option. Otherwise it's
overkill and always burns the sprouts. Fastest stove we tested.
Any idea where the MSR
web site is?
Used this product? Got any questions?
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