MSR XGK EX Stove Field Report

Andrew Henrichs

March 19, 2006

Biographical Information

Name:  Andrew Henrichs
Age:  25
Gender:  Male
Height:  6’ 2” (1.88 m)
Weight:  190 lb (86.2 kg)

Email address:  a_henrichs@yahoo.com 
City, State, Country:  Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA

Backpacking Background

   Most of my backpacking has been in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, as well as the desert in the southwestern US.  I’ve gone winter camping several times, but I still prefer backpacking in the warmer months.  Most of my trips are 2-3 days, but I have taken several trips of 5-6 days.  This past summer, I was fortunate enough to have thru-hiked the 476 mile (766 km) Colorado Trail over 35 days.  Recently, I have been leaning towards the lightweight side of the spectrum. 

Product Information

Manufacturer:  MSR (www.msrgear.com)

Year of Manufacturer:  2005

Listed Weight (Minimum):  13.2 oz (374 g)

Listed Weight (Packaged): 17.2 oz (489 g)

Weight as Delivered (stove):  10.5 oz (298 g)

Weight as Delivered (fuel pump):  2.3 oz (65 g)

Weight as Delivered (windscreen and reflector):  2.3 oz (65 g)

Fuel Types (GK jet):  white gas, kerosene, unleaded auto gas, aviation gas

Fuel Types (X jet):  jet fuel, diesel

MSRP:  $129.95 US

Contents

   Included with the MSR XGK EX stove itself was a fuel pump, basic maintenance kit, aluminum windscreen and reflector, stuff sack and instructions in English, French, German, Dutch, Japanese, Italian, Russian, Czechoslovakian, and Spanish.  The stove itself is quite a beast.  When viewed from above, it’s triangular in nature, with the corners rounded.  Each corner has a swivel for the pot supports and stove leg.  Each pot support and leg swivels as a single unit until it projects perpendicular to the corner.  Each stove leg has four small teeth at the end for stability.  Each pot support has eight teeth for stability.  The base of the stove itself is a solid piece of metal.  Sitting directly on top of the metal is a small circle of a synthetic material designed to soak up priming fluid.

    All three faces of the stove have two narrow slits, each approximately 1/8 in (3.2 mm) high.  One slit is located where the face meets the base; the other is slightly above it.  I assume these are intended as places to insert a lighting device for the stove.  The fuel line extends from one of the lower slits.  The fuel line outside the body of the stove is a plastic pipe surrounded by braided metal.  Towards the end is a metal hook that secures the fuel line to the fuel pump.  Inside the body of the stove, the fuel line is a solid metal tube.  The fuel line leads to the fuel jet, which releases fuel into the burner cup.  Sitting directly on top of the burner cup is the flame spreader. 

   The fuel pump has a plunger on top to pressurize the fuel.  Where the plunger joins the base is the control valve and receptor for the fuel line.  The bottom half of the fuel pump consists of two lines.  The grey, larger, and more solid line forces air into the fuel bottle, pressurizing it.  The smaller clear line is the fuel outlet line.  There is a small white filter on the end of the fuel outlet line to minimize contamination of the fuel line itself. 

Field Testing

    I've only been able to use this stove on one overnight trip in the desert of southeast Utah, but have also tested it on several other occasions in my backyard, which is on the western slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains .  Elevations ranged from approximately 4500 ft (1400 m) to 7500 ft ( 2300 m).  Temperatures have ranged from 10º F (-12º C) to 45º F (7º C).  While I've never used the stove in an extremely strong wind, it has been fairly breezy at times.  So far, I've only used the stove to melt snow and boil water for drinks and meals.  Specific lighting instructions and descriptions can be found in my Initial Report. 

 Observations that I've made thus far are as follows:

1.  Ease of Use – The stove is fairly easy to use.  A quick perusal of the directions and I was ready to go.  While the timing of the priming procedure takes a few tries to get just right, it's not too tough.  The flame control is very simple to use, and the sputtering flame reminds me to pump the fuel bottle. 

2.  Temperature Control – I have yet to try simmering on the XGK EX.  Based on my experiences with the stove so far, I think this probably isn't the best stove to simmer on.  Regardless, I will test the simmering capabilities on my next trip.  This stove is definitely suited to the "boil, add, and stir" variety of meals, which is what I typically prepare.  My typical temperature setting with this stove has been "blowtorch," and it's pretty easy to find that setting.  Most of my cooking is done with white gas; I'm interested to see if different types of fuel affect how this stove cooks. 

 3.  Durability – So far, this stove is a tank.  It looks and feels incredibly solid.  I have yet to see a dent, ding, or scratch on the stove.  I have a feeling that I would have to toss this thing off the Grand Canyon to dent it.  Having said that, I will not be kind to this stove.  I will use it very hard in order to see how durable it truly is. 

4.  Boil Time – I've found the manufacturer's listed boil time to be quite accurate.  I boiled 32 oz (1 L) on a fairly still night, with a temperature around 30º F (-1º C).  I used the reflector and wind screen.  I was using white gas as the fuel.  Shortly after 3 minutes, the water was bubbling slightly.  By 3.5 minutes (the manufacturer's claim), the water was bubbling significantly.  The water reached a rolling boil at 3 minutes and 45 seconds.  Pretty impressive.   How will a lower air temperature affect the boil time?  What about boiling in windy conditions?  Will boiling without the  reflector and windscreen make a difference in boil time?  As the MSR XGK EX is primarily an expedition stove, I also tested the amount of time required to melt, but not boil, 32 oz (1 L) of water from snow.  Starting with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot, it took me 2 minutes and 45 seconds to get 32 oz (1 L) of water.  The snow I melted was very consolidated Rocky Mountain snow.  Of course, melting different types of snow and ice will affect the length of time required to get a certain amount of water. 

5.  Stability – So far, both the retractable legs and pot supports are more than adequate.  I haven't had any concerns about my pot shifting and falling off of the stove.   I'm not worried about the stove tipping over, either.  The legs provide a very wide base, and it sits very close to the ground.

6.  Fuel Consumption – In the one objectively measured test that I've performed so far, the MSR XGK EX consumed 1.25 oz of white gas while boiling 32 oz (1 L) of water and melting the water equivalent of 32 oz (1 L) of snow.  I will measure how much fuel I use over the course of my six day backpacking trip next week. 

7.  Maintenance – I've practiced disassembling and reassembling both the stove and fuel pump, and it is fairly simple, as long as I stick to the directions.  Will more frequent use actually necessitate cleaning, or will the ShakerJet save me from having to constantly maintain the stove?