MSR XGK EX Stove Initial Report

Andrew Henrichs

January 11, 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 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 supports 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 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. 

Initial Impressions

   The stove is fairly easy to use.  I have used MSR stoves in the past, which gives me the advantage of being familiar with the general priming and lighting technique.  I tested the stove with white gas, and it worked perfectly.  Basically, the instructions tell the user to place the stove on the aluminum reflector, attach the fuel pump and fuel bottle to the stove, and pressurize the fuel bottle.  The number of strokes needed to pressurize the bottle will vary with the amount of fuel in the bottle.  A good rule of thumb seems to be pump until you feel moderate resistance.  Next, open the control valve to fill the fuel cup with a small amount of fuel, and then close the control valve.  This is where my favorite line from the directions comes in.  They say "a brief soccer ball size flame is normal."  Flame on!  Light the fuel and let it burn.  I was a little disappointed by the fact that I didn't experience the "brief soccer ball size flame," but it lit up quite nicely.  Once the flame begins to die down, slowly begin to open the fuel line until a steady blue flame appears.  You'll know that you've done everything right when the stove emits a constant, thunderous roar.  This is one loud stove, and the flame it emits is quite impressive!  At this point, the windscreen can be placed around the stove to improve performance.  While cooking, the instructions tell the user to pump the fuel pump 10 times every 10 minutes to maintain pressure.  When cooking is done, the control valve is closed to shut off the fuel supply.  A small flame will remain lit for several minutes as the excess fuel is burned off. 

    The stove fit perfectly into both my 1.5 L (51 oz) and 2.0 L (68 oz) aluminum MSR pots.  It did not fit into my .9 L (30 oz) titanium pot.  I expected as much.  This is not the stove I would bring if I were planning on going ultralight.  Even with the XGK EX stove in the pot, there was plenty of room for the pot lifter, utensils, and windscreen.  One thing that I noticed is that the distance between the sides of the stove and the burner cup prevents me from using a standard lighter to light the stove.  I have to use either a long-necked lighter or a match to light the stove through the side slits.  This may force me to alter my typical fire-starting methods unless I find a way to use my current lighter with this stove. 

Test Plan

I will be using the MSR XGK EX stove on all of my overnight trips this winter.  I currently have plans to take several overnight snowshoe trips this winter.  There is a trail that snakes its way up into the National Forest land just down the street from my house.  I plan on snowshoeing up to some clearings and spending the night under the stars.  Elevations on these trips will range from 7000 ft (2134 m) to 8500 ft (2591 m). 

I also plan on taking several overnight snowshoe trips to a small hut in the cross-county skiing/snowshoeing area next to our local ski resort.  The hut is first-come, first-serve and has a small wood burning stove inside, along with a supply of dry firewood.  It is located in a small clearing among the pine and aspen forest.  The hut lies at approximately 9000 ft (2743 m).  Despite the wood burning stove, I will use the XGK EX to cook my meals and melt snow and ice for drinking water.  It’s a beautiful location in the forest, and I will definitely spend several nights there this winter.  These trips will take place in the White River National Forest or other nearby National Forests, and elevations will range from 7000 ft (2134 m) to over 11000 ft (3353 m). 

I also intend to climb at least two 14000 ft (4267 m) peaks in the Colorado Rockies this winter or early spring.  This will be a great opportunity to put the stove’s high-altitude performance to the test.  I would also expect to experience significant wind and cold temperatures on these trips. 

In addition to the cold-weather and high-altitude testing, I would like to test how this stove performs at a more moderate elevation and temperature.  I would like to take a long weekend trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.  I’ve longed to see the hoodoos of this park frosted with snow, and it looks like I may get a chance this winter.  The elevation of Bryce Canyon National Park is approximately 7500 ft (2286 m), and the average winter high is approximately 40º F (4º C). 

 The aspects that I will be paying particular attention to include:

1.  Ease of Use – What is the learning curve for this stove?  Priming and lighting the stove doesn't seem to be too difficult.  What will things be like when I begin to actually cook on it? 

2.  Temperature Control – Is it possible to simmer on the XGK EX, or is this just a blowtorch?  Will I be limited to “boil, add, and wait” meals, or could I prepare a gourmet feast on this stove?  Does various fuel affect the output of this stove?  So far I think that simmering might be a fantasy while using the XGK EX.

3.  Durability – How tough is the stove?  Will it resist scrapes and dings while traveling in my pack?  Will the pot and stove supports stand up to use and abuse?  Will the hinge mechanism of the supports last?  Right off the bat, the stove looks like a tank.  I would be very surprised if I could damage this stove if I tried.  Nevertheless, I've been wrong before. 

4.  Boil Time – How accurate is the 3.5 minute boil time (using white gas)?  Is this time only attainable when boiling indoors at room temperature?  How long will it take to boil a similar amount of water when the temperature is below freezing?  What about in the wind?  Does using the reflector and windscreen truly make a difference in boil time? 

5.  Stability – Do the retractable legs and pot supports do their job?  Do I constantly have to worry about centering my pot so it doesn’t slide off the supports, or do the teeth on the supports hold everything in place?  If I bump the fuel bottle or stove while it’s on, will the pot go flying?  Again, from just playing with the stove a little bit, it seems very stable.  The legs provide a very wide base, and it sits very close to the ground.  Likewise, the pot supports seem quite substantial. 

6.  Fuel Consumption – How much fuel will I use in a day on a normal backpacking trip?  What will the daily fuel consumption be when I’m melting snow for drinking water? 

7.  Maintenance – The maintenance directions seem fairly straightforward.  The instructions include several diagrams which walk the user through various types of maintenance.  Directions are included for maintaining the stove itself as well as the fuel pump.  How often will I need to perform maintenance?  Will the ShakerJet save me from having to clean the stove constantly?