Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > MSR XGK EX > David Sowards-Emmerd > Field Report

Field Report - MSR XGK EX stove

Backpacking Background:

I generally take weekend (1 night) trips, and occasionally take 3-4 day trips. Most of my backpacking is at moderate altitude, 6,000'-12,000' (1,800-3,650 m), in conditions ranging from dry desert to hail/heavy snow in the mountains. In winter and spring I split time between Southern California (SoCal) deserts and snowshoeing/skiing/snowcamping in the Sierra/Cascades. Summer and fall I tend to stick to the high country.

Manufacturer's Website: www.msrgear.com
MSRP: $129.95 US

Manufacturer's Specifications: (from packaging - weights listed on website are both 0.6 oz (17 g) heavier):
Minimum Weight (stove and fuel pump only): 12.6 oz (357 g)
Packaged Weight: 16.6 oz (471 g)

Weights (as measured by tester):
Stove: 10.7 oz (305 g)
Pump: 2.3 oz (65 g)
Windscreen: 1.6 oz (46 g)
Base aluminum sheet: 0.6 oz (17 g)
Parts kit: 0.6 oz (18 g)
Stuff Sack: 0.8 oz (22 g)
Minimum Weight: 13.0 oz (370 g)
Everything Weight (not including fuel or fuel bottle): 16.7 oz (473 g)

Product Description:

The XGK EX is a mountaineering/expedition stove designed to burn a wide variety of fuels. For more details on the product, see my Initial Report.

Field Use:

During the past two months, I've used the XGK on two overnighters and a dayhike. On all three, I was using the stove for both myself and my wife. The details of these trips follow:

Kelly, Lake, Henry Coe State Park, CA
January 14-15, 2006
Elevation: 1,850 (560 m)
Conditions: cool and rainy - the outside of tent iced up overnight

After a cold and rainy hike in to camp, I set up my tent while others set up a kitchen tarp. About half of my cooking was done under the kitchen tarp, and half in a light rain. I packed in kerosene for fuel this trip and definitely found it to require a bit more care than white gas. Kerosene is more difficult to light than white gas (and messier too, see below under Observations). Temperatures were just above freezing when I used the stove, both in the morning and evening. I boiled a few liters (quarts) of cold lake water for tea, coffee, cider (and brandy), and dinner. The stove was extremely loud, and prevented any reasonable form of conversation when I was cooking. Personally, I love the roaring sound the stove makes, but it makes it more difficult to see if anyone else needs water heated before I shut down the stove.

Also, before our group decided to hit the tents, I fired up the XGK and we stood around it like it was a campfire - this was also a chance for everyone to warm up their wet and numb fingers.

Woods Lake, Eldorado National Forest, CA
February 18-19, 2006
Elevation: 8,250' (2,500 m)
Conditions: Cold, snowing, and occasionally windy

This trip was a large multi-day group snowcamping trip, but my wife and I were only able to attend two days of it. When we arrived, a nice kitchen had already been dug out, and several tarps set up over it. Temperatures were around 15 F (-9 C) during the day, and were forecast to drop below 0 F (-18 C) overnight (close to a record low). I packed in both kerosene and white gas (about a liter/quart combined) for this trip, and used up a good fraction of that melting snow. The white gas was much easier to ignite and more predictable than the kerosene. The kerosene flared up during priming and nearly set the tarp on fire. At one point we had two XGKs going side-by-side in the kitchen, as if one wasn't loud enough!

Scotts Lake, Eldorado National Forest, CA
March 18, 2006
Elevation: 8,050' (2,450 m)
Conditions: Cool, light wind, and lightly snowing

This was just a backcountry ski daytrip, and I decided to pack the XGK instead of extra water. Temperatures were around 20 F (-7 C). When my wife and I arrived at our destination, I dug out a small kitchen in the snow. This time I brought kerosene along, and it took some work to get the lighter to ignite the kerosene, but after that the stove was quickly up to its usual roar. First we melted snow for hot chocolate and coffee, and then I melted a bit more drinking water for the ski descent back down to the parking area.

Additionally, I used the XGK along with a cast iron pan to sear stakes on three separate occasions on my front porch. I initially heated up the pan on the XGK, added the steak for a 30 seconds or so on each side, and then put the pan on a rack slightly higher than the stove to finish off the steak (see photo).

Observations So Far:

Noise:
One of the most obvious features of this stove is the significant noise output. It is definitely a conversation killer - which is a real bummer when melting snow for extended periods of time. The plus side is there's no question about whether the stove went out.

Packability:
I'm able to fit the stove, windscreen and base, pump assembly, a lighter, and a pot gripper inside my MSR 2 L (~2 qt) titanium pot, and I carry this in its original stow sack to keep the lid on and everything from falling out. This pot/sack then goes in my pack wherever it will fit.

Fuel in the Tube/Pump:
When removing the fuel tube from the pump, and removing the pump apparatus from the fuel bottle, there has always been a bit of fuel left in the metal fuel tube, and in the pump tubes. I generally try to pour this back into the fuel bottle, but it's difficult to get it all out without shaking the whole apparatus vigourously. After this, the residual white gas evaporates quickly. However, with kerosene, the fuel line and pump still stink of fuel weeks after being packed away. Thus I'm not too keen on putting the stove and pump back in my cooking pot, but that's the packing method I've been using.

Stability:
The pot supports extend well past the base of my largest pot, so it's easy to judge if the pot is centered on the stove. The included base/heat reflector has done a good job of keeping the stove stable when used on snow. The snow never melted enough that the stove began to tilt enough to be noticeable.

Fuels:
I've used both kerosene and white gas so far during the testing period. The main reasons I've used kerosene are because it is claimed to be more efficient (water boiled versus fuel consumed) and the claim that it burns a bit hotter than white gas. During testing, I've found that the downsides to kerosene are it is more difficult to light (less volatile), is much messier, and is more prone to flare-ups during the priming phase than white gas. In order to light/prime the stove with kerosene, I've had to wet the priming pad with kerosene. When I just put kerosene in the priming cup, I was eventually able to light it, but it would simply go out, instead of burning long enough to heat the fuel tube. With white gas, putting a bit of fuel in the priming cup (and igniting it) was sufficient for priming. Igniting the kerosene with a lighter is difficult in any case due to the construction of the stove. It's difficult to get a flame down into the spirit cup or in towards the priming pad. I've been using an adjustable butane lighter, over adjusted to a ~2.5'' (7 cm) flame to ease this problem, but this isn't a good solution in strong winds. Finally, the flare-ups I've experienced with white gas have been small and predictable, whereas I nearly set a friends kitchen tarp on fire with a kerosene flare-up. However, I will continue to use both fuels during the rest of the testing period.

Overall:

I'm very happy with this stove so far. It is easy to prime, at least with white gas, and runs smoothly, generating plenty of heat. The only change I would make is to widen the 'slit' on one side of the stove so that a lighter (as opposed to just the flame) could be inserted, making it easier to light the stove.

Continued Test Plan:

During the next two months of testing, I am planning a few more snowcamping trips to the Sierra and Southern Cascades. In addition, I will most likely have another backpacking trip or two at lower elevation and warmer temperatures.

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Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > MSR XGK EX > David Sowards-Emmerd > Field Report