Backside Line
The MSR WhisperLite excels the place canister stoves fail. It stands as much as extraordinarily chilly climate, excessive altitude, and blustery winds, making it perfect for mountaineering and winter treks. The WhisperLite is extraordinarily gas environment friendly, can deal with full-sized cookware with its steady basis, and is nearly unaffected by wind. We didn’t go simple on this one throughout our wind testing course of and it nonetheless didn’t disappoint.
Because the title implies, the WhisperLite is each quiet and light-weight, nevertheless it’s not ultralight. We wouldn’t suggest this range for the standard three-season backpacker. It’s considerably heavier than most backpacking stoves (together with the gas), and has a bit little bit of a studying curve to function, making it not perfect for newbie backpackers. For easier and extra light-weight range choices, try our full information to backpacking stoves.
Fast Specs
MSR WhisperLite
Finest Liquid Gas Range for Winter Treks
Rating:
51/100
Value:
$135
Weight:
9.5 oz.
Gas Sort:
White fuel
Boil Time:
5m 50s
Burn Time (8 oz. gas):
44m
Execs
- Performs effectively in excessive chilly & excessive altitude
- Environment friendly
- Quieter than different liquid gas stoves
- Secure pot help
Cons
- Slight studying curve
- No simmer management
- Heavy/cumbersome
- Costly
Comfort
The WhisperLite isn’t a ‘flip a knob and flick a change’ sort of range to function – it has a little bit of a studying curve, however when you get the grasp of it it’s no large deal. There’s a gas bottle that must be stuffed, then pumped to pressurize the gas, then hooked up to the gas line. Then the range must be preheated (“primed”) earlier than you might be able to activate the primary burner to cook dinner. Oh, and don’t neglect to arrange the windscreen and warmth reflector! When the range is able to be packed up, it have to be disassembled and the gas bottle depressurized. Don’t fear, it goes rapidly after some time and there are precious trade-offs to this maneuvering.
The WhisperLite is ideal for a base camp kitchen state of affairs. In contrast to different backpacking stoves, it may possibly deal with bigger pots and pans, making it perfect for cooking for a gaggle (although it makes use of fairly a little bit of gas, we’ve managed to boil a number of gallons of water at a time in a big pot for a dozen individuals).
Weight & Packability
The WhisperLite, when together with all of its equipment just like the gas pump, windscreen, and warmth reflector, weighs in at about 15.4 ounces. Once you take note of that it’s a backpacking range that may maintain its personal as a strong piece of mountaineering gear, it’s actually not that heavy. Built-in range techniques come fairly shut in weight. Nevertheless, in case your intention is shaving ounces out of your pack weight, we suggest trying elsewhere.
The WhisperLite and all of its parts are available in a handy drawstring carrying bag that finally ends up being in regards to the measurement of a cantaloupe, making the quantity of the range extra vital than the burden.
Along with the general measurement of the range itself, the WhisperLite makes use of white fuel gas versus IsoPro. White fuel is saved in particular rectangular, MSR gas bottles which most individuals wish to retailer on the skin of their pack within the water bottle pockets. The bottles are heavier and bulkier than IsoPro canisters, however the commerce off is the effectivity of the WhisperLite which lets you carry much less gas.
Energy & Effectivity
The boil time of the WhisperLite is just under common in comparison with most backpacking stoves, at 5 minutes and fifty seconds per one liter of water. It’s not probably the most spectacular boil time by any means however chances are high, should you’re utilizing the WhisperLite, you’re in all probability not apprehensive about going wherever in a rush.
When evaluating efficiency in windy situations, nevertheless, the WhisperLite excels over most different backpacking stoves, because of its included windscreen. The flame additionally comes out of a collared basin which additional protects it from the wind. Most backpacking stoves’ boil time doubles, triples, and even quadruples when wind is added. The WhisperLite, even once we launched in all probability an unfair quantity of wind aimed instantly on the burner, solely elevated by lower than 20%.
The MSR WhisperLite is definitely one of the vital gas environment friendly backpacking stoves available on the market. It blew away the competitors in our effectivity check, utilizing solely 0.1 ounces of gas to boil one liter of water. On condition that its efficiency hardly faltered in vital wind, we’re assured that the WhisperLite provides you one of the best bang to your buck out of a bottle of gas. This implies longer expeditions with much less gas.
As a bonus, the effectivity of the WhisperLite additionally makes it one of the vital environmentally pleasant stoves on the market. It not solely cuts down on gas waste, but in addition avoids the unnecessary waste of empty gas canisters, because the MSR gas bottles are reusable.
Precision
The WhisperLite doesn’t simmer. It just about simply has an on or off mode. That is typical of liquid fuel stoves resulting from how the gas is distributed. For the same range that has higher simmer management, we suggest testing ones which are appropriate with isobutane/propane canisters. The MSR WhisperLite Common is appropriate with a variety of fuels together with canisters.
Ought to You Purchase the MSR WhisperLite?
We wouldn’t suggest the WhisperLite for heading out on a Pacific Crest Path thru-hike, or some other goal the place each ounce of weight financial savings counts. White Gasoline gas is tougher to return by, the range is cumbersome, and overkill for truthful climate environments.
Nevertheless, this range is a no brainer for the backpacker or mountaineer who’s on the lookout for a light-weight range to tackle prolonged expeditions in excessive climate. You may set your thoughts comfortable figuring out that your range will work regardless of chilly temps and excessive winds. It’s additionally an excellent choice for teams that wish to cook dinner collectively and disperse the pack weight amongst the group.
What Different Backpacking Stoves Ought to You Take into account?
JetBoil Flash Assessment: An built-in range system just like the JetBoil Flash offers you comparable stability and wind blocking to the WhisperLite however in a barely smaller and lighter bundle. The canister gas is normally extra out there and the Flash is thought to be extremely environment friendly with first rate simmer management.
