Whisperlite International 600

I think this is the first and only stove I've owned. I have watched other people fiddle with theirs, and I can tell you that the MSR design is pretty simple and reliable. In most any conditions, particularly in the cold, you have to "prime" the stove by releasing a bit of extra fuel and burning it below the burner. Kind of clumsy but it always starts. I have not tried this stove with anything but white gas, so I can't comment how it works with other fuels.

Edit: Josh makes a good point about breaking the pump. It's kinda flimsy, but that's how you make something light. Also, because the pump mechanism is plastic, it will melt if you spill burning fuel on it. But you can replace the plastic part for around $15 USD I believe. Thanks to United Airlines, I had to buy another fuel bottle in Canada. It ran about $10 Canadian.

I used this stove for the first half of my AT thru-hike, and it never failed me. Since then I've used it on numerous multi-day mountaineering adventures. Recently, the pump on the fuel bottle broke, but I got a lot of use out of it, so I'm not too disappointed. I've only burned white gas and kerosene with this stove. The kerosene burned a little dirty, but I think that's just the nature of the fuel.

I've used the MSR Whisperlite for a couple of years and have never had any problems. It's been good to me at elevations up to 18,000 feet and temps down below zero degrees F. It blows away the other 2 stoves that I have owned. (The old SEVA and a propane stove that I can't recall the name of).

I went on a NOLS trip a few years ago in Mexico and we used then for 3 weeks burning benzene I believe it was - they worked like a charm (with regular cleaning - benzene is not the cleanest fuel:) Great stoves and it was obvious that the ones we were using had plenty of previous wear. After that I bought one for myself and have been very happy with it in all sorts of conditions from desert, to alpine. Only issues when you first start using one of these is that idea of 'simmer' doesn't really exist with these stoves. They really only have two settings off and high, but you get use to it.

Solid cold weather and high altitude stove. It takes a little bit of work to simmer on but it is possible. In 3 years, I've never had a problem except with the pumps. I have had 1 pump start leaking after about 10 uses and I still can't figure out where it's leaking. Several people had problems pressurizing the tank at 19,000' on Aconcagua but I expect it had to do with moisture in the fuel. I was too tired to mess with it to figure it out.

This was the first stove a ever owned. Several climbing partners that I respect recommended it and after one use I figured out why. The stove was very solid during cold weather and altitude. It is easy to set up and operate. I've only burned white gas in mine so I can't comment on other fuels. The stove took a little getting used to when it came to priming but it was easy to get the hang of. Melted snow like a champ.

I could give this stove 3 stars or 4 stars depending on the use. I used mine for California 3 season backpacking and a few times on Shasta.

Pros:
- Burns just about anything.
- Reliable, the shaker jet cleaner actually works.
- Good at higher altitude and colder temps?
- Resonably compact compared to other liquid fuel stoves.
- Cheap Fuel.

Cons:
- Heavy and large compared to canister stoves.
- Starting the stove can lead to an impressive fireball, not good if you're trying to cook anywhere near your tent!
- Messy, the priming process leaves a nice coating of soot, gets worse if you're not using a high quality white gas.
- Lighting in the wind is an excellent method for removing unwanted hand and forearm hair and for testing the melting point of your $350 Goretex jacket.

If you absolutely have to use a liquid fuel stove, this is a pretty good choice. If you want to save weight and the hassle of priming, consider a canister stove. I've used a Snow Peak Giga Power up to 12,000 feet and down to 15 deg. F with no problems.

I've used the same stove for several years now and have never had it fail me. It has performed well in varied conditions and the fact that it will burn near anything really helps.

This one is certainly the Best of the MSR stoves, to date. I've owned several MSR's, my first being one of the first ones that they made, with a rigid fuel stem and a built-in striker/flame starter!!



As I up-graded from that one I, and the rest of the world, dicovered that a Whiperlite is Light, but it doesn't whisper. None-the-less, the first Whisperlites proved to be of reliable design and highly functional. I carried that Whisperlite up the mountains and across the seas. After more than a decade of steady use,I only had to scrap it, at the end of a 2 month, solo, sea kayak trip in Baja, Mexico. The marine environment induced deposits and corrosion that pretty much welded the screw connections through out the unit. I broke several fittings while trying to disassemble and clean.....



The next stove, was of course, this "shaker-jet" model. It works great. Eats a broad variety of fuels ( though I've only had to employ diesel fuel as a sole alternative). Burns hot, melting snow and boiling the morning coffee water with amazing rapidity. The entire system is straightforward and simple which is a Great Aid when it comes to the inevitable cleaning. The wind screen set up is the Most Functional I've seen on any stove, anywhere.



I Highly Recommend this stove. !!!!It is reasonably priced, has proven itself highly functional, even in very adverse conditions and if it proves to be like the previous MSR creations ( I still have that 1st one that I bought in the late '70's) it will have a long and Happy Life.

I bought my Whisperlite Int'l back in 1992 and have used it about 50 times since then. It was really reliable for the first few years, but I began to notice that the flame output was decreasing and it was starting to take longer to cook. I had always disassembled the stove and cleaned it after every use, so I couldn't figure out what the problem was. Finally I realized that the bottle pump had a tiny leak in it, which was preventing me from keeping the bottle pressurized. I sprung for a new bottle pump and the stove has worked very well since then.



My favorite feature is that you can easily disassemble the entire stove and clean it in the field. Make sure to get the little repair kit in case you encounter problems in the field.

A fantastic stove and a definite keeper. I use this stove in cool to colder temperatures as it is a guaranteed performer. I have had to dig it out from under fresh snow, and it fires up right away every time. It does tend to belch tall flames (2 feet) until it warms up though, so be careful inside a vestible or tent.

I have had this stove since 1994 and never had any problems other than the leather pump cup drying out. Be sure to check the pump cup before an outing if you've had this stove/pump packed away for a while. Otherwise, this stove has taken some real abuse without any problems. Its definitely worth the money (sixty buck for ten years of solid use).

Great stove. Get the base.



Save your cash and skip the "international" version in less you are actively planning something way off the map. You'll probably never use the adaptors for other fuels, and if you are anything like me you'd lose it before you need it...

I have tried three different types of stoves and seen many other stoves that others have used, but without a doubt this is the one that I prefer. It is a reliable, year round use stove- I have used it in temperatures as low as -25F. It's small size, flexiblity when it comes to fuel, 4 season use and quietness make it near a perfect stove backpacking stove.

The only draw back is in the pump construction. There is a very narrow, and therefore weak flange of plastic where the plunger is inserted, that can easily break. Well, when I say easily, after 5 years and MANY trips, it broke on me and rendered my stove unusable. It was replaced, free of charge, but the second one broke at the same place. Fortunately, I can still use the stove, and I have yet to replace it.

Even with this design flaw I would still recommend this stove. I hope that the manufactuerer makes this one improvement on an otherwise great design.

We still have our old MSR stove - the first model they came out with. Thought we would upgrade to the Whisperlite. How disappointing! It just doesn't have the power our old stove has. I ended up taking the primer pump off it and putting it with our old stove, which still works better than any other stove I have ever used.

The definition of "bomb-proof"...have fired it in in all conditions--snow, wind, rain, altitude up to 14K...Has never failed to fire right up...has been dropped, slamed, bounced, left out in the snow, drown in the pouring rain, shipped across the country a number of times and always fires right up. I do agree that one needs to be careful in lighting it in a vestibule as the first flames tend to be quite high. It boils water super quick and can be adjusted pretty low to keep your food warm without burning it...All in all it is the one piece of equipment I would most hate to part with...

We have used this stoves on many winter climbs.

Wow this is a great stove, it is powerful, sturdy, easy to set up, light and a great stove. The water starts to boil in no time. Handels big pots like a breeze.

I have been using this stove since 11 years without any problems. As stated already, the leather of the pump has to be greased regularly.

I used the Whisperlite up to 6400m with normal car fuel and it worked without any problems. Only the injector has to be cleaned from time to time. With white gas it works even better but this is not necessary.

If it will break someday I buy a whisperlite again.

This stove is simple, reliable, and easy to work on. I've even burned unleaded in it in a pinch, and it worked perfectly well. The only consideration is that, as others have noted, it sometimes needs a bit of priming, which can make for a pretty good flame-up. (I carry a small bottle of denatured alcohol for priming, it works very well and quickly.)

I have not used the Whisperlite International, however, I have the orginal whisperlite I got in 1986. I still use it to this day. The stove is great. I had to get the shaker neddle for it, and they do not sell it anymore. I emailed MSR and they sent me 2 for free. I really like MSR products.