A better way to prime an MSR Whisperlite Internationale Stove

Home	A Better Way to Prime an MSR Whisperlite Internationale Stove Most hikers and climbers are familiar with the MSR family of stoves. Its hard not too, considering their presence in the backcountry for over 25 years. MSR came out with the first multi-fuel stove way back in 1975 with the model MF. These days most people either have one of their stoves, used to own one, or have a buddy who does. One of their more stalwart stoves, the Whisperlite Internationale, has served admirably among the outdoor crowd all over the world. It does, however, suffer from one critical defect. It's dirty. Not a little dirty, but a filthy, black, sooty mess. This mess happens when you first light the stove during priming. Actually, the problem is not with the stove itself, but with the white gas that most people use. It is an excellent fuel that burns hot but also dirty when not vaporized, hence the soot during priming. The solution then is to use a different fuel for priming. I carry a small plastic dropper bottle with me filled with ethyl alcohol. You can buy ethyl alcohol at any hardware store under the name of denatured alcohol. Prime as usual using the alcohol and enjoy a soot free stove and clean hands! < Back to Photo and Hiking Tips
Gear
Galleries
Purchase Prints
Tips
Contact