The MSR Reactor stove has finally been approved for sale in Australia, and I for one say a big HOORAY.
I can hear the skeptics saying there is nothing special about this stove, but hopefully after reading this post, you'll appreciate there is.
The Reactor stove can do two really big things for you:
- It has the potential to substantially reduce your pack weight
- Burn with the same efficiency no matter the weather or conditions
We were lucky enough to take a Reactor stove for a test run this August on a snow camping trip in Victoria.
With the inclusion of the Reactor, the list was down to - The Reactor, Dragonfly, a 4L Blacklite pot, 600ml of Shellite and 3 x 227g MSR IsoPro gas canisters.
In rough terms - this represented a weight saving of 1.75kg!
The Reactor stove boils water very impressively and it melts snow even more impressively.
Starting off with a small amount of boiling water, which the Reactor produces in no time, was the go. Then turning the stove to it's lowest setting and continually adding snow until the pot was full gave water in the white wilderness in record time, with record efficiency.
Using a gas canister stove in cold / snow conditions was a first for us on this trip and managing good performance needed a little more attention from us in terms of not leaving the fuel lying in the snow all day and night - but even when we did that, a small amount of love got the stove firing on all cylinders.
Here are some of the comments from the team:
- Martin: Pros - Whisper quiet, Compact, Lightning fast water manufacture, Sexy (especially the glowing MSR logo). Cons - Need a bucket excavator to keep up the snow for melting, Gas canisters tend to freeze.
- Anthony: Pros - I suspect it might be more lightweight. Cons - If you were only taking one stove (the Reactor) then MSR would need to come up with a 2nd pot solution, perhaps bigger in size. Comment - it would be good if MSR came out with a special insulating doona for the gas canister, but you could always do something yourself with some closed cell mat.
- Julian - "I'm all for it, a top piece of equipment, especially for snow melting"
The unique radiant burner and heat exchanger combo creates a heating unit that is impervious to wind so it will deliver the claimed boil time for one litre of three minutes in any weather.
The pressure regulator allows the complete consumption of all gas in the cylinder - handy for longer trips - and delivering 22 litres of boiled water.
The 1.7L pot is ample for melting snow and boiling water and is particularly suited for trips using dehydrated food - purchased or home made!
The clear lid is handy for keeping an eye on what's going on inside when in use.
The unit packs up nicely even fitting one gas cylinder inside the pot.
After such a successful trip, it has earned a place in my gear cupboard, and after doing the weight maths - will be coming along on our trip to the Western Arthurs early next year.
If you are heading to a place that can turn the weather on, and you are looking to save weight, the Reactor can bring the joyous convenience of gas to your trip and a considerably lighter load.
More info here
