10 MSR wind pro review (Read 10048 times)
mastertangler
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MSR wind pro review
Aug 9th, 2010 at 7:59pm
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I watched a You Tube clip of a guy using the outback oven and he suggested a remote fuel tank set-up. In other words not to have the tank under the oven. While I hadn't heard of any mishaps it certainly gave me pause. I suppose the BIG POOF could happen so off I went. The result was a MSR wind pro. (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Since the outback oven usually takes about 1/2 hour and I personally take some pride in all the viddles being ready at the same time I had already committed to another stove anyway.

It's no secret I'm a MSR fan. What I liked about the set-up (other than meeting my remote fuel tank needs already stated) is how nice and wide the burner was. I had already had a few "close calls" (that is, dumping my peach cobbler on the ground) with the Pocket Rocket that this was refreshing. It also was lower to the ground, thus less exposed to the wind. With the larger burner diameter I also had a bit more control and less apt to burn anything. If your in a gale or up in the high country it has an aluminum shield with embraces the burner....hence the term "wind pro"

What I didn't like is somewhat significant. There is no good storage system provided (unlike the pocket rockets stellar storage). You get a little black stuff sack. With a partly solid fuel line this would last about 2 portages, maybe less. I had to pick up a small dry box to house it in. Of course that takes up weight and space.

Nice stove with a big drawback. If the oven goes, so does the windpro. I'm starting to think I need a big guy to carry all my stuff......Or maybe take PJ's tack where less is more. Tough call, the muffins were good after all.............



  
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nctry_Ben
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #1 - Aug 9th, 2010 at 9:09pm
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Earlier this year I was given a Peak 1 stove by a very generous person on this web site. We brought it up to WCPP as a back up and used it quite a bit. One day it was very windy and I used the wind screen from my other stove to "protect it" from the wind. I didn't realize until I was done that I'd melted off some of the instructons on the side. I felt lucky that's all I did. Lesson learned! I did bring a roll up fire grate... kind of small... but worked perfect over the peak one for putting the frypan on for frying fish. see: artic-fox.com Kind of a neat idea made here in Minnesota. Look at the EZ Roll Up Grill
  
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BrownTrout01
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #2 - Aug 9th, 2010 at 11:31pm
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mastertangler wrote on Aug 9th, 2010 at 7:59pm:
. I had to pick up a small dry box to house it in. Of course that takes up weight and space.


Nice review.

When I start adding up the weight of just the containers I get the same feeling. Still juggling that need vs. want thing. I would like lighter weight but need the muffins. Smiley

Sounds like you pack a little better then we do. We have a larger MSR stove and it fits into a large plastic folgers container pretty well. Read a tip somewhere on here for using a coffee can storage system. So far no problems (except the size). I wanted something stable, but it also takes up a lot of space.

Tried the pocket rocket last year and it definitely packs well. Worked great for us as a second stove.
« Last Edit: Aug 10th, 2010 at 1:18am by BrownTrout01 »  
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DentonDoc
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #3 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 2:36am
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I have a couple of the liquid fuel versions of the windpro (simmerlite).  I found that the stove had to be in perfect "tune" to have true simmer control.  But that's not the reason I moved on.  The stove has TINY feet.  So, after a few trips I decided to add a trillium base for more stability.  That solved the tiny feet problem, but doesn't help much with simmer control.  I've just chunked the stove in the bag and I'm gone.  (On rare occasions it would get placed in which ever MSR cookset I decided to take.)

So, I've gone back to older stoves (from my inventory).  On my recent solo trip I took a Coleman Peak 1 (its nearly indestructible) and a MSR Dragonfly.  As far as I'm concerned, the only drawback to the Dragonfly is that it's noisy.  Yes, the burner is smaller, but since I tend to use a diffuser plate anyway, that doesn't make much difference.

dd
  
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mastertangler
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #4 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 3:23am
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Dopey me. I wonder why I just didn't flop the wind-pro in my cookware pot like you? I guess after 10 years of putting the pocket rocket away into it's plastic container...........Funny how you can get into a certain "mode" of thinking. Oh well, the wind pro will be my #1 choice now. Safer.

DD, that's one thing about the pressurized canisters is the flame control is sweet. Plus I like just turning the knob and flickin a bic.

DD, what sort of problems did you encounter with the small feet for the base that you felt a remedy was required? I have only used it one trip with no stability problems. Since burns from cooking are one the most common camp injuries I am interested in your experiences.
  
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DentonDoc
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #5 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 4:57am
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mastertangler wrote on Aug 10th, 2010 at 3:23am:
DD, that's one thing about the pressurized canisters is the flame control is sweet. Plus I like just turning the knob and flickin a bic.

DD, what sort of problems did you encounter with the small feet for the base that you felt a remedy was required? I have only used it one trip with no stability problems. Since burns from cooking are one the most common camp injuries I am interested in your experiences.

One thing about pressurized canisters that makes me a bit uncomfortable ... you get a puncture and game over.  With liquid fuel, you have a CHANCE to save your fuel by transferring to another container.  Plus, with liquid in a fuel bottle, you can always check to see how much you have left.  I would, however, agree that "cooking with gas" is a much easier way to go with respect to start-up and flame control.

Small feet:  unlevel or soft surface = tilt.  Then to correct it, you need to prop up the feet.  Just too much chance that it slips and then spills your dinner.  I've come close a couple of times with the simmerlite (before trillium base).

dd

p.s.  My cookset is now where I usually store my resealable containers (nested inside the smallest pot), so my stove is still in the bag.
  
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marlin55388
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #6 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 6:08am
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I have "blown up" non remote tank stoves using a windscreen Cool-many warns about the like in combination with the Outback Oven too...more like a splitting newspaper fire. Iso butane canisters are another story Shocked, catcher/firefighter attire would be in order me thinks. Just blew the lead packing out from around the valve in my first stove, SVEA 123R (white gas)....no burns just a downed pretty brass stove (trusty mini visegrips)  Undecided Loud the dragonfly is...but a a very good stove and great simmer control and well(stress) proven to me...Watch for the Snowpeak white gas review...we will be running them side by side, shortly. Snowpeak already has my curiosity...as it is whisperlite quiet and the simmer control of Dragonfly and takes to the flicking bic for that after feast coffee necessity...but maybe it will get the Optimus thumbs down for the tear down mandating fouling after every meal, time will tell its destiny.  I guess I'm a TW and an old school white gas sort of dude...dont get me wrong Cafe Console and the Endgate Dinner has had many a canister meals and cups of mud, but plainly they are a pain in cold weather; stick one of those in your drawers to warm it up when you figure it out that its to cold for the stove but not you, bugs are tame... but it does make for some good conversation about chemistry and refrigeration. BTW, the stoves (note plural) go into fleece bags, which then go into a Sealine bag with the fuel bottles and get beanered to the pack on the portages. White gas is hard on the palate Tongue. IMHO
  
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Jim J Solo
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #7 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 2:31pm
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Everybody complains/comments about the noise the Dragonfly makes, but I found I missed it when I used the Jetboil. Seems I had developed a comforting sense from the sound it made of knowing my stove was performing as it should while I resumed other camp chores.

I do like the my Jetboil too though, for soloing, not group camping. Just for it's compactness & ease. You don't have time to turn away from it either if you're just boiling water. When I take it soloing I'm just doing freezed dried and making coffee with it's press. So no simmering dinners. Nothing fancy, just food for fuel. I know groups do use them too. Where each person just buys their own cook cup, and takes turns popping it on one stove.
  
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Jim J Solo
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #8 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 2:39pm
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Back on topic. I had read a story (Che-Mun) of a couple that had their stove blow up on them. They were on the Back River, cooking in their tent, large pan, external fuel canister was inside windscreen with the stove. Picture showed them with melted clothes on, skin burns, messed up tent. End of trip.
  
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marlin55388
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Re: MSR wind pro review
Reply #9 - Aug 10th, 2010 at 3:24pm
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Ouch Shocked
  
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