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.............

mastertangler wrote on Aug 9^th, 2010 at 7:59pm:


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.

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.

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.

I have "blown up" non remote tank stoves using a windscreen -many warns about the like in combination with the Outback Oven too...more like a splitting newspaper fire. Iso butane canisters are another story , 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)  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 . IMHO

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.

Quote:


First Isle Royale backpacking trip of 4 we did. Late 70's, early 80's.
One of the 3 guys had a new fangled gas butane stove. First night's camp, on Superior. thank God

Being a guy who never read a instruction book in his life and didn't believe in a pre-trip trial, he inserted his stove into the cannister and flicked his Bic.

You probably can guess what happened next The gas cannister clearly warned that you had to wet the fuel nozzle on stove to insure a complete seal. With the waves and wind, he didn't realize the gas was leaking.

Next thing you know there's a fireball flaming high that the pines he was under were in danger of catching fire. He panics and runs for cover.

I just did what came to mind first, I drop-kicked that stove 30 feet of shore, into the ice-cold water.

First he was elated he hadn't caught the woods on fire, then pissed as he realized he had to wade out into the frigid water and retrieve his stove

I'll stick with the white gas stoves. 20 years on Peak 1 multi-fuel, and other than a few new gaskets, it's been one of the most trouble free camp items I've ever had.

LMAO! oh the entertainment of it all...thank you all so much

If you don't like pumping & priming then Trangia is the stove for you!  Yes I'm a Trangia nut.  Any stove that purports to be quiet hasn't been tested against Trangia.  Zero noise.  None.  Not a whisper.
No moving parts on the burner/fuel assembly, nothing to break, no maintenance required.
No pumping, no priming, no wetting of gaskets, nothing to leak.
No cannisters or attached fuel resevoirs to worry about.
99.999% of my meals are boil water meals, but I've fried fish, eggs, bacon, quesadillas, grilled cheese...
It's not the fastest, but when I'm out there I don't worry about a minute or two.  I'm out there to ignore tick-tock clock watching.
Packs up reasonably bomb-proof & needs only a dirty pot bag to keep the rest of your gear from soot.
Reasonably safe for use on wood, doesn't scorch unless you get the UL model.