MSR Whisperlite Stove

[DayTrip]

I decided it will be worth it to get an actual Winter stove versus doing all the hacks necessary to make a canister stove work when it gets cold and based on previous threads on stoves that I have posted I am going to go with the Whisperlite. I did have a few final questions on it:

1) The price difference between the normal and international models is only $10 and while it is nearly certain I will never take a trip out of the US with the stove it seems like a no-brainer to spend the $10 just in case. Is it any trickier to operate the international vs the normal model? In videos I watched it seems like the only difference is the filament around the burner.

2) I've only used canister stoves so I am trying to get a feel for how much fuel it burns and what size fuel tank I should get. Looks like they come in 10,20 and 30 oz canisters. 99% of the time I'll be doing overnights with maybe the occasional weekend. I've also never melted snow for water before which I assume takes a lot more fuel and time. Am I OK with the small canister for this scenario or should I get the medium? I'm guessing I would use 3-4 liters of water for hydration, cooking, coffee, etc in a typical trip (not counting what I start with at trailhead).

3) I've avoided getting this type of stove because it involves more upkeep than canister stoves. Again based on videos it seems like the big thing is cleaning the fuel line is the primary maintenance. How often does this generally get done? Should I get the maintenance kit they advertise for the stoves to carry with me or is that a "once in a great while" kind of thing? Reliability is obviously my main concern with a Winter stove. If it's colder than I planned or I wind up using a dirtier fuel than I planned I want to be confident the stove will light.

4) Do I need a windscreen for this type of stove? I know that is a big deal with some stoves but none of the videos I watched showed anyone using one (although that could simply have been a function of the conditions they filmed in). I think the product description said it comes with one but not sure if it is adequate.

Appreciate any feedback on these topics.

 

[dug]

1) I have got both over the years, but think I got a deal on the International once. I never used anything but white gas so it never mattered
2) I have several of different sizes bottles for various uses. Typically a one-night trip I can get away with my smallest bottle (think it's a 10 oz), but that's if it's just a quick solo trip. I normally bring a 20 oz so I don't have to worry and if I'm with someone else, we tend to be up more at night so I drink a lot more tea
3) When I think of it. I did have to clean the line in the field once and while it's not terribly difficult, I did get fuel on my hands which stinks when in the woods. I probably clean the line maybe once a year
4) I normally use one

 

[peakbagger]

Yes you need a windscreen. It comes with an annealed aluminum bottom shield and shield around the circumference of the pot. If using on frozen ground you also should have a shield under the priming cup. Many folks use an old piece of license plate but MSR used to sell a fancy version.

Stick with naptha fuel (AKA Coleman fuel) and fuel line deposits are not a significant issue. Use pump gas/ethanol or kerosene and they are an issue and best avoided. The biggest failure point is the orings between the pump and fuel bottle. Hit them with bit of silicone grease every few trips and they will last a long time. Forget to grease them and at some real inconvenient time and place they will fail. The pump seal also can dry out in between trips. I hit it with silicone grease but not sure what the official fix besides using the stove. Note that when the Orings fail its real obvious that they are leaking but the actual damage is hard to see without a magnifying lens. They last a long time but many folks just buy the repair kit and change them proactively. Note the repair kit is really a rebuild kit, old whisperlights are readily available and unless physically trashed they can be rebuilt endlessly. The heat shields do have finite life but its a matter of multiple years if treated correctly.

Be aware whisperlights are either on or off with not a lot of turndown and they are loud. They boil water very well but without some "games" simmering is not their thing. The "games" required for simmering potentially involve self immoliation so best get real comfortable with the standard operation before going with the advanced non factory recommended "games"

In very cold conditions when operated on snow the jet orifice can freeze up limiting fuel flow. Its usually due to lack of a bottom heat shield and reflected heat melting the surrounding snow into a vapor that freezes at the point where the fuel flow out of the orifice. The stove will burn but only at low fire.

In old days whisperlights did not have shaker jets so on occasion the operator needed to clean the carbon out of the burner orifice with pin. This carbon was a consequence of incomplete combustion when the fuel was turned off to the stove. The recommended way to shut off a whisperlight is pull off the pot, shut off the fuel and blow the flame out, don't let it burn out. Yes you will get a few gas fumes but they evaporate quickly. At some point MSR went to the shaker jet design which has a weighted pin in the burner, when the stove is inverted or shaken, the pin self cleans the orifice. I actually converted my old unit over at some point but rarely use it any more as I don't do winter camping anymore (mush rather so long dayhikes).

For weekends the small MSR bottle lasts all weekend. It really depends on what you are using for water sources, if you are melting snow its going to burn a lot more fuel then just heating up water from a stream. From a geek point of view its takes 144 btus per pound of ice to turn it from a solid to liquid, it takes 1 btu/lb for every degree you need to heat liquid water. So melting 32 degree snow from 32F to 140F takes 144 Btus to convert it from solid to liquid and an additional 112 Btus to heat it up for a total of 256 Btus per pound. Take that same pound of liquid water just over 32 degrees and it only takes the 112 Btu. So plan on double the fuel if you are melting. snow.

Buy yourself some wool not synthetic lightweight gloves for cooking. Hot stoves and flames in cold weather are real hard on synthetic liner gloves. The fingertips usually don't last long with synthetics (they melt) . I get double use by turning the left hand one into a right hand one.

 

[DayTrip]

Be aware whisperlights are either on or off with not a lot of turndown and they are loud. They boil water very well but without some "games" simmering is not their thing. The "games" required for simmering potentially involve self immoliation so best get real comfortable with the standard operation before going with the advanced non factory recommended "games"

Thanks for the detailed answer and tips. With regard to the regulation of flame, it appears in photos and videos I watched that there is a regulator "lever" for adjusting the flame, much like I have on my Jetboil Sumo. Are you saying that lever doesn't really do what it says or is your model possibly an older one that doesn't have that feature? I don't think I'd be doing any fancy cooking in Winter where I'd really need the feature but I was curious.

 

[DayTrip]

1) I have got both over the years, but think I got a deal on the International once. I never used anything but white gas so it never mattered
2) I have several of different sizes bottles for various uses. Typically a one-night trip I can get away with my smallest bottle (think it's a 10 oz), but that's if it's just a quick solo trip. I normally bring a 20 oz so I don't have to worry and if I'm with someone else, we tend to be up more at night so I drink a lot more tea
3) When I think of it. I did have to clean the line in the field once and while it's not terribly difficult, I did get fuel on my hands which stinks when in the woods. I probably clean the line maybe once a year
4) I normally use one

Thanks. I was thinking the 10 oz bottle would be fine but someone mentioned in one of their video reviews that as the amount of gas decreased the size of the bottle affected the pressure or something and he preferred such and such a size. He didn't exactly boldly say it was fact but just felt personally it worked that way so not even sure if there is any truth to that. I was just thinking in terms of weight.

 

[dug]

Thanks. I was thinking the 10 oz bottle would be fine but someone mentioned in one of their video reviews that as the amount of gas decreased the size of the bottle affected the pressure or something and he preferred such and such a size. He didn't exactly boldly say it was fact but just felt personally it worked that way so not even sure if there is any truth to that. I was just thinking in terms of weight.

I will always err on the side of caution in the winter. Summer, the small bottle is always enough.

 

[hikerbrian]

I'm excited for you, Daytrip. Camping in the snow is really something special. It sounds like the train has already left the station regarding which type of stove you're going to get. I'm sure you've done your own research. And I'm sure you've read all of the heated debate we've had on this forum regarding canister vs white gas. So I'll only spend a few words to say I was loyal to the Whisperlite for at least 15 winters before switching to the Reactor. Having used the Reactor for about 3 years now, I believe it to be the superior tool for the job. I'll leave it there, unless you're really interested in that debate (and I think you're not, and I completely respect that choice). Regardless, the Whisperlite is a great stove, and I think it'll treat you well. On to your questions:

2) Plan on melting snow for water. You may get lucky and find a stream with accessible liquid water, or it may be iced over or difficult to access without taking a substantial risk of going in the drink yourself. Which you don't want to do. For winter, I plan on 8 oz of white gas per person per night. So in theory you could get away with the 10 oz canister. I wouldn't recommend it. I'd definitely get the 20. First, the fuel intake that reaches into the bottle to draw in fuel is imperfect at extracting every last ounce of fuel from the bottle. The last couple ounces are sometimes a real hassle to burn, requiring you to hold the bottle at exactly the right angle so that the intake straw is drawing in the fuel. Second, ounce for ounce, there are few better insurance policies you can take with you besides some extra fuel. Heating some water, getting it into a Nalgene bottle, and bringing that into a sleeping bag with you will see you through a lot of difficult conditions. Note: I like to get the hot Nalgene into an insulator of some kind before I put it into my sleeping bag. It really is a bit too hot otherwise.
3) I never once cleaned my fuel line in ~15 years of use and it never clogged. I did, however, only use white gas (Coleman fuel). I strongly recommend you only use Coleman fuel as well. Don't leave anything to chance in the winter if you don't have to. I never had a problem. I did occasionally take the stove completely apart to clean it and lube up the O-rings, and I did shake out the shaker jet every time I used it. I have seen bad things happen on a couple of occasions to folks who didn't take care with their O-rings. In one case at Garfield shelter, I saw a guy get his Whisperlite lit, and shortly thereafter an O-ring failed and he shot fuel straight across the shelter, which immediately ignited. Everyone freaked out...until I grabbed a shovel full of snow, which is remarkably effective for that job. Still, if it had hit some expensive feathers or worse, it would have been a bad scene. I generally brought along a spare pump on my solo trips. Though actually I preferred to have 2 full stoves, and I always did this if I was with at least 1 other person. Your call on what weight you're willing to justify.
4) You definitely need a wind screen. I found the foil one it comes with to work fine. I always brought along a platform of some kind to keep it off the snow, otherwise it melts through and becomes tippy.

Last thing: there is a learning curve. Specifically, knowing how much to fill the priming cup (half way!), when to get the wind screen up (as soon as you light the priming cup), and when to open the fuel valve after priming and by how much (just crack it a hair and then close it immediately; repeat until you get a nice blue flame) - this little dance takes some time to perfect. But once you get good at it, the Whisperlite is really and awesome stove.

 

[dave.m]

IMO, the most important things about any white gas stove is user familiarity. I recommend boiling water daily at home for a month. Seriously. I found my ability rely on my stove (a Svea 123) changed when I did a long bike tour with it. Now, I can reliably fire the stove in about any weather condition and when entirely bonked. Some of this has to do with the drop dead reliability of the stove, to be sure, but the reliability is only found in the cloud of nearly occult priming rituals. None of this has to do with my rugged good looks or cognitive brilliance. It has everything to do with simple rote repetition of said occult priming ritual until I can do it on auto-pilot.


I never ever regret taking too much fuel on a winter trip, nor having a large fuel bottle. The difference in weight between an empty large bottle and an empty small bottle is small but the difference in the amount of fuel you can carry is large.


I recommend having a solid base to put a stove on to prevent them from burning their way down in the snow. A couple pieces of dead fall stomped in the snow will do. I carry a circular bit of thin waterproofed plywood for my Svea. Somebody makes or used to make an aluminum add on thingie for one of the MSR stoves (the XGK maybe?). I cut my thin plywood to fit inside of my pot for easy carry and that's enough of a base for stove. It also helps the cold ground/snow from drawing out the prime temperature in the burner.

IMO, the MSR aluminum windscreen is one of the best backpacking accessories ever made. IMO, it's also essential for winter cooking.


Heed Peakbaggers maintenance advice. I've had to carry flaming MSR stoves (not mine) out of Crag in the winter on 2 separate occasions. In both cases the pump and/or o-rings leaked and caught fire. Full fuel bottle burn was imminent on both cases as both stoves were burning fast from the pump assembly. O-rings shrink in the cold as the Challenger reminds us.

 

[DayTrip]

Heed Peakbaggers maintenance advice. I've had to carry flaming MSR stoves (not mine) out of Crag in the winter on 2 separate occasions. In both cases the pump and/or o-rings leaked and caught fire. Full fuel bottle burn was imminent on both cases as both stoves were burning fast from the pump assembly. O-rings shrink in the cold as the Challenger reminds us.

These are exactly the kind of things that have me a little uneasy about switching to this type of stove. It just sounds like the canister stoves are too "iffy" when it gets cold. Not sure what's worse - no working stove to make food and water or a leaky stove that turns into a pyrotechnic display. The white gas stoves seem fussy even when you know what you're doing.

 

[DayTrip]

I'm excited for you, Daytrip. Camping in the snow is really something special. It sounds like the train has already left the station regarding which type of stove you're going to get. I'm sure you've done your own research. And I'm sure you've read all of the heated debate we've had on this forum regarding canister vs white gas. So I'll only spend a few words to say I was loyal to the Whisperlite for at least 15 winters before switching to the Reactor. Having used the Reactor for about 3 years now, I believe it to be the superior tool for the job. I'll leave it there, unless you're really interested in that debate (and I think you're not, and I completely respect that choice). Regardless, the Whisperlite is a great stove, and I think it'll treat you well. On to your questions:

I don't know if I'd go that far. I'd say I'm sitting on the train, ticket in hand and a little uneasy about the trip. Based on my prior stove questions I've posted here it seemed like the smart move to go white gas versus canister for reliability purposes. I'm curious how the Reactor differs from the JetBoil Sumo that I have now. The Reactor is also a canister stove so what about all of the caveats about using them below freezing and not delivering enough heat to boil water or melt snow? By all means feel free to expand on your decision to switch back to a canister stove from the Whisperlite. I've seen many reviews about how they excel in the wind versus other stoves but not the cold. I greatly respect your opinion on these topics because I know you have some major experience.

 

[sierra]

The only gas stove I used and trusted was the Optimus 8R, (that should date me). I left it behind on White Mountain peak in the Sierras in a bout of altitude sickness forcing me to abort my camp. I had a friend who used the Whisperlight. Comments from a pure observer. Sounds like a freight train, boils like mad, simmers like crap. It requires some maintenance, but like others have stated, if you do it, you get better at it. After losing my gas stove, I went to canisters. I would rather deal with keeping them warm enough, ( which I always did), then the hassles of gas and related maintenance. Pop in the canister, light, done. Sleep with your canister, use a wind shield, warm your hands over it and wrap them around the canister every now and then, your good to go. Just my opinion. Gas is heavy, a bitch if it spills and quite frankly can be dangerous if you f up.

 

[skiguy]

I don't know if I'd go that far. I'd say I'm sitting on the train, ticket in hand and a little uneasy about the trip.

Lot's of backyard practice lighting stoves, setting up tents, testing layering themes, etc. on Cold Winter nights can go a long way to build your confidence. Winter camping solo can be a lot of work. Nothing wrong with make believe scenarios. Practice and repetition are your best friend.

 

[DayTrip]

Lot's of backyard practice lighting stoves, setting up tents, testing layering themes, etc. on Cold Winter nights can go a long way to build your confidence. Winter camping solo can be a lot of work. Nothing wrong with make believe scenarios. Practice and repetition are your best friend.

Agreed. Back yard practice was what got me wondering if my JetBoil Sumo would work in the cold. My initial tests showed it to be highly ineffective in the low 20's, albeit it without any of the hacks I had since learned.

 

[DayTrip]

So maybe a better follow up question to the canister versus gas question: At how low a temperature have you successfully operated a canister stove with reasonable performance? 10 deg F? 0 deg? -20 deg? It is highly unlikely I'd be camping on a night where it was below +5 deg to +10 deg F. If I'm going to make 2L to 3L of water from snow on such a night are you still going with a canister over gas?

And another question: if using a windscreen with a canister stove in normal conditions causes it to overheat and potentially explode wouldn't that be hack #1 for using a windscreen when it is very cold so the canister remains warm, and therefore effective? Have not seen anyone mention that.
EDIT: By windscreen here I'm referring to the accordion style screen you could surround stove with on the ground and regulate how warm the canister got by moving it in or out as needed, not the clip to the burner type or a canister wrapping.

 

[DayTrip]

The only gas stove I used and trusted was the Optimus 8R, (that should date me). I left it behind on White Mountain peak in the Sierras in a bout of altitude sickness forcing me to abort my camp. I had a friend who used the Whisperlight. Comments from a pure observer. Sounds like a freight train, boils like mad, simmers like crap. It requires some maintenance, but like others have stated, if you do it, you get better at it. After losing my gas stove, I went to canisters. I would rather deal with keeping them warm enough, ( which I always did), then the hassles of gas and related maintenance. Pop in the canister, light, done. Sleep with your canister, use a wind shield, warm your hands over it and wrap them around the canister every now and then, your good to go. Just my opinion. Gas is heavy, a bitch if it spills and quite frankly can be dangerous if you f up.

I here you. I love my JetBoil Sumo and would use it all the time if I could. Stupid simple and reliable (at least for what I've used it for to date). In my prior stove questions I felt like the more experienced Winter backpackers were steering me in the direction of a gas stove, although as hikerbrian indicated this is apparently a lively debate. Feels like MSR versus Tubbs with snowshoes.

 

[dug]

I found that once I got used to the priming of a Whisperlite, I won't go back. I get the easibility of a canister and the weight savings. I've just been using them for 20+ years and it's the devil you know.

Coming in raw, today, I may be more interested in doing something different. But, this old dog doesn't like new tricks...........

 

[peakbagger]

My stated bias is standard screw on tank, pocket rockets/jetboils are not the way to go in cold weather. During my early spring AT sections, I always regretted a canister stove on cold weeks. There are reportedly inverted canister stoves that don't have the vaporization issue that regular stoves do but ultimately the weight of canister and low btu content of the fuel blends make going with white gas the way to go.

With respect to flaming white gas stoves, the vast majority of events are related to weekend warriors unfamiliar with their equipment. On my AT trips I can think of several times where I had to show someone how to use their stove as they had just bought it and had not familiarized themselves with it. A leaky O ring on a whisperlight is real obvious and they tend to fail when they are assembled so when you pump it up you can smell the leak. I have had as many or more interesting experiences with self pressurizing stoves made by Svea and Optimus. Both work fine by someone skilled with them but to a newby they can be handful. Do a few dry runs in similar conditions at home and you should be good. Just don't use it one trip and 6 months later not check it out before heading out camping. A minute to two checking it out and greasing the orings before you go is the way to avoid issues in the woods. In general most of the backpacking whitegas stoves were optimized for function with any extra components removed for weight savings. Look at a whisperlight and you can see its really an old coleman stove that had been stripped of anything but the essentials. To me good winter white gas stove use is a sign of outdoor competency. Cannisters are handy but they are short cut and inevitably when you really need them in marginal conditions they may fail. I think the GPS versus map and compass debate has some parallels to white gas versus canister.

BTW, the other big plus with white gas is it makes very effective fire starter if used with care, you can not really douse a campfire with butane.

 

[Tim Horn]

So maybe a better follow up question to the canister versus gas question: At how low a temperature have you successfully operated a canister stove with reasonable performance? 10 deg F? 0 deg? -20 deg? It is highly unlikely I'd be camping on a night where it was below +5 deg to +10 deg F. If I'm going to make 2L to 3L of water from snow on such a night are you still going with a canister over gas?

And another question: if using a windscreen with a canister stove in normal conditions causes it to overheat and potentially explode wouldn't that be hack #1 for using a windscreen when it is very cold so the canister remains warm, and therefore effective? Have not seen anyone mention that.
EDIT: By windscreen here I'm referring to the accordion style screen you could surround stove with on the ground and regulate how warm the canister got by moving it in or out as needed, not the clip to the burner type or a canister wrapping.

Just random additions:
For me the key to priming the white gas stove is to just turn the gas on for the slightest moment. The usual fail is to allow too much fuel into the cup. If you do then you get a time of uncontrolled burn that leaves ash/soot and gets on everything. Really you don't need any fuel in the cup. Usually when you see fuel dribbling that is enough. If it goes out before it is primed you can just add a quick twist of fuel.
I use a small frisbee for a base for the stove. Mine just happens to fit the base perfectly. It works as a cutting board, plate, stove base and toy.

I started out using canister stoves exclusively as when I grew up Japan they were the most popular stoves in the 1970's. In fact I had no idea there were white gas stoves until I moved to the USA. I bought my first whisper lite in 1992 or 93 when I found that my trusty snow peak canister stove would not light one very, very cold November morning when I was near the bottom of a fuel bottle. I hate not having a hot cup in the AM. (spoiled)
On the WL I do the recommended maintenance every spring and fall. I think keeping the pump cup (the leather piece on the end of the piston) oiled is the most vital part of the maintenance. My original whisper lite did not have a shaker jet so when the new model came out I bought a new international one. (never used anything but white gas) The original one still works fine but I am lazy and shaking the stove is much easier than cleaning the jet and needle every few uses.

I have not had the frightening experience with the o-rings but now I have something to look forward to.

In the summer you can usually get the stove to simmer. The colder it is the harder it is to keep it running at a low output. At least the is my experience.

Just make your morning hot drink with your new stove everyday and you will be an expert with the stove in a week or two.

Good luck with your choices and practice.

 

[skiguy]

If you are really worried about flare ups with white gas go with the XKG over the whisperlite. With the XKG the generator tube is directly exposed to the burner. Therefore you can use priming paste which pretty much eliminates too much fuel in the cap. THe XKG is a hotter stove with a much more utilitarian design. Easier to work on IMO. It can also be integrated with various cook sets which include a built in windscreen. Trangia use to be a compatible cook set. The Whisperlite is a nice stove but the XKG is the true workhorse.

 

[hikerbrian]

First, I agree with almost everything that others have said about the Whisperlite. I still love that stove - it saw me through some pretty difficult conditions. The only problem I ever had was once the pump mysteriously stopped pressurizing the fuel bottle. Something in there was clogged - I still don't know how, to this day. I think it might actually have been a result of some water getting in there maybe even from freezing fog. Fortunately, my partner that time had a spare.

I guess the one thing I'd disagree on is the energy content: should be about the same for white gas and isobutane/propane. I don't carry any more isobutane than I did white gas. Same weight, roughly same bulk.

There is no perfect, idiot-proof stove for winter use. But net-net, I like the Reactor a little bit more. In my hands, it does what I want it to do quite a bit easier, quite a bit faster, and with significantly less risk of catastrophic failure.

Here is how I'd characterize the user experience for each stove:
1. Start up
Whisperlite - take stove and fuel bottle out, attach pump to fuel bottle and pump to pressurize (hope your o-rings are ok), unfold legs of stove, attach to fuel bottle, position somewhere relatively flat. If in snow, you should have carried a base of some kind to put the stove on. Unfold windscreen. Carefully fill priming cup half way (hope fuel comes out when you open valve). Light priming cup, place windscreen around stove. Observe carefully. If you're in a tent vestibule, be VERY VERY careful. This part is, like, seriously sketchy in windy, spin-drifty, cramped vestibules. When flame dies down to the perfect size, crack valve until you see a blue flame. Be VERY cognizant of potential flare ups. If you get a blue flame, you're now in a happy space and can go about your business melting snow like a boss.
Reactor - attach stove to fuel canister, place the whole rig in a small bowl of liquid water, light. This is trivial in almost any conditions. You're now in a happy space. Melt snow like a boss.
Obvious question: where do I get some liquid water? A: you saved a couple ounces in your water bottle. Q2: What if I don't have ANY liquid water because I forgot or it all froze? A2: you'll almost certainly still be able to light the Reactor, it'll just run VERY slowly. Melt a little bit of snow, which will only take a couple of minutes. Now you've got your liquid water.
2. Running the stoves
Whisperlite - very straight forward. Just keep her going. You'll need to pump the bottle occasionally to keep the bottle pressurized. Easy. Relax as you drink your soup with the soothing hiss in the background.
Reactor - every couple of liters, you'll need to replenish your liquid water bath. Just dump it out (or back into your pot), put a couple ounces of warm (not boiling) water back in the bowl, continue. Easy. This is all somewhat less relaxing because the Reactor is so freakishly fast that you'll be constantly filling Nalgenes and getting more snow.
3. Finishing up
Whisperlite - Turn fuel valve off. Blow out flame. Try not to be nauseated as white gas vapors assault your lungs and sinuses.
Reactor - Turn it off.

Other odds and ends: the two stoves weigh roughly the same after everything. The Reactor uses a lot less fuel in my hands and boils water much faster. The reactor is easier to start in difficult conditions and much easier to use in a vestibule. The Reactor is much less prone to serious problems, such as a clogged fuel line, broken pump, or leaking o-rings. It is easy (and doesn't weigh very much) to carry a spare Reactor stove top. You don't need an extra fuel canister, pot, or water bowl. So you can have redundancy in this critical item with little weight penalty.

The only hack you need with the Reactor is to bring a small bowl with you to serve as a water bath. I've used it in pretty heavy wind with spindrift blowing into my vestibule at about 10 below zero. This was in the col between Madison and Adams. Actually, for that trip, I had both stoves with me as I was still feeling out what conditions I could use the Reactor in. I first tried to get my Whisperlite started, feeling that it was the more reliable choice in the given condtions, but snow was blowing onto the burner as I was getting it set up, and the priming cup was also filling with snow. It was bad. I was worried the fuel would mix with the snow and create higher probability of flare up, which would not be good in my vestibule. I was actually a little bit gripped right then and there. I set it aside, pulled out my Reactor, and had it going within 30 seconds. It still was not easy - I was trying to get the vestibule sealed up enough that the spindrift would stay out, while also keeping water production going. The wind was just plain nasty. We were flogging ourselves continuously for trying to save the 30 minutes it would have taken us to find a more sheltered spot below treeline. Dumb. But yeah. I'm mighty glad we had the Reactor.

I haven't used a Jetboil, but I think it is not as resistant to wind, it is a little bit more tippy, and the push button igniter can be a bit problematic if you're in freezing fog or other difficult conditions. You still need a water bath to keep the canister warm, but everything works a little bit less good than the Reactor, I think. The requisite hacks seem a bit more problematic.

Using a foil wind screen with a canister stove is scary to me.

Sorry for the novel.