I don’t understand the continued use of white gas stoves, such as the iconic MSR Whisperlite, on wilderness trips. White gas stoves are the standard at Philmont, Northern Tier, and among many scout troops. As far as I can tell, there are only two advantages of white gas stoves:
- They work at temperatures below zero, when invertable remote cannister gas stoves stop working.
- Some bush planes will fly in white gas containers, but not isobutane canisters.
Outside of these rare scenarios, canister stoves, like my favorite, the Kovea Spider, are flat-out better.
They are lighter. The Kovea Spider weighs 6 oz, compared to 12 oz for the Whisperlite.
They are cheaper. The Spider is $75, the Whisperlite is $140.
They require less maintenance. The Spider takes zero maintenance because isobutane does not clog up. White gas stoves come with a maintenance kits because clogging is an inherent part of the design.
They are easier to use. With the Spider you just open the gas, light it, and start cooking. If you want to invert it, just wait a couple of seconds and turn the cannister over and adjust the flow of liquid gas. With the Whisperlite, you have to pump it up, allow the fuel to pool, light it into a big flame and smoke ball, and hope that it primes the stove, then turn on the stove.
They are faster. If I just want a cup of tea, using canister stove is a quick affair that takes less than a minute to get it going. You need 15 minutes to do the same thing with white gas.
They are cleaner. White gas burns dirty, with carbon building up on the burner. In addition, white gas can be easily spilled on people, gear, and the ground. Isobutane burns clean, without smoke, and cannot be spilled on people or things.
Most importantly, they are safer. I have seen multiple incidents where people receive minor burns from the fireball of priming white gas stoves. The complexity of the operation creates multiple potential failure points, which can lead to accidents. Can accidents happen with canister stoves? Yes, but as long as you (1) properly screw down the stove to the canister, (2) do not overheat the fuel tank, and (3) make sure the stove is stable, it is pretty much impossible. The potential for anyone, but particularly kids, to make a mistake that could lead to injury is way higher with a white gas stove.
In summary, unless you are camping below zero or cannot obtain isobutane cannisters, don’t use white gas stoves.
Vamonos Baby! 