Got a new MSR Simmerlite.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Okay, here's my first contribution to the new forum, since I was one of the people begging for an Outdoors section here...

Not a review, just a brief mention.

Picked up a new MSR Simmerlite on sale at REI about a month ago.  I guess they're being discontinued, because I couldn't find any info on it on MSR's website before I actually made the purchase.

However, it's a great little stove.  My old Whisperlite was on its last legs... even after a thorough cleaning and rebuild it just didn't work too well.  Retired it to the recycling bin and got the Simmerlite.  It's aptly named.  It's much more adjustable than my old Whisperlite; you can actually turn it up or down and have it hold the flame level.  In other words, you really can put something on 'simmer' with it.

Haven't used it outdoors yet other than just a few tests, but so far seems like a nice little stove.

[Mr. Whippy]

I'm a big fan of MSR gear in general.  Have you used it for cooking?  How'd it do?

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I'm a big fan of MSR gear in general.  Have you used it for cooking?  How'd it do?

It worked really well actually.  Surprisingly so.  I haven't used in an actual camping/packing situation yet, just testing out on the back deck.  But, it boiled a couple quarts of water in less than five minutes, and I was able to actually cook real rice with it by turning the flame down and got very little burning. 

It's not as light as my old Whisperlite, as it's mostly stamped construction instead of tubular/rod steel, but it's sturdy enough, and I only paid $65 for it, so I couldn't beat the price. 

I'm still a little skeptical about how it will hold up over the long run because of how it's made, but for now it's head and shoulders better than my old Whisperlite.  I really wanted a Dragonfly, but my wife wouldn't let me spend that much money.

I've found that most of MSR's gear is very good, with a few exceptions, one being their snowshoes... I don't like their design of adding floatation by changing out the tails, and they don't really make a model that's got enough floatation for my old fat butt anyway. 

I also have found that their fuel pumps for their stoves tend to be fragile.  I've taken to always carrying a spare in an Otterbox case when backpacking because they've tended to have an increased failure rate for me for some reason.

Other than those few exceptions, all of the MSR stuff I've tried has been quite good. 

[Mr. Whippy]

Their water filtration system is fantastic.  High volume, nearly bulletproof and easy to clean.  If I'm not taking my Steripen, it's only because my friend has his MSR filter.

[jzmtl]

Their water filtration system is fantastic.  High volume, nearly bulletproof and easy to clean.  If I'm not taking my Steripen, it's only because my friend has his MSR filter.

What do you think about the steripen? I planned to get one, but reviews are very mixed. Also looked at the MSR miox, same deal.

[Mr. Whippy]

Their water filtration system is fantastic.  High volume, nearly bulletproof and easy to clean.  If I'm not taking my Steripen, it's only because my friend has his MSR filter.

What do you think about the steripen? I planned to get one, but reviews are very mixed. Also looked at the MSR miox, same deal.

For clear(ish) water, it works great.  Lithium batteries are a must.  Alkaline don't last very long (and in cold weather the problem is worse). We used it for 10 days in Peru with no problems whatsoever.  IF the water is murky, you either have to let it settle or use some other system. 

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Sounds like the Steri-pen would be a good backup, or even for general use in places like Mexico to fend off old Montezuma's revenge... 

I have  PUR hiker pro and it's been fantastic.  My wife rebuilt it with a new filtration matrix last summer and it's like new again.  Small, light, great filtration, and a fairly high flow rate for a small filter.