older whisperlite fuel requirement

[solo_hiker]

just boiling 16oz water twice a day, can anyone give me an idea in oz/person/day how much white gas an older MSR Whisperlite would use? time of year is early May in WMNF.

thanks Solo

 

[NYBRAD]

I plan on 4oz a day per person in summer and roughly double that in winter.
I'm sill using an early model too with a shaker jet conversion kit in it. It's been used and abused, and still runs like a champ.

 

[solo_hiker]

fuel requirements

I found this info on the MSR website:

Whisperlite boils 16.6L H2O/11oz white gas
Simmerlite boils 15.2L per same

so, if I'm boiling let's say 20oz/person/day on a 6 day trip, that works out to 20oz x 30cc/oz x 6 days is 3.6L boiled per person. according to MSR then, I'd need 3.6/16.6 or 2.5 oz fuel for all that. even if that's off by 50%, it'd still be only 4oz fuel. I'm finding this number a little hard to believe. you're saying I'd need 8oz/person/day in the winter. how'd you arrive at that figure, I'm just curious?

ciao Solo

 

[NYBRAD]

Figures.....

Those numbers are just from many years of experience. Back when I was in the Marines serving in Cold Weather Mountain unit, those are what I based my fuel consumption on. I've just carried it over to civilian climbing.
Tip, always carry a little more than you will need due to fellow hikers you may come across that thought too much about weight and ran out leaving them cold and hungry..

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Solo-man,

Here's what I'm consuming on a 12 yr old Whisperlite International this time of year in the High Peaks. I'm actually using close to 7oz per day on solo trips but I may be "cooking" more than you are. I'll run the stove in the morning to melt enough snow for 2 liters of water for the day's climb and another 10-12 ounces for my breakfast needs. Then in the evening I'll melt enough for 1 liter to overnight AND run that little puppy for about another 15 minutes (mostly on simmer mode) to cook dinner (as you see I'm not doing insto dinners). You mentioned 16 oz of water twice a day. That sounds a bit low. Did you mean liters?

Hope that's helpful..... happy camping!

THC

 

[solo_hiker]

fuel requirement

ok thanks. I'm hoping I won't have to melt snow in early May in the White Mountains for a water supply. I've never done that, so I have no idea how much fuel is needed to melt a liter's worth of snow. if I don't have to do that, then here's what I'm thinking:

10 oz boiled for morning coffee
2oz " " " oatmeal

4oz boiled for Enertia dinner
2oz " " vegetables

1oz prime
---------------------
19 oz/day/person which I rounded up to 20. does this sound ridiculous? am I kidding myself about not having to melt snow? I would think there'd be a ton of snowmelt runoff during the day at that time of year.

ciao Solo

 

[Bob]

my .02

2 oz/per person per day has always worked for me unless melting snow or boiling water to purify...it seems way too little but I haven't run out yet.

 

[DougPaul]

2 oz/per person per day has always worked for me unless melting snow or boiling water to purify...it seems way too little but I haven't run out yet.

Fuel consumption varies quite a bit depending on how you use your stove. Do you use a windscreen (even if there is no wind), simmer, just boil, shut the stove off promptly, etc?

Best way is to measure it on a shake-down hike.

Doug

 

[solo_hiker]

windscreen

definitely packin' a windscreen, around and under. Solo

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Ok, here's an objective figure I just came across in "Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills".....

Figure about 4oz/person/day as a good starting point. They're referring to situations in which you're not having to melt snow.

I know I've gotten away with less in the summer when I wasn't doing much of any cooking in the mornings. I've actually gone a couple of weeks on a 22oz MSR tank when canoe camping with the Whisperlite.

Loren

 

[Bob]

Do you use a windscreen

Always- the foil one that came with it.

simmer

No such thing- Whisperlites are binary stoves.

shut the stove off promptly

of course

Best way is to measure it on a shake-down hike

been doing that for years, 2 oz/person/day works for me

 

[DougPaul]

No such thing- Whisperlites are binary stoves.

I can simmer with my Model G (the first MSR stove and the direct predicessor to the XGK). Just use low pressure and a delicate hand on the valve. Doesn't work in the wind beacuse it is likely to blow out. Never used a whisperlight, so I don't know how well it works on one.

Doug