MSR Windpro Stove


msr-Windpro-stoveThe Windpro

The MSR windpro stove got a unique look in MSR propane stoves line. They built it so that the burner itself is separated from the canister. In most gas stoves, the burner is assembled on top of the gas can itself. In the windpro, they connect the burner and the canister with a small pipe. The valve, BTW, is located on the canister side. The reason for separating the canister from the burner is obvious: windscreen.


Using wind screen on a regular gas stove can be dangerous. The windscreen might heat up the canister too. Since the canister is filled with pressurized gas, it can easily explode.

Besides this unique feature, the windpro is pretty much ordinary. Like most propane stoves, it is lightweight and fairly easy to use. The pot holders fold together to save some room while packing.

Here is what I like and dislike about the Windpro. What I mention here is comparing to other canister stoves.

Like

  • You can use windscreen.
  • It can run nicely from full power to simmer.

Dislike

  • It doesn’t fold as nicely as other canister stoves.
  • Price.

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Tip: increase stoves efficiency


The MSR Windpro stove enables you to use some very simple techniques to increase the stove efficiency. The big idea is to get most of the heat from the stove to heat up the pot. Lots of heat is lost to the free air if not using these methods.

Lid

It sounds silly or obvious but using a lid increase stove's efficiency dramatically. This goes for any sort of cooking stove. You can check it out even on your kitchen stove. Boil water with and without a lid and measure the time. You'll be surprised by the impact of covering the pot.

Wind screen

Windscreen isn't just for preventing the wind from blowing your flame away. The main thing it does is preventing heat from running away from the pot. The windscreen should capture all the heat from the flame and let it go only to the pot's direction. Like the lid, it is doing miracles.
You can make a windscreen yourself. Take any foldable foil. Cut it to be tailor made to fit your pot. It should be slightly bigger than the pot in diameter.
 

Heat reflector

The least significant of the three. Place some foil under the windscreen. Together with the windscreen it makes an ignition chamber under the pot. This part reflects the heat so that the ground won't get heated instead of the pot.

Bottom line

There are better gas stoves, but the MSR windpro stove is one of the best in class when it comes to handling winds.

And here is the MSR windpro stove on Oregon mountain community...



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