Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Svea 123 stove

Anyone else have one? I've had mine for 40+ years. They were originally made in Sweden but they were bought by Optimus and are now made in Taiwan. I think Optimus is owned by Katadyn.
They're great stoves for high altitudes and cold weather but they can be a pain to light. Lighting them is the main reason that canister stoves have largely replaced them. I've read that many mountain climbers use them because they're so reliable at high altitudes and in extreme cold.
It's real pain sometimes getting the fuel warm to prime it. I've found that squirting a bit of lighter fluid on the stem is much easier although it requires carrying the lighter fluid. Once it's going, though, it puts out some serious heat.
I haven't used mine hardly at all in the last 10 years since I got into llamas. I carry a heavier propane stove which is much easier to light. The llamas carry the heavy bottles.
They're expensive, somewhat over $100. I've read that they've become sort of a cult stove with the purists.