Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Gear Reviews Primus Himalaya Multi-Fuel Stove Burns It Up!

Pros: BIG PRO - Burns canister AND liquid fuels, including white gas, unleaded, and kerosene; sturdy construction; very well balanced, with solid support for pots; safety valve keeps fuel line empty; weight compares favorably with other backpacking stoves; compact.<P>Cons: Not many. Costs $120. <P><BR>The Primus Multi-Fuel stove is everything it is touted to be. Nothing less than the most versatile stove on the market, the big draw to the MFS is that it is the only backpacking stove that will burn both canister fuels and liquid fuels, which really is a big deal. <P>Consider that the MFS is equally at home at 15,000 feet burning white gas as it is at 5,000 feet burning LP canisters as it is on the beaches of Mexico burning unleaded or kerosene. THAT is versatility, and no other backpacking stove on the planet can match it. If one stove that does it all is what you want, search no more. The MFS is the only stove for you.<P>High on my list of pros is the sturdy construction. The legs and burner arms are solid, strong, and won't flex or bend under heavy loads like the MSR WhisperLite or Dragonfly can. Also, the MFS is not tippy, thanks to a wide, low profile, meaning that you're not likely to dump a pot of pasta on the ground when you're hungry and cold. Another plus is the serrated surface on the arms. Matched to a groove-bottomed pan, like an MSR BlackLite, for example, and you have a sturdy, secure cooking connection. <P>Also, he jet is easily cleaned with the provided tool, or with a safety pin or the wire from a twist tie in a pinch. And while the listed weight is just a tad over one pound, that weight includes the pump assembly, which is solid metal. For low-intensity trips using only LP canisters, you leave the pump at home and save ounces.<P>As to performance, I was impressed with the MFS' simmering ability using both white gas and LP. Of course, white gas sputters a bit more, and you don't want to try to simmer with white gas after pumping the shivers out of the fuel bottle, but with moderate pressure the MFS simmers up pasta sauce or venison stew with ease, not a always small accomplishment for a liquid-fuel stove.<P>The great flipside to superior adjustability, often overlooked, is that you can moderate fuel consumption quite well. I like stoves that you can crank up to 747 volumes and get something boiled right quick when you're freezing and starving, but if you can't tone down the BTU's predictably, empty fuel bottles and excess carbon in your diet can become problems. The excellent responsiveness of the MFS gives you the best of both worlds.<P>Another great feature when using liquid fuels is a valve which regulates the fuel flow from the bottle. When you want fire, you lay the bottle on the side that says "ON," and the fuel travels through the valve to the jet, ready to light. About a minute before you finish, you turn the bottle on its "OFF" side, and the valve stops fuel flow. At this point, only the fuel remaining in the fuel line continues to burn, and in about a minute, when the fuel line is empty, the flame extinguishes. Empty fuel lines are safe fuel lines and won't leak naptha into the rest of your gear!<P>When you're done, the MFS folds away nicely into a 6.5"-diameter package, just small enough to stash away inside an MSR BlackLite cookware set.<P>Bottom line: For $120, you just can't buy a more utile, user-friendly backpacking stove.<P>High, low, or in between, the Primus MFS sizzles!<P>I give it . <P><BR>

If you have not seen one of these stoves, do yourself a favor and check one out. Its the hottest little stove on the market.
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<br>Dan