View Full Version : Help MSR whisperlite stove how much fuel for a 5 day trip
trackrunner
07-29-2012, 11:35 PM
I have a MSR whisperlite universal that runs on both fuel bottles & canisters. will be doing a 5 day trip (4 breakfasts & 4 dinners with all meals need only boiling water except the first dinner & breakfast which will be cooked freshed) with 5 people to the boundry waters of US & Canada. will be the first time pushing my fuel capacity to the limits. normally it's myself or a couple of other people for a couple days and so my fuel requirements are minimal.
basically my question is how much cooking time can I get out of the fuel & how much would your recommend. I recall someone telling me about 10 oz = 1 hour.
trackrunner
07-29-2012, 11:48 PM
after posting this I found this info. still curious what others have experience & recommend
http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/simple-cooking/whisperlite-universal/product
zzyzx
07-30-2012, 09:51 AM
Thanks for info.
This website has more info than REI.
I own a MSR PocketRocket. I've used one 8 oz. IsoPro canister 8 times during my 4 day backpacking trip.
This fuel is great.
skiclimb3287
07-30-2012, 10:38 AM
NOLS teaches to plan on 1/6 liter per day per person in the summer and 1/3 liter in the winter. This assumes no cooked lunch, so for every 4 days, you will use an extra 1/6 liter per person. I guess an important detail is this is for white gas.
If I calculate correctly, for 5 people for 5 days, you should bring 5.2 liters of fuel. Since it sounds like most of your cooking will be just boiling water, you can probably cut that down a fair bit.
YMMV
Have an awesome trip! :thumbup:
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denaliguide
07-30-2012, 12:01 PM
as a guide on denali we would take one gallon for each climber plus one extra gallon for a 21 day trip. we were using msr xgk stoves and they were going for at least 2 hours in the morning and again in the evening. cooking and melting snow. so for a 3 man trip that was 4 gallons for 21 days. now since you are not melting snow there is no way you will burn a liter a day.
do a test before you go. fill a liter bottle and cook the two meals that you would do a day and see how much fuel you use. not hard to do and if you use two stoves you could do both meals at the same time, or just burn your stove for an hour and be done with it. i would guess that breakfast will take 20 minutes and dinner 40?, so, one hour a day. if 10 oz. = 1 hour then you are good to go with 4 liters and still have an extra days worth if needed. one gallon for 4 days seems like more than enough to me.
that is assuming you are taking only one stove for the group. plus in the boundary waters you can probably cook over a campfire, unless regulations say no fires.
Byron
07-30-2012, 04:58 PM
One ounce per person per day. Add a few ounces if that makes you nervous. Don't carry 5 friggin' liters, my god...
DesertDuke
07-30-2012, 09:40 PM
My last trip my water purifier went haywire. I was plenty glad to have xtra fuel instead of having just enough as usually planned. I also put a liter container of hot water in the bottom of my bag on cold nights. for me the general calcs would be short. however, I like Denaliguide's suggestion the most. Just cook a couple of meals and see. slight dif for differing elevations, but that sure seems to be a good way to actually measure it. I always carry a small, light grill to use over a fire just in case too. one of the many " hope i don't have to use it" items that helps me to make sure that I always have a pack >40 lbs, which seems to be a subconscious goal of mine.
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