MSR Whisperlite Shaker Jet Backpacking Stove

Pros: lightweight, reliable, fits inside cooking pot, easy to maintain
Cons: doesn't simmer very well, likes to be ON full blast or OFF

The whisperlite is the same stove as the MSR Whisperlite Internationale, without the option of burning alternative fuels like diesel. It is mechanically identical to the internationale except for an alternate fuel nozzle and the absence of a wicking cup ...

Pros: light weight, efficient
Cons: hard to maintain a low flame

I have had my MSR WhisperLite stove for 5 years, and I love it. It is very light weight and takes up relatively little space in a pack. It is sturdy as well. In five years it has never failed me. One reason for this is that the stove is easy to...

Pros: Very compact and light
Cons: Don't borrow it to your friends, they won't give it back!

I wouldn't call myself Grizzly Adams, but I've made a few high altitude climbs and hikes. Three of which are fairly good to judge my advice on; Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevadas, King's Peak in High Unita Utah, and the Grand Canyon trek.

My...

Pros: lightweight, small, simple, low maintenance
Cons: white gas only (w/o modification), long turn around time

I've had my whisperlite for a few years and it's a terrific stove. Really hot, really fast, really small, and really maintenance free. I've never had any trouble with it cooking anything. While you're friends are slaving over some bulky, complex...

Pros: Dependable, easy to clean and repair
Cons: Doesn't simmer, can tip over or flare up if not careful

I've used both the basic Whisperlite and the Shaker Jet for about 10 years. One of the best aspects of the stove is that it is very easy to take apart and clean or repair in the field- this has saved me from having to leave the backcountry on more...

Pros: If you found one in an acheological dig in mesopotamia it would still work
Cons: Poor heat control, a bit unstable -- (all the more to love)

This stove is really quite far from perfect. It is rather unstable, I know I've dumped a load of hot water once or twice. It has almost no heat modulation so cooking becomes an interesting challange.

Despite these flaws you really can't...

Pros: lightweight, simple, field-serviceable, lots of heat
Cons: starting the stove is difficult

This stove is what outdoor backpacking is all about. Its lightweight. Its simple. It works. However, it has its flaws -- just like backpacking has its bugs (mosquitos, flies, etc.). So nothing is perfect!

From my use, the only flaw that...

Pros: Starting, weight,ease of control
Cons: wind screens

I bought a Whisperlite Shaker Jet two seasons ago and have quite a bit of use on it. Most of my usage was at 8,000ft to Gannett Peak, Wy at 13,804ft. It starts easy and the flow control for heat works perfect. We aren't talking a stove in some home...

Pros: Very reliable in cold weather
Cons: It is an ugly little sucker and it is terminally grimy looking.

First, I must confess that I personally own a Svea 123R stove. Recently, when my friend, Mark, and I were packing for our recent winter backpacking and ice-climbing trip in the Adirondacks, he asked, “Which stove should we take, your Svea or my...

Pros: Durable, Light, dependable
Cons: harder to find, a little more expensive than generic stoves

When I first started hiking, the group leader brought his WhisperLite along. I've been on two of his many section hikes on the AT, and he still uses that WhisperLite. I've carried this thing in my pack for around 48 miles of unfriendly terrain before...

Pros: Light-weight, dependable, efficient, easy to use
Cons: None

This is EASILY the best stove out on the market. Bury it in the mud for 10 years and you can have it working again in 10 minutes. It is extremely easy to use, and the most dependable piece of equipment in my pack. Don't let anyone try to talk you out...

Pros: works in many environments, easy to use, works great, fuel efficient
Cons: a bit unstable and two settings low and flamethrower

I love this stove so much. I wish it were a bit more stable (you can get a base to fix that) and the flame control were a bit better, but you learn to deal with that. It's super light and come in a little baggy along with a wind screen and heat reflector...

Pros: light, clean, reliable.
Cons: no simmer

MSR's WhisperLite stove is one of my most prized pieces of outdoor equipment. It is clean, easy to use, affordable, reliable, and quiet. Although I haven't owned any other backpacking stoves, I can't imagine a stove that significantly outperforms the...

Pros: Great cost-to-value ratio
Cons: tricky lighting

Okay, so it doesn't exactly whisper, and I've met lighter stoves, but the Whisperlite is still arguably the best backpacking stove for the money. I have friends who backpack with other stoves--but not many, and there is a good reason for that....

Pros: Light, Dependable, Hot
Cons: No simmer

I bought a Whisperlite because I was having problems with my Peak 1 stove in sub-freezing conditions. First off, the bad part. You do need to prime the Whisperlite, and that can cause potentially dangerous flare-ups. However, once you get used to it,...

Pros: Excellant Stove, very light
Cons: a little bit more expensive than some other stoves

I first used this stove when I was on NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) trip. I was struck with how easy it was to use. It performed perfectly even at very high altitude and it never needed to be cleaned.
When I returned home one of the...

Pros: Compact, easy, inexpensive, and really useful.
Cons: Tips over if you're not careful

This stove has saved my bacon many times, but due to a balance problem, it's also spilled my dinner. As long as you're careful with it, though, it will treat you well.

I love my WhisperLite stove. It's compact, easy to use, and very...

Pros: light simple
Cons: unstable

First things. Love this stove. Most other opinioners have hit the pros and cons on the head... Here is another tidbit to help.

If you are sick of blackened grungy hands and gear from your stove read on.

When priming MSR Whisperlight...

Pros: Light weight, easy to maintain
Cons: No heat control

I purchased this stove because I was gearing up for a summer of backpacking in the Sierras. I needed a stove that wouldn't weight too much, didn't cost too much, and would work well. I found the WhisperLite to fulfill all of these needs.

I...

Pros: Inexpensive, Reliable, Simple, Compact
Cons: No Flame Control, Loud?

My MSR WhisperLite stove has never let me down. I've taken it on many, many backcountry treks and have never had any serious problem with it. Below is a list of what I consider the pros of this thing:

1) Assembly of the stove is simple. It...

Pros: Reliable water-boiling inferno
Cons: A nuisance to start, hard to "turn down"

One of the things I love about the outdoors is that the best of the gear I use today is the same gear I used ten years ago. The good stuff keeps right on going.

The MSR Whisperlite Shaker Jet I keep in my backpack is twelve years old, but...

Pros: lightweight, variety of fuels, stable
Cons: instability during pumping.

I have used this stove for over 5 years and it won't let me down even if I tried. It fits tightly and efficiently into MSR pots and it burns almost anything flammable. I've used unleaded gasoline and it barely burns not differently than white gas. I...

Pros: Durable, lightweight, compact and boils water quickly.
Cons: Doesn't simmer well.

I've owned my Whisperlite for over 10 years, so I'm fully aware of its quirks. Despite them, it is an excellent stove for backpacking. First the quirks. The major one is that it has one setting - blowtorch. If you're boiling water (which is what I do ...

Pros: Light, relatively cheap, does its job
Cons: No control of the flame size, unstable

The MSR WhisperLite is good for the average 2-3 day camper, who cooks rice or spaghetti and makes coffee. It has absolutely no flame size control, which makes cooking anything more complex a real challenge that involves physically lifting the pot from...

Pros: Light, Easy to use
Cons: Difficult to repair, prone to Sutt.

As they say, when packing a backpack, beware: Almost anything you pick up will weigh-in for at least an ounce. And, as we know about weight in a pack, ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain. So, from the start, you know you're right-on if the word...

Pros: Boils water pretty quick, and great in cold weather.
Cons: Heavy, heavy, heavy, and expensive, compared to alcohol stoves.

I will start by saying that for the last 8 years, my whisperlite has been a great stove. Nary a problem with it..... and I don't do maintenance till it fails. I have had some minor leaks in my pack due to the pump/assembly though. Now you ask, why am ...

Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive to operate, field serviceable
Cons: Dirty, messy and temperamental with poor pump design

I've owned two of these Whisperlight stoves. The pump on the first one failed so I bought a complete new, shaker jet, model in Hawaii for use on Hanakapaii Beach on the Na Pali coast of Kauai. If you enjoy backpacking you owe it to yourself to...

Pros: lightweight, field serviceable
Cons: no simmer (no problem for boiling water!)

I finally broke down and bought a Whisperlite a year ago to replace my 35 year old heavy, bulky military style stove. I loved that old stove, but I was trying to reduce some weight in my pack and this stove is so good and lightweight, I couldn't resist...

Pros: Very light, compact, widely used and loved
Cons: Failed miserably on me in the middle of the mountains

The Appalachian Trail. Ever since Bill Bryson came out with A Walk in the Woods, the AT has held the same lure for outdoors types as New Orleans' garden district holds for goths. While the prospect of taking off five or six months of my life to...

Pros: Compact, light, field maintainable, functional.
Cons: Only uses white gas, unstable, one gas valve.

How to blow up a stove. I’ve set many things on fire including a 5 gallon gas can, my fleece, other things I should not mention online, and this stove. And yes, I still use this stove….but I did have to buy an extra pump. On a ...

Pros: efficient, light
Cons: unsafe

This stove has many wonderful qualities. First, it is small, lightweight and easy to pack and carry. Second, it burns white gas which is really easy to find and very cheap. Third, once it gets going, it cooks quickly and efficiently. Forth, it is...

Pros: Light, hot, simple
Cons: Poor control, difficult starting

I have had my WhisperLite for about 10 years now, and I am now in the market for another stove. The stove has heated a lot of water and cooked a lot of meals, but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

There are some really good selling...

Pros: small, lightweight, fairly easy to assemble, hot on demand, fast boiling time, fun to operate.
Cons: noise and tempernmental igniting behavior

This is the first and probably last backpacking stove that I will ever have to buy. I bought it maybe 5 years ago and have never had a problem with it. We go camping probably 2 to 3 times a year, mostly over three day weekends. So I have needed it to be there for me around 100 times for me. It is small, lightweight, relatively easy to assemble, fast, and kinda fun. It has worked properly from temps from 20 F to 80 F and no crazy altitudes. I am fully unendorsed. The down falls, for me, would be noise and sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to light it, although not all the time. I have tried different
"preheat" times and slightly altered every possible aspect of the lighting experience, and it just seems tempernmental. I am a very mechanical minded person. Noise is a downer when, always being the first one up, you are in close proximity to sleeping campers and are dying for a cup of coffee. Pros far out-weigh cons.

Pros: Heats fast, packs small, folds out for big pans, reliable in all conditions, self cleaning
Cons: hard to control flame

This stove is good for all around use. The boil time is fast, setup is fast, and it is fairly easy to use. It is reliable especially in wind, cold, and high elevation. The primer cup almost guarantees ignition every time. The shaker jet is self cleaning, and even if it does become clogged, a few shakes and the stove is ready to again. The only bad thing about this stove is that it is nearly impossible to control the flame for simmering. You can reduce the pressure in the fuel bottle and try to turn the adjustment knob down which usually will yield some results, but at this point the stove may go out without you knowing it, then you have to light it again, but it is not made for this. Otherwise a great small lightweight stove.