Serious question, did I mess up picking the whisperlite over the pocket rocket?

Back in 2018 I had to choose between an MSR WhisperLite and a Pocket Rocket 2 for my stove. I went with the WhisperLite because I figured it could handle white gas and canisters both, plus it seemed tougher for longer trips. First couple times out it worked fine but honestly I got tired of the priming routine pretty quick. Last summer on a trip to the Smokies the pump seal started acting up and I spent an hour messing with it at dinner time while my buddy with a Pocket Rocket was already eating. I keep wondering if I should have just gone with the simpler canister stove for the convenience. Has anyone else found the WhisperLite more trouble than it's worth for weekend trips?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_hernandez24d ago

Priming a whisperlite feels like changing a tire just to drive to the store.

thomas.cameron24d ago

Priming isn't really like changing a tire though. You just pump the fuel a few times until you see a stream, then open the valve and light it. The whole thing takes maybe thirty seconds once you've done it a couple times. People overthink it because they treat the directions like a novel instead of just trying it. The real annoyance is when the weather is cold and you have to leave the valve open for a minute before it catches. But even that isn't rocket science, you just wait.