I always carried the Al cup/pot for the Svea, but actually never cooked in it or heaven forbid drank from it. I tended to follow Colin's use and use it for a cup "table" or as a repository for the little bits of stuff around the stove, teabags, seasoning bag, spoon etc. Just another part of this stoves mantra. My Svea was never used in snow. After I moved to Oregon and started climbing I bought my first MSR. The little Svea got pushed aside for most of these years. I carry a thin (3 layer) plywood piece that was the top of a preserved apricot box as stove base for snow. I blackend my ensolite sleeping pad with the MSR a few times before I started using the plywood.

I too always wondered if the Svea would decide to vent the tank through the cap and flamethrow me to death, but nothing ever happened. The tank volume and distance of the MSR design and its amazing heat output really made me love these stoves for most trips but especially snow trips. Nothing better than a hot cup of cocoa or soup in short order after climbing all day. The MSR stoves preheating was always an adventure in their first designs. Huge surges of flame as the fuel tube coil heated up...impressive.

I too feel great affection for the Svea...maybe because it was the first stove, but probably because it was so finely crafted in brass and required some degree of friendship with it before it sang its tune of petrol roar. (hows that for sappy?).

I can say my recent use of the Kelly has sparked similar feelings for it.

Ah, the old Svea 123. My first stove. Colin Fletcher swore by it, and I did, too. Gave me many years of great service. And once you got the hang of it, firing up the thing was a snap.

Now, I have an MSR Wisperlite and, for when I'm in a see-how-little-you-need mood, an ESBIT. Love both. When I was in the Reserves, I used a canteen cup with one of those little stove/stands sold by Brigade Quartermasters, et al, with an Esbit fuel bar. For light and solo, that is the way to go if all you need to do is heat a little water.

.....CLIFF

"A man who quotes Heinlien can't be all bad."
Ask my wife....

OK, Call me stupid ("Hi, stupid..."), but I've never heard of Coghlan's or a Galyan's round these parts. Any other comparable stores that might have them?

.....CLIFF

Thanks for that post. I'm gonna fire up the Svea tommorow and try your method out.

I, too, am in love with the Svea. So many memories...
Like the time my dad first showed me how to light it - I pulled him around the corner when i saw the flames and thought that it was going to explode!

And then the first time i used it on a hike - whenever we do similar hikes my mates always ask if i brought the "landrover" (for the sound it makes when it gets going at full steam).

[soppy story] While i don't like noise when i am outdoors, the svea (aka landrover) always makes me smile when i hear it roaring away. it is a friendly noise, IMO [/soppy story]

Cliff,

We do not have Gaylen's around here either. REI either in store or mailorder carries lots of stoves and they may have the Coghlan's Emergeny Tinder Kit with this sparker device in it.

Coghlan's is a brand of camping items found in lots of outdoor stores....all sorts of stuff from mirrors to toothbrush holders. Look for hanging racks of accessory stuff in whatever outdoor gear stores you have and most likely some Coghlan's stuff will be hanging there. My local REI does not have the tinder kit with metal match, however.

http://www.coghlans.com/