MSR Reactor for Winter Camping

The MSR Reactor Wins for Winter Snow Camping and here is why

When it comes to melting snow and winter camping while ski touring the MSR Reactor has been the fastest and most convenient stove out there. With less bulk and a faster melting rate than other boiling focused burners it’s been my go to for almost ten years.

In this post we will focus on the specifics and why it has been in my backpack almost daily and here is why.

Using the MSR Reactor while snow camping

The MSR reactor sounds as it is like a jet engine taking off once you start it up. Almost from the moment you put snow into the pot it has already converted to liquid state. When you are snow camping and need water for 3 people time is everything. Those extra minutes of waiting for snow to melt in other stoves can really add up.

The Best stove for Boiling time

On average you can go from a pot filled with frozen water (that you left in the pot over night) to boiling water in around 4 minutes. That is about as much time as it takes to get the Aeropress ready for your morning coffee fix.

Great stove for Fuel Efficiency

This is another strong suit as when going on a week long ski traverse we would find that only one 8 oz canister each is more than enough. We would use it for melting snow, boiling water, dehydrated meals and our morning coffee fix. Once exiting the mountains we had gone through only half the canister. It would still have use on trips for weeks to come afterwords.

How it is lasting throughout the seasons

I notoriously beat up my gear throwing stuff in an already overstuffed backpack. If anything is fragile it will bend and/or break and throughout the years my MSR Reactor has survived. It may not be as shiny as it was out of the package but it is still just as good as day one. I’ve used other competitors stoves only to find them warped and pieces broken rendering them useless.

Ease of use

Unlike some competitors stoves you have to manually ignite it with a lighter or a flint. With a quick flick of the lighter it is good to go. In my experience it seems those push to start buttons on competitors stoves was always the first thing to break. The nice thing is that the pot fits onto the burner but doesn’t connect. When the water is boiling all you have to do is pick it up, no disconnecting it and you are good to go.

Cooking food With the MSR Reactor

With dehydrated meals it is quite straight forward but you have to be careful and attentive when boiling anything.

If you are boiling food you’ll have to constantly keep stirring or else the Jet engine burner will burn it into the bottom. There is nothing like melting water and tasting burnt noodles 3 days after you cooked them. Just don’t try to fry food with it.

Cost of the MSR Reactor

It is an expensive stove at 240 USD, but as they say “You get what you pay for”. There hasn’t been a single day that there was any regret in purchasing it.

PROS

• You just can’t beat the speed of melting snow and boiling water
• It is sturdy and can take a beating when smashing gear into your backpack
• It is really simple to use just put the pot on top of the burner and it is good to go

CONS

• If you want to cook anything other than boiled food it is useless
• It is expensive

In conclusion

When on winter camping trips and there were multiple people we would always bring the MSR Reactor. The stove is our go to for melting snow or getting a quick boil. It is a beast and literally sounds like a jet engine. When time and fuel efficiency are an issue it’s the best out there. The MSR Reactor is the best stove for winter camping or while backcountry skiing in my opinion.