That spongy thing in the btm of your XGK

[wfinley]

That spongy thing in the btm of my XGK that collects the excess fuel finally died and fell out. Do I need it? What's it made of? My main concern is that on really cold trips when I basically dump a ton of fuel into the stove to prime it - without the spongy thing it will just spill everywhere and not properly warm up my stove. Is this a legit concern?

[Squid]

It's just a wick. I think you could replace it with a cotton shoe-lace.

[Squid]

Then again, sometimes my advice goes terribly, terribly wrong.

[wfinley]

Then again, sometimes my advice goes terribly, terribly wrong.

You want to elaborate on that? I just tried one of those things that you stick on the btm of couches etc. to keep from scratching the floor. The smoke detector went off and the dogs freaked out.

[sobo]

I don't know what it is, but this is one of the funniest threads I've read in a while. Duck and cover!

 

Squid + wfinley = bumbling explosives "experts"

[Squid]

 

 

I said 'shoelace'!

 

 

Shoelace:

 

 

Couch leg:

 

 

 

Never, ever take advice from the internets.

[climbnsparky]

the extreme cold or if you were going to run diesel or keroseen would be the only reason i would replace it.

 

i lost the one in my dragonfly years ago and havent missed it. even at -25f i didnt really miss it. i would have made it prime faster.

you can buy a msr repair kit for your xgk and there will be a new wick in the kit. or like someone else said, get creative and use something else.

Edited February 19, 2006 by climbnsparky

[EastCoastBastard]

I have an older XGK and lost that thing years ago. I made a halfhearded attempt at replacing it, but the stove still works fine without it. Go light and fast, leave it out

[wfinley]

I used it this past weekend and it worked fine - however temps never dropped below 20. We plan on a 2 week March trip and are thinking temps will be brutal cold - thus I have concerns. I did buy a new MSR repair kit this year - but there was no wick; today I sent an email to MSR - I'll pass on what they say when I hear back. (PS - cotton burns)

[wfinley]

MSR never said whether or not I needed them -- but they put a couple in an envelope and mailed them to me no charge.

[sobo]

If brutal cold is the concern, you could always take to cooking in the tent. That's always a real crowdpleaser...

...I speak from personal experience...