Aconcagua Advice - Stove Question

[crmlla2007]

Whisperlite or Jetboil?

 

pro/con and where is fuel (yes, white gas walmart and paint stores)

 

or am I missing the boat entirely?

 

 

tia

 

 

[hydroman]

I took a whisperlite and it worked well. I don't remember where I bought white gas but I'm pretty sure I just walked around to the couple gear stores in town asking and one of then had plenty for sale. Or I should ay they had a white gas like substance that worked fine. It was a bring your own soda bottle and we'll go in the back and fill them up for you kinda deal. Worked fine though.

 

I've never tried a canister stover at altitude but I don't think I'd try. That isn't a short trip due to aclimating and that's a hell of a lot of canisters to bring, particualy once you are melting snow in the high camps. And it can get really cold there. Seems like you'd have to haul way too many canisters to btother with a jetboil

[crmlla2007]

thanks - "2 liter pop bottle - CHECK"

[wfinley]

Whoever you use for your mule service should provide white gas for you. As for the Whisperlight... it will work but it's going to be pretty whimpy at your high camp.

 

[crmlla2007]

so if not whisperlight, what?

[Reid]

Hmm, I just did Acon over Christmas/New Year's and I can't say that I remember any guide service selling white gas. That said we also didn't attempt to buy any from them.

 

We stopped at one of the gear shops in Mendoza. Yes they will give you the white gas in a pop bottle. Be careful with that. About a quarter of our food was contaminated when a bottle broke open in the mule bag.

 

I've used nothing but whisperlites on Denali and Acon and had no complaints, but have not had any experience with a purpose built expedition stove. I think the jetboil would be a poor choice.

[Reid]

This is something of the accepted expedition standard

 

MSR XGK

 

http://www.rei.com/product/722001

[wfinley]

Was there last month & the mule services will provide while gas if you ask. It's probably a tad cheaper in Mendoza -- but that means you have to haul it with you.

 

And I agree that the XGK is the way to go; it will boil your water much faster than a whisperlight.

[crmlla2007]

Anyone have trouble flying with a stove or fuel bottle?

[getmet666]

Piss in the bottle and mark in big writing on the side of the fuel bottle "Pee Bottle". I've never had a problem bringing the container on my checked luggage.

[wfinley]

I've never had problems flying --- but a week before I fly I open all my fuel bottles, wash them with soap and let them air dry. I also pull the wire out of the stove fuel line and make sure it's entirely clean and dry.

[crmlla2007]

Thanks all. XGK it is then. Any suggestions for fuel planning? Liters/person/day? Thanks again.

[wfinley]

For mid to late season 4 liters for 2 people is ample.

[Lafayette]

Doing the false polish we didn't need to boil until camp 2. But had hauled enough fuel to boil from the first day at base camp if needed. The camps on the approach, and base camp will have water piped in from the valleys.

 

We had 1 jet boil and one Whisperlite. When melting snow it was great to have two stoves to melt the snow, then boil in the jetboil. For drinking we sometimes tabbed it when it was questionably but frequently just drank it direct without problems.

 

The jetboils are great but the cannisters are expensive. If I had an XGK I would definitely have brought it as it seems like the stove of preference on the mountain.

[prussik1]

We took both. You can get white gas in mendoza at any of the climbing shops (the one i have been to is one block east, i think, of plaza independencia) and you can get canisters there as well. We used white gas stoves mainly, with our canister stoves as our backups. many of the guided groups were using canisters to be able to cook inside tents at camp 1 and 2 on the plaza argentina side this year. when i climbed the normal route 4 years ago, it was my whisperlite international all the way...

good luck!

christopher

P.s. when we were at camp 2 on the false polish, there is a frozen lake that has a hole in it for a water source, just had to take the axe over and chop it big enough each day, some days not at all. but we felt that water needed to be treated, brough both iodine and chlorine, plus the boiling.

Edited March 3, 2010 by prussik1