MSR XGK EX Review: The Best Backpacking Stove for High Altitude 

I've got so many miles on my XGK it looks kinda surreal seeing a brand new one! The thing burns anything. I've been running mine off home-brew biodiesel for years. If the jet ever clogs and you can't clear it with the needle, remove it, put it on the spreader plate, and hit it with a blow torch until it glows red hot. Works every time. Also, another tip that MSR really should make more well known: instead of closing the valve to stop the stove (unless you plan to re-light shortly thereafter), flip the bottle over. That will push air through the pump and hose, forcing the remaining fuel out.

The hook is incorrectly attached to the pump on this video. There is an insert on the back where the hooks snaps. Hook end should not point down, but to the side of the bottle.

You have not got a clue. First of all you set up on a very windy day directly onto dry grass. Then you connect the fuel line to the stove incorrectly. There is an obvious groove that the clip is supposed to fit into, you have it rotated 90 degrees. Then you do a boil test on a windy day without the lid on. And to top it off you do a 15 minute review on a brand new stove and proclaim it "a great stove". There is no doubt the XGK is a good stove but honestly, try making videos about something that you actually have knowledge about....

A good look at the XGK. Thanks. I’m the first to say it here, but won’t be the last: cover the pot for faster boil times and improved fuel efficiency. Some viewers may not know that. Just wanted to add that the XGK is an expedition stove; for people actually going on expeditions. Most of us can probably get by with the slightly cheaper and lighter Whisperlite International- another fantastic, bombproof stove from MSR.

I have this stove for bicycle touring, as its better for cooking whole meals then the pocket rocket. For backpacking though I prefer the pocket rockets, its much easier to store and I don’t worry about gas smells leaking into my food or gear. If I’m on a multi month adventure though the XGK is gonna be the one I bring as you can use damn near any fuel.

I have used that stove for cooking ALL my meals for not just months but years or my life. It’s a jet engine. And that’s really the only complaint one could have about it. It’s loud. It truly sounds like an engine. But you can really “tweak” the valves on the pumps to “simmer” things with it… or just crank it all the way up to boil water in a hurry. With a little work to change the jet opening (the part that “sprays the fuel”) it can burn almost anything including Diesel (or military JP8). They also make a special “arctic pump” that has different orings and is a different color meant for use in extreme cold. At very very cold temps the standard pump can have issues with the orings failing so they made the arctic pump. I just use the arctic pump all the time (hot or cold). They also make a “stand” that is meant for using the stove in deep snow. They are like “snowshoes” for the legs. They also sell different service and maintenance kits for it and you can replace or rebuild almost all of the components that might fail (orings, needles on the shaker pin, lubricants, nozzles, etc. if you’re using a lot of fuel.. you can buy the Coleman fuel in gallon cans. I usually buy multiple at a time and dump them into a 20 gallon jerry can. You can just use unleaded gas in a pinch but it takes changing the nozzle and it’s dirty. That’s another trick. I took the bottom of a coffee can (old metal one) and used a pair of tin snips to cut a metal “circle” of light gauge steel. The MSR XGK is such a beast it will heat that metal up to red hot in no time and you can place your pots on that. All the “soot” is caught on the bottom of the steel circle… or the majority of it. MSR also sells some “pot accesories” that include an ingenious method of strapping a corrugated grid around a standard pot. This metal corrugated piece of metal keeps the heat next to the metal of the cooking vessel. Hard to explain but it drasticallly inceases boils times. Even more than using the reflective metal wind screen and the reflective base piece of heavy foil. If you are cooking all your meals for months on it and are using a great deal of fuel and want to get cooking done asap… there are many things that can improve efficiency. It’s the best “expedition” stove in the world in my opinion. MSR really knocked the design of this stove out of the park. I have been using mine for over a decade and the only real issue I had was to call MSR to replace the “fireproof” absorbent cloth that’s under the burner cup. Great video.

I have had mine for a little while now (MSR XGK EX) and it never ever lets me down summer or winter, some complain it is noisy, duh, it is a furnace that boils water! I want a well cooked meal from it. I pre cook my meals, put them in a vacuum sealed bag and then when I want to eat them on the hike, I through them into the pan and let the water boil to heat them up for 5 minutes. Take them out of the vacuum sealed bag and I have a piping hot meal, cheap meal. None of this dehydrated expensive meals, but meals cooked to my liking and ready to go. Nothing beats a fuel stove, it just works at any temperature and altitude winter or summer!

Colin Fletcher claimed this was the best stove ever! High praise from a great great man!

Do not seam to boil faster then a Optimus Polaris with no top cover on. Btw how do you relive the pressure in the bottle without letting out gas?

Спасибо! Очень полезное видео для меня!👍

What are your thoughts about How thus stove compare to the wisperlite universal stove?

XGK vs whisperlight?

What would be a good storage container to put the stove and fuel pump into while backpacking? I find that the black bag it comes with is too thin and the sharp edges of the stove can easily puncture through and puncture/scratch items in the backpack or potentially tear the backpack itself. I've included it inside a bear canister before. Big mistake as the scent of white gas penetrated the food.

Can you use used cooking oil to run it? Thanks

Go with me on a journey. Say you had a MSR whisperlite stove. Your partner has a MSR XKG. Say your partner's bag was filthy and the filters on both his pumpswere trash. Say he put your pumps in his bag, so yours are dirty too. Say you brought an expedition repair kit, which you both should have, but he didn't.Say you were down to 1 good normal pump and 1 probably good cold wx pump. What would happen if you just ripped filters off of the other pumps? Would they work?

Great stuff

Good review. Well done with good sound and video and clear and concise.

저소음 상향식 연소캡잇써요

You look like you've never used one of these before, and the stove is brand new.... Dont think ill be lending any weight to anything said in this video. Grass is dry, put it on the tree stump. Better for your back and lowers the fire risk. Pump goes in easiest filter first. Lube the tip of the fuel hose before putting it in the pump so you dont damage the oring. Spit on it if you dont have the oring oil. (Official MSR manual advice) Your fuel line is in wrong. Turn it 90degrees so the hook sits in the saddle. Light the wick through the hole on the side next to the wick. Its easier, especially if its windy and avoids burning your fingers if you didnt bring a great big kitchen lighter like yours.

Using a cooking stove directly on dry grass with dry leaves.. duhh.. not smart. . seriously, what? and on a windy day at that, serrriously whaaat?