MSR Reactor Stove System Backpacking Stove

MSR Reactor
February 06, 2011

This thing does what it claims to do: Boil water FAST. I had this stove at around 10,000 ft of elevation with big wind gusts and it boiled a liter of water in the claimed time, if not faster. It also melted snow surprisingly fast. I had read other reviews and was still surprised how well this stove works. The ONLY trouble I had was lighting it in the wind (> 10 mph). It took a few tries and some wasted gas. I recommend lighting it in a sheltered environment, place the pot on once it is lit, and then move it outside your tent. After that, no problem.

Very quiet and functional! Worth the investment!
November 05, 2009

I have owned a MSR Dragonfly for 11 years and decided that it was time for a new addition. When it comes to cooking, my backpacking trips mainly include freeze dried meal and hot chocolate. The Reactor is perfect for this. My Dragonfly always sounded like a jet was about to take off. The Reactor is MUCH quieter and boils water faster in my opinion (particularly if you include setup and take down into account). The pot with which the water goes into is bigger than what I would normally carry and I had my doubts. When comparing the two stoves, carrying my stove, fuel and pot in 1 container is much more convenient than the 3 separate items I had to dig around for with with Dragonfly. I will probably still use the Dragonfly when altitude is an issue but I would say that the majority of my treks can be handled by the Reactor. There are 2 things I will suggest: 1)You will want to use an additional little towel besides the one that it comes with to wrap your fuel canister so it doesn't bang against the inside of the pot and 2) I wish MSR would make a deep dish plate (or bowl since we are talking about a 5" diameter) that could fit inside the reactor pot because there is still space that needs to be maximized. MSR's Folding utensil folds small enough to fit inside as well (you could fit more than 1 if you don't like using a spork).

September 29, 2011

Wonderful, boiled water faster then all the other stoves i have tried at 10,000ft. Super light and compact and very durable. Fuel and stove store inside pot making for easy packing. Use a small cleaning cloth to hold all moisture and keep it quiet when moving.

Just what I was looking for!
June 26, 2009

I purchased this stove because of all the good reviews it received. I am not disappointed, it's compact, easy on fuel and durable. I have purchased other MSR products and have yet to be disappoited. The fast boil time is no joke!

Really was pleased
January 16, 2008

This thing is a a great package! I have used a Whisper lite International for years and was reluctant to move on to a cannister stove but one trip to the mountains relieved my concerns. Cooks fast and evenly with easy clean up and no gas to mess with! You know how it is on a cold morning when you want that first cup of hot chocolate or coffee? This is so much faster and neater than the old gas burner. Progress is a wonderful thing!

AWESOME Stove!!!!
December 21, 2009

I bought this stove at REI the night before a winter campout. The weather ended up being 34 degrees and rainy. I was able to boil 1.5 liters of water in just over 3 minutes while others were waiting 15 minutes or longer with traditional stoves. The other advantage was that with the pot removed the reactor acts as a great hand warmer for cold weather camping. Can't wait for new attachments to come as I will be one of the first to buy.

Exceptional stove!
December 18, 2009

Made camp life luxurious for 3 people. Well-made, easy to use and packed well. Makes water for tea/coffee in a minute. Perfect for dried meals and used it to boil water for drinking. So simple to set up and break down we brought it out anywhere and made drinks or food along the trail. It's like a trail microwave, but lighter :)

Perfect Boiling Stove
August 25, 2012

My Dad bought this stove for himself a while ago and I borrowed it for a backpacking trip. This stove is a beast. After the trip I bought this stove for myself and I haven't used anything else since. It boils water in minutes. I timed it against my jet boil and it was almost a minute faster...plus it holds more water. If you are just looking for soemthing to boil water fast, this is the stove for you. The one downfall is it's purpose. It only boils water and it only fits the MSR reactor stove pots. You can't really cook up a gourmet meal on this but if you have dehydrated food to cook, you are set. I highly recommend this stove.

Already own the MSR Reactor Stove System Backpacking Stove? Tell us your thoughts.

Best Stove System But have some deficiency
August 26, 2009

The Reactor looks like the best option in the world for melting snow. But is the few minutes of time saved worth more than twice the cost, +6oz of weight, and loss of capability of using other pots? Probably not for me. And a critical flaw IMO, the Reactor burner does not attach to the pot so it can not be suspended in an alpine tent, easily held or served while heating, etc.. also It make CO,should be very carefully.

Excellent Stove!
January 01, 2011

It is the fastest stove I have used! When I got it, I try as soon as possible.It had boiled a pot of water within 2'20''. The quality of it is as good as all my MSR products. I believe them.

Write a review for the MSR Reactor Stove System Backpacking Stove here.

This is a powerful weapon!
June 01, 2011

This is a powerful weapon! If you want to drink coffee in the outdoor fast, buy reactors will not regret it! Because he can in a short period of about three minutes to boil one liter of water! This is not blowing pieces, I use several reactors and other appliances to do comparison, can be said that the reactor is perfect there! Recommended buy!

absolutely love it.
January 26, 2010

Had it on the trail at least three times this fall and was floored, as were my backpacking companions. Unbeatable wind protection and boil speed. When weather is bearing down and light is fading, your Mountain House feasts are but moments away.

Amazing!
June 17, 2009

The stove arrived via Fedex during a typical Colorado summer afternoon rain storm (heavy wind and rain). I ran out to the back patio with stove and pot (w/ 1 liter of water). I used the spark of my 'bic' to light the stove, set the pot on the stove, and I ran inside to view the pot from a window. Even in the driving wind and rain, the water boiled in ~3.5 minutes. The system is 5 oz. heavier than my current system, but we bought ultra light stuff sacks and pack covers to make up for the weight difference. The fuel savings may help, too. I am very pleased with this stove. Being able to know that I can make a hot cup of tea, quickly, on a cool and windy morning for my wife and me gives me a very warm feeling... "Happy wife, happy life (and happy camp :)"

Terrific and versatile stove
October 14, 2009

I picked up the reactor stove maybe two weeks ago and already am in love with it. Once upon a time I thought that a gourmet stove was the only way to go (MSR Dragonfly for example), but the more camping and backpacking we do the more we come to rely of freeze dried food. This simplifies the process as you need boiled water. Well, the Reactor boils water real damn fast. I am not one to time things, but it boiled enough water to make a two person meal and have left over water for tea in the time it took me to get out my bowls, sporks, get the food packet open and clear a place to sit down and eat. It packs down really well and reduces the need for multiple bags of gear (stove, pump, fuel, support base). It's lightweight and very easy to use. In short I love it!

Fast and Simple
May 25, 2011

Easy to use, impressive power and boil time. Great for when you need hot water fast. I have used this at altitude and in very cold weather with no issues. Others (including jet boil lovers) will be jealous. I wish it had an auto-ignitor however. The pot is big enough for it's intended purpose while the whole unit remains at a manageable weight and size.

Fast and Efficient
January 11, 2011

fast boiling stove with high efficiency pot = 3 min boil. It is very fuel efficient and is worth every penny. I have never used a stove that boils water so fast and efficiently as this MSR Reactor.

Great but limited!
December 09, 2007

This stove outperforms any other MSR model, and even the Jetboil system, in terms of boiling times. Although I have not tried it over 2000 feet. The fall back is the limited choice, actually no choice, in cookware, you get the 1.5L pot and that's it! In order to compete with the Jetboil system MSR needs to bring out more pots and pans to the market for the ingenious stove!

One of the best backpack stoves !
March 11, 2012

It is the best backpack/mountain stove that I have ever owned. It is lighting fast with boiling water and I love the simplicity of intergrated stove and pot system. I do not need to carry both separately in my ever limted backpack space. Highly recommended for avid ourdoor crazy like myself.

Great stove
December 19, 2009

Just bought my MSR Reactor stove today and immediately tried it out in 30 degree weather with snow, sleet, and a slight breeze. Started up great and worked awesome! I like how you can fit the larger MSR fuel in the pot so you won't have to call two smalls one. Does seem a little heavy, but hey, if I wanted an ultra light stove I would have bought something else.

Did you recently buy the MSR Reactor Stove System Backpacking Stove? Write a review.

August 29, 2011

Almost perfect. cons. heavy. This is like the only cons I found. Hope there will be a Ti version. It can only boil. Since it is designed for high altitude. I can not blame it to much. pros. boil water really really fast. Save gas. Great design such as the handle, the storage system.

good
January 20, 2010

I bought this as a second stove for shorter/lighter trips and mountaineering.I have used Dragonfly.I find the Reactor to be a bit more efficient, but it's also more basic.The biggest drawback to the Reactor is that it is a one pot stove and practically a one stove pot. The pot will fit on a Dragonfly, but my pot I use with the Dragonfly won't fit on the Reactor.

Leave All The Other Ones At Home!!
September 14, 2009

I have tried a few different backpacking stoves - including another MSR model - and I can truly say that the Reactor is the real deal. It is very light, holds a sufficient amount of water for most cooking tasks, and boils water very quickly. Admittedly, it is a bit larger than some other models on the market, but, on balance, the extra size (which isn't all that much) is well worth the added performance.

Fast, Fast, Fast!!
March 22, 2011

Used last weekend in -16 degree wind chill conditions at 9800 feet. No problem igniting and the design is safe enough that we had our young Scouts do it. Does not have a self igniter, but given that the piezo igniter on one of other stoves did not work in the cold, I am happy to provide my own spark. Easily twice as fast as other stoves in boiling water. I was pleasantly surprised (and thankful), this was as good as advertised. 8 oz fuel canister does fit in pot.

very fast
June 30, 2011

Works great and is easy to set up. In my opinion, works better for boiling water than for actual cooking as it's a little hard to dial it in for simmering. I appreciate the ability to use a canister in cooler/higher altitude situations where I would normally switch over to a white gas stove. As the cannister serves as the base, the setup is a bit less stable than some other stoves. It would also be nice if the stove could be secured to the burner like you can with the Jetboil.

Excellent stove
May 27, 2008

Pro's: I used my reactor at about an 8,500 foot elevation this weekend and it was a great performer. it boiled a half liter of water nearly faster than i could get my dehydrated food out of my pack and open. Con's: It would be nice if they would put out a lightweight frying pan to give it a little versatility. Overall: lack of accessories would not detour me from purchasing one. It is awesome for what I bought it for. Being compact, light, gas efficient and ready to battle some wind.

Already own the MSR Reactor Stove System Backpacking Stove? Tell us your thoughts.