MSR Dragonfly Compact Liquid Fuel Camping and Backpacking Stove

Every product on Amazon has a few people who give it a low star review because they either don't know how to use it, didn't follow directions, or tried to use it for a purpose that it was not intended for. Yes you will even find people giving a book of matches a 1 star review because they couldn't figure out how to start a fire with them. This MSR stove does exactly everything it sells itself as being able to do for the casual backpacker, or alpine mountaineer. That includes melting snow/ice, boiling water, and cooking up a full meal. The complaints about noise are way over-stated in my opinion. Its not any louder than any other backpack stove that I own when on "FULL" blast. This thing is variable and you can turn it down to the point where it makes really almost zero noise whatsoever. Keep in mind that this stove is designed for those who may actually use it above 10,000feet in subzero temps in a 40+mph wind. So when you are going to depend on a stove to keep you hydrated, feed and alive you want it to ingest as much air as possible and stay lit. So a little bit of noise is a consequence of that. I've had my stove running in 15deg below weather where snow was coming down sideways hard enough to sting when it hit your hand, but it still worked like a champ and allowed me to boil 6 cups of water for my teams meals. When you are in those conditions the sound of this stove is the sweetest sound imaginable! Try that with any Coleman stove, LOL. The simmer ability was the selling point for me as I can finally make eggs, pancakes, etc at base-camp on a backpack stove without over cooking them. You can go from hot enough to melt your cookware to light enough to melt butter without burning it. Another plus is that I can use larger cookware like a GSI 5 quart pot and it is fully stable and supported. The flame has a nice wide spread so that it works very well on larger camp skillets without a single hotspot right in the middle like others including my MRS pocket stoves and my JetBoil. If I only had one complaint it would be the foil windscreen that it comes with. I pretty much toss those and use the aftermarket folding windscreens. The included ones are functional ,just not as good as the folding ones in my opinion. All in all a great stove for backpacking, or even family car camping with a full GSI pot and pan kit. Ignore all the guys trying to compare this with their 60 year old Coleman stove, or couldn't figure out how to follow the directions or, trying to use it to replace a full size family camp stove, or gripe about the plastic pump handle. Come on guys its a mountaineering stove, ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain. If you are the target audience for who a stove like this is designed for then you will love it. There are plenty of good backpacking stoves out there from many companies and this is just another example of one.

I just bought the MSR Dragonfly here on Amazon to replace an Optimus 8R from the mid 70's. I loved that Optimus and it never failed me over the years. But when we were recently confronted with hurricane Irene, I could not find the darned thing. I can't believe I tossed it out but I have no idea where it went. C'est la vie. So, I was pretty amazed when I took a look around at the current technology in backpacking stoves. It truly hasn't changed much since the 70's. Coleman is still around with basically the same big heavy family camping stoves. There are a slew of lightweight burners that screw onto proprietary pressurized gas (propane/etc.) containers. And surprise, the Svea and Optimus lines of liquid fuels stoves are still around along with a bunch of "new" names like Primus, Brunton, and MSR. All of these liquid burners are using principles of design that are more or less identical to my old Optimus 8R or the even older Svea 123. There's a pressurized fuel tank. But most new designs have a built in pump that fits into the fuel bottle. That's a neat space/weight saving innovation. And the pump will get you up and running faster than using heat from the stove to pressurize the fuel tank. The burners are more or less identical to the little brass bell shape of the older stoves with an identical "roarer plate" to spread the flame and a brass "jet" that regulates the fuel flow. Aside from that, it appears that the only changes over four decades have been some clever packaging of the burner and pot supports to get weight down to a minimum. I guess it's proven hard to improve on those old designs that were relatively cheap, very reliable in the field, and seemingly indestructible over time. I chose the Dragonfly for a few reasons..... 1.) Multi-fuel capability...white gas, unleaded gas, kerosene, diesel, and jet fuel. There should never be a problem finding fuel whether you're backpacking or dealing with a power outage. And all of these fuels are very cheap compared to the proprietary propane/butane solutions. 2.) Adjustable output...my Optimus 8R had a decent range of adjustment and I really appreciate that flexibility for saving fuel and cooking meals. 3.) Stability...Large, stable pot supports give peace of mind that my dinner won't end up being seasoned with dirt and leaves. 4.) All temperature and all altitude capability that the gas canister stoves can't match. 5.) MSR reputation for quality...MSR has established quite a name for itself with the Whisperlite, XGK, and the Dragonfly. That means I can find repair parts readily and I can see long term reliability data. In short, this is a piece of equipment I can depend on in the wilderness or in an emergency. Some things weren't as important to me..... 1.) Weight...at 14 oz, this isn't the lightest stove on the market but the difference of maybe a few oz is inconsequential to me relative to all the stuff I do care about. 2.) Noise...I don't understand all the whining about the noise of this stove. It's about the same as my old Optimus 8R which isn't much of a surprise given that it uses the same principles of operation and design. Maybe I'm just conditioned to the noise after all these years but it doesn't seem that loud to me. Granted, this (and any other liquid fuel stove) will never be as quiet as a propane/butane stove. But to say you can't hold a conversation? Must be some severely hearing impaired hikers out there. Even with the burner totally exposed I can talk/hear over it easily. Put the windscreen around it and put a pot on it and I don't even find it intrusive if I'm standing up or seated 5-10 feet away. 3.) Cost...Since these sorts of liquid fuel stoves last more or less a lifetime (if you don't lose the darned thing), a $30-$50 difference in price is not even a consideration. One other thing that's changed over time is the wind proofing of these stoves. Back in the day, the Svea and the Optimus both had fixed windscreens built around the burners. Especially in the case of the Optimus the metal packaging added considerable weight and the lid of the metal storage box that served as the wind screen alternately either got in the way of a pot or wasn't very effective at blocking wind. I first thought that the Dragonfly wind screen (and most others) were a cheap way out for the manufacturers. But after using it, I must admit it's a better design, less bulky, lighter, and more effective at blocking wind from all directions. It will no doubt wear out in time but MSR sells a replacement at a pretty affordable price. Anyway, these liquid fuel stoves are the pinnacle of design for me and the Dragonfly is a good one. I test fired the Dragonfly and it was dead simple to start. Hook up the fuel. 20 pumps to pressurize. Bleed some fuel in the burner cup. Close the fuel valve. Light. Wait a couple of minutes until the fuel in the cup is almost exhausted. Open the fuel valve and, flame on, you're cooking. About 2 minutes total elapsed time. The propane/butane stoves are even faster and easier but I wouldn't trade my Dragonfly stove for one even if it were offered free of charge.

In Short, a good camping stove for those who like to have options. I am a novice camper, so all you pros out there: give me some slack. This was my first camping stove purchase, and I spent quite a bit of time researching my options. I, like many of you, did not want to rely on just bottle propane, and although Alcohol Stoves are very attractive in the weight department, I ultimately wanted a great middle-of-the-road option. I narrowed my search down to this model (the Dragonfly), the Whisper Light and a model from another manufacturer. I eventually went with the Dragonfly for one reason: the simmer control. I am what other campers call a "Gourmet Backpacker" - I don't like to sustain off a bunch of "Just Add Water" meals - I like to have a cup of coffee while making toast for breakfast. The Dragonfly does all that is advertised. The stove produces a great deal of heat very quickly - I can boil 4 cups of very cold water for morning coffee in under four minutes if the pot is covered. I have also grilled bread, cooked pancakes and fried burgers - all things requiring different mounts of heat - with no complications. That said, I will now offer my critique: - The pot supports, although seemingly more sturdy than those on the WhisperLight or most canister-top stoves, are pretty weak. You have to be very careful to place you stove on a flat surface, and if you are not heating a pot of water, be sure to rotate your handle-heavy pan in such a way that the heavy part of the pan or pot is over one of the supports - I have tipped a light pan over more than once - not fun to see your half-cooked breakfast in the dirt. A fourth pot support would have easily remedied this problem for almost no weight. - The included wind screen is made from a piece of heavy-duty aluminum sheeting that you are supposed to fold-up like a towel between uses. I have a feeling that this thing will eventually tear or kink in way that will render it useless. I picked up a Coghlan's Windscreen for about 7 bucks - its too tall for the stove, but still does a good job in light wind. Like other reviewers mentioned, I would not try to operate this stove without the windscreen, since even a little breeze will dissipate the heat output. - It is noisy, as every other reviewer has mentioned, but I would not call it a nuisance to other campers. - Although my stove has performed admirably, the maintenance described in the user manual seems daunting. I disassembled the entire thing to see how difficult it would be. There are a lot of O-rings and tiny-tubes that seem like they could be a liability on an extended trail hike. Also, the stove comes set up for white gas or gasoline out-of-the-box; if you plan to use diesel or kerosene, you have to switch out some parts (included in the box). Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase (even though it sold for like $30 less about 10 days after I bought it - where's the price-match guarantee Amazon??). I don't think this stove is ideal for a family who camps out of their car, and unless you are a hiker who fancies choice simmered meals, probably not ideal for backpacking, but it is a best-of-both-worlds type stove that will likely see several years of use.

I have used MSR Dragonfly Stoves many time on many different expeditions. In rain, snow, and wind, these babies will get water boiling in no time. I normally use these stoves on multi-day backpacking trips using lightweight aluminum stoves. Even using a large 8 quart aluminum pot (10" diameter) cooking stews on these stoves were no problem at all. They felt quite stable, and I didn't feel bad just leaving the pots on the stove without a hand on them. When I decided to purchase my own set of MSR Dragonfly Stoves, my first usage for them was actually for heating up tamales at a fundraiser event that my club was putting on. We were originally using one of those older Coleman propane double burner stoves, but we ran through 2 of those small green canisters within 4 hours. With no fuel left, I ran and grabbed my two MSR Dragonfly Stoves, filled up my 20 oz fuel bottles with Coleman white gas, and set up the stove to heat up our huge steam pots that were 14" in diameter and was at least 14" tall full of cold tamales. I was worried that these lightweight backpacking stoves couldn't handle the weight of something this massive, and I did have to keep my eyes on it while it was on the stove. But surprisingly, they held up reasonably well under the weight and size of our massive pots. They were able to get the water inside boiling and steaming in less than minutes, and it kept it steaming the whole time. I actually had trouble keeping a low boil sometimes, but I was just surprised how well it worked under these extreme cases. Now, I wouldn't suggest you throwing a dutch oven on top of these lightweight beasts, but from super lightweight backpacking pots and pans, to huge steam pots, these stoves can handle anything. Like everyone says, these stoves get really loud when they are going full blast. But with quiet caps coming in at $80 a piece, I could easily buy a MSR WhisperLite with that kind of money. If you are looking for an incredible backpacking or camping stove that will survive until your future grandkids go camping, look no further!

My very first camping stove has just proven to be so versatile. I'm in my early 30s and live in a studio apartment in Southeast Asia. After testing this in our veranda before camping (to familiarize myself how it works), I realized I can use this as often as I want at home, not just for camping. We do not have a stove for cooking hot meals, so I always get food from stores or eat at stalls/restaurant/fast food. This cooks rice perfectly (after some practice), thanks to the simmer feature of this stove. Since I live in a metropolis, I was surprised kerosene wasn't available. So I was forced to use unleaded gasoline instead and it runs just fine. But be aware that the manual says it may shorten the life of the stove (don't know why, maybe due to clogging or eating up of o-ring seals). Coleman fuel/white gas is not readily available too. Some say using gasoline will darken your pots, but i would rather say that as long as you wash your pots properly after every use, it won't be an issue. The dark smoke only appears at startup/priming and shutdown, but you won't see them thereafter (don't worry, it's just a small puff of smoke). I haven't tried using diesel fuel yet. I can also say this product is well-thought of, well manufactured, and I can feel the quality built in. TIPS: (1) To prevent my fuel bottle from getting scratched over time, I taped an insulation foam around it. This provides further insulation and keeps it clean/scratch-free. (2) Place the burner/fuel pump inside a thick zip lock bag if you plan to pack it inside a rack sack/bag , or else, the smell of gasoline will penetrate every nook and cranny of your bag. Placing it inside your pans, even with a snug cover won't do the trick--trust me. (3) When using unleaded gasoline fuel, when priming, after you released about half tablespoon of fuel and closing the flame adjuster, IMMEDIATELY light the stove. Waiting 3-4 seconds longer will let the fuel evaporate, produce highly flammable gas, which will make a big, unexpected fire in front of you if you're not aware. So I suggest if you operate this for the first time, do it away from combustibles and in a safe area. The only drawback I can think of really is the noise. It's really REALLY loud. I now find myself using this as a go-to stove if I want to cook meals for myself. I save some bucks from eating outside. I am really satisfied with my purchase. UPDATE: 6 months of continued use in my apartment, I ventured to use DIESEL fuel. It's messy as it emits soot. It's also very hard to light. Takes several seconds to ignite with a lighter, unlike the instantaneous ignition of gasoline. After cooking, pans need careful cleaning because it's full of black residue. The upside of using diesel is that it's less noisier than gasoline as I observed. I also noticed that it boils water quickly with the smaller valve opened. It may lead to better economy, but I am not really sure. Bottomline, after fuel tank halfway, I am thinking going back to gasoline. The inconvenience of igniting and the soot is not worth it if you use it at least 2-3 times a week. White gas is not available in our area.

I've had a MSR Whisperlite since 1987 and it still works. But the old Whisperlites didn't adjust temperature well, and the early models, lacking the little shaker/cleaner in the jet, weren't the kind of stove you could send out with members of the family without serious instruction on troubleshooting and cleaning the orifice in the jet. But as lightweight, efficient, bulletproof stoves, they were unsurpassed. Nevertheless, after years of stubbornly sticking with the Whisperlite, I finally succumbed to the lure of a new MSR Dragonfly. And I'm glad I did for the following reasons: 1) Fast. Boils really quickly using white gas. 2) Efficient. Bottles of gas last and last. 3) Solid. Well-built. Sturdier as a platform than the Whisperlite by a long margin. 4) Multi-fuel. If it burns in a vehicle, you can use it--from unleaded gas to diesel fuel to jet fuel, and of course, white gas. 5) Adjustable flame. From simmer to raging heat. The one negative I would specify at this point is that the heat reflector, like with the Whisperlite, is basically little more than a sheet of folded, heavy-duty aluminum foil. Though others complain about this stove being noisy, in several weeks of use in the BWCA and camping by Lake Michigan, we found it not at all bothersome. Butane-fueled, enclosed camp stoves are great for boiling water. But if you want to cook and need access to fuel in places where fuel cartridges may not be available, this is the stove for you.

Fantastic stove for alpine hiking, winter hiking, or for extended trips. I have used the stove when the wind was howling (probably gusting to around 30 to 40mph) and the temps were around -6F. The Dragonfly fired right up and didn’t seem to be bothered too much by the wind. Usually in high wind conditions I will create a small wall out of snow or other materials, but in this case there really wasn't too much available. I used a couple of rocks to secure the windshield, but otherwise the stove was getting the full blast of the wind. The temperature control is easy to use and this really helps to heat up various foods at the correct temperature. I have only used the MSR SuperFuel so far and it really has worked well with the stove. The fuel burns clean and stays hot until you run out of fuel. I read up on various camp stoves and for a rugged stove with temperature control - the MSR Dragonfly is hard to beat. In fact, Outdoor Gear Lab chose this stove as their Top Pick and you can find their review online. With the easy to use simmer function you can cook a variety of foods and I highly recommend checking out the many gourmet dishes you can create while camping. Why cook boring food when you are burning so many calories? As with most white gas stoves, there are a couple of steps to follow to light the stove correctly. MSR posted a copy of the instructions on their website in PDF format, so I copied a file for my Smartphone and Kindle Fire HD. Never have to search for the instructions again. Overall, the MSR Dragonfly is a rugged stove and excels at cooking a variety of foods. Highly recommend and after a year of hard use I have yet to use any of the repair parts MSR was kind enough to include with the stove. I am looking forward to using this stove for a long time.

I can't verify that msr (cascade designs) actually has a warranty/repair department. I won't be buying any more of their products. I bought an msr dragonfly. It works fine with white gas, but I bought it for its multi-fuel capability. (If I want to run white gas, I already have a svea 123r and coleman peak 1 and 2 burner 413h.) The nozzle is cranked down so tight that I can't remove it to use the nozzle for kerosene. Forums suggest this is a common problem with their stoves. I tried wd-40, heating the stove body with a torch, and using a better-fitting gunsmith slot head screwdriver instead of their tool. Won't budge. 5 weeks ago I completed a warranty request online. I promptly got an auto-reply and case number from their zendesk software. When I heard nothing after 2 weeks, I replied to the email I had received with an "Anybody home?" and included my phone number in case their was an email problem (no, there was nothing in my junk mail). 2 weeks after that, I dug up a phone number (which wasn't on their warranty page). That call went to a voicemail telling me to fill out the web form. No way to talk to an actual person. I sent another email warning them that I'd be giving them a one star review on amazon if I didn't hear back from them in a week. That week was up 2 days ago, hence this review. btw, I just bought and received an optimus polaris optifuel. No need to switch nozzles. Switching to kerosene was as easy as changing the bottle. Worked great, plus pump is metal, seems sturdier.