The MSR DragonFly is a heavy little bugger. Just the stove •solamente• no fuel bottle or fuel, weighs 14oz.
But here’s the deal, it simmers, and just for you non-believers here is a picture of just how low it can go. Click image for biggness.
What it is:
Loud [I'm not kidding now]
Stable [rock solid pot support]
Multi-Fuel [I've only used white gas]
Easy to Operate [don't be scared 'cause you need to prime it - it's nothing]
Fuel saver [it's a sipper not a heavy drinker]
Dial it way down ['cause it simmers at any level]
Robust [I'm not afraid of breaking it]
I also use it as an oven. I bought another windshield and a Scorch Buster, did a little creative folding, and turned the stove into an oven.
The extra windscreen and scorch buster weigh 5.3oz total. It’s NOT ultra light - but I am committed to doing my own cooking on this trip. Baking and roasting will add so much variety.
The thing about the Dragonfly is it really is fuel efficient. I can simmer soups, roast veggies and bake and not use much more fuel then I do basic boiling with my Trangia. I light the stove for my first cup of coffee in the morning and I don’t turn it off - I turn it to a candle flame - and it’s ready [primed and "on"] through the morning for coffee, baking, and cooking. The fuel loss leaving it at a candle flicker is negligible.
The stove is ideal for using as an oven because of the precise flame control. The oven walls are not heavy duty - but I’m not hard on my things, and replacing a windscreen is a $14 fix. This is just my solution to being able to eat well on a long tour.
I’m getting quite good with it now. I’ll continue to update as I change/improve it.
I’ve wanted to cross the US by bicycle since I got my first “real bike” a Schwinn hybrid. That was over twenty five years ago. The time has come and the route is the Northern Tier, then down the Pacific Coast to finish in San Diego my old home.
I’ll be leaving in May of 2011. I’ve decided to waff-on here about gear and preparation for the trip.
I finished up the Xtracycle build a few months ago, sorry about the delay in this final build post.
I swapped out my canti breaks for V-breaks. I really prefer the V-breaks - the canti’s were hard to adjust and were starting to become a real pain, but the “V’s” are a pleasure and have great stopping power. I’ve listed my setup for the Xtra below.
That’s my set-up and I’m stickin’ to it. As soon as the Xtra was complete it was pressed into daily use. I loved using it for my commute because the bags are so cavernous. Laptop, books/files, clothes, lunch and any other incidentals just get dumped in and I’m out the door. This was one of the main reasons I wanted the Xtra. I was tired of trying to find the space for the things I needed to take on the bike. I was equally tired of the time it took to carefully organise everything in the bags so it would all fit. I really love the “dump factor” that came with the Xtra. It’s never full. There is always room to stop by the grocery store (or anywhere else) on my way home instead of heading to the house to drop off my commute stuff first.
We did all the usual Xtra stuff right off the bat; bargain “curb side” shopping, brought home the Christmas Tree, loaded it down with $200 + in groceries, etc… whatever came up we had the Xtra. My daughter started taking the Xtra to the library [never enough books] and we were jumping on it for just about any reason.
I have to admit that as Spring crept in I started riding my other bikes more. Long country rambles, brevets, and quick lite-load commutes saw me reaching for the lighter bikes. Now the Xtra has become just what it was intended to be. My cargo bike - “the truck” fun to ride and endlessly useful. It’s the easy choice when I’m headed out the door with an armful of stuff.
I want to ride faster - I go through this EVERY year around this time. This urge to ride faster - to ride with the faster riders - I want to ride faster!
Problem is I’m slow. I have a heavy touring bike. And I’m over weight. The truth doesn’t look very glamorous in black and white does it?
Each spring I loose a little more weight, add more miles and ride harder. Sometime around April or May [when I'm still averaging 13 - 14 mph] I give up on “going faster” and resign myself to just getting out there and riding. This is fine - and comes to me through several juicy rationalizations about what’s really important - why am I out there anyway - and “no really - I like to ride alone”.
The trouble is seeing things like this video, and riding brevets, and dreaming about the feeling of freedom I believe is attached to being able to “keep up”. Anyway - that’s how I feel about it.
But here’s the deal, it simmers, and just for you non-believers here is a picture of just how low it can go. Click image for biggness.
