MSR DragonFly – my backpacking oven

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.

Selle An-Atomica

This is a sore subject and that is no joke. If you’re at all like me you’ve spent lots of time, money and tears trying to find a saddle worth it’s leather. My laundry room looks like a saddle grave yard. Each new (expensive) purchase I was hoping against hope that the new saddle was all I had read it was. Here is a sampling of just some of the ones that have gone before…

• Terry
• Brooks
• Specialized
• Vetta

These are some great saddles and I know there are lots of individuals that found their comfort zone with one of them. I personally gave each one my best try. Some things I noticed were:

• Gel saddles:
  These caused rubbing for me, the thicker the gel saddle the less comfortable I ended up being. Gel saddles were the only saddles that I got “saddle sores” on. My problem with gel saddles was friction that built from wiggle room I am guessing caused by the flex in the gel.
• Hard leather covered plastic saddles:
  These were the most bearable of the unbearable bunch for me. (If that makes any sense) I could ride all day long on one. (As long as it had a front cut out) I would be hurting after the first 50 miles but still riding. The problem with these saddles was bruising for me. I could not ride consecutive days on this type of saddle. My sit bones would be so bruised the next day would be completely miserable. The third day was unbearable. I never got saddle sores with this type of saddle just deep bruising. I like bike camping and would often ride out on a Friday and ride back in on Sunday. I found myself calling my DH to come pick me up on the third day while using this type of saddle with one sore posterior.
• The Brooks Saddle:
  Let me say right here of all the saddles I tried I had the most hope for the Brooks. I love its classic look and really wanted it to be a “good fit”. I found in short order with the Brooks that I could not do without a center cut out. It wasn’t an issue of breaking it in… it was a crushing thing.

I am starting to believe it must be just cm’s or even mm’s of difference in body anatomy that allows a given saddle to work for one person and not another.

I have learned that a front cutout is something I can’t live without in a saddle. Another need I have is a saddle that can conform to my anatomy.

By the time I had tried and failed with the Brooks saddle I was starting to seriously wonder if a recumbent was my only option. I had been scouring the Internet for saddle information during this time and I finally ran across the Selle An-atomica site. They have more information about their saddles then you can probably go through, but after some reading I decided to give it a try.

I had planned to head out on a little four day bike camping ride the next weekend and I was worried about my comfort level. I know it’s not a sound idea but thought I might as well try the new saddle on the ride instead of going through the progressive deep bruising of my nether regions. They said on the Rivendell site that there is no “break in period” with the Selle An-atomica saddle and I knew I’d be hurting with the old one anyway. What did I have to lose?

I ordered my Selle from Rivendell instead of Selle direct because they would express the saddle to me and I’d have it for the trip. (I had asked Tom at Selle An-atomica to do this for me but he had JUST finished PBP on the saddle the week before… he said he was swamped with orders while he was out (and I imaging a little exhausted) and couldn’t do it. I believe any other time he would have tried to accommodate me.)

I say all this because ordering it from Rivendell instead of Selle direct caused me to end up with the Clydesdale version of the saddle. The leather on this saddle is not as thick as on a Brooks. One of the ways they compensate for this is laminating the under side of the saddle. There are two thickness of lamination. Regular and Clydesdale. Rivendell only caries the Clydesdale version.

I am glad I got it. The Selle An-atomica saddle is a very hummocky saddle. I believe the clydesdale version will last longer then the other. I have never ridden the other but I can attest to the fact that this is a comfortable saddle right out of the box. I am able to ride this saddle for days in comfort.

I am not saying I never get sore… I still find myself scooting around on the saddle after the first 50 miles or so. I still need to change my position… The big difference is no more deep bruising. The saddle has the right amount of give as well as support for me. The cutout takes a lot of issues out of the way for me as well.

Believe it or not I no longer bother putting on padded shorts for rides under 25 – 30 miles or so. more »