Toughest Gear: MSR XGK-EX Stove
A masterpiece of no-compromise indestructibility.
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Rocky Mountain editor Steve Howe has cooked a year’s worth of meals on this burner, and that’s just counting camps he’s slept in above 14,000 feet. Gear editor Kristin Hostetter says, “If you told me I could only have one stove, I’d pick this one.” Here’s why: It burns diesel, kerosene, leaded, and unleaded, and while the flame isn’t always pretty, we never fail to get best-in-class boil times.
When the XGK-EX clogs, we disassemble it, clean it or replace a part, and fire it right back up. Those strengths could be a lifesaver. “In deep cold, when snow is your water supply,” Mike notes, “a reliable stove is survival.” $150; 13.2 oz; msrgear.com