MSR DragonFly Stove

20 Years, Zero Problems

I got this stove as a gift back in 1998. I've never needed anything else. During most of that span I have been a frequent camper, including multiple months-long bouts of living out of a backpack full-time while traveling. The MSR Dragonfly went everywhere with me, burned every kind of fuel, and performed reliably in every condition, from high altitude melting snow in -20 C to humid tropics to extreme desert heat below sea level. The power output on full puts higher end stoves to shame (powerf...ul enough to melt lead!), and the fully adjustable flame means I can easily turn it down to cook rice or reheat leftovers. Having seen a lot of other people's gear over the years, mine was the one that worked best every time, in every condition, and I have never had a reason to switch. The wind screens seem a bit fiddly but work great, and I just broke the first one last year- after 19 years of folding and unfolding! I have only ever had or needed one fuel bottle, which I store with the pump screwed on. Typically I burn gasoline, but have at various times used whatever I could find: white gas, diesel, charcoal lighter fluid, paint thinner(?), kerosine. It has never leaked, clogged, or caused problems with fuel. The setup is fast and easy- I have literally set this stove up and cooked meals in 20 minutes in a back alley before moving on. Extremely lightweight, carries plenty of fuel, and rarely takes more than one match to light even in lousy conditions. Quite simply, this stove beats every other design I have ever seen. I was very lucky to get it all those many adventures ago!

From Norway 1998, Iraq 2009-2010 and Poland 2018

I received my DragonFly stove as a Christmas present in 1997. I took it to Norway in March 1998. I was serving in the US Marines. The stove worked perfectly in the Arctic. I mainly used it to boil snow into water to re-hydrate the freeze-dried "Rations, Cold Weather".the next ten years I used it every time I went camping. The only issue I had was the older style pump cracked. I called MSR customer service and they sent me the new replacement pump for free. I left the Marine Corps in 2001. I e...nlisted in the US Army Reserve in 2005. In 2009 I was sent over to Iraq. White gas was nowhere to be found. There was plenty of jet fuel though. I switched from the white/gasoline jet to the DK. The flames that came from it burning JP8 where a brilliant green to purple. We had a grill for steaks but I used my Dragonfly for everything else. My comrades loved it. After returning home it was packed away until my unit went to train in Poland in 2018. My Lieutenant was amazed when he saw me outside the tent using it to warm water to shave.almost 22 years of service it does what I need it for and more.