MSRP: $150
I was pretty psyched when the new MSR XGK EX recently showed up at my door for testing. Being well acquainted with its predecessor from a number of trips before, I was immediately impressed with its new looks and features.
The first things I noticed were the flexible fuel line, which is definitely the biggest improvement, followed by the slick, ultra stable retractable legs and pot supports, which compact neatly to fit in a 1.5 Liter pot. When I took the stove on a couple of mini ski and climbing missions around the Canadian Rockies this spring, it was no surprise it out preformed any other stove I’ve ever used when it came to melting and boiling water. As a result, I had more time to rest and recover for the big day ahead.
When guiding or expeditions require lots of melting, the XGK seems to be the top choice worldwide. It is definitely my choice for a stove to take on a climbing trip to Pakistan’s Karakorum range this month, as it burns more liquid fuels than any other stove on the market.
Having not tried it yet with anything other than white gas, I will update its multi-fuel performance in August.