Prices - If we had only known

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Tonight, I was looking at Partner stoves on line, and saw a related items area that offered an Optimus Hiker stove for a mere $220 USD. A closer inspection showed it to be nearly identical to my Optimus 8R that my dad bought nearly 60 years ago. I doubt he paid much more than $10 for it. The new version did have a pressurized tank, so you don't have to prime it by warming it with your hand to get fuel into the priming cup, but that's about the only difference. Quite an increase, I should have invested in a bunch of them.

These guys and the old Svea 123 sound like jets at full military power roaring into the sky. Ah, the memories.

 

[Vic Harder]

i still have my 8R

 

[Mark G]

I remember the Svea. State of the art back then.

 

[Foy]

I still have my Svea. Somewhere. Purchased in 1976 prior to a backpacking trip into the Wind River Range.

Foy

 

[hebegebe]

Still have my seva from the 70's I had visited a tiny outfitters back then and bought a tiny aluminum pressure pump which made things easier to get started. I felt bad needing earplugs in the back country while making a meal. Humans are funny creatures


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[cwdtmmrs]

I have a couple of SVEA 123 stoves, a Hiker and a Hunter with the aluminum accessary pump. The 123 is still my favorite and the one I use the most. I have several modern petrol stoves as well, but they just aren't the same and I never had much luck with the canister stoves at high altitude. Some things are timeless.

cwd

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yep-we are! I think i have a collection of old svers, optimus and other old back packer stoves up stairs some where-probably in my old kelty pack-still have that too-never throw anything away! What was the stove that burned just about everything-sort of a break through technology back then. Can't remember. I bet if I took them out and tried to fire them up they would still work-made things to last back then. I have my last cooking kit (with that stupid silver metal coffee cup) and back packer stove in the camper as sort of an emergency kit-or never know, I may just get that energy to take that 20 mile run again (I wish)! Lot of good memories from those back packing days.

Smoke

 

[cwdtmmrs]

Smoke, the MSR Whisperlite International came with different orifices and would burn just about anything.

cwd

 

[Ronin]

I sold my 8R at a yardsale for $10 - always regretted it. It was just so cool looking. Still have a Whisperlight that was replaced by Optimus Crux which has been my trusty backpacking stove for the last 15 years.

 

[ski3pin]

Ah, another trip down memory lane for us geezers. Thanks Mr. Sage!

 

[Smokecreek1]

Ya got that right Ski-almost makes ya feel old ! Boy, Steve/cwd, just went on REI to check the prices for that MSR, gee $90, plus for the whisperlite-the rest even more. Yep that was the stove that worked all the time, I wonder if that stove is still up stairs in all my old back packing gear-better go look, I might just want to take a walk in one of the more flatter new NM's. I know my very very old BP tent and cooking gear are in the camper, hmmmm, better slow down here, need to think about this for a while .

Smoke