The Return of the Svea

“Maybe a few of you noticed that the latest Campmor catalog was devoid of Sveas. I emailed them and got a prompt reply. They're having problems with customs, as the 123s have been "reclassified", whatever that means. As soon as the red tape is dealt with and the supply is assured, they'll be back in the catalog. Not that any of us who have one will ever need another. Mine's over 30 years old and still going strong, as maintenance-free as ever. Leave it to the bureaucrats to screw things up!”

“Mine's gone. A victim of too many moves. Man, I loved that stove. Talk about reliable and easy to use. Sniff... now ya got me all nostalgic.”

“Mine to is 30 years old, and I'm certain at this rate my grand children can use it.”

“My 8R Hunter is 20 years old and has been used a lot for day hikes. It works as good as the day I bought it.”

“Same here. I inherited mine from my dad. The only thing I've had to replace was the fuel cap and that was the aftermarket one for the pump. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.”

“How much does a Svea weigh?”

“A little heavy. I think around a pound empty. But it's solid brass.”

“I think I'll stick with my 3 oz. Pocket Rocket. Fuel for a few days brings it up to around 12 or 13 oz.”

“The greatest stove ever built, bar none.

Mine is around 30 years old, but I can't really remember when I bought it. It's been misused and abused and keeps on ticking. It even fell out of a helicopter once and I fired it right up.

New-fangled is not always better than old fashioned”

“Tried and True! I'm afraid I traded mine in on the new fangled MSR Model G stove 20 years ago ...A friend of mine still has his Svea that was purchased around the same time...still runs like a top. BTW ...my old model G still works great also.”

“I could not help but notice the large number of praises for the Svea stove. I purchased my Svea at the Climbing Shop in Yosemite Valley in October 1963, just prior to my going on active duty with the US Army. My Svea traveled with me around the globe - in peace and combat, in jungles and deserts during my 30 years of active duty. It still lives and works flawlessly. How many products can we make that claim about. ???? (PS: my Sigg tourister also survives the same period.)”

“we have two of them. both are in excellent but somewhat used condition and work flawlessly (as they always have). i still have the aluminum cup and removable handle for both. they are a great stove.”

“And exactly where have than been?
anything over 4 days with more than two people that's the one.”

“This is my long distance stove. Always fires up. There may be lighter but there are no better.”

“Pepsi can uber alles!”

“Pop-Can Nazi!

LOL”

“No pop for you!”

“o crap. i've done it now!”

“I have a 30 plus year old optimus 80, essentially the same stove. I love it. Never gets summer use but for cool and cold weather it wins hands down.”

“My Optimus 99 will be 30 years old next summer and it's still good as new. I don't use it much now but once in a while I'll break it out and boil some hot tea water. Love the sound of it.”

“crap. i'm only 30yrs old.

what's so special? winter use has my attention.
can u still get them?”

“Used...check ebay”

“not that i doubt yall.
but what was the big design bonus?
no preheat?
keep in mind i lug a coleman 442 featherlite muti-fuel.”

“Check out Optimus web . They are still being offered. Excellent stove, small and portable. There is a preheat dip in the top of the tank but never found it a problem.”

“Trik, there's no pressurized tube to get cloged and spray all over, it's toally field servicable and fairly compact. It takes awhile longer to boil water than say, the pocket rocket, but it goes easy on the fuel and works well in cold weather. To put it short: there aren't any whistles and bells to malfunction or break and it works well. It's the mule of the stove world.”

“Yes. Sass has it nailed down. Simplicity is its forte. You can purchase an aftermarket pump for it, thus eliminating the need to fill the priming cup. Simmers like a champ. Constructed of solid brass.

Downsides: Heavy (about 1 lb with a full tank); small fuel tank (has to be refilled after a couple of uses); potentially unstable.”

“My Optimus 99 is only 28 years old.
It got hard use up to 3 years ago until I switched to esbit and alcohol homemade stoves.
It's still works great.”

“I don't think I ever will want to but anither stove. I'm totally satisfied w/ esbit for lightweight trips and the optimus for long trips and cold weather. Gosh, I wonder if we should be looking for another optimus in case ours breaks in twenty years? =)”

“I don't think so Sass. Mine's about 40 years old (ten years older than me, a hand-me-down from pops) and the only thing I've had to replace on it is the pressure cap for the pump set-up after I allowed it to get too hot using a windscreen and it blew.

I dig the new cannister stoves and the Sigg and some other stoves, but I can't see really see how those stoves are all that much of an improvement overall. Tho I think the Trangia is the Svea's alcohol compliment.

I'm thinking you buy a Svea/Optimus for life!”

“Well, I'm taking the plunge. I've wanted a 123 from the very first time I read The Complete Backpacker. I was planning on getting a Jetboil but I'm done with dealing with cannister stoves in the cold. I found one for $56.99. Can't wait!

http://www.greatoutdoorsdepot.com/svea-climber-123r.html”

“neener neener neener...

I got one a couple of years ago for about $15 on eBay.

A little brass polish and the thing looked and worked like new.

Those stoves will last forever!”

“I bought my first SVEA in '72 for $12.99.

Do any of you guys know about cleaning the "jet" on these things.

I have two that have died due to use of auto unleaded gas.

They get "shellaced" inside and slowly choke down to barely a whisper.

When healthy they sound like a jet.”

“WooHoo!!! I'll jump in here to sing the praises of the SVEA. I was given mine back in 1973 by my dear brother. That thing still burns on baby. Some one once told me that the "noise" bothered them. HA! What a whiner. It's always been reassuring to me on a cold morning. Is the coffee ready yet?

Good choice Nigal.”

“I've got an 8R (burner is almost identical to the Svea) that has to be pushing 40 years old. One of my uncles found it on a trail abandoned back in the ‘70s and gave it to my dad. He used it up until the early ‘90s when it started to fail. He replaced it with a Coleman duel fuel, and gave the 8R to me. I ended up buying a rebuild kit for it (new gaskets and filters). Since then the thing has worked flawlessly. I think it will go another 40 years.”

“I've never used anything but coleman fuel in my gas stoves.
It's a lot better fuel to use in these stoves.
Never had any problems.

Tom - REI used to sell a cleaning needle for these stoves. Mine have the build in needle. You can take the whole thing apart and clean.”

“Tom, try to see about getting a rebuild kit. That sounds like the same problem I was having with my 8R.”

“Tom - We must be close in age. I bought my Optimus 99 back in '75.


Try this site for old stove info, Classic Camp Stoves.”

“I already have an Optimus 99R that has a simular burner but the box it is in makes it a bit heavy for hiking except for sledding and canoeing.”

“I caused the death of two SVEA's with auto gas.

I was road-trippin' twice in the '70s.......*some for the motorcycle, some for the SVEA*!

The first one failed on me in the White Mountains in December '78.
Lucky for us one of the guys had another live SVEA!”

“I bought mine with student loan money in 1973, for the next 10 years I used the stove more than my degree.”

“Those stoves are brazen little bastards. >:^]”

“This is the model I have, the Optimus 99.

Nigal - I bought this model because with the built in aluminum pot/case it was lighter than the svea 123 with an added pot. The 'pot' included with the svea was too small.”

“Stovestomper, Thats the same stove my father has had since the early 70s and its still going strong! We used to cook lunch out on the ice on the Lakes in PA,ILL,Mich etc. He keeps saying hes gonna give it to me one day but he still wont give it up! LOL
Streamweaver”

“Hey, for only $13 more you can buy the same stove from Matt.”

“It's a fine stove. I ain't giving mine away either! Mine doesn't look as nice as the eBay one. I used the he11 out of it backpacking thru the 70s till a couple of years ago. Only put it aside due to 'pepsi' stoves weight.

It's never given me a minute of trouble.”

“I have a optimus 80 and an optimus 123r (same as the svea different name). I love that thing. I have stoves that boil faster but none that are more reliable.”

“"Hey, for only $13 more you can buy the same stove from Matt."

$13 is $13. I go for the prices whereever they are. Do you know how many Fig Nuttons $13 will buy?”

“Stovestomper- That's the same one I have. I love the thing. This past weekend it just roared along even at 17 degrees out. The main reasons I'm getting the Svea is because it has a built in wind screen, It will fit inside my GSI double boiler, and it's a Svea 123. LOL! I never use the pot/lid with the 99 anyhow. I'll always keep it though because it's been in the family sense the early 70s and I got it from my father.”