It’s Broken

Apparently some males moving into late middle age or their early elderly years subconsciously realise their ‘Bucket List’ is getting longer whilst concurrently the available time is decreasing.  They then decide to replicate physical activities completed in their youth.   I think I might have joined this group!

For several months I’ve had the urge to throw a pack on my back and go exploring.  Probably more accurate to describe it as an urge to complete a trek.

I’ve dragged out my old backpack and dusted it off.

 

It’s only the second pack I’ve purchased.  The first was a small canvas pack purchased when I was 10 and used when I went deer stalking with my father.  That’s another tale.

I purchasing the above pack in 2000 and the selection was driven by the much earlier comments from my army instructors.  The exterior of the pack has to be ‘clean’.  We were not to look like travelling tinkers with various pieces of equipment attached (ie, dangling) externally.  It was explained these item caught on vegetation and could also be noisy.  Consequentially there are few points on the backpack where items can be attached.  It also follows the army practice of having an upper and lower compartment with a smaller day pack zipped to the back.  Sleeping gear in the lower compartment and everything else in the upper.  The day pack allowed for day trips allowing the main pack to be left behind.

The pack has one additional characteristic.  There is a zipped cover that encloses the shoulder and waist straps effectively turning the pack into a soft covered suitcase.  This makes it harder for airline baggage handlers to destroy your backpack.

Twenty years on and the current backpacks are lighter, with more attachment points.  But at my age I’m not spending money on a replacement.

As I checked through my outdoor gear I realised some had disappeared.   Fortunately not much.   I found my stove, which hasn’t been used for 22 years.   Best to check it works as I don’t want to eat cold food.  At the time it was “state of the art” and; surprisingly; parts are still available.  A testament to it’s design and build quality.

It’s a MSR Dragonfly liquid fuel stove made in Canada. I prefer liquid fuel over gas.  Primarily for two reasons.  Liquid lasts longer than gas and I can easily check the level of fuel left in the bottle.

After assembling the stove I started it and it worked for a minute before dying.  No matter what I did the stove refused to remain alight for more than a minute.  For the first time since I purchased it the stove was disassembled and thoroughly cleaned.  It still wouldn’t remain alight.

After several days of trying a bulb went on in my head.  The fuel in the bottle was years old and may even be the wrong type!  The Canadian instructions state it should be run on White Spirits.  However I’ve discovered White spirits in Canada is different to White Spirits in Australia.  Here the name of the fuel is ‘Shellite’.  It took me two days to find a retailer with Shellite in stock. 

After purging the fuel lines of old fuel the stove leapt into life. 

Yes, that’s a rather large pot for one person.  The pot size isn’t dictated by the size of my meal.  Rather, I though I would be clever and use it as a protective travelling container for the stove making it dual purpose.

A good idea; except the dregs of the fuel in the stove and pump are contaminating the pot.  I may have to rethink my brilliant idea. 

However the good news is the ‘broken’ stove actually works.