User Review: MSR WhisperLite Internationale

MSR WhisperLite Internationale
Above: The current WhisperLite Internationale, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed March 6, 2007 by Anthony Ahearn

Rating:
Price Paid: $30

I bought two of these used off of Craigslist. My first was a fairly old unit (based on the pump) although it worked fine. After purchasing the second I found the pump mechanisms to be quite different. My older unit had a gray pump where the pump slide could easily come out (actually lost part of the locking ring although it continued to pump fine).

I've used them on a few outings where I knew it was going to be cold at night. I purchased, and would recommend, a lightweight lexan base that holds the stove and fuel bottle. This makes things very stable.

The stove is easy to light however I've always used white fuel. The wind shield is a bit of a pain but necessary when dealing with high winds. The stove really only has two settings, off and blast furnace.

The only downside I can say is that it is difficult to depressurize the fuel bottle when putting things away. I often end up squirting a fair amount of fuel out trying to do so. If I could change one thing it would be to add a pressure relief valve.

The folks at MSR were very kind in helping me repair my damaged fuel pump and gave me a replacement bag for my second unit. I would not hesitate to buy another and I'm actually looking at buying a DragonFly since I would really like to simmer some things.