Bicycle Touring 101: Touring with a MSR Dragonfly stove

My MSR Dragonfly along with the fuel pump and bottle.
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The Dragonfly sitting all folded up in the pot. All that remains is to put on the lid and fold the handle on top.
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I currently use a MSR Dragonfly stove when I go bicycle touring. I've had this stove for four years now and I've used it during all of my bicycle touring adventures.

Although heavier then a soda-can stove, this stove is lightweight compared to many other stoves. It is also very compact and easy to pack up so that it can fit inside a small to medium sized cooking pot. When deployed the stove provides a sturdy cooking platform.

This stove burns at least six different kinds of fuels so the possibility of actually running out of fuel while touring is greatly reduced. In actual practice in order to switch fuels you also have to switch fuel needles. As a result and due to the easy availability of Naptha everywhere I've toured I haven't yet tried burning a different fuel.

Boiling a pot of water is an operation that takes very little time with the DragonFly. One disadvantage of running at high power is the loud "afterburner-like" noise of the stove. It is possible to simmer using this stove since it also includes a simmer control that allows you to dramatically reduce the amount of heat that you are producing.

You will need a fuel bottle for this device. The fuel pump is a mainly plastic piece of hardware that you use to pressurize the fuel bottle.

MSR also offers spare parts and repair kits. I carry one with me that I have thus far never had to use. I also have a spare fuel pump in my "leave at home, mail if needed" box in case the pump should experience a failure.

This stove has served me well during my bicycle touring adventures and despite my recent fascination with soda can stoves I suspect that this one will continue to travel with me for quite some time.

Doug Pfrang submitted the following additional comments about the MSR Dragonfly based on his personal experience with the stove.

"Older Dragonfly stoves have been known to fail where the burner connects to its pivot rod -- the braze fails and the burner separates from the pivot rod and base. The manufacturer has responded by improving the design so the braze is much larger and stronger. If you have an older stove, keep an eye on the braze. If it fails, the manufacturer will repair it free of charge.

The weakest link in the stove is the plastic pump, especially its o-rings. If the o-rings leak while the stove is in use, the pump could easily catch on fire. To minimize problems, keep the o-rings lubricated with a non-petroleum mineral oil, and periodically replace them using the manufacturer's "annual maintenance kit." If they leak, immediately turn off the stove and replace them."