Optimus

Svea Stove

Simple, effective, burns multiple fuels, fool proof!

I've had my stove from back in the 70's and has been a work horse of a stove for me and never let me down. While I have many other stoves, this is my go to for weekend hikes, extreme cold weather or altitude. (longer hikes I generally use something lighter). It burns most fuels though I generally use white gas in mine. I fill it before a trip and bring a smaller fuel bottle to heat/prime and for back up. I will note that you do not want to burn it dry as it will damage the inner wick. Really love the fact you can boil water fast, simmer really low and the fuel consumption is impressively stingy. Hiked the Smokies in February with temps well below zero and my companions that brought cannister stoves were using mine to cook with. Oh, and the jet engine sound of the stove is amazing!

Nice stove

I have always wanted to add a Svea 123 to my backpacking supplies because they are the gold standard when it comes to simplicity, reliability, and ruggedness. After having people ask crazy amounts for well-used (abused) vintage stoves on the used market, I decided to get a modern continuation. They used to be made in Sweden, but Optimus bought the rights to the design, and I think they are made in Taiwan now. I couldn't be happier with the usability of this stove! It differs from the vintage stoves only a little bit by having slightly different engraving and a warning sticker about the correct fuels to use. There are smaller and lighter stoves on the market, but I don't think they are as simple.

Tested and proven

It’s compact and will get the job done. There is no fuel bottles to connect or fuel line to mess with. It’s great for a solo trip or with a friend. The flame control is good and can simmer food when it calls for it. You can cook with this stove or it boils water like a champ. The older models don’t have a self cleaning jet like the new models do which makes this stove even better. If you want a proven stove that will get the job done and could be passed down from generation to generation I would recommend this stove.

If there is wind, you will not get this lit.

Kinda cool looking, boils water fast. Kina heavy for its size but its pretty compact so its not a huge deal. Biggest dealbreaker is lighting and priming this thing. If you're going to try to use this on a mountain, in any sort of wind, forget about it. Bought it for wintertime, high elevation skimo stuff. It is not really affected by cold, or elevation, but the wind problem makes it not worth bringing most of the time.

Anywhere, All Altitudes and All-but-bulletproof.

I as well have had one since the 1970's. I own two now. All thru childhood and Boy Scouts camping. Then thru the U.S. Army Infantry and continuing to the present. My original was literally run over by a truck and I replaced it...BION all it took was bending it back into shape, dissembling, cleaning and reassembling and it works again! That one I keep in my disaster kit knowing it will work if it's ever needed. Multiple liquid fuels at any pressure, altitude or temperature (I've used it in 100+ deg F all the way down to -30 deg F and it has NEVER failed.) Yes, one has to learn the operative concept for the stove. It's simple and easy and once learned it's the most reliable stove I've ever used or seen. It may be a bit heavier than engineered-to-be-lightweight stoves but it's tougher and more reliable.

oldest piece of gear I use still

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Got this when I was 17 for $18 at Mels Army and Navy. It has traveled all over the country with me and gone on mutliweek backpacking trips. ALWAYS works. I like my morning coffee and carry grains like bulgar to cook on the trail. The little cut on top is too small for my uses, so have a pot that stove just fits into. After 30 years (!) I had to replace the fuel cap o-ring for $2.50. This is the most trustworthy item I have ever owned. Its a little noisy at full blast if you are trying to boil water in a hurry, but I love the sound. It has never been babied. When lighting, I pour about a teaspoon of fuel on top of the burner and light it up. There is a small depression around the main stem that catches fuel and preheats the burner tube. Its a little dramatic, but that's half the fun. I also own a MSR stove, but never use it My stove is the older model without the internal burner cleaning needle and have never had to clean out the jet. Always use Coleman white gas. Full stove tank and one fuel bottle of gas lasts me about 10 days for morning coffee and evening dinner. For winter camping I put a small square of ensolite under stove to keep pressure up (tank pressurizes from burner stem heat). Cant use it directly on top of snow. I probably have used it more than 400 times, and only had the one o-ring replacement. Cant beat it. Practice lighting it before you hit the trail. Most people use an eye dropper to fill the little pre-heat reservoir at the base of the burner tube. Would not use it in a tent!

Colin Fletcher Made This Stove an Icon in “The Complete Walker”

I used a 70's model in the 80's. I'm sure it is still going strong out there somewhere. Pros-beautiful tarnished brass, and the comforting burble Con-you can't fly with it

I have been using my SVEA since my first serious backcountry trip in 1974. It has never failed to provide a hot meal or drink. I took it as a backup to my hiking partner's stove on a trip into the Sierras last year and was glad that I did when his stove failed.

Works every time, fuel can be stored for long periods of time and not go bad