MSR WindBurner Stove System Review: Perfect Thru-Hike Stove

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The MSR Windburner is an amazing piece of gear for anyone who travels and backpacks who loves to have good, warm foods consistently. It is a masterpiece in design and it is highly self contained and is easily able to be carried without weighing you down too much.

If you haven’t heard about it before the MSR WindBurner Stove System is ideal for backcountry adventures and weekend camping alike. It has a radiant burner and also an enclosed, windproof design.

The design allows the stove to boil water fast and operate in weather that leaves conventional burners in the cold. The integrated cookware with built-in heat exchanger efficiently transfers heat to the lock-on pot so you can enjoy a quick meal or hot drink after a hike, ride or paddle.

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Here’s a rundown of what we’ll provide in this MSR WindBurner Stove System Review:

  • First, we’ll share the features and benefits that you’ll find useful
  • Next, we’ll take a look at the drawbacks you might need to know about
  • Then, we’ll tell you a bit about the MSR company
  • And finally, we’ll provide a sampling of actual customer and Independent reviews to give you better insight into the product.

Sound good? Let’s get started!

Features and Benefits of the MSR WindBurner Stove System

  • Integrated System: Compact, all-in-one stove and cookware solution features a secure-locking pot/personal eat-and-drink mug with cozy
  • Maximum Efficiency: Radiant burner and heat exchanger deliver faster boil times and more fuel efficiency than conventional stoves that use convective heat only
  • Windproof Performance: 100% primary air combustion, enclosed design & internal pressure regulator work together to make stove virtually impervious to outside conditions
  • Compact Design: Conveniently packs the stove burner, 4 Ounce (110g) IsoPro fuel canister (sold separately), and folding canister stand inside the 1.0-Liter Pot. Extra full-sized bowl snaps onto the outside
  • Modular Versatility: Customizable system works with optional cookware accessories, including the MSR WindBurner accessory pots, MSR WindBurner Skillet, hanging kit and coffee press

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Special Features (Pros) of the MSR WindBurner Stove System

Fuel Efficient – Doesn’t require much water to get water to a boil allowing you to carry less canisters over the trip. One person relayed that they used an 8oz canister of ISOButane to boil water for 17 Mountainhouse meals and about twelve 10oz cups of coffee, and only used about 3/5 of the 8oz fuel canister.

Very Powerful In High Winds – More than other cook systems the MSR WindBurner was built to function in higher winds, users continue to relay this is a fact and they love not needing an additional windscreen.

Drawbacks (Cons) for the MSR WindBurner Stove System

Ignition System – People have reported issues with getting the MSR WindBurner started. This issue seems to be linked to people at more altitude, like mountain top areas.

Pot Coozy – There are reports from users that once the water comes to a boil you aren’t able to pick up the pot and wrap your hand(s) around it. Way to hot to handle.

Video: MSR WindBurner Stove System

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About the MSR Company

In 1969, Seattle engineer and lifelong mountaineer Larry Penberthy formed Mountain Safety Research as a one-man crusade dedicated to improving the safety of climbing equipment.

The fuel behind Larry’s passionate fire was a simple belief that still drives our team today:

THE IDEA THAT BETTER, SAFER, MORE RELIABLE EQUIPMENT IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING GREATER ADVENTURES

MSR About Page

MSR WindBurner Stove System Reviews

Looking at the features and benefits is great, but taking a look at what real-and-actual customers have to say about a product offers a deeper dive of insight. Here we’ve curated reviews that reflect the MSR WindBurner Stove System, providing feedback from product users and reviewers on independent review sites as well as on online storefronts.

Independent Reviews and Recommendations

With the creation of the Windburner, MSR took some of the best pieces of the Reactor and Jetboil’s designs and put them together. It has superior wind resistance, a sturdy design, and great fuel efficiency using MSR’s Radiant Burner Technology. We tested this stove in extremely windy and cold conditions and it proved itself worthy.

Read more…

The MSR WindBurner Combo is the latest stove system in the brand’s growing lineup. Over the last few months, I’ve used it to cook all of my camp favorites from sunrise pancakes to late night pasta.

Read more…

The MSR WindBurner Personal Cook System is a highly efficient canister stove for boiling water and rehydrating meals on backpacking trips. While it weighs a few more ounces than a Jetboil, it is completely windproof, making it ideal for mountainous routes or locales with an absence of protective trees or vegetation.

The WindBurner radiant burner is also a super durable stove that doesn’t have a lot of moving parts that can fail in the field. If you’re hard on your gear like me, this is one stove system that can take a licking and keep on ticking. Highly recommended!

Read More…

For backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts wanting a convenient, packable, efficient, and high-quality stove system, we think the MSR WindBurner is a great option. Our main complaints with the WindBurner are that we wish it was a bit lighter, had a push button ignitor, and had a better functioning top lid. That said, the pros of the WindBurner outweigh the cons in our book, making it a solid backcountry stove system choice.

Read More…

What Amazon Customers Have to Say About MSR WindBurner Stove System

So I didn’t see any comparison photos anywhere that were that good, and sometimes it was hard to tell which was which?!? So I bought both and reopened mine up to share some photos to helpful make people go less crazy deciding. Both burners are the same. So that’s easy. Just the pot and bowl that goes on the bottom. This thing gets crazy hot with low fuel. Love that. Most efficient stove in my opinion!


I went with this instead as I generally go alone, and this has some adaptability for cooking for two (more on that later). All of those other stoves have annoying quirks that I no longer have to deal with when using the Windburner. The most important of them being that none of those were reliable in the cold, windy hikes here in the Northeast. 


After many seasons with this stove, I can still highly recommend it. A hiking buddy of mine had his stove (MSR Pocket Rocket) fail on him in 19 degree weather and has to cook his meals on mine, prompting him to purchase the Windburner when we got back to civilization.


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Final Thoughts on the MSR WindBurner Stove System Review

The all-in-one MSR WindBurner system nests inside its own pot for easy packing and assembly which leaves you far more time to enjoy your adventure. This is a definite need for anyone looking for a good stove option especially if you are in the mountains or high wind often.

Compare to Other Stove Systems

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