UKC

How necessary is this for extreme cold weather use? Looking to get an XGK as my canister stove was in survival mode on my last trip. By the time you add in a service kit, extra fuel pump and fuel bottle it's some serious money. Never heard of an Arctic pump before! 

Didn't even know they made a special one. Surely everyone has been using MSR standard pumps in cold conditions forever? My Whisperlite International has been used plenty down to the high (i.e. low!) minus twenties and I've never had problems with the bog standard pump it came with in 1991!

That's what I figured, but I feel like it's one of those where if I don't buy it, I'll be out there in the wild cursing the fact I didn't get one. Do you take a spare pump with you on long trips?

Maybe look for 2nd hand bottles or even the stove and then you can buy a new pump?  

If you are going somewhere cold and remote then it might be best to have it, but I don't know from personal experience.  

My whisperlite pump did go, but not in cold weather, and to be fair it is only a couple of years younger than Toby's.  

No, just the standard spare and repairs kit that they sold back then.

We used both a standard modern XGK and Whisperlite at -20c in Greenland without any issues. Never heard of an Arctic Pump!

Where are you going?

I’ve used the Stanadard pumps on XGKs and Wisperlites on Denali. They worked fine, most of the time, but did freeze and stop working on summit day. We did get them back working no problem though.

If you’re going somewhere remote I’d take two stoves and at least one spare pump.

I’d also get used to using your stove, striping it down and cleaning it. 
 

Tom

Regarding the arctic pump, from MSR website to "Use only below 0° C" and the only real thing that they state is different is "extra-robust seals to prevent leaks in arctic conditions". I wouldn't be too concerned about getting it. maybe just an extra spare seal or two than you'd normally take.

For the rest of it, it seems once you buy one, thats the only stove you ever need. I hear of so many people still using their whisperlites, XGKs, dragonflies etc from the 80s and 90s. design hasnt really changed in that time either.

Well apparently they're the thing to use, surely they wouldn't sell something that wasn't necessary, and, they're blue...

But yes, over 10 or more Antarctic expeditions (plus Denali etc) if I didn't use my Primus Multifuel (metal pump) I only used a regular XGK. Early on I did have a couple of issues, one was o-rings shrinking (apparently) and not sealing as well, but this rarely happened. You're much more likely to roll or rip one during assembly.

I think I only ever had one cracked pump itself, which leaked fuel and caught alight, but otherwise the regular XGK pump was fine down to -48C-ish.

From enquiring it seems the Arctic pump also has a leather pump cup. On balance I think I will just get the normal stove and a repair kit. The route we are planning has the odd hut with wood stoves so complete failure wouldn't be devastating. Thanks all!

^^this - was speaking to a colleague who's done a number of arctic trips recently who had this happen to him. The fireballing stove / pump got flung out the tent sharpish and they were ok, but it could have been terminal.

Hmmm, interesting. My early-2000s Primus Multifuel has a leather pump and I never really liked it. It deformed/squashed on one side early on and never really re-shaped to original. I've also had it freeze, as it absorbs. But that said, I used it on various expeditions for over 15 years and the leather cup never actually gave a problem and the stove worked well - but before each trip I'd pull it apart, see that it was dry, oil it and massage it back into shape. Happy Finish!