I finally got my old Svea 123 stove to run right after seeing so many people flood them.

For years I saw folks at trailheads in the White Mountains priming it wrong, pouring too much fuel into the cup. That extra fuel makes a huge, scary flare-up and wastes gas. I read the manual again and use exactly 20 milliliters of white gas in the priming cup, no more. It lights perfectly every time now. Has anyone else had to unlearn a common mistake with a classic piece of gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_martin225d ago

Guess the manual writers knew more than all those trailhead experts.

stellachen6d ago

That bit about the manual saying exactly 20 milliliters is interesting. I'm curious, did the manual also say why that specific amount is the magic number? Like, is it about the size of the cup or how much the generator needs to heat up? I've always just winged it and dealt with the flare-ups.

terryk281d ago

My buddy learned that lesson the hard way last fall! He always just dumped fuel in the cup like @mary_martin22 mentioned, and one time the flare-up actually singed his eyebrow. After that he measured exactly 20ml like the manual says, and it worked perfectly. He said it must be just enough to get the generator hot without making a fireball.