We are debating if we get away with the canister stoves only on the trip to Aconcagua. The option one is to take Jetboil PCS for low elev cooking where the melt water can be found + MSR XGK to melt the snow in the higer camps. Option two is to Jetboil PCS + MSR Reactor. My concern is that several SPers reported low quality of fuel in the canisters purchased in Mendoza.
What would be your preferred way and where to buy the canisters of appropriate quality in Mendoza.
Rinat

I can't remember the location of particular stores, but the gas cartridges you are looking for should definitely be available in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, and Bariloche - we used MSR Reactors on Aconcagua three years ago and didn't notice any issues with canister quality - just one question... why would you bring a Jetboil and an MSR Reactor, aren't they essentially the same thing?

perhaps you like the jetboil attachments that permit you, for example, to use a frying pan - our strategy was to bring a cheap 2-burner stove purchased in mendoza at base camp, thus allowing us to fry eggs, cook larger portion s, etc - this cheap stove was placed on the mules to bring up there and was subsequently donated to some porter friends up there - we then used the Reactor at confluencia, canada, and nido where weight (and cooking efficiency) was more of an issue

Rinat Shagisultanov wrote:We are debating if we get away with the canister stoves only on the trip to Aconcagua. The option one is to take Jetboil PCS for low elev cooking where the melt water can be found + MSR XGK to melt the snow in the higer camps. Option two is to Jetboil PCS + MSR Reactor. My concern is that several SPers reported low quality of fuel in the canisters purchased in Mendoza.
What would be your preferred way and where to buy the canisters of appropriate quality in Mendoza.
Rinat

You can use canister stoves only on Aconcagua. Canister fuel and white gas are both available in downtown Mendoza (Mountain Gear, Campo Base, Ovitz, etc.)and from some of the mule service providers. Either way, two stoves are better than one for giving yourself the best chance for a successful climb. As for "low quality" canister fuel you might want to verify any complaints. Some people think there's something wrong with the fuel when their canister runs out up high and it still sounds like there's fuel sloshing around inside. This is usually left over n-butane that didn't vaporize because it was too cold (below freezing). For best performance just remember to heat up the cansiters before using them.

Hey Brad,

i was just wondering what do you mean by "you can use canister stoves only on Aconcagua"? is there an issue with non-canister stoves now? I believe we've discussed you using a dragonfly with no issues.

Thanks again!
Tom

I used only canister stoves in the high Andes. In 2009 mostly Doite canisters were available in Mendoza and these canisters worked fine. I'm using MSR Superfly with Primus EVA System.
Enjoy your trip!

tommarchall wrote:Hey Brad,

i was just wondering what do you mean by "you can use canister stoves only on Aconcagua"? is there an issue with non-canister stoves now? I believe we've discussed you using a dragonfly with no issues.

Thanks again!
Tom

Hi Tom, guess I should have written that better. What I meant was the OP shouldn't have a problem climbing Aco using only canister stoves. Plenty of people do it and they seem to work just as well as white gas stoves on this mountain.

haha no prob! I thought that was what you had meant. I was torn between wanting an excuse to by an MSR reactor and the hassle of learning the habits of a new stove prior to leaving. anyway thanks for the quick clarification!

Cool - So we'll plan for MSR Reactor - we are bringing 2 canister stoves for 3-4 people: main and backup. Reactor is a better choice to melt the snow if we have to. Thank you for your input - not taking MSR XGK will help to take to take only one type of fuel.

All shops in the main part of the city (along Sarmiento etc) are OK for gas, Orviz is a bit of a walk. But this place http://www.chamonix-outdoor.com.ar/ is a few blocks away from Las Heras and also has a good range of gear. Note that the shops are often closed for siesta in the middle of the day and at other odd hours, so leave plenty of time for shopping.

In case you weren't convinced about the MSR Reactor yet...

The threads were stripped on the regulator of my 3-yr-old heavily used MSR Reactor so it wouldn't screw in to the gas canister properly. I called Cascade Designs to ask about buying a new regulator. They offered to fix or replace my existing regulator on warranty, and give me a new pot lid to boot.

Bottom Line: There's no better stove available for melting snow.