regular use of auto gas in an XGK

Anyone have experience using the XGK stove regularly on auto gas?  I frequently fly places for the weekend and just want to cook a meal or 2 in the evening but it's super inconvenient to get fuel since I usually get in at 9pm friday night and cant get gas till the next morning.   Way easier to get a few oz at the gas station and bring a funnel to put the rest in the dar at the end of the trip.  Heard that if u use auto gas a lot it's bad for the stove and would hate to have it crap out on a glacier in the alaska range lol!  I use auto gas sometimes without issues but not sure how it handles this on a regular basis.  Aside from the clogging I understand that it can eat the o rings

What does MSR say?

Okay, so I have used regular unleaded gasoline in a WhisperLite International with no problem in lots of cases. Actually filled up in a non self-serve station in Santiago de Compostella Spain. After filling the car, asked the guy to fill two MSR bottles. If you are on a long haul trip there is a field repair kit you could bring. 

If your application permits it, you should look at either denatured alcohol or solid fuel (wood/pellet) stoves. Ultra light, ultra portable. If you check your bag, you can likely put the denatured alcohol in with your toiletries.

Do you have the option of purchasing diesel for the XGK? it's a fuel that is approved by MSR, and many gas stations carry it. 

But I suppose that negates the ability to dump it in the car at the end. 

Cairn War Machinewrote:

Do you have the option of purchasing diesel for the XGK? it's a fuel that is approved by MSR, and many gas stations carry it. 

But I suppose that negates the ability to dump it in the car at the end. 

8-16 oz of diesel fuel in a full tank of gasoline isn't going to cause any real problem. Especially if it's a rental car. ;-)

Gunkiemikewrote:

8-16 oz of diesel fuel in a full tank of gasoline isn't going to cause any real problem. Especially if it's a rental car. ;-)

Lol good point!

I have a Whisperlite International which in terms of your question is close enough to the XGK. I have also heard that unleaded fuel is hard on the o rings, but it hasn't caused me any issues.  I ran my stove (daily) for nearly 4 months on unleaded on a cycletouring trip and had no problems with the seals.  I did have to clean the fuel line a couple of times - there is a greater chance of contaminates getting in to the bottle off the pump than from a bottle of white gas - but that is easily done in the field.  

And then just replace the o rings as part of your maintenace prep for your big Alaska trip ;-)

Although some MSR stoves will run on diesel, the comments I have gotten from people who have had to do it is that it's pretty nasty (thick, black smoke) and avoid it if at all possible.

John Simmondswrote:

Although some MSR stoves will run on diesel, the comments I have gotten from people who have had to do it is that it's pretty nasty (thick, black smoke) and avoid it if at all possible.

I ran a msr whisper lite International on diesel while in Jordan, it really depends on the quality of diesel some of the people on our trip had big issues with their stoves constantly blocking up, me and my partner managed to get some better quality diesel so we had no issues the entire time ran like a dream. 

Pete Hwrote:

This is not related to the OP, but since label mentions aviation gasoline, avgas, one warning is in order - avgas uses toxic anti-knocking agent. I would definitely try to avoid using avgas for cooking.

Unlike motor gasoline, which has been formulated since the 1970s to allow the use of platinum-content catalytic converters for pollution reduction, the most commonly used grades of avgas still contain tetraethyllead (TEL), a toxic substance used to prevent engine knocking (detonation). 

From - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avgas

amariuswrote:

This is not related to the OP, but since label mentions aviation gasoline, avgas, one warning is in order - avgas uses toxic anti-knocking agent. I would definitely try to avoid using avgas for cooking.

From - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avgas

+1 on this. No one should use aviation gasoline.

But MSR screwed up a bit re. kerosene. It is the same distillate as jet fuel used in commercial aviation. (Military fuels can be different). I would suggest the bigger nozzle for prolonged use on kerosene.

that guy named sebwrote:

I ran a msr whisper lite International on diesel while in Jordan, it really depends on the quality of diesel some of the people on our trip had big issues with their stoves constantly blocking up, me and my partner managed to get some better quality diesel so we had no issues the entire time ran like a dream. 

Good to know.