You can trust this stove. Which is important, especially in the winter when you need fire for water. And why wouldn't you get this one with the adjustable simmer? Does the little valve really add that much weight over the standard jet engine non-adjustable? I freakin' love this thing!

The DragonFly may weigh a little more than other white gas stoves but it's worth it when you need flame control in the backcountry. The dual control valves allow for more precise flame control than single valve systems like that used on the Whisperlite and means less burnt food. I've boiled water for 12 and cooked the freshest lake trout I've ever had on a DragonFly and it performs well in either situation. The wide pot supports allow it to handle cooking for larger groups especially well. It's a little loud, but it cooks just as well at 9,000 feet as it does at sea level... and in 9 years I've never had it fail to light.

It sets up easily and strips down for field maintenance without problems, at least in my experience. The fuel pump works well but I would suggest taking an extra on long trips because of the plastic construction. The DragonFly requires a little bit of love & care every once in a while to keep it going 100%, but the shaker valve will keep it running just in between cleanings and maintenance.

I can't think of any time the DragonFly has let me down and my experience with MSR has been nothing but positive. It's a great stove if you want to do more cooking than boiling in the backcountry and for me it's proven to be extremely reliable in every situation I've faced.

Have owned this stove for several years and used in all weathers - from 5 degrees and snow to driving rain - and it has performed flawlessly. Maintenance has been minimal and temperature control is outstanding -- and validated by my pastry-chef-camp- pal! Stable, relatively light weight and very fuel efficient.
The only items causing this to fall short of a perfect score are the relative frailty of the pump (shattered my first one with a short fall off a rock) and the loudness of the stove when on full afterburner. Otherwise, though, top-notch!

I've had the dragonfly for 6 years. During those 6 years I've tested and sold other stoves from Vaude, Snow Peak, Coleman etc. I have yet to find a stove that is as durable and versatile. Great temp control. EASY SET-UP. Use it all year long. Handles several fuels. I cannot say enough. Time and time again I come back to using this stove. Electronic starters on other stoves are nothing more than a gimmic. Don't get wrapped up in them. They do not work half the time anyway. Fuel canisters are a pain in the butt. You always end up with half used canisters laying around. With the dragonfly you can refill your fuel bottles. You'll end up happy you bought this stove, do not let price deter you.

on my last backpacking trip, i was able to borrow my friend's dragonfly, and while i probably will not be able to afford one, i was incredibly impressed by its SOLID performance. even despite my stupidity, i was able to get it started and cruising every time without a problem, even in strong winds and dampness. it boiled water quickly, and the simmer function works very well. my only qualm is the stove's size - if you're going to be just boiling water or doing other super simple cooking, you'd be better off with a smaller, lighter, and cheaper MSR stove. great though if you're a backcountry chef and like doing fancy things with your cuisine. either way - highly recommended.

Great stove boils water fast!
I kept my cabin friends up at night with the noise,and got them up early in the morning.

I own three MSR stoves (blush). My high peaks, desperate situations, really far away from mum, burn whatever I can get, expedition XGK (although I'm not sure they called it that when I bought it 7 years ago). For more comfortable jaunts in the wilderness, lasting up to two weeks, I have a dependable Whisperlite. Nothing wrong with either once you learn to control the pressure so you don't incinerate all your meals!! Now, at the turn of a screw, I can choose to simmer or hurry up that snow/ice. FANTASTIC!! It's been a few weeks and only one trip since it arrived but I have found it a good example of the quality and reliability I expect from MSR. I will be trusting this stove to keep me in good stead in the Andes and Patagonia. Defintiely worth the pennies. On the downside, you may never see the wildlife; the Dragonfly is no quieter than the XGK.

Great stove. Got it for my wife. She really likes it...When I let her use it. Have used it in sun, rain, and even ice fishing. Have used it for making everything from ramen noodles to hollandaise sauce. Never a scorch. Great fuel efficiency too. Only problem being it can be a little hard to light the priming fuel. Once that's done though, primes easily and well. It often spends time on the sideboard of my grill simmering secret sauce.

I've had this stove for over a decade and I am really terrible at maintenance. Fortunately, I've never had to clean it, or do anything other than just use it.
It packs lightly and takes up almost no space.
Lighting is easy as well. I pulled out my stove a couple of days ago after several years of no use and it started up first try.

Temp/flame control is very easy to control. It is loud, but who cares?

This is the only stove I have every owned, and the only one I ever foresee needing to own. The only way I would ever need another one is if mine were stolen or I dropped it off of a mountain.

I've had this for about 5 years, and never had a problem with it. It is really nice to be able to adjust the flame for different cooking/heating needs. Yes, it could be a little lighter, but there are other ways I can save weight other than going with a less reliable stove. It heats water fast, and folds down to be relatively compact. The only downside (besides the price, which is worth it) would be that it is indeed noisy when turned up all the way. But I just view the noise as obvious evidence what a good job it does in combusting the fuel. Following the instructions, lighting it is a snap. Needless to say, I really like this stove.

This is the do all stove period. And in simmers for all you gormands out there

This stove takes it. If you are tough on gear or durability is a concern, this is a fantastic stove. I've used the stove in the rain, snow, heat and -10* weather. The stove cooks beautifully! The simmer control allows actual cooking to occur, and the steady base can support a loaded 10-inch dutch oven. This is the only stove I need.
After 3 years, my Dragonfly broke...or so I thought. The stove split into two pieces, with the flame cup separating from the base. At first, I was ticked, but to my surprise the stove still worked. After 2 years of this separation, the stove is still going. It will not die!

Bottom Line: Cooks like a champ and refuses to die.

I've been using the dragonfly for years now - and have found it to perform simply and flawlessly, given regular maintenance and cleaning. It boils water faster than any stove I've used, and can still simmer and bake like a charm. My only complaint is the noise - it does indeed sound like a rocket ship getting ready for takeoff. if you are into cuisine, this is your stove; for simple boiling/etc, I would go with the bombproof whisperlite.

The best part about the DragonFly is its ability to simmer easily. This is great for everything from simple to gourmet cooking because of its wide flame base and its ability to simmer. It also is a great snow melter. (If you really need a stove for serious snow-melting, get an XGK-EX, also by MSR). It handles large pots because of its wide pot supports. If someone needed just one stove to cover everything, this is it.

Nitpick: It's heavy, like just about every other white-gas stove out there.

I just took my first trip with this guy- light weight, sips the fuel and heats up quick.
Very,very pleased with it. Make sure to buy a fuel bottle to go with it.

I have been using this stove for years, and just experienced my first problem. Well, not really, when I lite it it burned very slowly. All I had to do is clean the nipple with the tool and it was back to welding torch intensity. That was the first time I had to clean it after untold number of uses.

While I have never needed to burn donkey pee in it, it is nice to know it is an option while in some remote outpost. J/K, but it will burn just about anything else.

This is a solid, dependable stove for ALL CONDITIONS. It is not the lightest, or most compact stove on the market, but it is the best all around stove, period.

Works awesome!! It is not as loud as a lot of people make it sound. It is sort of loud, but not more then you would expect a stove that is designed like that to be. I mean they are very small and put out a ton of heat. Being able to adjust the heat is priceless. It also works well in wind, Ive never had it blow out on me...but regardless it come with a wind shield which helps that out anyways. The fact that it burns just about everything makes it a no brainer as well....you can pretty much get fuel anywhere you are in the world. I guess it a little bulky for backpacking compared to something like a pocket rocket, but your also not limited to isopropyl canisters either. Only complaint is that the pot holders are a little too wide for smaller cups, sauce pans, and coffee makers. The really small ones fit, but barely..you just have to be careful making sure they are perfectly centered.

This thing is a beast. This is the stove for long-term backcountry adventures and winter camping. It's a little loud, but that just means it's working. It's not small enough to support your dinky titanium mug, but if you're man enough to carry this stove, you can handle a pot or two in your backpack as well.

I absolutely love this stove. I don't ever have to worry about how low I need a flame to simmer a meal or how high I need it to boil the water faster. The MSR Dragonfly gives you complete control of the flame. Simple get the pressure built in the bottle, lite the stove, and adjust the flame and heat intensity to your cooking needs. I have owned this stove for a couple years now and it never lets me down. In my opinion, it is worth the extra money to have the control and fuel options this stoves gives the user.

We were hesitant at first cause' we're so cheap, but my husband & I purchased this stove for backpacking and it is AWESOME! It did everything we needed and it packs light too. We had great food, and the stove worked perfectly! Buy this one, you won't regret it!

This stove is bomb-proof. It's more efficient than canister stoves in a wider range of circumstances. Ever had half-empty canisters with no more accelerant after a winter trip? Never waste fuel again with this stove! It boils fast and furious, and can go from a rolling boil to a simmer instantly. That's right, you can cook angel-hair pasta, rice, potatoes... virtually anything you can pack with this stove. I have been using it for about a year now and have had no problems.

very light weight burns a long time and can even use jet fuel infact any fule you name it i think its great and its worth the price.

btw..... you should get extra fuel bottles and an expidition repair kit and go to msr's main web site and they have electric ignitors.

Flame control is excellent. I'm very happy with it.

I have tiied Dragonfly this year in high winds and 20 degree temperature and it worked flowlessly. I like the compect design and stability as well as fast boiling capacity. I am going to Everest Base Camp in Oct. '09 . That would be the true test of a ` Base camp Stove' . I will give 5 stars , fo far.

Reliable from the desert heat to the Arctic cold; in the wind, snow, and rain. Lights up after being dunked in water, melts snow and boils water like a flamethrower, less likely to remove eyebrows when under your vestibule. Forget about saving a few bucks and a few ounces and get the stove that fires up right the first time, every time.