MSR WindBurner 1.8L Accessory Pot for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

I bought the windburner that came with a 1.8L pot for alpine climbing as a party of 3 where we would need to melt snow for water but were not cooking food, making coffee, or indulging in any other such shenanigans. They can be used for other things, but as far as I can tell, this is their intended use, where the windburner really stands apart from the competition. I bought the windburner because I've had problems in the past with prohibitively long melt times in the wind (it did not disappoint, but this review is about the pot, not the entire system) and opted for the 1.8L pot thinking I would need it given the size of our group (3 rather than 2). In practice, the size provides little advantage. If all you want is to melt snow into water, then any additional warming after the snow has turned to water is a waste of fuel. To avoid this I never let the snow completely melt before decanting some of the melt water and refilling with snow. As a result, melting snow turns into an iterative process. Having a bigger pot probably allows me to wait longer between melt/pour cycles, but I doubt I'd be bothered by it if I were using the 1L version. The iterations are short enough that I need to babysit the thing continuously even when using the 1.8L pot. What I did notice though is how much space the 1.8L took up in my pack. It takes up as much space as my tent (black diamond firstlight; not including poles), or my sleeping pad (therm-a-rest prolite). That makes it a pain to pack given all the other crap you're already carrying in this scenario (i.e. climbing gear). There's also the weight to consider (4oz more than the 1L).

I have the 1L pot. I would like the 1.8L. Seems like I'm making tea and coffee for everyone, so a bigger pot would have worked will for me. This is the best in the wind, for sure! So, if you're in mountain or on peaks, this is a must. Also, I recommend getting their fuel if you can. It does burner cleaner and more efficiently, and faster. This doesn't have an igniter switch, like my minimo. But, I always take lighters, so it's not a real issue. I do wish they would make an attachment to use a frying pan. Maybe next year.