SVEA 123R Stove

I first saw a Svea 123 while on a paddle trip around Catalina Island. A buddy of mine on the trip had one that he had bought back when he was a Boy Scout back in the late 60's. I had brought my MSR Dragonfly on that trip and was impressed with the simplicity, reliability, and ruggedness of the Svea design. Immediately after the trip I had to have one. I've had my Svea 123 now for about 15 years and it has worked flawlessly. I have since bought two more off of eBay that were heavily patinated. Both of those fired up the first time like they were new right out of the box. This is my go to stove for just about any outdoors cooking whether it be kayaking, backpacking, or going on picnic. Get one. You won't be disappointed.

We were just discussing this venerable old Stove, the 123R on a backpacking website and wondered with all the accessories and do dads the "new" stoves are inciting you to buy have we not gotten back to the same weight as that old 123R? I bought mine in 1969 via mail order catalog from A-16 for $16.99 and it now costs almost $90.00 for the same exact stove. Remarkably unlike all the other stoves that I bought over the years the SEVA 123R still cranks up without a problem and that purr is comforting sound to hear..I currently Carry a SnowPeak Stove with the solo dinner set; Stove, cup, Pot, windscreen and one fuel canister fits inside the Pot for one weekend of use.

Best damn 19oz of brass you can pack for solo/tandem cooking. A classic from a time gone by that still gets the job done. Simple with few moving parts and reliable. To prime equalize, warm with your hands and within a few minutes that little rocket engine is roaring away. A little slower than your typical stove but I enjoy the ritual and I am seldom in a hurry. I have several dozen camp stoves; esbit, alky, gas, kero, propane, isobutane, wood, ..., this is the one I pack the most often. There is something very reassuring about tarnished brass and the roar of this stove that makes me feel sure I'm going to have a hot meal tonight.

I have a collection of stoves ranging from a Svea, Svea 123, Nova, R8 Hunter, and various Colemans. With out question, the Svea's, old or new, are like watching perpetual motion. Pumps break and wear/dry out. Sveas have never failed me. (or the R8 for that matter ;-) ). No plastic to melt, but don't burn them out of fuel or you'll 'carmelize' the cotton fuel wick inside. Otherwise, they are the perfect stove.

My 123 is a mere 25 years old. It is a replacement for a 8R which rusted out after 15 years. It was the same stove guts in a square metal box. Been through a lot of use and has heated many a meal and still works well. I use a dropper for priming fuel and have never had to do dittiley to it (maintanence wise)

Basically now it is a back-up stove I pack on longer trips. My primus Himalayan multi fuel is a 1000 HP jet engine compared with the 5 HP outboard Svea.

SEVA 123 Stove What can I say? I bought my 123 in Wesbaden Germany in the PX during Reforger '78. I used it 2 and 3 times a day for 14 days to heat rations for 6 men. That means about 2 hours burn time as we still had the old tin can rations then and all drank coffee or tea. Was quite popular with the Brittish as I had the only stove that would boil water and I had my own pot & tea. I was so impressed with it that next trip into town I bought another as a back up. Any one who has ever had to 'Hump' all there stuff can tell you what that extra bit of weight means and the value the item must have to keep it. It's now 2002 and I still make tea and cook most of my meals on my seva as it gets quite warm here in Florida I see no need to heat up the house requiring the AC to work harder and increasing my electric bill. Bottom line; my 123 has been in use nearly 30 years and has only needed the cap rubber replaced 2 times and a steady supply of coleman stove fule. there are other more complex stoves 'out there' but I prefer the simplicity and ruggedness of my 123. SP4 Davis Former NCOIC Commo AZANG Kingman Az.