Submitted by Eric Daniel
On the M-1 tank there is an electrical connection in the turret called the utility plug where you can plug in and power a number of electrical devices. One of those original devices was a hot plate, which you could use to cook things. Well, somewhere along the way, those hot plates went away (as did the army issue coffee thermos) so tankers were left no way to dine in style. Enter the MSR XGK multi-fuel stove. I purchased this stove in 1990 just before deploying to Desert Storm. Small, compact, and lightweight, the XGK will burn any flammable liquid, and I do mean any flammable liquid. While deployed I used primarily diesel (DF-2) and the cleaner JP-8 currently used, but I have also used gasoline, and white gas. Now 16 years old, this stove still works as well as the day I bought it and it was my stove of choice until I lost my ride (I'm now a dismounted infantryman) but it is still my stove of choice when camping or out and about in the wild. The stove's only drawback is that it has a ridged fuel line that connects the fuel bottle to the stove, which made the stove somewhat bulky to pack (the fuel bottle disconnects, but the fuel line remains attached to the stove) and I was always worried that I might snap the line with the stove in my rucksack. I am told, however, that MRS has since updated the stove to the XGK EX, which has a flexible fuel line. I may have to check it out.
