To engineer the most reliable, high-performance outdoor gear using science and innovation to solve the challenges of the mountains and keep adventurers safe.
We began in 1969 when engineer and mountaineer Larry Penberthy formed Mountain Safety Research as a one-man crusade dedicated to improving the safety of climbing equipment. What started as a newsletter covering mountaineering safety topics evolved into a pioneering outdoor equipment company. Larry's approach was driven by rigorous testing — when he found that existing outdoor products like stove fuels, ropes, and pitons were failing climbers, he enlisted fellow workers and started producing the safety equipment necessary to properly get outdoors.
In 1973, we introduced our first stove, the Model 9, which revolutionized backcountry cooking by separating the fuel bottle from the burner — a design so influential that nearly every liquid-fuel stove on the market today draws from its DNA. This evolved into the legendary WhisperLite in 1984, which remains the best-selling liquid-fuel backpacking stove ever made. In 2001, we were acquired by Cascade Designs, which has kept true to Larry's original vision.
In 2007, we released the Reactor, the world's first windproof stove system, which has since fueled historic expeditions including Tommy Caldwell's free climb of Yosemite's Dawn Wall. Today, we continue engineering standard-setting outdoor equipment from our Seattle headquarters, with manufacturing facilities in the USA and Ireland.
At the core of MSR Stove is Radiant Burner Technology with 100% primary air combustion for windproof, fuel-efficient performance.