You are undoubtedly the best antidepressants medicine in my toolbar. Woke up feeling down this morning, scrolled through my feed and this video popped up. This particular video just made me smile and you frequently make me laugh. Please never change. You bring joy to some of us with your wonderful personality. Not to mention the great ideas you share. Thank you.

i still have my 123 (not the R version, that has internal cleaning needle) , purchased in ‘69 or ‘70. Never re-packed wick, or did anything much to it. Added a whisper-burner to quiet the thing. Truly helps. Great simmer potential on the 123, and quiet with the whisper addition. Fit into the side pocket of my old frame Kelty. Very hot very fast. Mine truly Swedish and perfect still. Love your videos and honesty. You aren’t gear-driven and you don’t market your own swag- truly an oasis on the web

Hey Dave! What a great vid! Am 79 now and still camping. My first stove ( which I still have) was that SVEA and hearing it purr brings back many great memories. Over the years, I've gone thru many popular stoves ( now enjoying the Firebox and alcohol type atoves), but every once in a while pull out my old SVEA and fire it up. It is like the old Coleman two-burmer stoves - durable and reliable. An alternative to carrying a separate pre-heating fuel source is to bring an "eye-dropper" and simply suck up some of your fuel from the stove, rescrew the cap and assemble everything, then squirt the fuel into the pre-heat depression. Then go ahead and light it off. An even simpler trick is to just take a straw ( eg "fast-food" drink), cut it down a bit, then plunge it down in your fuel tank. Placing your thumb over the open end, pull it out. The fuel will stay in the straw as long as you hold uour thumb in place. Then just deposit it in the pre-heat drpression. Yes, true, you are messing about with gasoline and potentially unsafe, but I used this technique for many years without mishap. Also once on a snow camping trip, lost the critical top piece and managed to succesfully mangle a servicesble replacement out of a tune can lid.

It's always enjoyable to see your excitement for unexpected finds and how you put them to use. Thank you for taking us along on Dave's Day Off Adventures.

There is nothing quite like the sound of a Svea stove blazing away like a jet engine out on the trail. I think I bought mine in the late 70's. I used it for years backpacking on the John Muir Trail in every condition you can imagine. It always worked and never let me down. It still works like the day I bought it. I phased it out in my backpacking setup many years ago with an MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove. It's an old friend and I will never part with it. I now keep it in my truck toolbox with some fuel and a compliment of minimal cook gear.

Brought back a few memories of my youth, but that was in the late '50s and early '60s. Products from Japan were still pretty much less than $1 and very cheaply made. This was the transition period when they started making higher quality and more expensive toys, motorcycles and cars. Greatly enjoyed the video. You continue to present interesting and varied videos. Thank you.

I’m so glad I’m not the only one that still has the kid inside !!! 🤙🏼

Great show, Dave. Thank you. I've seen times when I would pay $100 for a raft like that instead of walking all day to get across a stream. Yes, that stove sounds very familiar. I have an old pressurized one that I used 25 years ago. Have a great weekend sir.

The little bit of time I get to watch your videos…. I always feel better about life in general, you are so entertaining and informative ❤

What a great video. I believe with all of my heart that everyone should, at least once in their life, pack up some coffee making gear and take a walk out into the woods by themselves, and make some coffee, enjoy the experience and watch the world go by. The coffee will taste better, the atmosphere will be better, and you will make it a point to do it again. Thanks Dave, for bringing a little sanity back in a time such as this.

Fun in the woods indeed. Always enjoy watching you get out and just be yourself. Playing sticks and interesting things. Who would think an old inflatable raft would make such good viewing

Man the vintage gear is some real quality stuff. It was made and sold in a time where products were expected to last and if it didn’t word would get out and people wouldn’t buy your product. I enjoyed every bit of this video Dave, thanks for putting it out here.

We always loved watching you and Nick - so entertaining and uplifting! I am sure my hubby is laughing and watching you now from Heaven - he loved your channel❤

If I lived near you, I would be at your door every day asking, "Can Dave come out and play?"This one was so much fun!

Oh, the sound of that stove! When I was young, that stove was already a legend. I so wanted one, but then the relatively new MSR whisperlite turned my head. That was a one match stove no matter where I was or how cold it was... it always worked. Still have longings for a Svea, though ...lol. There's something comforting about the sound of those old stoves ... you know that a hot drink and a warm meal are just moments away! Thanks for the memories, Dave!

Cool to see the old gear that works so much better than the new products! They certainly don't make them like they used too! Thanks for sharing Dave!

When i hear "Hey everybody" i am happy.

I remember when I was about 12 years old I wanted one of those so bad and I imagined I would paddle up the river and catch fish and campout. That was over 45 years ago now!

holy cow, that Comet is the same one i use today! i never wanted to change, because it always makes the best coffee; perk it for 4-and- a -half minutes. i have had mine, used every time i go out, even today, since 1975. Haven't seen another one in decades. i burned its handle off in the fire, and had to make a new one for it; turned out to be good, because it is removable, and the pot packs better. My daughter covets it as a relic of my past, lol. The 123 sound is SO familiar! :) And goodness...the SVEA-123 was my very first backpacking stove. At that time an air pump was available to pressurize it, and all you had to do was buy the special fuel tank cap to go with it. I have the cap, but lost the pump years ago. The way i used to light it was, I held the stove in my hand for about a minute to heat the tank up, and then when i put it down and opened the valve, enough fuel escaped under pressure from the heat of my hand, to prime the stem (then you can burn your fingers on the key, lol) . My stove still works like new, and i have used it in zero degree F weather, by warming it first inside my coat for a while; it started right up, & burned like a jet engine. :) Too noisy, though, lol. Two years ago, I got hold of a military stove, and swapped the burner assembly out, and it is about 40% quieter. Also SIGG used to make a SVEA cook kit that encompassed the stove, and allowed you to use pans much like a Trangia 27 setup. It worked better than the brass windscreen.Seeing the Comet atop the SVEA is a slice of eye candy...and hearing it again, too. Thanks! And the little raft is pretty cool, and it's a great idea, if it's strong material. You are having way too much Fun in the Woods, Dave! :)

Thanks Dave. I love that stove. I found one at a thrift store and it was made in Sweden. I have never had an issue, it just works, and will a hundred years from now. Congratulations on your find.

An adult man paddling in a kids raft! That's fun! I've got the german version of the Svea, the Juwel 34 from East Germany. Used it a lot in the 90s. Never let me down.

Now THAT brings back memories! My girls each had a "boat" very similar to that only they were silver. Very heavy duty and lasted a long time. Many hours of fun. Course they didn't mind getting wet! lol Many thanks and God Bless Dave!

The sound of a MSR Whisperlite white gas stove is my memory of backpacking from back in the day when I was a teen. 46 years old now, I have like 10 different stoves now from homemade to spend, but the pumping up, flame out of control, and sound of that Whisperlite is old school to me. Still have it and use it in cold. Cheers, Dave!

Dave buddy ...your living the childhood I wish I had...good on you buddy!!

This is one of my favorite videos! You always seem to find the coolest stuff. I love treasure hunting at thrift stores. Have a great week. -Hollie

Only David can make a video so entertaining, on an over 40+ year equipment field test. Traversing a creek in an inflatable is a highlight. I have not had experience of using that gem of a stove but it did evoke memories of using a very old primus stove back in the 1970’s. I think a kayak paddle approach may be easier?? 😎👍

Thank you for bringing up some great old memories. God bless and stay safe.

AS kids (years ago) when we went on holiday and Dad used to stop half way so we could all have a cup of tea and a break, let the car cool down, there were no cafes or motorway service stations then and we used to brew up at the side of the road (layby) using something very similar to that stove so it does bring back memories.

The Svea sound is familiar me. I love the old vintage gear that’s still safely working. I got rid of my 123 in about 1999 to trade “up” for a 2-burner family size propane stove. Big regret. I did not get what they cost today if you can find one. Enjoyed a short paddle and coffee in the woods with you.

Nice to see you with a Svea, Dave. I bought mine in ‘74 and used it for years while backpacking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. There’s something familiar and rewarding when using that stove in the woods at day’s end. Set up camp, wash up and add layers in the evening, Svea fluttering like a blow torch heating water and then cooking dinner. Sloppy Joes and bread rolls the first night - frozen ground beef thawing in the pack while hiking. It’s heavy by today’s standards, but a unique experience in the woods. God bless you Dave and your family!

Thanks Dave. I didn’t know about sitting in the reverse section. I enjoy your videos. I get excited too when I find something cool for a good deal. God bless.

Thank you for sharing with us. The raft looks like it will be a lot of fun but I wouldn't take it anywhere you don't want to walk back from. Insulated coffee mugs are da bomb.

1:20 Anyone else remember/relate ? When I was 9-10 years old every comic book around (I was strictly war comics: Sgt Rock, Fightin Marines, Haunted Tank) every single one ran ads for a bunch of prizes you could win for “selling subscriptions.” Subscriptions to what was always vague. Anyhow THE ultimate freedom was the one and two man rafts (with paddles) Remember, as a kid, with 5 more years to go until you’re old enough to drive, five years was like saying “another lifetime.” But if you had that raft?….if you could paddle to a tropical island (from Fremont, CA) and conduct an expedition….Maybe position your raft over the war torn aircraft sunken just off the coast (again the nearest water would’ve been the SF Bay-almost too cold to stick a toe into) And if you had the mask/snorkel combo (another 30 “subscriptions” ) Why, you’d practically BE the front cover of that months comic book (an adventure to Guadalcanal in search of the ghost of a Cactus Squadron pilot shot down in Iron Bottom Sound). The raft Dave is holding was not only THE best prize offered in early 1980’s subscriptions world; it was FREEDOM. It was adventure. Years before the Atari 2600 became the ultimate prize. Decades before a typical kid would look at you talking about a raft and say “you’re blocking the TV.”

Fun video Dave! "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat."

The hiss of my dad's Montgomery Ward white gas lantern put me to sleep many nights. I have 3 camping backpacks and one of them is full of stuff from the thrift store. The coffee looked great.

Well, I don’t think Florida has to worry about you invading from the sea like a Viking. I had a two man version of a similar raft in the early ‘80’s when I was around 13. Seeing this brought back some memories.

Thrift stores are a great place to find all sorts of camping items , nice find.....

Sounds like my Optimus 8R. Helicopter for sure. But a fine little stove and it was in my Dad's collection of stuff that I was lucky enough to inherit. I never knew he had it.

That raft is a awesome find, I love old school backpacker stove, I think my uncle had one of those, that sound it makes is very unique. That looks like a beautiful spot you are at., really enjoyed this video, having coffee out like that makes it taste so much better. You always put a smile on my face

I had a boat like that , It was made of strong rubber 55 yrs ago. I miss placed it , Too bad. Good video Thank you brother GOD BLESS .

That is my favorite stove for making cornbread. Because you can make it simmer. A old friend of mine gave me that same stove, very used, back in 1991, when he got a newer one. I have got a MSR that burns 3 different types of fuel. But, their's a lot of moving parts to break. But The optimist seva has never failed me. You made me smile when I heard the sound of it. I think it sounds like a locomotive building up steam. LoL. On your New Year's breakfast video, I put in the comments how to make cornbread on that exact stove. Somehow I lost my cup holder. Once again that is a excellent video that you made. God bless you and all your listeners. From Clyde North Carolina.

You have so many fun ideas, Dave! You do bring so much joy as one other commented. You had me on the edge of my seat watching you climbing in that raft. I'm pretty sure I would have landed in the creek. lol. Have a great day and thanks for doing this video for us.

Yes, you keep bobbing as you paddle, you are gonna get a wet back side. You sure are entertaining, Dave, with the things you come up with. That is why I love you and your channel so much. Good job!!!

👍👍👍 That blow up boat .. I'll definately fall out of it 😁. The SVEA 123 .. a great little stove. I've got it's cousin, the Optimus 8R Hunter (same burner mechanism) which I bought back in the late 70's. Absolutely reliable and I still use it, especially during the cooler months. The only replacement parts have been the graphite seal on the burner control valve stuffing box about 12 years back and a new gasket / seal on the fuel tank screw-on cap about three years ago. I tend to keep things .. especially if they work and are paid for 😏. Those 50's / 70's Coffee Percolators .. love them! Have been looking for a vintage one in working condition .. no luck yet. A good share and blast from the past .. thanks. Take care ..

What a great little adventure thanks for taking us along.

Thank you for another great video, Dave! You certainly do know how to have Fun in the Woods! I always enjoy watching your videos and look forward the next one!

You are quite a sight! Just like a kid. Good for you to find such joy.

Good to spend time with you! Just mulched leaves and enjoying my own cuppa right along with you 🙂~~~ramboo

I watched this on Gov Newsom’s time before leaving early. I ordered a mess of kitchen tools on Amazon. We ALMOST had our first argument. Chris asked why we needed a digital rice cooker when the Chinese making them have cooked rice for a thousand years? Three items were cancelled and the rest delayed in shipping. I cancelled the order and Bought more Bineshi rice. Everything IN FRONT of your camera was analog. I just told Chris he was right! Old stuff still works- like you! Amanda

Hi there, great video. What a cute little raft that was. Ha ha. I also like that little table. Never had a Svea 123 looked like a stove with attitude. Ha ha. Thanks for taking us along on that raft adventure. Take care. Greetings from a rainy and gloomy Sweden.

The Great Outdoors. Thank you.

Oh what a treat! Some Georgia sunshine to brighten the start of my English winter. I loved that stove (helicopter or train? I can’t decide) though I must admit that I have never encountered anything like it despite being fully old enough! I’ve always been a Trangia girl and I’ve seen no reason to try anything else. As always I am impressed with your Thrift Store finds.

Nothing like that new vinyl smell,had one just like it,good times

Dave, I have to tell you., you put a smile on my face today.👍🏻🥰thank you. May God, bless and keep you and your family safe always.🕊… “Happy Holidays”

That raft required a little work on an old guy to get in and out without taking a bath in the creek. Neat coffee pot. Thanks

I like the comment about turning the paddles into a kayak paddle. You could also try kneeling in the raft facing the pointed end and just use one paddle to pull yourself forward. Then you could save the weight and space of the extra paddle.

Attaching the two paddles together as one may have helped to coordinated your maneuvering? I Love that stove. I used to preheat mine in the bowl on top. One of the many reasons i owned it was thats it is able to run on a multitude of fuel sources. Great for those practical survivalist. Yes, it did bring to the surface some residual memories of years gone by. Thank you, Dave. Enjoy your weeks end and stay lifted!

I had a stove like that, yrs ago.It was an Army surplus one that worked off Mogas and have heard that pulsing sound from on a TV war movie, that sounds like a V1 rocket engine, it pulsed like that, I am 70 now.

Ĺove this Dave!!! Watching your videos has become a family affair. Great job. Ps. I think the oars are to be connected together for a kayak. I have similar ones.

Another excellent video. I have a Sven 123 I bought in ‘72. I retired it when we had twins and switched to car camping with a 2-burner Coleman stove. I still have that one with the Svea, which I used a lot when I didn’t want to get out the Coleman for making coffee. Nothing quite like a hot cup if coffee on a cold morning in the woods. I have a hand powered grinder I use for prepping coffee beans by the camp fire. The stove gives you more control of the percolator. If it’s cold or even just fairly cool, you can just hold the stove wrapped in your hand and get enough pressure in the stove tank to just open the valve and fill the space with fuel to light the burner. There was a little pump you could use to replace the tank cap and pressurize the fuel tank, but I never got one. Carry some Mautz fire ribbon in a little container and you just smear some in that little igniter space. Safer than using liquid. My stove still works and heats fast. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.😊

Man really enjoy your channel…don’t change a thing!!! I picked up a SVEA R at a thrift store a couple of months ago and love the thing! It is stamped Made in Sweden and was manufactured in the early 70’s. I had a friend of mine 3D print a container with a quarter turn twist top to store the stove. To your lightweight boot conversation. Except for hiking in really cold weather and snow, I now wear nothing but trail running shoes, wool socks and gaiters for wet weather. It’s about as lightweight as it gets! Happy Trails!

If any one is having a bad day, and could use a smile. Just watch this video and Dave's excitement over the Find, Age, Quality of the raft. And then stop and think what if you were hiking down that trail and saw him making the video. Thanks for the share.

Yea Dave, ill telll ya. Growing up camping with the family....I'd wake up, take my dog for a walk, and when I got back to the site.....mom would have the coffee on with the old percolator. I loved the smell. No I didn't drink coffee back then but. I cant remember what the brand of percolator it was, but I know now aways the little see through top isn't made out of glass the way they were back then.. as for your raft, I had one. You commented on yours not having oar locks which actually is good because mine did and that's where mine leaked from... it's too much pressure rowing. And they failed. Btw.... I remember these thing cause I'm 59...a few years older than you. God Bless brother

I own 9 of the 123's.ALL Original, not the R newer models. I'm a stove collector of such. Great video.

Hi Dave, I´m 60 years old. I´m from Europe. We didn´t use that type of stove. We used a brand called Camping Gaz. They still exist and we still use them. Kind regards Alain

Wow I love that percolator! The stove is cool, used one back in the 70’s. So noisy!

Very interesting video David.Looks like the old stuff held-up pretty good,and that little raft could save you miles of walking.

I have a collection of older SVEA stoves. Besides working great there’s just something cool about using them.

You shall see me in the next one Dave. Thanks for filming. 😁👍🏼

So much fun to watch! Thanks, Dave!

Great score on that raft Dave... can't beat that price! I gotta admit that I was holding my breath there for a minute when you were first getting into it though, haha. Absolutely love that old Optimus SVEA by the way! (of course I am a stove junkie too as you well know, haha). All around some awesome old gear there buddy! Sure wish they made things the way they used to... built to last 👍 Take good care my Brother!

It is a hoot to see this as I still have my original 1972 vintage SVEA stove and just purchased a new SVEA to have a spare. My old one does not have the built in cleaning needle and the new one does. And, yes, the jet engine sound is very familiar and comforting after a long day in the woods and out in the cold. And, yes, you do take the key out when running or you will burn the crap out of your fingers. I can get three days run time out of a fully fueled SVEA ... try that with a butane canister stove.

Sure Was A Treat Seeing The Old Gear You Were Lucky Enough To Find. Hap-E Paddling Buddy ! Thanks Davey ! Howdy Nick ! ATB T God Bless

I have the exact percolator. My dad bought it in the 60s for deer hunting. Still works fine.

Dave was having too much fun!

That was fun. I watched on my drive to the office. Probably not a great idea but it was an entertaining start to the day. Thanks for the great content. All our best from Ohio.

Nice one 👍🤠 Dave hope to see more soon cooking most enjoyable thanks mate

That was fun 😂👍. Thanks Dave and God bless!

I'm wondering if you could take off one of the threaded connectors and combine the paddles into one larger double bladed paddle, with the paddles on each end? Use them like the one used for a kayak?

Brother I'm gonna tell you, every bit of this is 1st class! Thanks for The video Brother Dave ~John

Dave i have some trouble with YT sometimes, not sending me notifications. i did not get this one on time. but i have seen it now, and love it, just made my day. i am going to get me one of these boats, and have me some fun, this coming summer. has been a while, but seeing this, it is time. thank you so much, and keep the vids coming..

29:55 My favorite boot this year is rock rooster, made in Australia. They use the goodyear soles that held up so good in the seventies.

In the early 90s when I started backpacking my mom gave me the SVEA she had used in the 60s. Still have the original box for it, $9 and change from Dave Cook sporting goods in Denver. I recently used it every day for a month and it's still perfect. I use a small syringe to pull a few drops of fuel from the tank to get it started but the cut down straw idea someone mentioned would be easier I think.

I can remember my folks making coffee on the stove in the kitchen in an old percolator coffee pot like that. Something I hadn’t thought about since I was a kid long ago.

That was a fun video to watch! Thanks Dave, you made my day!

Happy Thanking to you and Nick.

Now that’s entertainment !!!! 😆🤣😂. Maybe you could use that raft to put your cooler in and let it float behind a man size raft. 👍😃. You made my day watching you paddling around. Just like a newborn duck on his first swim. Lol Or… Nick could use it as an inflatable sled because Georgia is getting 4” of snow this year 😳😧 Thanks Dave. Really enjoyed this one 👍😃

You were the first person i subscribed to on you tube. I truly enjoy your thoughts and sense of humor. Someone mentioned on blackie thomas thursday that the two of you ought to get together for a video. Sure hope you and him consider it as you two are the best.

Excellent brother. I'll be in the deer woods this weekend. Good times ahead.

Great video Dave, it brings back memories of a raft I had albeit a bigger one , me and a mate went camping on the river Medway England, we stopped for a rest ripped the bottom on a seam and couldn’t repair it. We had to walk home, but we had a good camp though 😂😂😂😂

Nice the stove is like the one my dad brought back from Korea in the 50s I used it in the 70s and still use it my nephew will get it he camps with me all the time and loves it I use jungle boots 70s stile they dry quick and have good support love the raft I kept thinking your going to get wet look forward to your video every week love it

My Svea 123 bit the dust creek side about 10 yrs ago. The gaskets failed and the stove had a flame geyser shooting about 3 feet up. Had to kick it into the creek. Loved that little thing. Backpacked untold miles using it and a Sigg Tourister cookset. Still have the cookset.

Good morning Dave!

I'm only 54 never seen that stove. But seen some old stoves. I like that stove. I'm not a coffee drinker at all but that stove is awesome. And I'm sure you know this but that is a kids raft.

Good gravy Davy, another video! Goes to a thrift store to donate items, ends up buying more items.....😂 I think the SVEA stoves are cool, I would like to get one. Making the paddles shorter is the way to go. I think I would drill holes in them so you can put lanyards on them to keep from losing them while paddling.

Hi Dave! Even if it doesn't work out as a human hauler, you could sure use it as a tow behind for gear. I am a big fan of perked coffee. Blessings to you and Nick!

What a deal Dave. You got $400 worth of fun out of a $4.00 boat.

I hadn’t seen one of those stoves in years. I’ve got one somewhere around here that was made in Sweden. You don’t have to have lighter fluid. Once it’s filled you can hold it between your legs for about a minute or so. Crack the valve and let a little of the fluid out close the valve and light the fluid and let it burn till it’s almost out and the open the valve.

That was fun, Dave!! Reminded me of your raft as a shelter video a year or two ago. I could almost smell that coffee. Thanks for bringing us along. I needed that this morning!

Buncha great gear. I think you might be wrong about the direction you sit in that raft though. The wider end displaces more water and spreads your weight across a larger surface. I gotta get one of those tablets. I agree with others here, your videos are always relaxing and a joy to laugh along with you. I’m still waiting on the return to Snake island and a treehouse build. Make Nick help. ✌️