Backpacking Stoves... Jetboil?

[dscubame]

If you really want to cut your weight and can wait 5-6 more minutes for your water to boil, then an alcohol stove is way lighter.  My stove weighs 1/2 ounce.  Fuel weight depends on how many burns you need.  An alcohol stove system only weighs more than a canister stove system once you stay in the woods long enough/need enough burns so that the weight of the alcohol finally outweighs the canister stove and fuel.  It takes my stove about 1 oz of fuel to boil 2 cups of creek-cold water at 6,000 feet.  You can bring the exact amount of fuel you want and never worry about partially filled canisters.

As for space, the stove and fuel is as small as or smaller than a Pocket Rocket (or similar canister top stove) and canister.  Both systems need a pot, but both systems fit in the pot for packing.  I've compared my stove set up with hunting buddies' Jetboil setups and mine is smaller in size, quieter, and 4-5 minutes slower to boil water for one.  Jetboil is very fuel efficient.

Personally, I've never been unduly delayed by the 6-7 minutes it takes to boil my water. I've always got other camp chores to do at the end of the day that more than occupy those 6-7 minutes.  I use/take my alcohol stove on my 9-day trips because I boil most of my water on my wood-burning/Kifaru style stove anyway.

IMO, you have to decide what is most important to you:  time to boil, weight, space, fuel efficiency, and ease of use.  Once you prioritize those, choosing the right stove system for you will be easier.

Good post.  Helped me finalize my decision.   

[Rob]

In terms of ultra light, a one pound stove and pot is on the heavy side.  Should be able to cut that in half.  But only if weight is super important to you.

it seems like there is a point where cutting weight is just an exercise in spending money.  $150 an ounce!

fuel economy does translate to weight savings.  But I find it hard to wrap my mind around and calculate.  I can boil a liter of water at home and weigh the canister to see how much I used, but that's at sea level and 70 degrees.  Drop the temp and fuel use goes up.  Raise the altitude and it goes down...  But stove regulator efficiency can drop.  So many variables.

there is a break even point in number of days too.  At what point do you need to bring a second canister?  Speed to boil is somewhat moot till you cross that line.

I may have to try one of those alcohol stoves.  They look pretty cool!

[Odell]

This is what I like - You can charge any USB products while you cook too.

http://www.thepowerpot.com/powerpot-v

I also use a 10w foldable solar panel too with external battery pack

Thats interesting. Another way to recharge GPS and not have to pack batteries.

[dreamingbig]

The new msr 1L reactor stove is awesome.  It boils ridiculously fast saving a lot of fuel.  It is the most efficient stove I have used.

[justaguy]

I bought a Jetboil a couple of years ago and love it!!! It's fast and easy for boiling water. I pooh-poohed the backpacking meals for years, but have found that they've gotten a lot better or my standards have gotten lower. They're pretty darn fantastic when you're hungry. The coffee press version is pretty neat when you've been scoping for a couple of hours on a cold ledge and need a little warm caffiene.
I started carrying an Esbit stove with a snowpeak titanium mug this spring for boiling water. I ordered a MSR windscreen/heat reflector kit to make a lid for the mug and mini windscreen. The little fuel tabs work well and I add a little dry wood to help conserve the store-bought fuel. On an average temp day with minimal wind, I get around 4 cups of boiling-ish water from one tab and a couple of twigs. The whole package with 4 fuel tabs comes in at 8-9 oz. I still wouldn't count on this system for multiday trips (maybe after a little more experience and use?), but for light overnighters or a warm meal on a rainy day, it's great.

[ridgefire]

I prefer my pocket rocket over my jetboil. The jetboil is to bulky for my liking.

[hillbillyhunting]

I bought a Jetboil a couple of years ago and love it!!! It's fast and easy for boiling water. I pooh-poohed the backpacking meals for years, but have found that they've gotten a lot better or my standards have gotten lower. They're pretty darn fantastic when you're hungry. The coffee press version is pretty neat when you've been scoping for a couple of hours on a cold ledge and need a little warm caffiene.
I started carrying an Esbit stove with a snowpeak titanium mug this spring for boiling water. I ordered a MSR windscreen/heat reflector kit to make a lid for the mug and mini windscreen. The little fuel tabs work well and I add a little dry wood to help conserve the store-bought fuel. On an average temp day with minimal wind, I get around 4 cups of boiling-ish water from one tab and a couple of twigs. The whole package with 4 fuel tabs comes in at 8-9 oz. I still wouldn't count on this system for multiday trips (maybe after a little more experience and use?), but for light overnighters or a warm meal on a rainy day, it's great.

I recently bought the Esbit folding titanium stove with the fuel tabs.  It has been said that this stove can boil two cups of water in 8 minutes and that the tab will burn for 12 minutes.  I thought this would be great since the stove weighs less that an ounce and the tabs are only a half an ounce each.  I brought the stove on a scouting trip last weekend, and it took two entire tabs to get the water hot enough to partially cook my meal.  The water wasn't boiling even after two entire tabs.  We were camped on an exposed ridge with some wind, but I made a wind break out of rocks, and I would think that two entire tabs should be able to boil water.  I will not be using this stove anymore.  Still thinking about the Jetboil or MSR reactor (1L), but have also been thinking of the snowpeak gigapower (very similar to the pocket rocket).  I will need to decide before my next scouting trip.

[300rum]

If you think the Esbit didn't work for you last weekend, try it in November at 10k feet in a 10 degree blizzard.  They stink (literally) too!  They are o.k. if all you want is a warm cup of Starbucks Via but other then that they don't do much.

I was in REI a couple of weeks ago and they have a new style of pocket rocket.  I didn't have much time to compare the two but it might be something to look into. 

 

I bought a Jetboil a couple of years ago and love it!!! It's fast and easy for boiling water. I pooh-poohed the backpacking meals for years, but have found that they've gotten a lot better or my standards have gotten lower. They're pretty darn fantastic when you're hungry. The coffee press version is pretty neat when you've been scoping for a couple of hours on a cold ledge and need a little warm caffiene.
I started carrying an Esbit stove with a snowpeak titanium mug this spring for boiling water. I ordered a MSR windscreen/heat reflector kit to make a lid for the mug and mini windscreen. The little fuel tabs work well and I add a little dry wood to help conserve the store-bought fuel. On an average temp day with minimal wind, I get around 4 cups of boiling-ish water from one tab and a couple of twigs. The whole package with 4 fuel tabs comes in at 8-9 oz. I still wouldn't count on this system for multiday trips (maybe after a little more experience and use?), but for light overnighters or a warm meal on a rainy day, it's great.

I recently bought the Esbit folding titanium stove with the fuel tabs.  It has been said that this stove can boil two cups of water in 8 minutes and that the tab will burn for 12 minutes.  I thought this would be great since the stove weighs less that an ounce and the tabs are only a half an ounce each.  I brought the stove on a scouting trip last weekend, and it took two entire tabs to get the water hot enough to partially cook my meal.  The water wasn't boiling even after two entire tabs.  We were camped on an exposed ridge with some wind, but I made a wind break out of rocks, and I would think that two entire tabs should be able to boil water.  I will not be using this stove anymore.  Still thinking about the Jetboil or MSR reactor (1L), but have also been thinking of the snowpeak gigapower (very similar to the pocket rocket).  I will need to decide before my next scouting trip.

[WaltAlpine]

Pocket Rocket, a Stoic Titanium Kettle (sounds big but isn't) and a small can of fuel is all you need for a week out in the sticks.  It doesn't get any lighter or more compact unless you build a fire every time.   

Same here. I think a well thought out comparison will lead you to this for most backcountry needs. I've used it solo and for small groups.

[dscubame]

Pocket Rocket, a Stoic Titanium Kettle (sounds big but isn't) and a small can of fuel is all you need for a week out in the sticks.  It doesn't get any lighter or more compact unless you build a fire every time.   

Same here. I think a well thought out comparison will lead you to this for most backcountry needs. I've used it solo and for small groups.

This is the route I took but I did not pay the premium for titanium verses steel.  I could not see spending $55 more to save 2 oz. in weight.  It is on my list to buy down the road just not this time around.

[Rob]

$55 to save 2 Oz?  thats a bargin!  I find weight runs closer to 100 per ounce!

[300rum]

I bought the Stoic ti kettle for around $20.  They were on sale last year at Backcountry.com.

Pocket Rocket, a Stoic Titanium Kettle (sounds big but isn't) and a small can of fuel is all you need for a week out in the sticks.  It doesn't get any lighter or more compact unless you build a fire every time.   

Same here. I think a well thought out comparison will lead you to this for most backcountry needs. I've used it solo and for small groups.

This is the route I took but I did not pay the premium for titanium verses steel.  I could not see spending $55 more to save 2 oz. in weight.  It is on my list to buy down the road just not this time around.

[300rum]

Well it looks like Backcountry.com doesn't have the 2012 model for sale any longer. 

I did find this though...http://www.cleansnipe.com/cheap--sale/stoic-ti-kettle-700ml.htm

[300rum]

Inside the kettle I put my pocket rocket, about a weeks worth of Starbucks Via and a couple of paper towels inside of a ziploc.  This keeps everything from rattling around.  The fuel bottle won't fit inside, fyi.

The only thing I don't like about the kettle is that it doesn't have marks so that you know how many cups of water you have.  A sharpie easily takes care of this though. 

Well it looks like Backcountry.com doesn't have the 2012 model for sale any longer. 

I did find this though...http://www.cleansnipe.com/cheap--sale/stoic-ti-kettle-700ml.htm

[dscubame]

Inside the kettle I put my pocket rocket, about a weeks worth of Starbucks Via and a couple of paper towels inside of a ziploc.  This keeps everything from rattling around.  The fuel bottle won't fit inside, fyi.

The only thing I don't like about the kettle is that it doesn't have marks so that you know how many cups of water you have.  A sharpie easily takes care of this though. 

Well it looks like Backcountry.com doesn't have the 2012 model for sale any longer. 

I did find this though...http://www.cleansnipe.com/cheap--sale/stoic-ti-kettle-700ml.htm

2.8 cups of water now thats perfect size IMO.  Thanks for posting this I will go this route.