Windscreen for jetboil?

[William Zila]

Do I need to use a windscreen for a jetboil group cooking set ?

[Gary Dunckel]

The Jetboil stoves generally do OK in mildly windy conditions. Adding a wind screen would of course help, but it might also trap heat and dangerously warm up the canister. Maybe just wrap the wind screen half way around the stove/pot (keeping it 4-5" away from the stove), and leave the other half open to allow excess heat to escape. I usually just try to hide my JB on the lee side of a log or protective rock, which always works.

[Mark Ries]

I feel the same and have never carried a wind screen with my jet boil and never missed it

[William Zila]

Thanks guys I didn't think I would need one

[William N]

I had this same question, and I think it’s answered. Thanks.  The design of the JetBoil seems pretty efficient and well designed. I finally broke down and bought the $50 skillet, it too has the fins.

I’d like a way to add more stability, with a wider support on the top. Just haven’t figured out a reliable way, that isn’t super heavy, to do this.

Tip: I’ve seen a lot of videos and gear made out of soda cans and such. Good reuse. If you ever need a larger piece of lightweight aluminum (more like off the trail than for on it), HomeDepot sells roof flashing aluminum by the roll. It’s thin as a beer can, made of the same alloy (it stays shiny for years). You can cut it with scissors (sand paper the edges and it will never cut you). It won’t work as a stove, it would just burn right through.  Also, as a kayak builder and paddler, I was surprised to learn how well aluminum holds up in the salt water environment.

[Joe Smith]

If you ever find yourself in a windy, open area, or you use a basic canister stove AND you carry a sitpad…you can tie some paracord around the sitpad in the long direction so it forms a U shape. Then add strips of duct tape to the bottom edge (long side)…. One at each end and one in the middle, such that the duct tape extends out from the bottom and folds back on itself and back over the other side of the pad. Then you can place rocks on these tabs to keep sitpad from blowing away. Place U shaped sitpad over jetboil with a couple inches of clearance from flame(size paracord loop as needed). Then add rocks on the duct tape tabs extending on the ground, and you have a large and effective windscreen for close to no pack weight/space added. The duct tape will live on the sitpad, here after.  I can add a picture when i get home if words are confusing

[Roger Caffin]

I would never try to use any stove without a windshield. Never. End of story.

Trying to run without a windshield is going to cost you huge amounts of fuel as the flame gets blown around. It’s just foolishness imho. It can also mean you never get to a boil.

Note that you can make a partial windshield with a couple of packs built into a wall, but you still need a windshield around the stove itself, as well.

And those stoves advertised as having a built-in windshield? They lie.

Cheers

[Lori P]

The MSR WIndburner retains its efficiency in windy conditions. It has no flame. I’ve watched a Jetboil blow out in wind; the Windburner does great, needs no windscreen, gets the job done. If I were going in windy conditions a lot I would likely spring for one.

[Jenny A]

What Lori said  ^^^^^^^^

Jetboils are great as long as the wind doesn’t blow.  Maybe there are places where they won’t lose efficiency or just downright get extinguished, but MSR’s wind-resistant burner/stove interface is superior, IMHO.  It all but removes wind from the equation.

My experience has often been that if it’s breezy enough to warrant some kind of windscreen for the Jetboil, that same windscreen better darn well be anchored securely (similar to Joe Smith’s description above) or you risk the whole works getting blown over.

It’s just nice not to have to worry (much) about wind.

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