The New MSR MicroRocket — Trail Report #1

That's weird, you're using the stove without a windscreen

Doesn't work very good in anything but the calmest conditions

Lol. Jerry, Jerry, you’re killing me.

Yes, you should use a windscreen, but it doesn’t make for very interesting photos.

But if you want a little excitement…
Here’s why it’s NOT a good idea to invert a canister on a stove not designed for it.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

HJ, I think that you are the straight man and Jerry is the top banana.

–B.G.–

Nice windscreen!

It gets the job done. :)

And it was needed yesterday. There was a bit of wind, making it one of the most startlingly clear days I have ever seen. Here is the view from Waterman Mountain (8038’/2450m) yesterday. The wind made it so clear that I could see not only the ships at sea but wake of the ships at sea. Click to enlarge

It was so clear that it looked like the Pacific Ocean was very close when in reality it would take about two hours to drive there in my car.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

I used to go up to Mt. Waterman all the time. Amazing how nice and wild that is for being so close to Los Angeles.

Yeah, it’s a great spot.

I wanted to go because I wanted to test the MicroRocket’s piezo lighter at a fairly high altitude (8038’/2450m) and relative cold.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

"As long as the water isn't ice cold nor the night too freezey, that sounds like a very good plan."

It doesn't matter all that much because I always wear at least one layer in the bag, including socks. I push the bottle down to the foot of my bag and forget about it until morning. I call it applied thermodynamics, based on the principle that whenever work is done some energy is dissipated as heat. In this case it is the heat resulting from the body's thermogenic processes while sleeping. Sleeping bags take advantage of this principle, and I figured why not take advantage of it to partially heat my water at the same time. If we made better use of this concept as a nation, I'd bet we could become energy independent, or nearly so.

"a 4 oz canister generally suffices for two people on an 8 day trip.
That's some pretty good fuel economy. Do you mind if I ask which stove you're taking?"

I use a Primus Micron, selected specifically for fuel economy, but also for its relatively light weight. The carbon monoxide issue is not important to me because I never cook in an enclosed tent.

Even with socks on, I’d worry about cold feet. If I were going to bed slightly chilled and it was going to be a cold night, I might think twice.

But I’ve got my “winter” thinking cap on right now. 3/4 of the year, you’d probably be fine. A very handy and practical trick. Nice.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving