Jetboil or normal canister ?

[Richard Girvan]

The more I look at the jb the more i think it might what I want . I was going to get a pocket rocket and titan kettle pack but don't know which way to jump . I want light but want good as well . The crux is another one or do I go multi fuel ?

[Brett .]

You should consider your stove choice not in isolation, but as part of your cook system. What you will do with the pot, the environmental conditions, and what pot size(s) you intend on using all affect the burner choice.

Most novices interested in stove technology and light weight will probably end up with more than one stove; maybe one canister type, some self-made pop can alcohol stoves, maybe a production alcohol stove like the Trangia, and some esbit tray/pot holders.

But for now, the jetboil cup can be adapted to all those fuel types. It is a good first stove/pot combo.

My recommendations for a beginning backpacker interested in experimenting with stoves for single or dual meal quantities, in order:
1. Jetboil PCS $65 (use this while you learn about the other types)
2. Trangia alcohol stove(used with the jetboil pot) $13
3. Home made alcohol stove and beer can pot $1
4. Esbit tray (used with the jetboil pot) $5 or make it for free
5. Caldera cone (used with a Snowpeak pot and the Trangia or Caldera pop can stove)
6. If you want a 'naked' cansister stove, the Snowpeak gigapower and a 100ml canister fit in to the Snowpeak 'mini-solo' pot set for basically the same form factor as a Jetboil.

Try those 6 types and you will have a good foundation for choosing the appropriate stove/pot combo for a hike. But in the mean time, the jetboil will do almost anything you require, from melting snow to a quick cup of tea.

The Trangia:
http://www.campsaver.com/product.php?pid=327550

Alcohol stoves: (try the supercat first)
http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html

Caldera cone stove system
http://www.antigravitygear.com/store/index.php?cPath=3_39

[Roger Caffin]

> The more I look at the jb the more i think it might what I want . I was going to get a pocket rocket and titan kettle pack but don't know which way to jump . I want light but want good as well . The crux is another one or do I go multi fuel ?

I am biased – I admit it.
The Jetboil only works in warm weather, and prefers new canisters. It weighs far too much to qualify as 'light weight'.
The Pocket Rocket is light, but the pot supports are a bit bendy if you are cooking for two.
The Crux is not bad, but a little heavy.
Multi-fuel is a total waste of weight.

My preferred stove for summer use is the Snow Peak GST100. I am taking one on a four-month walk soon. It has already been on several two-month walks.

Ymmv

[Brett .]

Roger,
All good points in that comparison. There are workarounds for the JB. Just last weekend I used the jetboil at 0C. Started it off sitting in the snow, then held it in my bare hands when it started to sputter. The heat transfer from my hands solved the problem. The cansiter had been in my pack at 0C for a few hours.
I have been thinking of making a remote line for the JB so I can invert the cansiter sometimes.

[EndoftheTrail]

You didn't mention your style of cooking or how many people you plan to cook for — so I can only share my experience with you, however applicable (or not) that might be…

I do only solo cooking, and by cooking, I mean boiling 1 to 2 cups of water to rehydrate breakfast cereals and Mountain House freeze dried dinners. If your situation is the same as mine, then to me, the Jetboil is unecessarily bulky and heavy! Here's a comparison with my solo kitchen setup:

JetBoil:

$89
7" x 4"
15oz

Snow Peak Gigapower and 600 titanium mug/cookpot:

$65 (40 for piezo stove and 25 for titanium mug/cookpot)
4" x 3.75" (essentially half the size of the JetBoil)
7oz (3.5oz piezo stove and 3.5 for cup + lid)

So, the JetBoil is almost twice the packed size of my setup, and half a pound heavier. In return, the JetBoil brings the advantage of faster boiling time. This might be critical to you (my friends love to brag about it) — but all the times that I've hiked and cooked, a 2-minute longer boiling time hasn't caused me to miss out on anything while out in the wilds!

But the SP600 also has its advantages. The size is big enough for my solo cooking needs and also just big enough to house both stove and canister inside. Compared to the taller JetBoil cup, the SP600's smaller size also makes it easier to eat out of, and to clean up afterwards.

Some JetBoil owners will also justify their purchase with the fact that JetBoils are more fuel efficient. To me, that's more of a theoretical advantage — making basically zero difference. Why? Because you can't leave a "fraction of a canister" at home just because the JetBoil is a bit more efficient! Per my calculations, your trip has to be long enough to require boiling 15 quarts of water — but not more than 22 quarts of water — where a JetBoil will only need two small canisters whereas a Snowpeak will require 3. These various min/max points likely mean little to nothing for most hikers…

[Eric Blumensaadt]

My UL solution for cooking is a Ti 3 leg wing "stove" & REI windscreen for ESBIT tabs. Amazingly it works quite well.

My merely LIGHTWEIGHT solution, however, is a VARGO JET-TI titanium stove W/ a MSR canister & Primus folding canister stabilizer legs.

My MEDIUM solution, mainly for baking, is an MSR WindPro remote burner so I can use my Backpacker's Pantry hood to bake those brownies and cinnamon rolls! These 3 stoves use my JetBoil 1.5 L. pot W/ its "Flux Ring" heat exchanger for efficiency. (I think the Flux Ring was an offshoot of the "Flux Capacitor" from "back to the Future". Hee,hee)

And my WINTER stove is an MSR Dragonfly Multi Fuel stove that can be turned up hotter than blazes but simmers very well and thus saves gas.

If I want to go RETRO I dig out my ancient (1970) SVEA 123 and its Swiss SIGG TOURIST pot/windscreen set.

[David Lewis]

The JetBoil was my first stove… and I do love it. It's a really nice design. Works well. However… it's far too heavy and overkill for the kind of "cooking" I do… which is simply heating water for my homemade dehydrated meals.

So now carry a beercan + esbit setup. 48 grams (1.7 oz) for the pot, lid, stand, esbit holder, windscreen and handle. Can't beat that… esp. compared to the 500+ grams of the Jetboil. But it's all I need for the type of cooking I do.

I still have my Jetboil… and I still love it… but these days it lives in my surfing kit. It's great at the beach… for heating up a bit of water to dump in my booties and gloves for those cold winter sessions… or a little apres-surf cup of tea to warm me up :)

[Brett .]

Ben, good points. For 1 to 2 cups of hot water, 600cc is plenty. And that setup is indeed half the weight and volume. I also have a SP gigapower/60cc cup setup, and it is satisfying to unfold the legs, assemble the parts, and cook at a more leisurly pace. Unlike the JB, I feel like Im operating a little jet engine with that gigapower; its just a cool gadget.

In the 600+cc range; I advise people to consider the SP Mini Solo cookset. Unlike the 600cc cup, the MS main cup can be carried alone as a little bigger cup, has a real(and durable) lid for thermal efficiency and packing, and an optional 300ml cup.. but again, the weight starts to creep up.
Since I never hike alone, I tend to carry larger pots now; I am awating my new Caldera Cone for my 'mostest favorite' two person pot, my SP Titan900.

[EndoftheTrail]

Sorry for going off topic… Brett, I look forward to reading your feedback on the Caldera.

[Mitchell Keil]

Ben:
Check my review of the Caldera and the several other people who have used it in the same thread.

[EndoftheTrail]

OK. Thanks, Mitchell!

[Douglas Frick]

The JetBoil has one particular benefit that a typical canister (or any other) stove doesn't: you can hold it in your hands while you're using it. Normally this isn't a big deal, and when it isn't I usually take an alcohol stove instead. But if you need hot water quickly on the trail or in camp without any hassle, the JetBoil will deliver. If I'm skiing in the backcountry and don't want to cool down on a break, I can pull my JetBoil out of my pack and be drinking something hot in three minutes flat. When I'm winter-camping in deep powder with my hammock, I don't have to put a significant investment of time and effort into building a tent and cooking platform. I can ski or snowshoe up to a likely cluster of trees, hang my hammock, sit on it sling-style, and hold the JetBoil in my hands while I boil water and melt snow. Another advantage is when your brother-in-law doesn't want to roll out before dawn to get in a side trip, you can start the stove with a pop just outside his tent and say "coffee in five." Worked for me :)

[Brett .]

Right Doug, I have piles of titanium pots and alternate stoves. I carry a 1 lb bag and the lightest freestanding tent so I can afford the weight of my jetboil. Its appreciated by everyone who hikes with me.
You are not exagerating about pack to mouth in three minutes; its true.

[Tony Beasley]

"I have been thinking of making a remote line for the JB so I can invert the cansiter sometimes."

Hi Brett,

I have just spent the last day converting my newly acquired JetBoil to do what you have suggested above making it a remote canister liquid feed stove, I successfully fired it up this morning for the first time as the JB is designed to sit on a canister I still have to sort out a stand for it to sit on, I will post some pictures soon.

I thought I would join the JetBoil vs normal Canister debate, not every walker wants to go ultra light, most of the walkers that I have spoken to here in Australia just want a stove that is hassle free easy to use and works in most conditions. A lot of walkers here have not even heard of the JetBoil. MSR Whisperlite and Trangia are still very popular Canister stoves are starting to becoming more popular, I have not seen or heard of anyone with home made alcohol stoves here yet.

I recently did my first walk with a JetBoil with large pot and I was very impressed by how fast it boiled water, how easy it was to use and how little fuel it used. We also cooked real meals not just boiled water.

I have been doing efficiency testing my new JetBoil with both the STD pot and the larger pot, JB have designed a very nice feature into there stove that the burn rate has been restricted and no matter how fast I ran the stove it used about the same amount of fuel (4-4.9g) to boil 2 metric cups (500ml) of water, the time that I recorded for these tests where from 140 seconds to 840 seconds, for water from 21 C to 95 C.

Tony

[Brett .]

Tony, I am eager to see how you modified the jetboil for use with an inverted canister, and I hope I can get the parts here in Japan.
I look forward to your report!

[Tony Beasley]

Hi Brett,

I will post the pictures of what I have done as soon as I can, I dont have access to a digital camera at the moment.

I make most of the parts I use as I am a machinist by trade and have lathe at home and access to a milling machine. I do not know what expeience or equipment you have. Some of it can be done with purchased parts and I will make a version with them to show you but there is still some machining and brazing that is needed.

The brazing I do is done with a propane torch and some very expensive low melting point Silver brazing rods. It could be possible to make some of the bits with with correct size 7/16 brass and a 7/17 28TPI tap and die and a drill press. Some needle files would help too.

Tony

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