Cooking system for a group of 4?

[Ian Rae]

I’m considering trying to simplify my cooking system, and looking for input.  We are a family of 4 frequently doing 2-10 day 3 season backpacking/climbing trips in the North Cascades and occasionally overseas.  Our current setup is a (previous generation) MSR Windpro remote canister stove with a 2L  MSR Titan pot and small titanium mugs for individual servings.

We sometimes (often) simmer food rather than just freezer bag cooking, etc, so simmer control is important.  With a group this size, it seems that a remote stove makes the most sense.

Anyone else with experience cooking with a group of 4?  I’m open to considering 2 smaller canister top stoves, Jetboil/Windburner, etc if it would save weight.

[Bruce Tolley]

I myself am in the “if it is not broken, don’t fix it”  school of thought.

A few years ago here at BPL a test was conducted with Jetboil types of stoves vs non heat transfer systems . My recollection is that the cross over point was after 4 or 5 nights.  Namley, the test showed that the extra fuel efficiency of a Jetboil only helped save weight (total wieght of stove/pot system + total weight of fuel carried) after 4 or 5 nights because of the extra weight of the Jetboil stove/pot system.

By searching on BPL you could find the test report and the spreadsheet.

Also with two stoves, you would be carrying the additional weight of the 2nd canister

[Bruce Tolley]

Re Does the fuel efficiency of Jetboil help you save weight?

Here is one of the studies from “Hikin Jim”

https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/2014/12/fuel-efficiency-jetboils-vs-regular.html?m=1

Cheers

[dirtbag]

I use my MSR windburner  1L set when I have gone out with wife and kids, total 4 of us. We mostly just boil water and freezer bag cook and I make it a point to bring meals that require the least amount of water to prepare. It also boils water so quickly that if needed I can get 2 meals soaking and then boil up more water within 2 minutes or so for the other 2 meals.  You could try the 2L version if that fancys you. Its pretty compact set up.. Though your set up is kind of the same I think. 

[dirtbag]

I also have the hang kit for it.. I see you mentioned climbing trips.. Not sure if the hang kit matters for you, but it does work and is nifty feature…

[BlackHatGuy]

“You could try the 2L version if that fancys you.”

While many people use this, do know that you can’t reset the remote canister version in the field, it has to go into MSR, while you can reset the 1-liter version in the field. They do have a 1.8L pot that you can use with the 1-liter stove. They recommend not using the 2.5L pot with the 1-liter stove because it’s much less stable, fwiw.

[Bruce Tolley]

Phil Werner at SectionHiker made a table of which Jetboils support simmering:

https://sectionhiker.com/can-you-cook-food-in-a-jetboil/

[DAN-Y]

Make it easy on yourself, get this:

Reactor 2.5L Camping Stove System – The Reactor 2.5L stove system from MSR combines state of the art cookware with a revolutionary design, making the Reactor the fastest, most fuel-efficient stove system ever. The Reactor’s radiant burner is enclosed by a unique heat exchanger for unmatched performance in windy conditions while an advanced pressure regulator provides optimal heat output over the life of a fuel canister. The Reactor outperforms the competition, delivering incredibly efficient heat transfer. Stove and fuel stow inside of the high-efficiency 2.5-liter pot that excels with groups up to four people. The wider pot makes it a snow-melting expedition powerhouse. A collapsible handle locks the unique see-thru lid in place for easy transport. In the conditions you rely on a stove the most, only the Reactor 2.5L stove system can pull through.

[BlackHatGuy]

The problem with the Reactor is you can’t simmer.

[DAN-Y]

My reactor can simmer.

Simmer mode:

 

Full Open valve

[Bonzo]

I really, really, really love that remote…where’s the drooling smiley, again?

[DAN-Y]

[BlackHatGuy]

Did you mod the reactor to have the remote setup? I didn’t think the reactor offered a remote setup, only the windburner, which does offer a remote setup (and which will simmer).

[Edward John M]

Isn’t the Reactor the one with the CO problem on low?

[Ken Larson]

@zelph2 What stove system did you mate the Reactor stove portion to in your pictures above?

[Ian Rae]

Thanks, all! The Test from HikinJim was just what I needed to help make a decision. While the potential weight savings happen faster with a group of four, I’m not seeing much of a scenario where switching to a different stove with a heat exchanger pot consistently saves me significant weight.

I may still end up with a Windburner or Reactor for bad weather, but I think I’ll aim to adjust our cooking style to do less simmering and try to save some weight that way.

[Edward John M]

If you already have a remote stove simply get a bigger and wider pot for better heat exchange. You don’t have to put 5 litres of water in a 5 litre pot, but 2.5 litres will boil faster in a wide rather than tall pot and simmering is easily controlled with a simple stainless steel mesh flame spreader.
I’m using the GSI Halulite 4.6L pot for my group camp cooking but there are cheaper versions straight from Ali Express
https://gsioutdoors.com/halulite-4-7-l-pot.html
No wasted space because almost everything fits inside it and it fills the MSR foil windscreen very well

[DAN-Y]

Ken, I used a Brunton stove stand for the remote set-up

 

[BlackHatGuy]

Oh sure, show off something that’s no longer available! :-)

[DAN-Y]

Get the windburner with remote

[Bonzo]

Oh sure, show off something that’s no longer available! :-)

I know, right?  I’ve been looking for one and they just don’t exist.  I also haven’t found a secondhand Reactor for sale, so I can’t even start from that end and make one! 🤬

[DAN-Y]

I teach my stoves what I want them to do

[BlackHatGuy]

“Get the windburner with remote”

Unfortunately that one is not field re-settable.

[DAN-Y]

Just follow the directions and you won’t have to re-set

[Bruce Tolley]

@ Ian

Glad to help.

Cheers!

[Author]

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