MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Stove Kit

I purchased this kit back in 2020 when I decided that I wanted a canister fuel stove and a pot that was better suited for solo adventures. Prior to this, I had mostly used a homemade alcohol stove if I was going solo and trying to be lightweight, and the MSR Whisperlight white gas stove for all other trips. I had also used a 1.5 liter pot for both solo and group cooking, so having a smaller pot for solo trips appealed to me.

Things I like: I appreciate the space saving design of bowl, fuel, and stove all nesting together, and I find that my lighter fits as well. I have found the stove itself to perform consistently well. At 0.75L the pot is just large enough to make a box of mac n cheese using the “boil and soak” method (removing it from heat once it’s boiling so as to not boil over), which is an important metric for me. I haven’t had any issues with the lack of a handle and the small grabber tool works well for removing it from the heat. I generally only boil water for meals so the ability to do this quickly is more important to me than the ability to control the heat.

Things I don’t like: I have had one of the arms loosen up and I haven’t been able to tighten it well, so sometimes I’ll have to flip it back up to be able to provide a solid base for my pot. However, once flipped, it generally stays that way unless I’m bumping it around. Since the whole kit packs into its own pot, if I just want to bring the stove by itself with my larger pot for a group setting I don’t have a case for packing it to keep it protected. However, I’ve been able to manage this by being thoughtful about how I pack it with the rest of my cooking gear. It also would be nice if it had its own ignition, but I’ve been able to manage fine without it and it is one less thing to fail. I often don’t find myself bringing the accompanying bowl unless I feel like I’m going to want a hot beverage at the same time as the rest of my food.

Since I grew up using sometimes finicky white gas liquid fuel stoves, I’ve really appreciated how easy the PocketRocket stove is to use, though it has its own limitations with cold weather and wind. I won’t be getting rid of my Whisperlight or alcohol stove, but I do use the PocketRocket for most of my adventures. I’ve also received feedback from new backpackers I’ve taken out that after experiencing how easy it can be to use the PocketRocket stove they feel empowered to try their own backcountry cooking. I don’t have much personal experience with other similar canister stoves, but I’ve generally been happy with this purchase.