What is your opinion of and/or experience with:

MSR Pocket Rocket vs. Esbit stoves?

Thanks, Barbara

Esbit stoves are very light and have one of the most fuel/weigh efficent systems going. The fuel can be expensive. Beware Trioxane which is a lot cheaper and not nearly as efficient.

I prefer alcohol to all three.

I agree with the Top Dog...alcohol is the way to go. Rock, I am STILL using that stove you sent me on my thru-hike. Its still going strong!

Yea, go for the alcohol stove, easier to find the fuel than Esbit (& probably the PR) way light (mine weighs about 1 1/2 Oz including stand), cheap (mine cost around $0.40 each) and work well on the trail. And, there are a few here at white blaze that make em & sell cheap.

Doctari.

What is your opinion of and/or experience with:

MSR Pocket Rocket vs. Esbit stoves?

Thanks, Barbara

Esbit: light, lower heat output,

Pocket Rocket: canister, hot, light

Both canisters and esbit usually available only at outfitters. Esbit can be shipped by post office. Shipping canisters is a no no.

You will see both types used along the AT, as well as white gas stoves and alcohol stoves, and zip stoves.

I'd go with alcohol for a thru-hike, but I prefer my canister stove for 1-2 week section hikes for its ease-of-use and speed primarily. On a longer hike I wouldn't want to deal with the hassle of acquiring and properly disposing of canisters.

I agree with Kerosene. For weekend trips up to a week I use my MSR Pocket Rocket. You can't beat the ease of use, quick screaming hot flame combined with its light weight/portability. For section/thru-hiking alcohol seems to be the way to go. Wish I had one in 97.

Yeti, I got one now that works even better than that one did. When I get back I'll send you one. this one is consistantly bringing a pint of water in the low 60's to boil on about 2 caps of alcohol (12 ml) and the entire set up with screen is about 0.6 ounces +/- 0.1 ounces. I use it daily and even have had some novices build their own to ensure the design is simple enough for ANYONE to build. I got an idea to go even smaller, but it will require JB weld and other stuff. Check it out: http://hikinghq.net/forum/showthread.php?threadid=749