What stove should I take on the trail?

[Mags]

By the way, it's the heat exchanger and cozy on the Jetboil that creates the efficiency.

How much weight does it add? Trade-off for the efficiency I imagine? With the setup you have, it is about 10 oz IIRC.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...l#.URqWdeOe-Do


Guess we are in agreement, though: : Best for multi-meal resupply and boils (~8-10) and solo.

The lack of versatility (it is a system after all) and price were always negatives for me as well. But that's my own personal preference.

[RockDoc]

I saw a lot of angst among alky stove users because they can be very fussy, messy, and slow.
You won't be using a canister stove for very long before alky stove people are begging hot water off you, because you have plenty and they don't have enough.

[Starchild]

Because it is heavy and not very efficient overall in terms of weight and what it does.

It is quick and convenient. That can be a plus for many people. But it pretty much is only a water boiler IMO.

I'd rather take a Coleman F1. Almost as many BTUs as a Jet Boil for a fraction of the weight and price. More versatile, too.
Great reviews. Harder to find, though.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...thread_id=1139
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...e_review.html\

Can still get it online fairly easily:
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Expone.../dp/B0009VC7UG

And..yeah, I did mean 10 COOKED meals. Sorry, should edit that.

I can understand your point, but what I can't understand is how I am reading this, if you are single and want a easy way to boil water then it's the Jetboil, and (as I read it), if you are a couple and want a easy way to boil water it's not the Jetboil.

That really has me confused as a couple using a Jetboil will make out much better then a single hiker using a Jetboil.

[DavidNH]

I still swear by my trusty whisperlite. It fires up every time with no trouble. It cooks hot. For me reliability and efficiency of cooking trumps the few extra ounces.

[fins1838]

pocket rocket. fer sure

[colorado_rob]

How much weight does it add? Trade-off for the efficiency I imagine? With the setup you have, it is about 10 oz IIRC.

Guess we are in agreement, though: : Best for multi-meal resupply and boils (~8-10) and solo.

The lack of versatility (it is a system after all) and price were always negatives for me as well. But that's my own personal preference.

If you don't carry the little useless bottom cup and "stabilizer", my JB weighs 8.9 oz, total verified with my scale (which is carefully calibrated w/ a known 500 gm weight). One WB member (Starbright? Starchild?) in another thread introduced the fantastic idea of carrying a little 0.1 ounce tea-light cup, which when filled w/ alcohol, boils 1.5 cups in the Jetboil Sol Ti pot. Great little backup idea for when canisters aren't available.

[colorado_rob]

I can understand your point, but what I can't understand is how I am reading this, if you are single and want a easy way to boil water then it's the Jetboil, and (as I read it), if you are a couple and want a easy way to boil water it's not the Jetboil.

That really has me confused as a couple using a Jetboil will make out much better then a single hiker using a Jetboil.

Yeah, agree, I'm confused as well. My wife and I use the JB Sol Ti together and the amount of water it boils is perfect for two decent sized cups of coffee/tea or even two BP meals (the ones that use 1.5 cups each). It boils three cups. Fast. Not sure why anyone would think the JB doesn't work well for two.

[Mags]

3 cups ain't much for a meal when you have two hungry hikers..esp when thru-hiking. If you are doing multiple boils due to a small pot, it is not as efficient.

I am glad it works for you and of course there will always be exceptions. But, I feel pretty comfortable based on experience and that of others.


Some bald, short not-too-good-looking guy on the Internet is not the person you need to convince. Hope it works for you.


Ultimately, it is just gear. Really not that important.

[MuddyWaters]

I saw a lot of angst among alky stove users because they can be very fussy, messy, and slow.
You won't be using a canister stove for very long before alky stove people are begging hot water off you, because you have plenty and they don't have enough.

fussy - nope, only ones that require priming
Messy - nope
slow - not really. Slower than a cannister for sure.If you are in such a hurry you cant spare 3 min extra, why are you walking?

[colorado_rob]

3 cups ain't much for a meal when you have two hungry hikers..

Ultimately, it is just gear. Really not that important.

Three cups (really, a tad over 3 fits in the pot) has always been perfect for my wife and myself for two meals, or two 12-oz cups of beverage, but yes, agreed: small variations in gear are really REALLY not important ! I way over-think the damn stuff. Occupational hazard. Engine-nerd.

All said and done, even with my Love Affair with the JB, given all the advice on here, I really do want to try the Alchy-thing. Plenty of time to experiment, coming up soon!

[Another Kevin]

fussy - nope, only ones that require priming
Messy - nope
slow - not really. Slower than a cannister for sure.If you are in such a hurry you cant spare 3 min extra, why are you walking?

In my experience, a little bit of 'fussy' in the building pays dividends in having stuff work on the trail. I'm quite pleased with my Penny Stove 2.0. Above about freezing, it's self-priming, below freezing, a few drops of alcohol in the base and a wisp of toilet paper or a bit of grass prime it nicely. And once it's primed I've never, ever had the wind blow it out. But I will concede that it was fussy to build. And it needs a pot stand, although two irrigation stakes and a piece of bailing wire isn't horribly fussy to my way of thinking. (I'm still working on trying to do a pot-stand-and-windscreen combination that isn't unacceptably tippy. Dryer duct and coathanger wire is ok, but heavier that what I'm carrying now. And the coathanger wire burns through eventually.)

Messy? If you're a klutz like me that spills when pouring anything, then any liquid-fuel stove is messy. And I still haven't switched to a canister.

For me, with a proper windscreen, the Penny 2.0 boils a half-litre of water in about 5 minutes, using just under an ounce of fuel. An ounce and 2/3 or thereabouts will boil a whole litre in about 8-9 minutes. Not quite as fast as a canister, but a lot faster and slightly more efficient than my SuperCat. The only alcohol stove I've built that has nearly the same performance is the Photon stove, and that one is fussy. (Hard to fill, cantankerous to prime.)

I wouldn't carry the Penny if I expected to melt snow. (But at the moment, with my current state of gear and training, if I expect to melt snow I'm not going.)

Like my microspikes or my sleeping bag, it's one of my pieces of gear that Just Work. I love gear that I don't have to worry about because it Just Works.
I'd love to be there with all my gear.

[MuddyWaters]

My tealight setup with fosters pot boils 2cups in 7.5 min, on a touch less than 0.5 fl oz fuel.
My larger tealight setup with 1.3 L evernew pot, boils 4 cups water in 9.5 min, on 1.1 fl oz fuel.

I like the quiet.
No prime, no hassle.
No waiting to "bloom" to put pot on.
Squirt in to fill to normal level mark, light, done.
When water boils, snuff the stove with pot lid, and pour any unburned fuel back into fuel bottle.

[takethisbread]

while i dont use the Jetboil anymore, i believe the weight is mitigated by its fuel efficiency. On AT hikes, or any hike with semi regular supply points, carrying more than a single 3oz canister is an overreaction. folks with lighter stoves might be carrying 2 to 3 times the fuel due to its lack of eficiency. I believe Jetboils greatest drawbacks are its bulkiness (for ultra lightweight backpackers with small packs) and its lack of lightweight versatility.

How much weight does it add? Trade-off for the efficiency I imagine? With the setup you have, it is about 10 oz IIRC.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...l#.URqWdeOe-Do


Guess we are in agreement, though: : Best for multi-meal resupply and boils (~8-10) and solo.

The lack of versatility (it is a system after all) and price were always negatives for me as well. But that's my own personal preference.

[Bosman]

I have read a breakdown of weight per use and the short trips alcohol stoves were best. Cooking for two meant a canister. Over six days trip and canister was just as or more efficient because a canister can easy cook 10 meals.
Short trip - alcohol/ esbit
Long or for 2 or more people - gas canister stoves.

[tds1195]

I have read a breakdown of weight per use and the short trips alcohol stoves were best. Cooking for two meant a canister. Over six days trip and canister was just as or more efficient because a canister can easy cook 10 meals.
Short trip - alcohol/ esbit
Long or for 2 or more people - gas canister stoves.

Do you have a link to the article? That may be helpful.

[Rock Lobster]

I did 1000+ mile chunks with both the Whisperlite and a JetBoil. I only had trouble getting fuel for either one once or twice. You will always be able to get cannister fuel, although it might be a different size than you want (like the shorter, wider MSR cannisters instead of the narrower snopeak/jetboil ones. No difference in performance, just packing. The coleman fluid is a little harder, because it's not as popular. Most outfitters and hostels will sell it by the ounce, which is great, but I occasionall had to go to Sports Authority or a hardware store to buy the big half-gallon can and leave most of it behind. On ease of resupply, I'd go with cannisters by a nose. I've never used an alcohol stove so can't speak to that.

[jeffmeh]

Do you have a link to the article? That may be helpful.

I suspect it is Mags' article. Who knew, another guy originally from RI who is literate.

http://www.pmags.com/stove-comparison-real-world-use

[SoCalled]

Options.

Thats the key word. You need options. Bring a little of everything.

My setup can burn esbit, pop can stove alcohol and wood. And I also carry a Monatauk Gnat (stove only. no canister. 48g) so depending on the situation, you will choose what to use. Plenty of time and dry conditions ? Wood. Going short on alcohol ? Esbit. Met a girl and want to showoff ? Monatauk Gnat. You can always find a canister / buy it from a pal (or the girl you just met). Dont carry any. This way, the sky is wide open just for you. You are ready for anything.

[Mags]

I suspect it is Mags' article. Who knew, another guy originally from RI who is literate.

http://www.pmags.com/stove-comparison-real-world-use

...and I took those numbers from a Mechanical Engineering article that really broke down the numbers. Other websites had similar numbers. After about 8-10 boils, an alchy stove loses its advantages.

The Sol Ti Jet Boil appears to be the only Jetboil that really seems has a weight to efficiency ratio that makes it weigh overall less than other canister stoves. But $150? Ouch. And, again, that is using the stand .8 liter pot.

A standard "two person" (ha!) Mountain House meal with ~600 calories takes 2 cups of water. I am using packet of Beef Stroganoff with Noodles for comparison. If two thru hikers can get by on ~300 calories for a meal..God bless ya!

Doing multiple boils wit the standard .8 liter pot? The efficiency that makes up for the extra weight is lost. Add a bigger 1.5 liter Jet Boil pot for 4 oz and more $$$ an it is probably as efficient again vs other stoves for multiple people. But $200+ is a lot of money just to boil water IMO.

But, again, you really can't beat the fast boil times and ease of use vs other stoves. If I did "boil and cook" only meals for all my outdoor activities and did not mind the bulk/price THIS would my stove of choice for sure.

I figure my article is about right because alchy stove users, wood burning stoves users and Jetboil users all had sent me nasty-grams in the past.

Having said all this, my favorite stove is a something I bought back in 1996. The Coleam 1lb propane canister stove. Cheap, quick and cooked more than few meals on my truck's tailgate before a hike or the way to somewhere. Cooks a quick cup of joe, too! Sucks for backpacking..but the thing will probably outlive me.

Anyway..the above is JMO. Opinions are much like a particular part of the body: We all have one and they all stink!

[colorado_rob]

So now some ACTUAL Jetboil Sol Ti numbers, just now accurately measured: The JB Sol pot hold exactly 3.5 cups, when filled to about 1/4" down from the rim. My wife's meals take from 1 & 1/3rd cups to 1.5 cups. Mine take 1.5 to 2 cups, depending. (the double meals take 2, the "pro" single 500 cal. meals, 1.5. Not sure where the "300 calorie' meal comment comes from, but the JB Sol can make three of those at a pop.

Therefore: The Jetboil Sol Ti system is perfetly efficient for a couple. Might even work for two dudes, as long as 3.5 cups works for their meal scheme. And from what I've seen, the single most fuel efficient system out there.