View Full Version : jet boil system
hey blazers..I got a question, I am considering getting the group cooking system even though it will just be me..with the cup also..so I can quickly heat something or have the bigger pot if I want to cook something slower in bigger quantity..perhaps to share.:) .or to cook things that would not be feasible in the cup.i will also carry a 1oz alcohol for a backup and to just change fuel use up some..tell me what you think..thx
SGT Rock
09-17-2006, 01:36
I understand wanting to change pots, makes sense and seems like it may be a good option to go with if you want to use the JetBoil system. I don't really think you need to have two pots and two stoves. I would recommend if you want a canister you look at a Coleman F1 Ultralight Exponent, a 3Q Anti-Gravity Gear pot, and a plastic coffee mug. But that is just another option. I would play around with what you plan to use (starting with the cheapest option) and see what you are comfortable with.
If you make an alcohol stove, aluminum 3Q pot, and a plastic coffee mug and try hiking with it, you could be very happy, save lots of money, and carry very little weight. Best of all worlds.
Or you could just go buy a JetBoil, that other pot too pot, and make an alcohol stove and try to figure out how to use a JetBoil pot on it. Hike with them both for a while, and then decide on exactly what you want and have to send stuff home and then you wasted energy, money, and effort.
Ramble~On
09-17-2006, 03:34
I would not buy a Jet Boil.
For the money, weight and size you get what out of the deal.....
Hot water.
There are many stoves that will give you hot water for less weight, less bulk and a lot less money.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-17-2006, 05:55
I got an email from a family member asking me about the group Jetboil - specifically if you can cook with it as opposed to just boil water. The Jetboil web site (http://www.jetboil.com/Products/Cooking-Systems/Group-%28GCS%29)says "Simmer, fry, or sauté for groups with this flexible 1.5 liter system. Ideal for gourmet cooking, scouts, family camping, snow melting." about the larger version. Does anyone know if this is true?
I got an email from a family member asking me about the group Jetboil - specifically if you can cook with it as opposed to just boil water. The Jetboil web site (http://www.jetboil.com/Products/Cooking-Systems/Group-%28GCS%29)says "Simmer, fry, or sauté for groups with this flexible 1.5 liter system. Ideal for gourmet cooking, scouts, family camping, snow melting." about the larger version. Does anyone know if this is true?
Sounds like manufacturer hype to me. A 1.5 liter pot may be fine when cooking for two, but much for a larger group, I'd want a larger pot at the very least. And how much gourmet cooking can you do with only one pot anyway?
Just Jeff
09-17-2006, 10:27
The JB is way convenient. JBs are like hammocks - you either love them or hate them. Curiously, many of the folks who hate them don't have them and only a few have actually tried them. :p
I like mine. I wouldn't carry both pots unless I was splitting the weight with a partner, though - it's pretty heavy for the benefit I'd get from both pots. If you have a partner then you could both have your own container, which would be convenient.
There are lighter options, but few are as convenient, IMO.
There are a few big threads dealing with the JB here - it's worth the search if you haven't bought yet.
Long feet
09-17-2006, 11:09
Hey,
I received the jetboil as a present this last Christmas. It was a little bit too much money for what you get. I was very happy to get it as a present though. I have moved across the country twice in the last year and a half, and used the jetboil camping and cooking in motels. Here is what I think of it:
Pro:
It is the most convenient stove on the market.
It heats water extremely fast.
It uses very little fuel.
The built in cozy insulates very well.
The built in wind shield also works very well.
Con:
Very expensive.
A little heavy (and I am not an ultralight weight backpacker).
Fragile. My piezo electric started just broke on my last trip. This is replaceable, but I have not had this stove long.
You can't tell when you will run out of fuel, so you have to carry an extra fuel cannister which adds more weight.
I really do like this stove for short trips and car camping, but I will rely on my primus kettle and homemade penny stove for long trips. I think that the larger jetboil would be great for shorter trips and car camping as well. I really like the alcohol stove for durability. If you mistakenly step on it, you can bend it back and have some kind of working stove on the spot. The jet boil would require taking along a replacement part. Thanks. Just my thoughts on the jetboil.
hammock engineer
09-17-2006, 11:17
hey blazers..I got a question, I am considering getting the group cooking system even though it will just be me..with the cup also..so I can quickly heat something or have the bigger pot if I want to cook something slower in bigger quantity..perhaps to share.:) .or to cook things that would not be feasible in the cup.i will also carry a 1oz alcohol for a backup and to just change fuel use up some..tell me what you think..thx
If I remember right, aren't you going for a winter hike? I haven't used the JB, but I have read mixed reviews about using it in cold weather. You might want to look into this a little more. Maybe someone who has it can comment more on this.
Just Jeff
09-17-2006, 11:18
Some places sell little strips that you can stick on the side of a fuel cannister to see how much fuel is left. Once you get your usage pattern down, you may feel comfortable not carrying an extra cannister for a while until it starts getting low. I haven't used them so I don't know how accurate they are, though.
Just Jeff
09-17-2006, 11:20
JBs are like any cannister stove in winter - it's not what they're designed for. But there are several cold-weather fuel mixtures that help. I had some trouble with mine in sub-freezing windy conditions but I had the normal fuel mixture. Next time I'm gonna do the BPL trick of wrapping a copper wire around the cannister and putting the ends in the flame to keep the cannister warm. Living on the edge...
saimyoji
09-17-2006, 11:54
SP Giga can be used down to -10*. At least that's what it says in the instruction sheet. :cool:
JJ: I'm very interested in those strips. Can you elaborate? Link?
saimyoji
09-17-2006, 11:58
Never mind.
http://www.backcountryedge.com/products/brunton/gas_gauge.aspx?Affiliate=44
Long feet
09-17-2006, 14:30
Those gauges are meant for butane canisters. Aren't the jetboil canisters isobutane? Would these work?
Never mind.
http://www.backcountryedge.com/products/brunton/gas_gauge.aspx?Affiliate=44
SGT Rock
09-17-2006, 14:35
I think they would still work.
Btw, JB makes fuel canisters for cold weather. And anyhoo, in cold weather one can always put their canisters of any type in bed with you at night!
I used a Jet Boil on my last section hike thru the GSMNP, I am having second thoughts, My trip started there were two of us and the JB was great!!! then 4 days by myself and I missed my tin man set up. In fact today I built a ION stove and it worked great!! SO if I was going with my family the JB would go with me, BUT by myself I will not take it. I am sure this is as clear as mud for some one wanting to try the JB.
Sandy B
Jack Tarlin
09-26-2006, 19:43
Just wanted to mention that I ran into Dwight Aspinwall today in town.....he's the founder of Jet Boil and the guy who came up with the original concept. He a very nice guy and also a serious hiker; he'd just completed a 16-day southbound stretch from Grafton Notch back to Hanover. He said he'd encountered tons of Northbounders, including quite a few who were using his stove, which of course he got a kick out of.
Personally, I think the JB system is terrific; for those who are cooking for two, or those who want a larger dinner, I'd sugest you use their new 1.5 liter pot (introduced this past spring).
Also, for those who consider the Jet Boil merely a fancy way to boil water, this simply isn't true. There are certainly some high-end hikers who use their JB only to boil water for a Mountain House dinner or somesuch, but there are many others who cook dinners (Liptons, etc.) in their Jet Boils. Because the stove burns so efficiently, one needs to use a bit of extra care and supervision---i.e., don't leave the stove untended for very long---but the advantage is you'll be eating long before the folks with the little homemade stoves.
Is the JB system heavier than alcohol or homemade stoves? Well, yeah, tho not if you're one of those people that habitually carries more than 10-12 ounces of liquid fuel out of town.
One does pay a small "weight penalty" when using a Jet Boil. What one gets in return is a great stove, that either heats water or cooks VERY efficiently, that takes up litle space in your pack (about the same size as a Nalgene bottle), and that most users are delighted with.
Were I to thru-hike again, I'd very strongly consider using a Jet Boil.
What did you use for cooking on your last thru (have you done more than one)?
How did it work best for you?
humunuku
09-27-2006, 09:05
I like JB, it works well for me. I freezerbag cook. The high speed boil is super nice for breakfast when you want to eat and get going (assuming that you have a hot breakfast.) It packs up great with giga-power or jetboil canisters. Also, the french press option is kinda neat for short trips.
bottom line - there are a lot of good options, i don't think there is a perfert one out there. JB, alcohol, pocket rocket, ect... will all produce a hot meal.
Jack Tarlin
09-27-2006, 16:47
Tinker:
I used a Whisperlite 600 Internationale on my first few thru-hikes, and was very happy with it. I then switched over to an MSR cannister stove (I've used several models, most recently the Pocket Rocket).
On my last long hikes, including my last thru (in 2003) I've used either a Pocket Rocket, a SnowPeak Giga (another excellent lightweight cannister stove), or a Jet Boil.
This past year I used both the Giga and the Jet Boil and was very happy with both.
Were I to thru-hike again (God forbid!!) I would most likely take one of these stoves with me as I'm delighted with both of them.
Last october we had a freak snowstorm here in WV (we all wondered where Jim Cantori was but he never showed up???) and was without power for 5 days. Used a propane heater to heat the house and used my jetboil to feed the family. I had to do it in steps but it worked like a champ. I love it.
:) i love my jetboil,i use it in combination with freezer bag cooking.plus i use a nice camo cozy:cool: neo
:) i love my jetboil,i use it in combination with freezer bag cooking.plus i use a nice camo cozy:cool: neo
I don't think we have any pics of your camocozy yet. ;)
I don't think we have any pics of your camocozy yet. ;)
i will make a pic of it and post it.:cool: neo
Just Jeff
09-29-2006, 11:32
Take a pic of your son holding it in his football uniform. (J/K, neo - all in fun!)
Seriously, post a pic of the cozy.
twosticks
09-29-2006, 16:26
I have to agree with the pro's on the JB. The fuel lasts for a good long time, it cooked (not boiled) my food in no time and the french press was a very nice thing to have. For a week long trip with two people make breakfast lunch and dinner with coffee in the morning and night, we still had fuel left over.
middle to middle
09-30-2006, 16:30
I love my Jet Boil. Coffee and soup fast. It keeps coffee hot so you can take time drinking it and it doesn't get cold. And its cool. The the gas suply lasts and lasts. It is so fast you have to stand by or it it is boiling all away when you return.