View Full Version : Canister+PR vs. Jetboil?
OK, I'm gonna stir it up again. Has anyone used both? Has anyone switched from one of these to the other?
The Jetboil PCS is a tidy package, fuel-efficient, but several oz. heavier than it ought to be.
OTOH, a Pocket Rocket can be used with any pot or canister.
I own both already, but haven't taken either one on an extended hike.
Cherokee Bill
12-14-2006, 20:19
:eek: The Jetboil take up a great deal of pack space, where as the Rockets space requirement is negligible!
Go with the ROCKET;)
Jack Tarlin
12-14-2006, 20:24
It should be pointed out that while the entire JetBoil system takes up more space than a PocketRocket, this includes the cookpot. Also, a fuel cannister will neatly fit inside a Jet Boil wehn packed up, so when the whole JB sysyetm is broken down and packed away, it takes up around the same ammount of space as a Nalgene bottle. When you look at what other folks are carrying in terms of stoves, pots, fuel bottles, etc, and when you look to see how much space all of this stuff takes up in or outside your pack when you combine it, you'll see that carrying a JetBoil frequently means you'll be taking up LESS pack space rather than more.
Just a thought.
The JB sysytem is certainly heavier than other cannister stoves, but not by that much, and for some people, this is more than made up for by having a faster, more fuel-effficient stove. Most folks who've used a JB on their hikes have been really happy with them.
I have the PR, and wind really affects it. Haven't tried the windscreen but I understand its tricky. Don't get me wrong, its a great stove. The JetBoil is a bit larger when you consider the pot and everything, but I think its competitive. If I needed both stove and pot, then I'd probably go with JetBoil if money were not an issue.
Jack Tarlin
12-14-2006, 20:42
Funny thing......
I know LOTS of folks who'll think nothing of spending thirty or forty bucks just on a cookpot.
In that the JB cooker comes with the stove (i.e. it's all self-contained) money really ISN'T an issue here.......for example if you buy a Giga or Pocket Rocket (at $39.95), and then go spending money for a top of the line cookpot, you're spending almost as much as you would for a JB.
In short, it's not really about the money. It's about how efficient you want your stove to be, how quickly you want to eat a hot meal at the end of the day, and how important it is to save a few ounces of pack weight.
Its all good, people haveta figure out what'll work best for THEM.
Funny thing......
I know LOTS of folks who'll think nothing of spending thirty or forty bucks just on a cookpot.
I resemble that statement. It's really simple. For me, cash isn't an issue, but free time is. I don't get to live on the trail like some folks here. My time on the trail is limited and precious.
To make matters even more interesting... in summer/fall of next year I'll have a (relatively) large chunk of time in which to hike. If I do everything exactly right, it might even be enough time to complete my last section of the trail. It will require a few more miles per day than I've achieved in past sections.
I'm just sayin... a few oz. here and there, in my case, may actually make the difference between finishing the trail next year, or not.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-14-2006, 21:49
My brother has this stove and loves it.
iamscottym
12-15-2006, 12:55
I have one, it's amazing. However, I may not bring it on my thru due to the availability of the mini canisters. Does anyone know how hard they are to find along the trail?
leeki pole
12-15-2006, 13:50
Jet Boil rules. :sun
Scotty, from what I understand, you can find them just about everywhere on the trail.
Jim Adams
12-15-2006, 14:27
finding fuel cannisters are not a problem anywhere along the A.T.
iamscottym
12-15-2006, 14:36
Are you guys talking about the 100g canisters, or the larger ones. I knew the standard canisters were available, but I didn't know about the mini's.