View Full Version : Thru-hikers who used Jetboil
Buckeye Hike
01-25-2010, 22:32
Hey all,
Justed wanted to hear from some hikers who used a jotboil for there AT thru-hike. Was wondering how often you had to buy fuel...how often was it was avaliable and so on. I already have a jetboil...love it and don't have money to buy anything else.
Hosaphone
01-25-2010, 23:10
Hey all,
Justed wanted to hear from some hikers who used a jotboil for there AT thru-hike. Was wondering how often you had to buy fuel...how often was it was avaliable and so on. I already have a jetboil...love it and don't have money to buy anything else.
http://zenstoves.net/Construction.htm ;)
Having never used a jetboil, I can't answer your question. Just wanted to point out that alcohol is an option no matter how poor you are.
How fast you go through canisters also will depend on how much you cook - are you cooking dinner every day, are you cooking breakfast, too? Cooking 2 meals a day you will obviously go through them 2x as fast.
Buckeye Hike
01-25-2010, 23:18
Good point. I will be cooking oatmeal every moring and dinner every night
Jetboil is a good canister stove, but I prefer the Snowpeak Litemax canister stove, it will save you some more ounces on pack weight.
I've got a jetboil that I take on shorter hikes but I consider it too heavy for anything longer than a few days.
I've seen quite a few people on the way to Maine or Springer carrying them though.
One thing to consider is that they require the jetboil canisters - but I guess that's not a problem considering how many JB's I've seen on the trail.
iamscottym
01-26-2010, 06:00
I used a jetboil on a section hike from harper's ferry through shenandoah and back. I used it for oatmeal and hot chocolate each morning and MH meals for dinner. For just boiling water its great. I got about 10 days out of a canister and didn't always use the jetboild brand cans. Getting canisters wasn't a problem. I really like how quickly it boils, but as a through hiker pointed out- what's the hurry? I've seen switched to alcohol and haven't looked back.
-Scott
bulldog49
01-26-2010, 08:31
I've got a jetboil that I take on shorter hikes but I consider it too heavy for anything longer than a few days.
I've seen quite a few people on the way to Maine or Springer carrying them though.
One thing to consider is that they require the jetboil canisters - but I guess that's not a problem considering how many JB's I've seen on the trail.
NO!! They do not require the Jetboil canister. You can use Snowpeak or MSR canisters as well.
Don't forget to check the hiker boxes along the way- where you'll almost always find cannisters. I hiked with a buddy last year that rarely bought fuel for his Jetboil because he was able to get by on all those "empty" fuel cannisters left by others.
SGT Rock
01-26-2010, 08:58
I'd recommend a REAL pot and the Coleman F1 Ultralight Extreme if you want to go canister. They had very similar performance to the Jetboil when it comes to fuel efficiency in the Backpacking light tests, and they don't cook in a cup.
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-F1-Ultralight-Stove/dp/B002LBC1EY
I got one for my wife and it works very well.
NO!! They do not require the Jetboil canister. You can use Snowpeak or MSR canisters as well.
My mistake...how about: "Make sure that the canister you buy will fit the stove. Some canisters are too large."
Pedaling Fool
01-26-2010, 09:36
Hey all,
Justed wanted to hear from some hikers who used a jotboil for there AT thru-hike. Was wondering how often you had to buy fuel...how often was it was avaliable and so on. I already have a jetboil...love it and don't have money to buy anything else.
I use one.
Don't buy the Jetboil canisters, others are cheaper, especially Snowpeak Gigapower with no noticeable reduction in operation, regardless of how low the temps get.
I don't bring my water to a rolling boil also I don't open the throttle all the way, wastes too much fuel. Once my water starts boiling I add the rice and simmer with the fuel nozzle open just enough to keep a flame on.
I also cook oatmeal and coffee w/ jetboil and can make a small canister last about 10 days.
Pedaling Fool
01-26-2010, 09:49
BTW, I don't eat out of the cup, I only use it to boil the water (more efficient that way) and to drink coffee from.
I simmer my dinner meals in a pot using one of these http://shop.jetboil.com/index.php/pot-supporter-and-stabilizer.html
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/9/3/6/09-23-061348.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=14209&original=1&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=6936&cutoffdate=-1)
Sue_Bird
01-26-2010, 11:46
my hiking partner used one the entire trail. he loved it. HYOH.
his canisters lasted probably 10 days also, he cooked breakfast and dinner every day, but like above he just used it to heat the water up and then turned it off once it was boiling and he added the rice/couscous/oatmeal (which is the really nice thing about Jetboils; they are insulated.) Canisters are no problem generally although I think he carried a spare.
I use one.
Don't buy the Jetboil canisters, others are cheaper, especially Snowpeak Gigapower I totally agree! Snowpeak is the best of the three, with MSR being the worst in performance overall.
If all you're doing is boiling water (i.e. using freezer bag or mountainhouse meals) then Jetboil and only the cup is the way to go as you can boil enough water to fill your food bag and enough left over to drink a hot drink from the cup. If you're going to do other types of meals that require simmering/cooking, then the Jetboil add-on John Gault uses or Sgt. Rock's suggestion might be the better option.
BobTheBuilder
01-26-2010, 15:01
I was carrying an alcohol stove setup, but I changed to the Jetboil. I only boil water in mine for freezerbag cooking and drinks, same as with my alcohol stove. However, it is so much easier to set up and use, particularly in cold weather, and it actually weighs only about an ounce more than my alcohol setup with 7 days of fuel.
The unexpected benefit is that, because it is so convenient to set up and take down, I now have been having oatmeal and instant coffee for breakfast instead of a granola bar and No-Doz pill.
By the way, if you haven't had the new Starbucks instant coffee, you don't know what you are missing. Man, it is seriously good stuff.
I have a Jetboil and use it sometimes. What I don't like about it is that you can't (or at least I wouldn't) cook over a fire with the cup. I use a Snow Peake cup with my alcohol stove and if I run out of fuel I can heat water over a fire. Also I had one of those canisters lose its seal and empty on me after I unscrewed it from the stove. Now I leave the canister on when I put it back in the cup for storage. The smaller canisters will fit.
Two Speed
01-26-2010, 16:59
By the way, if you haven't had the new Starbucks instant coffee, you don't know what you are missing.If you're going to carry a JetBoil and you're seriously into good coffee on the trail get the coffee press. Knocks out nearly liter of coffee pronto.
Not that I would suggest anything, but when a partner of mine carried a JetBoil and the coffee press I made the sacrifice and carried half-and-half in cold weather. ;)
I think I could beat a jetboil with my Kelly Kettle.
Blue Wolf
01-26-2010, 17:30
Good point. I will be cooking oatmeal every moring and dinner every night You will be done eating oatmeal for breakfast by the time you finish the Smokies people that sleep in on mornings in the shelters just love jetbombs because they sound like a bomb going off when you light them....:eek:
white_russian
01-26-2010, 17:38
If you're going to carry a JetBoil and you're seriously into good coffee on the trail get the coffee press. Knocks out nearly liter of coffee pronto.
Not that I would suggest anything, but when a partner of mine carried a JetBoil and the coffee press I made the sacrifice and carried half-and-half in cold weather. ;)
It is good to see someone actually carrying half and half. I have been contemplating this for a few months since I started putting it in my tea.
gipcgirl
01-26-2010, 17:55
Hey all,
Justed wanted to hear from some hikers who used a jotboil for there AT thru-hike. Was wondering how often you had to buy fuel...how often was it was avaliable and so on. I already have a jetboil...love it and don't have money to buy anything else.
Love my jet boil
Have used it for a couple of years now for short and really long hikes.
I boil water 4 times a day, for coffee twice a day, my main meal, and then hot chocolate at night yum yum. An MSR canister lasts around 10 days if its really cold maybe 8 days.
It is so easy to use no fuss no mess. I do carry a large metal mug as well for the odd times that I want to use an open fire place for my cooking. The mug also doubles up for other uses so not a total waste of weight to have it.
happy hiker
gipcggirl
they sound like a bomb going off when you light them....:eek:If you light them using the igniter, but I usually use a bic lighter and they light with no sound at all when you light the lighter first over the burner and slowly turn the knob.
I too use the Jetboil coffee press and love my gourmet coffee on the trail. I pre-mix everything in a sandwich ziploc: Green Mountain coffee, Splenda, and coffeemate. Just open the bag, dump it in water that has reached a boil (in 60 seconds), stir good, put on the lid with press and you're steeping! The Jetboil cozy is great for warming your hands while drinking the coffee too! :)
I was raised using various home made alcohol stoves that my dad loved playing with.. So starting out I had a strong bias toward alcohol stoves... Until a couple of years ago..
I was on a trip with a friend who had just bought a jetboil and I spent the entire first day teasing him about his fancy stove... By the end of the second day I wanted one...
No fuss, no mess, quick and easy... I'll never go back!
Sure I still play around in the yard with my alcohol stoves, but they no longer have a place in my pack!
300winmag
01-29-2010, 23:58
For winter I use a JB 1.5 L. pot B/C it melts snow so well. In winter I use a (heavy) MSR Dragonfly multi fuel stove W/ white gas and it is absolutely reliable and simmers very low.
I use the simmer feature for baking biscuits and muffins W/ my Backpacker's Pantry fiberglass pot hood "oven" & steel heat dissapator under the pot. The pot lid has an aneroid thermometer pot handle to reegulate baking temperatures.
In summer I use a 1 L. aluminum pot W anodized interior and a Brunton Flex canister stove. The Flex's wide flame ring makes for even heating W/O a hot spot in the center of the pot.
I also love my jetboil. Used it on my AT section, and every other hike for the past four years and cold weather camping. It works well and especially well in extremely cold weather. Nice tip on the different Snowpeak gas though, thanks.
When my burn element screen fell off, I retrieved it, the local outfitter replaced the whole thing. Free. I had the box but no receipt and it was over a year old so in my experience Jet Boil stands by its stuff. The local outfitter just boxed the old one up and sent it back to jet boil. I am not critical of alcohol stoves and saw some pretty neat hommade ones on the AT with fellows doing freezer bag cooking. I am not very good at building stoves out of a soda can and am impressed by those who do. The fuel cannisters seem to last a long time. We did meals in it on the AT since we were sharing, stoves and food, but I usually use it to boil water and use a seperate cup and fold up plastic plate to eat. It was a pricey investment that I have never regretted. A little bulky and I have to watch pack weight but it is worth it to me.