On trail experience with this stove???

[BenK]

I am looking for your on trail experience with this stove. It is the Etekcity Ultralight Portable Mini Outdoor stove which is available on Amazon... it is similar to the design of the smallest msr stove. Can’t beat the price. I was interested in the quality and especially in experience who have owned and used one for a few years....

I would post a link but don’t want people to think I am spamming. Just looking to research before I decide to purchase or not. Thanks...

[D2maine]

have one it works fine, quality is not as good a an msr but it should easily last a thru - bring a bic lighter and ignore the igniter(they never seem to last no matter the brand)

brs 3000 is another option - much lighter than the etekcity

[BenK]

Good to know... ty.

[devoidapop]

Works great for me but I have never used an expensive stove, so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing. I agree the igniter button is garbage. Mine never worked, but you need to carry a flame anyway so just use that to light it.

[BenK]

Thanks! I agree. I am kinda cheap and hate paying for name brands... I also hate thinking I’m getting a bargain, when I’m really just getting junk!....

[nsherry61]

1) Actually, that stove isn't really anything like an MSR PocketRocket in spite of what blind people may claim. It's bigger and more complicated and not as well built.
2) I've talked to plenty of people that have that stove and it works fine for them - but they are not particularly experienced or heavy users.
3) I don't understand why anyone would buy the stove you list when the BRS3000T is much smaller and lighter and works well for a couple dollars more ($15ish instead of $10ish). Many experienced thru-hikers speak highly of the BRS3000T. I love it as a cheap, light, simple alternative when I am solo and not boiling more than a couple cups of water at any one time.

[Starchild]

I have both the one you speak of and the smaller lighter one which is about $5 more. Both work fine for it's purpose. Both are a bit rough around the edges, both usually have some compromise which is manageable. Both seem dependable (exception the igniter, but mine has always worked). I've heard some say the smallest one may have slightly lower efficiency and uneven flame pattern, though that efficiency ding is debatable, and may be due to a increased fuel flow which would be wasteful on any stove, the one they tested may have a higher 'high' setting, which can be dialed back a hair.

[MacBrave]

I have used that stove for almost three years now with really no issues.

As for the BRS-3000T there have been confirmed reports of the pot supports deforming/bending: https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot...r-failure.html

[Franco]

Two common problems with those electric igniters are :
1) the tip is covered with dirt
2) the distance (can be too close or too far from the flame)
The second one is fiddly to fix and as far as I know is just trial and error. (IE I don't have a fix distance for that...)

[BenK]

1) Actually, that stove isn't really anything like an MSR PocketRocket in spite of what blind people may claim. It's bigger and more complicated and not as well built.
2) I've talked to plenty of people that have that stove and it works fine for them - but they are not particularly experienced or heavy users.
3) I don't understand why anyone would buy the stove you list when the BRS3000T is much smaller and lighter and works well for a couple dollars more ($15ish instead of $10ish). Many experienced thru-hikers speak highly of the BRS3000T. I love it as a cheap, light, simple alternative when I am solo and not boiling more than a couple cups of water at any one time.

Good info... I will look into that other stove.

[BenK]

I have both the one you speak of and the smaller lighter one which is about $5 more. Both work fine for it's purpose. Both are a bit rough around the edges, both usually have some compromise which is manageable. Both seem dependable (exception the igniter, but mine has always worked). I've heard some say the smallest one may have slightly lower efficiency and uneven flame pattern, though that efficiency ding is debatable, and may be due to a increased fuel flow which would be wasteful on any stove, the one they tested may have a higher 'high' setting, which can be dialed back a hair.

I’ll have to do some YouTube surfing on the subject... thanks for the info.

[BenK]

I have used that stove for almost three years now with really no issues.

As for the BRS-3000T there have been confirmed reports of the pot supports deforming/bending: https://adventuresinstoving.blogspot...r-failure.html

Good to hear it has lasted you that long. How many times per year do you use it?

[BenK]

Two common problems with those electric igniters are :
1) the tip is covered with dirt
2) the distance (can be too close or too far from the flame)
The second one is fiddly to fix and as far as I know is just trial and error. (IE I don't have a fix distance for that...)

Yes, that seems to be the biggest complaint I’ve heard about it.... I pack wp matches and a couple bics.

[u.w.]

I've got and use(d) both the etek and the brs. Both work well enough in my experience, and one is considerably lighter than the other.
As others have mentioned, the igniter on the etek can be problematic, if not completely useless. Some have had little to no issues with them, but there are plenty who have - myself included. All that said, it was dead simple and easy to remove the igniter from the etek, when mine ceased to function. No need carrying what isn't working for you right? I removed mine while on trail. It didn't hurt the function of the stove at all in my experience... In fact, I still have and occasionally use that very stove, now many years later. Of course I use a lighter to ignite it for use, the same as one would do with various other stoves, i.e. the brs, the supalite, the litemax, various versions of the pocket rocket, fms-116/fms-116t, etc... works just fine.
So, on-trail experience with the etek is good. It's much less expensive than some, and heavier than a few others. The igniter can be an issue, but is easily enough remedied with a simple lighter.

u.w.

[BenK]

I ended up getting 2 of the eteckcity stoves for 14 bucks. My son, who is prone to more solo backpacking trips than I, is getting a brs. They are all small enough that I won’t mind putting one in each pack, and I think the eteck stove will work better for my son on this trip. He is currently refusing to eat oatmeal, so I told him he could pack his own 6” pan for bisquick. Overall I was more interested in quality of the materials and workmanship. I can except a product that is rough around the edges if it is half the price of a name brand item. I can’t waste money on a stove that is chincy and has cheap rivets, welds, o-rings etc, etc.

[MacBrave]

Good to hear it has lasted you that long. How many times per year do you use it?

Not a large amount, maybe 15-20 times a year. I mostly do weekend backpacking trips.

[Gambit McCrae]

Looks like the general Amazon consensus is it is worth the $10. I have had 2 buddies use these without complaint however they are non frequent hikers....couple times a year.

I enjoyed my self igniter when I used a fuel canister, however I learned quickly to JB weld it to the stove so it didn't become loose and fall off.

The little flip out teeth on the stove arms I have never been a big fan of. the rivets always become floppy and that is a sensory issue I have, things becoming loose and floppy lol