Anyone used a Pocket Rocket stove by MSR?

[ianmorris]

I am thinking about getting a Pocket Rocket by MSR as they are only 3oz. Does anyone have an opinion on them? Are threaded butane canisters available in trail towns? I know a lot of hikers recommend making a stove from a can but I don't know how to do this and I don't feel comfortable starting the AT without something to cook with.

[Lone Wolf]

I have a Pocket Rocket and love the damn thing. 1 cannister lasted two us 8 days. In towns I knew that didn't carry them I shipped them. Damn good stove! The only drawback is price of the fuel. About 5 bucks per cannister.

[chris]

You can get cannisters at NOC (Wesser) and in Hot Springs. I don't recall if Uncle Johnny carries them or not. Some people were able to find cannisters in, I think, Franklin.

To make an alcohol stove: Get yourself a can (beer, soda, beans, etc). Cut off all but the bottom 2 inches (roughly the bottom third).
Now you have a primative alcohol stove. To get fancy, put a little fiberglass insulation in it. You'll need a stove stand, too. A small coffee can, cut down to be an inch or so taller than the stove and with lots of vents cut in works. However, there are better designs out there. Take a look at Sgt. Rock's homepage. Great pictures and instructions.

[Treehuga17]

I have a pocket rocket and it is the best stove that I have ever used! It is lightweight, and lasts forever! The great thing about them is that they are reasonably cheap and an excellent quality. If you need a stove, I would definately reccommend this one.

[gravityman]

I have the snow peak giga power. We hiked with our MSR whisper-HEAVY and I just recently got the gigapower with auto-ignite. I was pretty excited about the auto-ignite, but unfortunately a lighter is easier to use and is more reliable. I just unscrewed the auto-ignite.
I've gone about 150 miles of the colorado trail with it thus far, and have been very very happy with it. Easiest thing to use in the world and you can simmer with it! I have read about concerns with them not working well in ultra-cold and high altitude. I've read you should sleep with the canister when it is really really cold, and I saw a contraption that was basically copper tubing that conducted the heat from the flame back to the canister. But I haven't encountered conditions that warrented any of this.
Rock has a really good write-up on his web page comparing stoves at http://hikinghq.net/stoves/stove_compare.html. Scroll down to the table that compares the Pepsi can, Pocket Rocket and the Cat Stove. For two people the pocket rocket really makes sense!
Rock uses a base weight of the canister of 4.9 oz empty and claims if it could get down to 3 oz then it would be the winner. Well, there is a 3 oz empty canister - http://www.snowpeak.com/gear/stoves_index.html. This only has 4 oz of fuel though (7 oz for the canister, 10 oz total weight). We used it for 5 days, but we are very conservative with fuel, and I was sweating it on the 5th day, however, when I got home I burned it until it was empty, and it would have lasted at least another day... Rock claims you only need .6 oz of fuel per day, which would equal 6 days. Pretty consistent with what we experienced.
The larger canister has 7.8 oz of fuel and weighs 5.3 oz empty. Pretty damn good...

So for a 5 day hike the base weight is 10 oz, for longer sections 16 oz. Not too shabby for the ease of use...

Anyway, it probably works out that you want to carry an extra small one on a thru hike so you know you won't run out of fuel. I'm sure you learn as you go, and after a few hundred miles you know exactly what to carry...

But I love the stove!

Gravityman

[RagingHampster]

I'm tempted to get one, but it's ability to function in cold weather really bothers me. I live in massachusetts, and most of my hiking occurs in fall and winter. It's weight and ease of use make me drool, but gas canisters add up fast, especially when you cook 20-30 minutes per meal, atleast twice a day. I'd probably go through $10 in propane/butane a week, compared to the $0.50 in Unleaded 87 I use with my whisperlight international. If you forget to get fuel, it's also easier to stop at a gas station, rather than searching for a store which sells canisters.

I also keep a charcoal grill in my pick-up year-round, and use my whisperlight during the week alongside the grill to cook big pots of corn on the cob/potatoes/veggies/pasta/etc. when away from home. This makes for a mobile BBQ when you add in the cooler I keep with me in the summer, and roll down the windows while cranking up some tunes .

All a matter of taste I suppose...

[gravityman]

As far as functionality in cold weather I have no first hand experience, but I would love to hear from anyone who does. I remember seeing somewhere on the web where someone was using a copper tube that they wrapped a couple of times around the canister and then up into the flame. This seemed like it would work really well for keeping the heat of the canister up while it works. And keeping it in your bag at night makes sure it will start in the morning.

Anyone with first hand experience with these stoves in below freezing weather? I'll be finding out soon enough this winter... As soon as I get my northerlite snowshoes

Gravity man

[Peaks]

Originally posted by RagingHampster
I'm tempted to get one, but it's ability to function in cold weather really bothers me. I live in massachusetts, and most of my hiking occurs in fall and winter. It's weight and ease of use make me drool, but gas canisters add up fast, especially when you cook 20-30 minutes per meal, atleast twice a day. I'd probably go through $10 in propane/butane a week, compared to the $0.50 in Unleaded 87 I use with my whisperlight international. If you forget to get fuel, it's also easier to stop at a gas station, rather than searching for a store which sells canisters.

I also keep a charcoal grill in my pick-up year-round, and use my whisperlight during the week alongside the grill to cook big pots of corn on the cob/potatoes/veggies/pasta/etc. when away from home. This makes for a mobile BBQ when you add in the cooler I keep with me in the summer, and roll down the windows while cranking up some tunes .

All a matter of taste I suppose...

Sounds like a good set up for trail magic where the AT crosses Route 7 outside Great Barrington.

[ianmorris]

I've gone off the idea of the Pocket Rocket as it sounds like it might be a pain to get fuel canisters along the trail. I'm now looking at the Trangia Mini Stove Set at 350g / 12oz including cooking pan and frying pan. This is an alcohol burner and as lots of people use alcohol burners it must be easy to get resupplys. Your opinions on this are welcome.

[chris]

If you are going to go the alcohol route (and it is a good choice, I think, on the AT), you should be able to save yourself a little money and have some fun by building your own alcohol stove. Take a look at Sgt. Rock's webpage for very good instructions, with photos, on how to build a variety of stoves. If you can't get them to work, you can always buy a Trangia before you leave.

[stranger]

Canisters aren't that umcommon along the trail these days...and MSR stoves can use about 6 different brands of canisters. However an alcohol stove is pretty simple and works great, I used a home made stove for 500 miles and had no problems. I have used iso-butane in approx 25 degrees and it worked fine, but I wouldn't trust it below 20. The Pocket Rocket is a great stove, also check out the Superfly.

[RagingHampster]

A friend and I bought a pocket rocket to test on an 8 mile one nighter over the weekend in central/western massachusetts. EMS had them on sale for $30. 1 new MSR gas can was $6. Each of us used it for about an hour and fifteen minutes. 1 Day, 1 gas can. The only thing it's good for is if all your meals are dehydrated. If you boil pasta and cook sauces like me, stick with gasoline. It could be a dedicated hot chocolate/tea stove though. It can be fired up and boiling water in about the same time it takes me to get the flame going on my whisperlite int'l. My friend likes those nasty dehydrated backpacker meals. He gave me $15 (bought me out lol) and kept the stove. I'm still waiting for a lighter whisperlite int'l. I may modify mine. The new MSR Simmerlite is better, but only burns pure white gas. I still like good 'ole Unleaded 87. I want a more compact whisperlite thats made of titanium. Yeah, that would be great...

Oh yeah, It was 38*F during the day, and it worked fine, but at night when it was 10*, it stopped working. 15 minutes in my friends coat and it boiled water for tea, but started sputtering. This was solved by wrapping it with our hands while the stove was on. I had my whisperlite as backup, and used it's shroud (a no-no) to keep the flame from blowing out in just moderate winds.

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea.....Pocket Rocket. I've used one since they came out. No problems on the AT. Never gets cold enough to affect it. Last a good long time(reasonable). Boils water fast and cooks hot, for any quick cook(why carry anything else-weighs too much) you may have.
Packs small, very light, and I found cannisters all up and down the trail. Takes almost any threaded cannister. Great stove if you have access to cannisters (AT) and it dosen't get below, say 10oF. 30 bucks. You can't loose. KZ@

[slatchley]

OK, I need to get in on this one. I own a pocket rocket, which I love. But... I decided to go for an alcohol stove and got my hands on a Braslite Turbo F. I took it out for several days and am very dissapointed in the whole alcohol thing. It seemed like everyone else was cooking before me. One night the wind was blowing, and even with a wind screen, the alcohol was burning off faster than the food would cook. I had to fill it up 3 times. Everyone got a good laugh at my expense. So, for two nights out I used more than 8 ounces of fuel. It seems like I would have to carry a gallon of alcohol with me for a week on the trail. What was I doing wrong? For now it's back to the pocket rocket.

[Rick Hancock]

I have used many stoves over the years, everything from a Hank Roberts Mini Stove (remember those?) to a small wood burning stove, I used a Svea for 27 years including a thru-hike in 1980. I used a MSR Whisper Light one time (too finicky) and sold it. I now use one of two stoves. A Pocket Rocket which is a great stove, I've used mine in the low 20's to mid teen's and heated 2-3 cups of spring water in 4 1/2 minutes, I placed the cannister in my fleece for a few minutes. Several places along the trail carry the cartridges and several different brands will fit, of course the companies want you to use their's. I would not hesitate to carry the Pocket Rocketon a thru-hike. When I give talks on the AT and gear I often tell people, "Find the stove you want at the hike shop, now look to the left and right, now look above and below, if you do not see a repair kit then that is the stove you want!" I mean this half in jest but you get my point,My other stove is an Etowah II alcohol stove. A great little stove that took me a while to understand how to use it but now I really love it (can you truly love a stove?) I use denatured alcohol or yellow Heet.

[fehchet]

You need to get the fuel cannisters with isobutane in them. It's a mix with propane. Surprised no one has mentioned this. When I have used my giga power stove in the winter, I may not be achieving the full 10,000 BTU output it is rated for but it certainly works fine. And yes, put the fuel at the bottom of your sleeping bag wrapped in a sock or something. I've done this since the 60's with my French Bluet when there were only propane cannisters in use. Boy, that was a great stove.

[Marta]

I like the Pocket Rocket and used one for several years. Twice I've had failures. The stove would not ignite at all, no matter how many matches I used, or how long I held the lighter to it. One was with an MSR canister and one with a Coleman canister.

It's not a simple matter of cold temperatures, either. I've used the Pocket Rocket at zero F. (It goes through gas quickly when it's cold.) If the flame starts to die, pick the canister and stove up and give it some vigorous shakes. That will remix the gases and the flame will liven up again. You don't have to extinguish the flame to do this...but you should take the pot off. <g>

The two times the stove has failed to light were when the temperature was well below freezing and canisters were less than half full. My guess is that the gas which works better at colder temperatures has already been used up. The remaining gas would not ignite. (Can you tell I don't really know what I'm talking about when I get into the chemistry of gases?)

The other big drawback to a canister stove on a long hike is that you can't buy fuel in small increments. I used the Pocket Rocket on 2/3ds of my AT SOBO last year--from September through early January. I was often faced with the question, "Will this partial canister make it to the next resupply?" I'm allergic to carrying more weight than necessary, so the thought of needlessly carrying an extra canister for several days or a week caused me some angst. Several times I discarded partially-full canisters in favor of new ones, which is expensive. (OTOH, you can often find partially-used canisters in hikers boxes, which helps offset the cost, if you're willing to carry an extra canister.)

So...at this point my Pocket Rocket only comes out to play when I'm hiking with a family member, which also means it's only an overnight or weekend hike.

My system of choice now is this:

http://traildesigns.com/gallery03.html

Marta/Five-Leaf

PS--But I did make it to Georgia in the winter using the Pocket Rocket, so the short answer to your question is yes, you can use it just fine, and you probably won't spend all that much on canisters because each one lasts a long time.

[Rick Hancock]

Fehchet, Good point about the iso-blend, I forgot to mention that important detail. I think the stove is a reliable product, I would'nt speak highly of it otherwise. I have a friend who Sharpie's the date on his canister after each use. But he is an Engineer and slightly anal retintive by his own admission. I'm the type that doesn't get sucked in by hype, I sit back and observe other's using gear before I invest in it. Treking poles? 3 years watching before I bought them. Alcohol stove? 2-3 years watching before buying. I quess I'm maybe a dinosaur but it limits the amount of money I spend. Come to think about it I do have 4 packs, 7 pairs of trail runners, 3 sleeping bags, etc. Anyway the Rocket is a great stove.Rick

[Weldman]

I have 3 stoves- Pocket Rocket, Optimus Nova and my retired ( 25 yr old)SVEA 123.

I use the rocket for dehydrated, oatmeal, soups and below 9000 ft, its great for 2-4 day trips, beyond that I use my Nova for the real meals.

You can pick up a Pocket Rocket or SP Giga for less than $10 at a REI used gear sale.

[zelph]

I've gone off the idea of the Pocket Rocket as it sounds like it might be a pain to get fuel canisters along the trail. I'm now looking at the Trangia Mini Stove Set at 350g / 12oz including cooking pan and frying pan. This is an alcohol burner and as lots of people use alcohol burners it must be easy to get resupplys. Your opinions on this are welcome.

You're located in the UK so I think the Trangia is a good choice for you. I've not used one myself but Skids told me they work really well.

I'm gonna miss Tony Blair!!!!!!