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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: recurvericky on October 02, 2013, 01:23:00 PM
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I am in the market for a backpack stove and would like to get recommendations. There seems to be a love/hate relationship with stoves. One person will love the Pocket Rocket and the next person hates it.
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I've got a Snow Peak Giga, which is a canister stove. It does what I need it to do, boil water. Lots of guys love the Jet Boil stoves. My brother has a Pocket Rocket, it works too. I like the convenience of canister stoves, but they don't work as well as a gas stove, like a MSR Whisperlite, in below freezing temps and high elevation. Unless you're doing high elevation hunts, in cold weather, for extended periods, I would go with a canister stove of your choice.
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Pocket rocket or MRS. To each his own. Pocket rockets are simple but sometimes too small for a big pot. MRS are robust and adjustable but are heavy and require cleaning.
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Jetboil
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Since you mentioned backpack stove, I would highly recommend the Pocket Rocket. Very easy on fuel and heats fast. I'd get another in a heartbeat if I needed one.
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
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MSR Pocket Rocket. Thing boils water in no time. Just got back from 5 days in the back country. Used stove twice a day and made it one fuel canister with plenty to spare.
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Originally posted by Centex:
Pocket rocket or MRS. To each his own. Pocket rockets are simple but sometimes too small for a big pot. MRS are robust and adjustable but are heavy and require cleaning.
Pocket rocket is made by Mountain Safety Research (MSR)
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Thanks for the info. Looks like it will be the Pocket Rocket.
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Another vote for Pocket Rocket - boils fast easy on fuel.
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you could always make one out of a 50 cal ammo tin has two uses one cooks food two keeps ya warm :campfire:
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Been happy with my pocket rocket for backpack hunts. Won't let you cook with large pots efficiently, but I'm not cooking in large pots on a backpack hunt anyways. Only thing I wish it had was a built in ignition sparker for starting. Hard to beat the size and weight though!
Cheers, Matt
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I use a soto stove with the GSI halulite minimalist. It's as light or dang close to the lighted option, boils very fast and packs down with fuel inside the GSI for a very small pack size.
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Jetboil hands down
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Definitely Jetboil.
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I'm currently using a Optimus crux lite.
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee391/rjwalton8/20130806_153154.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/rjwalton8/media/20130806_153154.jpg.html)
(http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee391/rjwalton8/20130806_153029.jpg) (http://s1225.photobucket.com/user/rjwalton8/media/20130806_153029.jpg.html)
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Pocket rocket. Have used mine for about 9 years and no complaints with it. I've looked at the Jet Boil, but when I look at the size and price I keep my wallet in my pocket.
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I don't currently have a stove, however, I'm leaning towards the Soto or the Optimus Crux lite. I know MSR makes high quality gear. I guess it's just as much personal preference as experience. I'm definitely keeping an eye on this post
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JETBOIL!!
Steve
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If you are just boiling water the Jet Boil is great very efficient. But like said earlier it is not good for real cold weather or high altitude.
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20 dergrees F to 10,000 feet I've had no problem MSR canister stove.
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Camp Chef 2 burner. You just can't get out of sight of the truck. LOL
bretto
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I like my Coleman duel fuel 533. It's a little bigger but bomb proof.
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Triangia alcohol. Bombproof and can find fuel anywhere. Also have a backcountry boiler that will see use this year.
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SVEA 123. Get an old one, rebuild it. Never will fail any altitude any conditions but heavier than some by a small margin. Like a good friend, you got to know its likes and dislikes.
I will never replace mine.
J-
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Jet Boil all the way. worked great in 5 days of rain on my Co elk hunt.
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I have a soto micro regulator and love it it boils water very fast and is good on fuel. Widow
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I love the Mini Bull Designs alcohol stoves.
They are small lightweight, well designed and MADE IN THE USA to boot!
I have one and can even use it in the winter provided it's not blustery. Check them out...
If you plan on doing any serious winter backpacking the MSR white gas stoves such as the wisperlight or the international kick butt.
Kirk
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Consider what you are cooking and for how many people. If all you are making are MRE's for yourself, then a small burner base will work fine. But if you plan to use a small fry pan or cook a meal for multiple people, you will need something with a larger and more stable base. Next consider where you are going to use it. Certain fuels are hard to find in some areas and some fuels do not like high altitude either. So I personally like the multi-fuel units as they work most anywhere. Last but not least, consider your cook utensils. Good utensils are light, strong and help make your cooking and camping more pleasurable.
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I must say the key to alcohol stoves is to be sure to get the right kind of alcohol. The right stuff is close to pure ethanol or methanol you can get.
AVOID isopropanol alcohols. They burn horribly.
I use HEET in the YELLOW bottle (methyl alcohol). It works great! Again, avoid the red bottle as it is isopropanol and burns poorly in the stoves.
Hope this helps
kirk
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Jet boil boils water at 11 000 feet In about 3 min.
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Originally posted by akdd:
If you are just boiling water the Jet Boil is great very efficient. But like said earlier it is not good for real cold weather or high altitude.
No kidding. I spent over 30 days hunting sheep in Colorado between 10,500 and 13,000' and I never experienced one issue with my Jetboil. I've got three of them. I like just boiling water in the backcountry. No mess and no smell to attract undesirable critters.
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I 2nd the Trangia. Great little stove, works great with HEET yellow bottle as fuel. Made a pot stand wind screen out of flashing. It all folds up and goes into the pot.
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How about Esbit stoves? Pros / cons. Thanks
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Snow Peak canister stoves are great for a canister stove. MSR Whisperlite International is the king of multi-fuel stoves and durability. Woodgas stoves are the king for DIY stoves. Emberlit stoves are my favorite of all because they fold flat and weigh less than almost anything in their Ti version, plus I never backpack where there isn't wood so why carry fuel when there's plenty around already?
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Svea 123R +1
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Originally posted by John Krause:
How about Esbit stoves? Pros / cons. Thanks
Cons: they suck, messy, a pain to deal with, take a long time to boil.
Pros: cheap, small
I have tried one for kicks because it sounds like a decent idea but not worth it except for a back up or emergencies IMO. Cheap to try out though so worth throwing in your rig if you want to try your self.
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We used two JetBoils in AK in early Sept. First time for me and I was pretty impressed with them.
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Yeah, I'd say your best bet is a canister stove, that runs some variety of Isobutane for fuel.
I only ever use two models these days. I have a Jetboil Flash that sees use mostly in the summer on fishing trips, because I LOVE the french press that you can run with it, which solves the coffee issue.
Fall, when I'm hunting, and really pare down the weight, I run a SOTO Micro Regulator. It's a great stove with impressive specs, and it'll net you a couple more boils than the Pocket Rocket and Crux stoves. I run that with the old tried and true Titan Kettle from MSR (and if you use the lid, you'll net as many boils as a Jetboil.
Jetboils are crazy efficient with the pot design, especially the reluctor ring they run. It also does very well in the wind. It's crazy heavy and bulky too for what it is. But you can usually get 17 2 cup boils on a 100 grammer.
The SOTO micro regulator, on a 133 grammer is usually 17-19.
Those are conservative boil numbers. I figure that's my "bank on it" numbers.
Then there's plan C......
(http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL152/10882229/20647066/407573197.jpg)
Stickburning in your tarp/tipi. That's usually how I get dinner ready. I've been eating the crap out of Quinoa and brown rice Seeds of Change hippy side dish stuff from the healthfood store.
Admittedly, I'm a gear geek, and enjoying F'ing off in the backcountry
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I'm 12 years out of the loop on this. That being said, my Coleman Xpert has never failed me. It uses a dual fuel that can function in very cold temps, unlike a lot of fuels. No carbon/soot build up. When I heard they were going to discontinue(don't know if they did) I bought a few xtra bottles of fuel. Still works great the occasional times I use it.
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Definitely look into the jet boil or this one I use from http://www.sierratradingpost.com/primus-eta-solo-camo-stove-09l-pot~p~4954w/?filterString=outdoor-cooking~d~78%2F
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I know the canister stoves are light and efficient but I prefer the white gas models myself. I like that I can visually see how much fuel I have and I can top up before heading out. The canisters just seem wasteful to me.
My whisper life has brewed a lot of coffee over the years and recently I upgraded to a titanium pot. Only downside is that it does not simmer, full boil or off.
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I havent read a lot of this but I do have some experience with a few of the stoves mentioned, both personally owned or used with buddies on mulitple hunts over the years and have some thoughts to consider.
I own the snowpeak gigapower stove and 2 whisperlight shaker jets. I have used the jet boil and a few other stoves over the years.
So some questions really need to be asked before you can figure out what stove works fits your need, IF one alone does that.
First, temperature, coldest temp you're in period
second, weight, how are you hunting
third, size
I rate them in this order.
First, a isobutal/propane stove WILL NOT work in extreme cold!!! My snowpeak has failed in minus digits. My whisperlite will work and work and work and work...but at a cost, weight, and lastly size. (though I opt for a stainless pot when I use this stove)
For a guy wanting a small stove for say coffee, mt house on the trail or something similar whose not going to experience uber cold ever, the snowpeak or msr version (or the host of copies out there of these two stoves), works well! its something that you can easily carry in a fanny pack, and doubles as a great, light weight option for a serious backpack stove. Its my go to on non winter hunts. repeat no serious cold stuff here! I havent figured out the absolute bottom on temps. If its a chance I move to my whisperlite.
For the guy traveling to 3rd world countries, or hunting in extreme conditions and temps, you wont go wrong with a shakerjet ever! I dont care for the new pumps, they have little replaceable parts. I've broken a few pumps in the past including one this year but they are still useable (the cap busts that holds the plunger in, at almost 40 bucks a pump you'd think the climbing industry would get on msr to fix this issue). The no simmer issue mentioned leaves out some foods, which is a minus in my book!
size is an issue...where do you plan on keeping it? are you back packing, floating, truck camping, horses or just day/bivy. these can and would factor into my stove pick as well. A whisperlite with enough fuel for 2 weeks IS NOT light! It is NOT compact with 2 bottles of fuel. I havent moved up to a large titanium pot for my whisperlites yet, stainless pots are NOT light again, factor in the bottle or two of fuel and you're not in ulta light backpacking.
Ultimatly weight will be a derivitive of the other two factors. Snowpeak or msr is light compact. Whiserlite with a large canister IS NOT! Jet boil is somewhere in between.
The jet boil or msr reactor (which is even faster than a jet boil btw), are nice. but they are heavier than the snowpeak gigpower or msr pocket rocket and bulkier! I have a msr reactor on the to buy list but at this point have no need for it.
I prefer a snowpeak titanium pot (I believe its the 900)...I can fit my snowpeak gigapower stove and a large canister of fuel and be under a pound which is enough for the way I cook for 6 or more days on a backpack hunt.
Their are other stoves...many other stoves,
which one is right for you is going to be determined by what you're doing, where, and when.
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short trips- small canister stove like the snow peak giga with titanium pot.
trips over 6-7 days- jetboil. so efficient it ends up being lighter because you need less fuel.
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Msr makes a stove that can run of white gas or a canister. It's basically a fancy whisperlite. There are a lot of stoves out there, but msr had been making a version of the whisperlite for at least 20 yrs because it works. A lot of people, probably millions, use it and are happy with it. As far as I'm concerned they are the industry standard. Their customer service is good too. I had a dried out o-ring on a 15yr old stove and they shipped me new rings (which weren't made anymore) for free. Can't beat that.
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Another vote for the Svea 123, very simple design and made of brass. Mine has never failed to work. Bought one used at a garage sale for 2 bucks and it included the cook kit as well.
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Jetboil!!
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Originally posted by ozy clint:
short trips- small canister stove like the snow peak giga with titanium pot.
trips over 6-7 days- jetboil. so efficient it ends up being lighter because you need less fuel.
Exactly what he said. If I could only afford one, I'd probably get the jetboil. But it's not rocket science...it's just boiling water. Just get one you like,go hunting and tell us the story
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AkDan, Thanks for clarifying my post. I've never had to deal with AK type temps. I should have said "colder".