Looking to buy a new backpack stove

I am tired of my liquid fuel stove...an MSR Whisperlite. I've held off on buying a canister type stove due to environmental concerns, but I'm leaning towards one because of easy of use, safer operation, etc. How do they work in cold weather?

Any advice on a canister type (Jet Boil, etc) and your experience with same would really be appreciated. Thanks.

Jetboils are pretty great, I've used them down to about -10 F, and it worked perfectly, not sure about high altitude, low temps though.

I have a jetboil, but I also really like my snowpeak. Really small, comes in titanium if you want it and burns pretty hot. The jetboil is nice, but you are trading size for convenience.

Tradster, Jetboils are great! We just returned from backpacking a good chunk of the Old historic Mojave Road with the JETBOIL that came in very handy. We've enjoyed it on backpacking/climbing trips from the low-lying deserts to the beach, to higher elevations like the Wind River Range, and John has made use of it on high peaks like Mt. Whitney, and in the Tetons, and such. It's worth the money! We like the big pot for the two of us which is perfect for enough water for our dehydrated meals, with plenty left over for tea, or coffee.
The jet-boil cup is okay for one person, but with two, or more, the big pot is the way to go!

jet boils are great and all, but you have to use there pots and there system, which leads for very little customization. The whisper lite is pretty nice easy to repair in the field and you and improvise with it.

If your main concern with canisters is the environment thing, it might make you feel better to know that you can recycle them when they are empty, all you have to do is puncture the canister crush it and put it out with your recycling. though you are still using more canisters then you would with white gas.

my go to is either the pocket rocket or the whisper lite.

jet boils rock.

you can use them with other pots you just have to have the adapter unit.

I've become a huge fan of my jetboil too. The fact that it can all pack down inside the canister (jetboil has their custom sized canister for this - a little expensive) is nice. And quick to boil! I think it takes less than 2 minutes to boil a little over 2 cups.

Jetboil works well at altitude. Fired up many a time on a 14er summit in CO. Can't speak for elevations much above 14.

I like my jetboil. I've spent some nights on top of Mt Sherman with it in the cold at 14k and it worked great. I like that I press the button and it ignites. I have a whisperlite international that I used to love till I got my jet boil. Only problem for me is having to lug the fuel canisters around. At least the long slender ones for my MSR are easier to pack around and are a lot lighter at the end of a trip.

Thanks for all your input. Looks like the Jetboil is the way to go. Does the pot adapter come with the set or is it extra? Thanks again.

Another vote for Jet Boil.

I must admit I am a fan of my MSR pocket rocket. Light, fast and cheap.

I used my friends jetboil for a couple of trips and I've gotta admit, its awesome.

Does anybody know how long the fuel crtridge lasts.

I'm worried about the waste as well. I have a small BBQ propane tank that I use with my old green coleman for everything else but backpacking, so that's how I solve that problem.

Evan

Ok I have put the jetboil up against the MSR Reactor and the Reactor is quite a bit faster. The jetboil was boiling 2 cups of water (its recommended capacity) The Reactor was boiling 4 cups of water (its recommended capacity) Water was the same temp. to start and the stoves were started at the same time. The Reactor was over a minute faster to boil. So has anyone else tried testing the two? What are the pros and cons of both?

I am also a big fan of the Reactor. It's only minus is that it is on the pricey side, and the fact that you can't fly with the fuel canisters (like all canister stoves). It is hands hands down the fastest boiling stove when you put it in real world conditions. Usually when you are using a stove there is some amount of wind. This wind does not exist when you are testing the stove in the store or your kitchen. I used to work in a store that sold these things and the MSR rep demonstrated the winds effect on boiling. He set up every demo stove we had in the store, put the same amount of water in everyone's pots and fired them up. The kicker was he added a box fan that simulated a 7ish mph wind. The reactor was by far the fastest of all of the stoves tested, this included Jet Boil, Primus, Snowpeak, and other MSR stoves... liquid and canister. In fact the Reactor was able to boil water twice before some stoves boiled it once. Te winds affect can be minimized by the use of the wind screen, but the Reactor doesn't need one because the burner is shielded by the pot.

Also the reactor will work at higher altitudes than other canister fuel stoves. This is due to the fact that the Reactor has an internal fuel pressure regulator that ensures that the outside pressure and the the fuel canister pressure are in proper proportions for optimal performance, which also uses every last drop of fuel from the canister (most other canister stoves leave a small bit of fuel in the canister.

By the way.... if you take your Jet Boil stove apart you will notice that the stove it self is made by Primus... do discover this you must take all the plastic off of the stove.... I thought this was interesting.

Jetboil they are fast.
In the snow I just hold it in my lap. Like most canisters it can be subject to freezing up in cold-humidity. Others do not have trouble and I see photos of Himalyan climbers using them at super high altitude.

I don't use Jetboil pots. Just the main 2-cup pot and no food has ever touched the inside of mine in 4 years. I've worked up a lightweight system of cooking in plastic canisters.

The speed is really convenient. While backpacking I routinely take a 1/2 hr lunch break including hot pea soup, hot Turkish coffee and a 15 minute nap.

Brett B. wrote:I must admit I am a fan of my MSR pocket rocket. Light, fast and cheap.

Have a pocket rocket, and, like it, but, a bit tippy with a pot and small fuel can.

Really like the MSR windpro. Remote from the fuel. Light. You can turn the fuel can upside down and drain it empty (a trick learned from watching Steve House talk about what stuff he used on Nanga Parbat). Windscreen any ol' way you want, with no risk of the fuel getting too hot. Easy to keep the fuel warm too, without being to close to the flame.

Because the stove doesn't sit on top of the fuel its really stable and low to the ground. You can also change the can out without having to remove the pot (pretty handy).

Cheers.

If you are looking for a 3 season backpacking stove, go with the 2 cup jet-boil and learn to cook in a zip lock freezer bag. This method will support up to 4 people pretty easily. This last fall I took several family members (11 in our group) up to Thunder lake for a couple days. We used two stoves: my JetBoil and my dads Pocket Rocket with a 2 liter pot. Since we did all the cooking in zip locks, all the stoves did was boil water. In the time it took the Pocket Rocket to boil 4 cups, the Jetboil had already boiled 3 sets of two cups.

As someone who tends to be somewhat fanatical about weight, I recently bought this setup but have yet to try it out.

traildesigns.com/caldera-co…

Oh, and hang on to your Whisperlight for winter camping. I have heard that all canister stoves have problems with cold weather so I usually carry my MSR in the winter. I have also heard that you just need to keep the canister in your jacket for a bit before using it. Also, I did notice the Jetboil was flaring up a bit on a cold morning in the desert in November.

Svea 123. Bought mine in the mid 70s, and hundreds of meals later it is working as well as ever. I can't think of any reason that I'd every change.