Windburner vs. Jetboil?

Pretty much exactly what it says, I'm looking to get an integrated stove for backpacking and alpine adventures (maybe big walling down the road, if I end up on a continent with one). Which would you recommend?

Wind?

Bob Doyle wrote: Wind?

Whoops, don't know how that happened! Corrected it now.

Any cold weather adventures mean you’ll want a pressure regulated stove. Depends which jetboil you’re looking at but the windburners have one. Wind resistance is phenomenal. I have the windburner duo with all of the accessory cookware and it’s a very adaptable set up. 

I’ve owned both. I’m the sort of guy who will demo two pairs of AT ski boots and go for a tour with a different boot on each foot. Windburner beats Jetboil in everything except and integrated lighter. But on the jetboil it’s finicky so I found myself carrying a Bic anyway. 

Piezoelectric lighters are a weak point on just about every backpacking stove that has one.

I would never solely rely on a piezo igniter, they break and are finicky, which means I'm carrying a lighter as well, which means I don't care about having the igniter.

The absolute only thing I like about a Jetboil over the windburner is the way the cup locks into the base.

Okay that's pretty decisive on the Windburner. What about Windburner vs. Reactor?

Just buy a stove. Not a life-changing purchase.

Wind burner all the way over the Jetboil. Now, if you're melting tons of water for 2 or more people, go with the Reactor. If you're just heating up water for dinner/whatever, the slightly smaller Windburner will be sufficient. I own both and use them both for different purposes. On most of my Alaska trips (when I'm away from base camp and not using a white gas stove like the Whisperlite Int. or Dragonfly), I use the Reactor (but I'm melting snow).

FrankPS wrote: Just buy a stove. Not a life-changing purchase.

Something tells me you rarely stray from missionary position

Ryan Mac wrote: Okay that's pretty decisive on the Windburner. What about Windburner vs. Reactor?

The Reactor is slightly more powerful than the Windburner, but doesn't simmer as well. Great for melting snow, a little pointless for cooking dinner for one person. The Reactor has a bigger pot than the Windburner (1.7 liter vs 1 liter), which again is great for melting snow but a little silly for one person cooking dinner.

I have a Reactor. My next stove will likely be a windburner. Reactor is very hard to cook on unless you are just boiling water. 

Graham Johnson wrote: I have a Reactor. My next stove will likely be a windburner. Reactor is very hard to cook on unless you are just boiling water. 

that's because it's not meant to cook on. It's a water boiling monster.

Graham Johnson wrote: I have a Reactor. My next stove will likely be a windburner. Reactor is very hard to cook on unless you are just boiling water. 

Furthermore...the windburner is not meant to cook on either. Not really anyway. If you want to cook, get a dragonfly or simmerlite.

Yes, I am very much aware that it is not meant to cook on. I mostly boil water with it.  But the windboiler at least has what appears to be a little bit of adjust-ability between zero and 100, making the windboiler a little more versatile.  

ECD H wrote: does it really have to be integrated? 'remote' canister stoves are more stable, just as easy to hang. allow you to fiddle with the canister when its cold/youre high/gas is low and arguably burn cleaner if you get one with a pre heater.

How do you deal with the canister when it's hanging?

I have had my windburner since they came out and it's a tank! It's out lasted and out boiled all my buddy's jet boils. I don't really baby it either. It is a way more thought out and efficient jetboil. It's so good I now pretty much only buy msr stuff when I can and thier quality is amazing, customer service is good and responsive as well. Just buy it!

Peter Hurtgen wrote: I have had my windburner since they came out and it's a tank! It's out lasted and out boiled all my buddy's jet boils. I don't really baby it either. It is a way more thought out and efficient jetboil. It's so good I now pretty much only buy msr stuff when I can and thier quality is amazing, customer service is good and responsive as well. Just buy it!

Aha fair enough!

I think I'm pretty well sold on the Windburner by this point, gonna go ahead and grab one. Will get the 1.8 litre pot down the road if I find myself needing to melt snow for multiple people.

Reactor gang

MSR's performance at low temp >> Jetboil