Rainham is near Gillingham. I forgot about camping international (I dont like going there as its mostly for caravanners) and its just down the road from me so thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the link, quite a saving.
Jetboil - Is it worth the money?
- Thread starter Jaymzflood
- Start date
Rainham is near Gillingham. I forgot about camping international (I dont like going there as its mostly for caravanners) and its just down the road from me so thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the link, quite a saving.
The difference between em is less than the weight of your windshield, I think we are splitting hairs, even for a gram weenie. If it was just about raw weight, then you might be right, but ease of use and convenience is a huge factor for me. When there is so little difference in weight, I'll go with the super convenient option. YMMV.
The class of stove is really medium to lightweight, not ultralight. All I'm saying is it can be stripped down and in it's naked form and under the right circumstances, it can be a good choice even for an ultralight backpacker. It excels in it's convenience and does duty for me on all sorts of occasions. It's my most used stove by far. I love playing with stoves of all kinds and have dozens, but when I just want a brew, I reach for (one of) my jetboils.
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Just went down to my local 'Blacks' and they are for sale....£80!!!!! He hasnt heard of Lurch's sooper dooper deal i dont think. Gonna get the green one off him I think.
I agree Martyn that it is the convenience of the system but some on here said lightweight. I was just trying to point out if a gram weannie were to look at it they would not accept weight to be a benefit for a jetboil. It is the only reason (well apart from price) that has put me off. Limited difference in efficiency against what I have already and the resulting weight penalty for my useage. If you are comparing with a ghillie kettle or some liquid burner then perhaps it is lightweight. It does depend on where you are coming from of course. I am from lightweight backpacking where my kit weight has gone down from 28kg to somewhere in the region of 4.5 kg if I go minimal. I see for me jetboil PCS at £60 and over 400g (only one I could feasibly consider getting on cost grounds) is nigh on a 200g penalty for me) 4% of my base load which surprised me when I worked it out. I don't see it as too much of an advantage the system nature of jetboil or at least for me it isn't as my whole sack is packed just the way I like it now through trial and error. My cook kit is nice and tidy too. The fuel useage (through experience of my system) is quite efficient. Tricks like turning the burn down to save fuel and accepting the longer boil time, good use of shelter and windshields, etc.
One interesting thing about high efficiency, heat exchanger stoves is that they were more of a factor with the first emergence of jetboil but with improvements to gas burner heads the non-exchanger stoves have come on a lot and are really not far behind them. IIRC only the MSR reactor is significantly fuel efficient compared to non-exchanger stoves that have come out. I think in one test it came out at 4g per 500ml boil compared to 6g jetboil and 7g for newer non-exchanger can top stoves.
AS with everything you have to decide the best system for you. IF you haven't got half of the system already (good pot and light windshield and cosy) then a jetboil as a complete system is more of a good choice. IF you have built up plenty of kit already and just need an efficient burner then perhaps not. YOur choice.
One interesting thing about high efficiency, heat exchanger stoves is that they were more of a factor with the first emergence of jetboil but with improvements to gas burner heads the non-exchanger stoves have come on a lot and are really not far behind them. IIRC only the MSR reactor is significantly fuel efficient compared to non-exchanger stoves that have come out. I think in one test it came out at 4g per 500ml boil compared to 6g jetboil and 7g for newer non-exchanger can top stoves.
AS with everything you have to decide the best system for you. IF you haven't got half of the system already (good pot and light windshield and cosy) then a jetboil as a complete system is more of a good choice. IF you have built up plenty of kit already and just need an efficient burner then perhaps not. YOur choice.
On a forum where the membership use cast iron pots to cook in and lug bell tents around. Then the Jetboil is a lightweight stove.
As folk have said on this thread and a good few others the jet boil is a really good stove for boiling water and cooking BITB meals.. It works well at what it does.
Continually analyzing gas consumption rates, stove weight, gas mix etc while interesting to a point ultimately achieves what on a forum populated with folk who like to sit around an open fire with a can of beer in hand and with a penchant for army surplus, land rovers, knives, axes, saws, wool, canvas et al..
I haven't seen a lot of folk posting about their Thru Hike of the AT in the out and about forum...
I scoffed at the jetboil (mainly because of its price coupled with the fact that I am a tight Yorkshireman) when I found out the price one of my chaps had paid for one. Then I had an epiphany. I was training in Canada during which we were vehicle born. Another chap had offered me one as we couldn't take gas on the flights and local shops had already been stripped of screw on gas canisters during the previous round of training chaps had passed through. He had managed to somehow "forget" that you weren't allowed to take gas canisters onto a flight, even within the cargo hold, and offered it up upon seeing my plight.
It proved its weight in gold. We could stop and have a steaming cup of char in a couple of minutes. If you attach an S-biner to the handle/strap you can then attach it to a door/anything else strong enough. I have hung in from pretty much everything that could support the weight and have therefore never had a problem with the stability issues some people have talked about in the past.
I also use a gas canister for a blow torch. About 500ml for around £6.00 from DIY stores around the country. I use this most days unless I am strictly foot bound in which case I use a 100ml canister stored within the body of the boiling vessel.
Highly recommend these gems to everyone.
Jack
It proved its weight in gold. We could stop and have a steaming cup of char in a couple of minutes. If you attach an S-biner to the handle/strap you can then attach it to a door/anything else strong enough. I have hung in from pretty much everything that could support the weight and have therefore never had a problem with the stability issues some people have talked about in the past.
I also use a gas canister for a blow torch. About 500ml for around £6.00 from DIY stores around the country. I use this most days unless I am strictly foot bound in which case I use a 100ml canister stored within the body of the boiling vessel.
Highly recommend these gems to everyone.
Jack
Having met a few on here there are some who are into the lightweight end of things as well as sitting around the fire with a can in their hand. I don't see why people can't see that these are two different ways of getting out and both can be considered even on a site such as this. Personally I have never talked about a thru hike of the AT as I have no intention of doing it. Not got the time or money to waste.
That's a fair point and while certainly it seems as though many on here are into the "know more, carry more beer" bushcraft philosophy, I certainly do think there is scope for kit you can actually carry for more than a few hundred yards, though I think hardcore ultralight might be going from the ridiculous to the sublime for many.
Whats it like to clean afterwards though. Like the idea and i now have a spare jetboil mug.An when you've no gas....
Clean ? LOL I just stuff it back in the rocket pouch ! I'm trying to find a slightly wider can so it sits inside with some cones/tinder inside the mug. Not as fast n convenient as using gas , but a lot more therapeutic and bushCRAFTY
Could someone do us a favor and measure the height of the stove its-self
I'm trying to figure out if I can get a Swissgold 300 coffee filter in the 1ltr pot with the stove... The cart can live in my pack.
filters 9.5cm x 9cm, cheers, al.
I'm trying to figure out if I can get a Swissgold 300 coffee filter in the 1ltr pot with the stove... The cart can live in my pack.
filters 9.5cm x 9cm, cheers, al.
Could someone do us a favor and measure the height of the stove its-self
You have 144mm inside the 1 litre pot and the stove is 76mm high. The burner on the Sol is 55mm, but it only comes with the 800ml pot. Looks like a no go regardless.
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Thanks Martyn, appreciated.
Looks like its the filter in the pack, which means I may as well go for the Zip, as its only for coffee/noodles on bimbles atb, al.
Looks like its the filter in the pack, which means I may as well go for the Zip, as its only for coffee/noodles on bimbles
atb, al.An interesting thread this one,it's brought out the gram weenies.
I wouldn't have a jet boil for the simple reason it all looks a bit complicated to me.In the same breath I use a stove,windshield,gas cart and pot.The same stuff as in the jetboil,maybe I'm too old and used to the older type of stove.As far as the weight goes it is heavy compared to some stoves and light compared to others,it's more efficient than some and less so than others.It comes down to personal choice I think.
One thing to bear in mind is the fact that the figures for all stoves are worked out in almost laboratory conditions,so if there is only a slight difference in figures between stoves I I would go for the type that I like rather than decide solely on manufacturers figures.
I wouldn't have a jet boil for the simple reason it all looks a bit complicated to me.In the same breath I use a stove,windshield,gas cart and pot.The same stuff as in the jetboil,maybe I'm too old and used to the older type of stove.As far as the weight goes it is heavy compared to some stoves and light compared to others,it's more efficient than some and less so than others.It comes down to personal choice I think.
One thing to bear in mind is the fact that the figures for all stoves are worked out in almost laboratory conditions,so if there is only a slight difference in figures between stoves I I would go for the type that I like rather than decide solely on manufacturers figures.
Ok so for all you out there who aren't huge fans of the jetboil, what burner and set of pots would you recommend as a small cheap alternative with greater cooking flexibility?
Clean ? LOL I just stuff it back in the rocket pouch ! I'm trying to find a slightly wider can so it sits inside with some cones/tinder inside the mug. Not as fast n convenient as using gas , but a lot more therapeutic and bushCRAFTY
Homebrew beer kit tin is the answer - you're in Yorkshire so you obviously like beer and are probably quite crafty with your funds - last one I bought was an expensive one at £12.95 and made 40 pints of pretty good beer to boot!
Dimensions - H200mm D100mm (8 inch height x 4 inch diameter) I have a spare virginal one (contents already brewed and drunk I'm afraid, but the tin is unmolested other than being opened) if you're ever over this way. Suspect the postage would be prohibitive on it due to size.
Check out Orlando dog biscuit treats at Lidl for a tin that size if you dont fancy the home-brew.
I use a large food can as a hobo stove (not as tall as big dog-food tins but same diameter, it came containing chick peas, cost 65p and I got a nice curry out of the chick peas) and a stainless steel tea caddy as a billy which cost £2, it's a little thicker than your average billy so heavier but it burns stuff less. I also either carry an alcohol gel chaffing tin thing or a trangia which fit in perfectly if there's no wood. I have made little meths stoves out of tea-lights but they need refilling too often and cannot carry their own fuel so I reverted to the trangia unit. A wide mouth vacuum flask finishes the kit off, it cooks quinoa, rice, pasta and eggs in a little less than twice the time you would normally simmer for and you need no fuel, result! Vacuum flasks have been £5-10, it's the one thing I go through alot of. I also have a shorter, wider stanless steel container that I can use as a frying pan but it's normally just a heavy condiments container, have made a brew in it on a fire before when I was desperate, I think it was £2.50. Oh yeah, a tent peg is the pot-stand, 25p.
Cheap and versatile
I use a Camping Gaz stove (about £12) with a gas canister, and Primus ETA pot (about £38) boils fast , lid is a perfect size for a fried egg and the stove is very controllable, simmer to flame thrower. Been using it several times a week for over a year without a problem.
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