Backpacking Stoves

[steve]

My favorite quote from that website:

Don't choose this stove if:

• the possibility of severe burns or loss of facial hair is undesirable

 

[Unimog]

I'm a jetboil fan also. I don't need another pot or matches or anything else to make it work. My son and I always carry a 7oz canister each, but we have never needed more than one between the two of us on a weeklong trip. The geek in me wants to play with alcohol stoves, but when I am on the trail, I'm just interested in getting food hot fast.

 

[DAA]

After hearing Steve's fuel weight estimates, I no longer have any interest in alcohol. Besides sounding like a PITA to use, it sounds heavier than the Jetboil for starting weight and not that much lighter even after a few days of fuel use/weight reduction.

- DAA

 

[Mike K]

After hearing Steve's fuel weight estimates, I no longer have any interest in alcohol. Besides sounding like a PITA to use, it sounds heavier than the Jetboil for starting weight and not that much lighter even after a few days of fuel use/weight reduction.

- DAA

Yeah, I'm sort of thinking the same thing. My main goal is to cut some weight. But, if the weight loss is minimal, why do it? I still need to crunch some numbers (and read through that "Zen link") and see what I come up with. I guess I can get a lighter pot and start there. =)

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I'd gladly carry a little extra weight for the convenience of the Jetboil

 

[Riggs]

I put my alcohol in a platypus in my pack (a red one so I don't mistake it for water).

This reminds me of an old story that hopefully isn't too derailing. I was backpacking with a friend who'd never been before. We were camped in a nice meadow, little stream couple hundred feet away. I started water for coffee with my white gas stove, an Optimus that used flame heat for pressure.

Then I went down to filter water. Few minutes later, my friend comes up behind me and says "I brought you another bottle to fill." It was my aluminum fuel bottle, empty and had been full. He said he put it in for more coffee. I looked back and saw a huge fireball coming off the stove, too close to the tent. Fortunately ran back and got it out, but out of fuel for the trip. I only used aluminum for fuel, but he didn't know that.

 

[Riggs]

oops, double post somehow

 

[steve]

I still love my alcohol stove, even if it's not the lightest option for a 3-day, cooking-intensive trip. Yes, I'm stubborn.

 

[Riggs]

One way I used to do cooking when my stove quit working was just dig a hole the size of my fist, get a few little sticks, and cook that way. Then I could just put the dirt back over for no trace. Pan gets black, but not that big a deal.

 

[steve]

Here are the weights I've calculated, including the weight of the pot and stove:

Jetboil Flash (first one I googled) with cook pot - 15.25 oz
MSR Pocket Rocket with MSR titan cook pot - 7.16 oz
Alcohol stove and MSR titan cook pot - 5.82 oz
Esbit titanium stove and MSR titan cook pot - 4.5 oz


This chart assumes the following:
- you can boil 1 L of water 10 times for every 8 oz canister. I assume it's the same for a either a jetboil or pocket rocket (even though I know a jetboil is more efficient). For the sake of simplicity (since I don't know how much water a 4 oz canister can boil) , I assumed people only used 8 oz canisters.
- you can boil 1L of water with a single esbit tablet
- it takes 55 ml of methanol to boil 1L of water

Here is a table showing the initial weights, or starting weights as you begin your trip.

1L boil overnighter:
Jeboil - 15.25 oz + 8 oz of fuel = 23.25 oz
Pocket Rocket - 7.16 oz + 8 oz of fuel = 15.16 oz
Alcohol - 5.82 oz + 1.5 oz of fuel+ 0.8 oz platy = 8.12 oz
Esbit - 4.5 oz + 0.5 oz of fuel = 5 oz

10L boil 3-day trip:
Jetboil - 15.25 oz + 8 oz of fuel = 23.25 oz
Pocket Rocket - 7.16 oz + 8 oz of fuel = 15.16 oz
Alcohol - 5.82 oz + 15.2 oz of fuel + 0.8 oz platy= 21.82 oz
Esbit - 4.5 oz + 5 oz of fuel = 9.5 oz

12L boil 4-day trip
Jetboil - 15.25 oz + 16 oz of fuel = 31.25 oz
Pocket Rocket - 7.16 oz + 16 oz of fuel = 23.16 oz
Alcohol - 5.82 oz + 18.24 oz of fuel + 1.2 oz platy = 25.26 oz
Esbit - 4.5 oz + 6 oz of fuel = 10.5 oz

20 L boil
Jetboil - 15.25 oz + 16 oz of fuel = 31.25 oz
Pocket Rocket - 7.16 oz + 16 oz of fuel = 23.16 oz
Alcohol - 5.82 oz + 30.4 oz of fuel + 1.2 oz platy = 37.42 oz
Esbit - 4.5 oz + 10 oz of fuel = 14.5 oz

40 L boil
Jetboil - 15.25 oz + 32 oz of fuel = 47.24 oz
Pocket Rocket - 7.16 oz + 32 oz of fuel = 39.16 oz
Alcohol - 5.82 oz + 60.8 oz of fuel + (2) 1.2 oz platys = 69.02 oz
Esbit - 4.5 oz + 20 oz of fuel = 24.5 oz

Final weights at the end of your trip (cook pots included):

Jetboil - 15.25 oz + 3.5 oz per empty canister
Pocket Rocket - 7.16 oz + 3.5 oz per empty canister
Alcohol - 5.82 oz + 0.8 oz per .5L platy, or 1.2 per 1 L platy
Esbit - 4.5 oz

The jetboil is the most convenient. All you have to do is screw on a canister and push the button to start it. The alcohol stove requires you to pour the right amount of fuel in and light it. The esbit requires you to place a tablet and light it.

All that being said, the esbit stove is the clear winner for the weight in every scenario, regardless if you're going for one night and one L, or 1000 nights and 10000L. The stove is the lightest, and the fuel is by far the lightest.

 

[steve]

I guess it all comes down to figuring out which fuel type you like best, and then getting the lightest option that still meets your comfort needs.

 

[DAA]

A jetboil flash (first one I googled) with cook pot weighs 15.25 oz without fuel.

Glad I don't have the Flash . My stripped Sol Ti weighs 9 oz, total, for stove and pot minus fuel.

- DAA

 

[steve]

That'll be closer to the pocket rocket setup then. I included that for the sake of comparison. That seems like the ideal jetboil to get. Plus I don't like eating out of aluminum cookwear.

 

[steve]

Does anyone know what an empty canister weighs?

 

[Riggs]

Good chart and comparison Steve. Hehe, you forgot twigs and pan option. Fuel weight: 0 Stove weight: 0 Only pan weight.

Course not the most convenient, granted. I still use my WhiperLite the most, even if not the most logical. I have it and the fuel is cheap.

 

[steve]

Dave, I see the jetboil Sol Ti has a 0.8 L cookpot. Are you getting 10 0.8L boils out of a canister, or 10 1L boils?

My chart has some flaws. For example, it assumes that the MSR pocket rocket burns equally as efficiently as a jetboil. Also, I over-estimated the fuel needed to boil 1 L on the alcohol stove by quite a bit (I'm guessing 30%). I'd like to get some exact volume amounts.

 

[Unimog]

I was going to say, my jetboil weighs 9.7 oz - not stripped like Daves. The TI model does have a smaller pot - actually better for what I do. Empty fuel canister wieghs about 3.5 oz

 

[steve]

Good info, thanks Unimog!

 

[Unimog]

Yes, 9.7 oz is total weight minus fuel canister.

 

[DAA]

Dave, I see the jetboil Sol Ti has a 0.8 L cookpot. Are you getting 10 0.8L boils out of a canister, or 10 1L boils?

Probably more like 8, .5L boils and 8, .7L boils, or something like that. Depends on whether I'm making hot drinks for one, or two, or rehydrating meals for one, or two, not to mention exactly what kind of hot meals. Just however much hot water I need, that's how much I make. Except for meals, I always boild extra for cleanup. And hot drinks sometimes I put on enough for two but only have one. Or whatever?

- DAA