Jetboil is a very efficient stove. like Jim, I get about 6 days of use out of a 100 gram cannister.  The 100 gram costs $5 - the 230 gram is something like $6, maybe 7, and they have a new larger size that's 300 grams or so for $9  cheaper to buy the bigger cannisters, especially if you were to do more "cooking" than I do.   but I'd still bring at least a single 100 gram as spare.  I recylcle all those cannisters - just punch a hole in it first - you could do that on the trail, and squash the can with a rock I suppose, if you wanted to save a bit of space.

last year's trip - 12 days, less 1st breakfast and final dinner is more like 11 days stove use - used a single 230 gram cannister - near empty at the end, but still had enough fuel left for more boiling water.

year before, two of us - used two 230 gram canisters up, and ran out on the 13th morning so went to the backup/extra 100 gr can to finish breakfast.

I always do a fz dr meal for dinner, along with a cup of hot cider; breakfast is always 2 cups of coffee, and oatmeal 3 out of 4 days or so, doing instant breakfast the alternate days.  Always do a wash up/shave day in there also, so that's a liter or two more water to boil up.

I do think the Jetboil SOL is a bit more efficient than the standard model - a bit smaller and lighter also - I have both now and take the SOL on backpacking and Quetico trips both.  If you are only going to buy one, the SOL will work better in cold temps, down to 20 deg.

personally, I don't see the big todo about wood stoves - I've cooked over a twig fire using a dingle stick many a time - the can twig stoves would be more efficient, but by how much ?  a few minutes? another handful of twigs?

someone ought to do a comparison that includes just using 2 or 3 rocks in a mini horseshoe vs store bought stove and see if its worth it.  myself, If I'm going to bother starting a fire in a can to cook over, I'd just as soon start a real fire and enjoy it as a campfire after I was done cooking.

Mad_Mat wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2013 at 6:31pm:


Jim and Mat.......Thanks for weighing in on the jetboil. I had looked at them often but I have several good stoves already so I couldn't really justify taking the plunge. It appears they are very efficient.

Mat......I value your opinion when you speak from experience. I so appreciate the attention to detail and the extra time you spend in relating your views. Typically I see clarity of thought.

But your views concerning the wood stove in question is purely conjecture with no basis to anchor your perspectives. I for one will withhold my judgement until I see it in action. However, my suspicions are polar opposite of yours (having seen the unit and handled it). It seems to me it would blow away a pile of rocks and some sticks as far as efficiency and ease is concerned.......but time will tell.

My interest in the unit extends to trips of some duration. I also have a long hike on the back burner (pun intended  ) where this unit could excel if it performs as advertised.

 

Jon,  Harlon does one on Utube with the little bug.  ...saw it here on QJ with someone's link,   this Fall/wnter ,   I remeber his" malimute' stealing the show.

"evidently the SOL jetboil does one thing and one thing only......boil water (according to the reviews and info I read) so if your trying to fry some fish maybe you would indeed be SOL"

sorta true, but not quite.  as Jim has pointed out, he fries fish in the JetBoil frying pan.

a very useful accessory for the Jetboil is the pot support and stabilizer kit - with the pot support, you can use any pot or pan on top of the jetboil (losing some of the fuel efficiency gained from the heat flux ring, or whatever its called) - i use a two quart pot on top of my stove for  non-solo trips when I want to boil up more than a liter at a time.  - and the little fold up 3-leg stabilizer makes a fair bit of difference, esp on uneven ground or  a not so flat rock - they would work with any size/brand cannister.  The SOL has the stabilizer included as part of the package - regular JetBoil does not.

  The main reason "cooking" isn't too easy on any cannister stove is the relatively small burner, which concentrates the heat in a small area - i.e hot spots.  The Jetboil pans, with thier heat exchanger rings tend to diffuse that hot spot, ergo, less of an issue using one of thier pans.  You can also buy or make a heat diffuser plate that helps to do the same thing.

I did try to find if anyone had done a real comparison between using a twig fire and a twig stove, but haven't found one yet - did find reviews for the Solo stove - one comment of note did concern stability, you have the same issue as with any narrow base round bottom item, such as a cannister, or even a Peak-1 stove - maybe some type of stabilizer would be good on those as well.  Another comment was about the black residue on bottom of pots, same as you'd get from any wood fire - when I use my little esbit stove, I just wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around the bottom of the pot, which "collects" the residue - if it gets too gunky, I can just change out that piece of foil.

Certainly can't argue with anything ST has put forth.......

That being said.......and in no way intentionally trying to be argumentative allow me to flesh out my perspective.

If you don't have a "mission", a "purpose" or a "goal" to achieve while going solo I have found (again just my experience) that a trip can quickly devolve into a melancholy and somber affair.

Smell the roses? Absolutely! I often make it a point while solo to stop after finishing a portage for 5 minutes or so and just observe. That is usually about how long it takes before the local residents go back to doing what they typically do. But then it is back on task! And of course writing is a big part of any outdoor endeavor for me. Not unusual to be writing after breakfast or on a slab of rock in the evening while watching my rod.

What I have noticed is if you stay busy.......put in long hard days you are apt to be less (if at all!) lonely. Plus there is a supremely satisfying feeling of accomplishment when all is said and done. As in........Wow, what a trip!

On the other hand........one must not confuse long hard days with hurrying and being in a rush. Therein lies the trap. There is much that can go wrong when speed becomes the taskmaster.

Perhaps I am sorry to have deviated from the discussion about the stove as what Mat has said has much merit and is worthy of thought.........particularly the solo stove being "tippy" (burns from cooking are the #1 injury) and his tip concerning keeping soot from cross contaminating your entire kit.