JETBOIL:Are they really that good?

[mlawtone]

Hi my name is Matt and this is my first post... I am thinking of purchasing a Jetboil for backpacking trips. I bought a cheap Primus (with no ignitor) a few weeks ago, and apparently you need an act of God to start the thing! Anyways, are the Jetboil stoves as good as Jetboil says they are? Are they better than MSR stoves? More reliable? Not as versatile? If they're are any Jetboil owners out there please let me know what you think.

 

[sp1936]

Howdy Matt, I am a Jetboil owner, and my opinion is no, they are not as good as claimed. I gave up on mine last year and went back to my pathetic little old blue Campingaz stove (nothing more than a glorified blowtorch), which just cooked all my meals in a very, very wet trip into the Pemi.

Steve

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Hello Matt, and welcome.

I love my Jetboil....very convenient, light, and easy to use.

Here's a link to an earlier Jetboil discussion.
Jetboil

 

[Barbarossa]

I got mine for Christmas. To test it, I went in the woods out back to make a cup of chocolate. I promptly dropped the burner in the deep powder snow. I had to press the igniter about half a dozen times, but it worked.

Yes, I like mine.

 

[Double Bow]

I love mine! It's very easy to use, fuel efficient, quick to boil, and the new stabalizer & pot support package makes it even more versitile! This is one happy camper!

 

[MikePS]

I have had great success with my MSR Dragonfly, never failed me in any weather. But it is bulky and requires pre-ignition.I just bought a jetboil and have only used it once, car camping- awesome if it holds up, lights easily, great to pack and very fast boiling. I will be giving it a longer try on a 10 day traverse through Baxter in two weeks. It seems if boiling water is your only need(as it is for me) this appears to be a great option- I will let you know more at the end of the month. Good Luck and have fun!

 

[xjbone]

My vote...MSR.

I've owned the MSR Whisperlite for about 8 or 9 years now, and I never had a problem with it (I did take it completely apart and clean it once about 6 years ago). It has been dropped, stepped on, and left out in the rain, but it still fires up EVERY time. It is very easy to maintain, and replacement parts are readily available. It is pretty good with fuel consuption- I get about 5-6 days out of a 22oz. of fuel bottle (breakfast and dinners, with coffee).

To be fair, I have never seen the Jetboil in action, and maybe it's great, but I would only buy an MSR. Just my 2 cents.....

 

[hardrain]

MSR whisperlight is a great backpacking stove

I suggest that you take that primus out on several field tests before you give up on it.

the first few times I used my stove it was a guessing game. but the more I monkeyed around with it, the more comfortable, now it is second nature.

 

[MichaelJ]

Hi Matt.

One question - is your Primus a liquid fuel (like white gas) or does it take gas canisters (like isobutane or an isopropane blend)?

The reason I ask is because there are other canister possibilities than the JetBoil, which as you see has its proponents and opponents. It would be clearer to me what to advocate for you if I knew if you were thinking of the JetBoil in place of another canister stove, or you were making a complete technology change from white gas to a canister.

 

[dentonfabrics]

I love my Jetboil. It's great for instant coffee, soup, beans, etc. You cant cook a steak in it though.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

I suggest that you take that primus out on several field tests before you give up on it.

With the Jetboil there is no need to take it out on several field tests, simply turn the fuel valve on and push a button. Mine lights on the first or second push of the ignitor every time including when the temperature is in the twenties, and I can assemble it and light it in about 20 seconds.

Before I bought my Jetboil, I'd been on several camping and backpacking trips and had repeatedly seen the un-reliability of the MSR stoves. On one particular camping trip on a cold October morning I remember patiently waiting for two of my camping partners to rebuild their MSR stoves so we could cook breakfast. After about 20-30 minutes the Dragonfly was working. The Whisperlite never did light that weekend.

I've always attempted to learn from the mistakes of others whenever possible rather than make the same mistake myself, that's the main reason I bought a Jetboil.

I won't tell you the Jetboil is better than the MSR stoves, but based on what I've seen and heard, it's simpler to operate and it appears to be more reliable than the MSR's.

...You cant cook a steak in it though.

Yes you can.
Jetboil accessories

 

[mlawtone]

replies...

Thanks for the info everybody... oh and thanks for the link NH Mtn Hiker, had a feeling there was a previous discussion I just could'nt find it

 

[DougPaul]

Before I bought my Jetboil, I'd been on several camping and backpacking trips and had repeatedly seen the un-reliability of the MSR stoves. On one particular camping trip on a cold October morning I remember patiently waiting for two of my camping partners to rebuild their MSR stoves so we could cook breakfast. After about 20-30 minutes the Dragonfly was working. The Whisperlite never did light that weekend.

Quite the opposite of my experience--I've had an MSR model G since the '70s. Never had any problem with it, including winter usage. And it only takes a minute or so to prime.

Doug

 

[Nessmuk]

Hi my name is Matt and this is my first post... I am thinking of purchasing a Jetboil for backpacking trips. I bought a cheap Primus (with no ignitor) a few weeks ago, and apparently you need an act of God to start the thing! Anyways, are the Jetboil stoves as good as Jetboil says they are? Are they better than MSR stoves? More reliable? Not as versatile? If they're are any Jetboil owners out there please let me know what you think.

If all you need to do is boil water, you might consider kellykettle.com. I have used one for 3 years now. No fuel to worry about taking on long trips - burns small twigs and pine cones. Three cups of boiling water in 4 minutes. I think it works great and wouldn't be without mine.

 

[masshysteria]

I'm a Whisperlite guy, but I was wondering, how much water can the Jetboil heat at one time?

 

[sardog1]

I'm a Whisperlite guy, but I was wondering, how much water can the Jetboil heat at one time?

One liter (32 oz.) in the cup. The newest packaging will include two cups with the stove. The new pot support (usually sold as an accessory) will allow use of a three liter pot.

 

[Lawn Sale]

Msr

I have used a bunch of stoves, and the MSR Dragonfly is without a doubt the best. Yes, it's a little heavier than the other stoves, but we're talking ounces here and in my estimation they are easily justified. When hiking, I have more variability on what I eat due to being able to adjust the flame, and it'll burn just about anything. This also means I can vary the fuel for winter camping, which is sweet as not everything will burn at -35°F, and cannisters are just about useless at that temperature. The wide fold-out base is also sweet for supporting larger pots, like when 3 of us go backpacking together. At full burn it uses 5 ml of fuel a minute (I did a burn test), so a 20 ounce bottle will last me about 128 minutes, at full burn, it'll do better at simmer. It'll boil a quart in around 4 minutes, which is respectable.

I have never had a problem with my Dragonfly, and the shaker jet technology makes it sweet as I've never even had to clean it. It is loud compared to a JetBoil though.

My older brother has had a Primus Hymalaya for many years now, and he loves it, but wishes he could vary the flame. It's a tank and has been through some rough times, but the all aluminum pump is nearly indestructable.

That being said, I was hiking the AT a few weeks ago and stayed at the Frye Notch shelter with Harry Potter/Batman, who had a JetBoil. I was impressed with how quiet it was, and it was faster at boiling water, but he said he was limited to certain foods with it. He had been on the same large cannister since Katahdin, about 3 weeks, and there was still plenty left to get him out of Maine. He did say he hated the cup though, as it was hard to clean, so he just poured the water into something else that was easier to clean.

 

[dropack]

Look at Snow Peak

The lastest stove I have been using is a Snow Peak gigapower stove with auto ignition used with the Snow Peak mini solo cook set, I have been very happy with both. I have used them just this spring and summer season so far and have been impressed with the weight vs power ratio. The fuel does cost but since backpacking is what I do I do not mind. My friend has a Jetboil and is happy with it, we were doing a over night four weeks ago and he said that he liked the snow peak. A bonus is the the stove with it's fuel can attached fits into the mini solo cook set. A nice a small package.

 

[TEO]

Background: I have used my Whisperlite International for more than five years in a variety of conditions and seasons with no complaints.

In June, I spent a couple nights on Shasta's Clear Creek Route with a friend. We used his JetBoil with great success. For specific use: in close, confined quarters, where you only need to boil water, the JetBoil may be the best option. Because the flame is contained and the cup is attached to the burner, it is extremely good and safe for use in a tent. The disadvantage to the JetBoil is that it is on the smallish side (though this can be seen as an advantage) and is not really good for gourmet meals.

In such a situation, a Whisperlite would not be nearly as good. My friend's other stove is the SnowPeak Gigapower, which also works well in a confined space (i.e. tent vestibule), but it isn't quite as convenient as the JetBoil because the flame is exposed, your cooking pot is not secured to the stove and it isn't as efficient.

The bottomline, IMnotsoHO, is that if you plan on camping in exposed environments where most of your downtime will be inside a tent, the JetBoil is an excellent choice. However, if you camp in a variety of enviornments and want versatillity, go with another type of stove and borrow your buddy's JetBoil for those trips to McKinley.

 

[Bluethroatedone]

Own both Jet Boild and MSR Whisper lite Int'l

I love both...here's my take on each:

Whisperlite
+ great for cooking lots of meals, can do all meals, all form factors
+ Useful in countries where you can't get anything but kerosene (used jet fuel in Kyrgyzstan)
+ Reliable, know how much fuel you have
+ Works great in cold weather

-Sucks in the rain (can't cook/prime under rain fly for fear of lighting it on fire)
-Take a while to set up (~3min) - have to unfold the aluminium thingies, get the bottom one around the stove, unfold the legs (gets soot on hands) etc.
- Heavier side
- Slower to boil water
- Must wait ~10 min after turning off to turn on again

Jet Boil
+ Super fast set up (~20 seconds)
+ Super fast to boil water (~15-20 seconds for a cup of water at sea level!!!)
This is very very useful when you want to make a quick cub of tea when you get to camp
+ Can turn on turn off as many times as you want
+ In winter melts snow at twice the speed of the whisperlite (more on how in a bit)
+ Can be used inside a tent (Being very very careful)
+ Compact and light

- Can't cook foods, just liquids (I don't have the additional thingy yet)
- tough to tell how much lift in the canister
- Canisters more expensive than white gas
- Have created a fireball when the cup seperated from burner droping it on the ground
- Tougher to use in winter (Must put canister in small tub of water to keep canister warm and keep adding water to that as it cools it down)
- Hate thinking of the envrionmental affect of throwing out all those canisters

Bottom line - buy both, use them for different things.

My problem, I now take both in winter, but my pack is already pretty heavy....oh well 2 steps forwards, 1 step back