JetBoil

[Kevin Root]

Another thing to ponder at perhaps is the fuel to water boil factor, even if your not concerned with time. Like Bitterroot Bulls mentions it's good to add all the weights, fuel, cup and stove to the equation.

MSR pocket rocket, water boiled per 100 g fuel 6.6 liters
Jetboil, water boiled per 100 g fuel 10.0 liters

One could perhaps always go even lighter and less costs if your not concerned with time and build a open fire and have a Snow Peak 4.8 ounce titanium cup to boil water. There are lots of options but I like the Jetboil Sol TI weight to fuel boil ratio myself and ease of use.

[dhershberger]

If you use a titanium cup with the pocket rocket, then it weighs just little more than the Jetboil Sol ti. Plus the Jetboil sol ti costs $150!!!!!!!! That is more than three times the price of the pocket rocket. You could buy two more back up pocket rockets for that price and still have $30 left over!!!!!! Plus the Jetboil takes up a significantly greater amount of space in your pack! I like the jetboil too but the difference in price comparitively to the difference in weight and time of boil is not great enough to dish out another $110 for it. The pocket rocket is the way to go for a working class backcountry hunter like myself. Unless you are cooking for multiple buddies, you dont need very much boiled water because everything else can be filtered or purified with tablets for drinking. I'm not trying to be controversial but I just dont understand the rage about an $150 stove.

[Bitterroot Bulls]

Whoa dhershberger!

Pull back the reins on those exclamation points!

My post was a response to your all-caps post that the Jetboil was "WAY TOO HEAVY."

My response was only intended in a friendly manner, I assure you. I also have a Pocket Rocket. It is currently in the car emergency kit, and I think it is a nice piece of gear. I did like my Jetboil better, and I really like my SOL ti much better. JMO.

It sounds like you like the PR, and the extra expense for the Jetboil isn't worth it to you. Sounds reasonable to me. The extra expense for the SOL ti was worth it to me, and I don't regret it.

[Kevin Root]

If you use a titanium cup with the pocket rocket, then it weighs just little more than the Jetboil Sol ti. Plus the Jetboil sol ti costs $150!!!!!!!! That is more than three times the price of the pocket rocket. You could buy two more back up pocket rockets for that price and still have $30 left over!!!!!! Plus the Jetboil takes up a significantly greater amount of space in your pack! I like the jetboil too but the difference in price comparitively to the difference in weight and time of boil is not great enough to dish out another $110 for it. The pocket rocket is the way to go for a working class backcountry hunter like myself. Unless you are cooking for multiple buddies, you dont need very much boiled water because everything else can be filtered or purified with tablets for drinking. I'm not trying to be controversial but I just dont understand the rage about an $150 stove.

I'm with you on the stove price dhershberger. The Jetboils are a bit up there in price. MSR makes some awesome stoves. The MSR Pocket Rocket you have is a good stove and gets great reviews. At $40 the MSR Pocket Rocket is a good price. I've upgraded from two MSR Whisperlite stove versions in my time, and they still get Backpacker Editor choice awards in 2012. MSR has never failed me.

When I was up for a stove upgrade, the last one being 10 years ago, I looked at the fuel cost savings I'd have over time, stove weight and fuel weight savings. A 12 pack of 100 g fuel is hitting $54 of the isobutane propane blend now out my way. These gas prices both for my vehicle and now for stoves seem to be going through the roof. I typically hold on to a stove for 10 years on average so I'll probably save some money in gas over that time was my thought or perhaps was it just the added incentive to entice me to hit the buy button. I do also get some fuel weight savings on my trips into the backcountry burning more efficient now on the Jetboil though.

Over the years I've upgraded a few stoves that I still have going back to the 70's and 80's when I had white gas stoves. I had propane in the 90's to 2000's to the isobutane propane blend of the Jetboil today. If I look at all the stoves I have upgraded over the years, I'm surely not saving a lot of money buying new stoves every ten years. Each time I've upgraded, either for ease of use or for weight for me it has been worth the money though.

If I can get another 10 years out of my Jetboil, I'll be on target for the next upgrade which seems to be my going trend in stove upgrades. Who knows, in 10 years some brilliant inventor will invent some kind of lightweight solar stove that's lighter than what I have today. It will have $0 in fuel cost, zero fuel weight and boil water faster than my Jetboil. If and when that day comes they will probably entice me to upgrade again. What can I say. I'm also a sucker for the technology innovation rages.

[dhershberger]

Whoa dhershberger!

Pull back the reins on those exclamation points!

My post was a response to your all-caps post that the Jetboil was "WAY TOO HEAVY."

My response was only intended in a friendly manner, I assure you. I also have a Pocket Rocket. It is currently in the car emergency kit, and I think it is a nice piece of gear. I did like my Jetboil better, and I really like my SOL ti much better. JMO.

It sounds like you like the PR, and the extra expense for the Jetboil isn't worth it to you. Sounds reasonable to me. The extra expense for the SOL ti was worth it to me, and I don't regret it.

Hey Bitteroot Bulls, I'm sorry that I came across as really argumentative and chastizing. I admit that I did get out of hand, especially over a stove. I dont know if you get the Eastmans E-news letter but I really appreciated the comment Tim made about how expensive the clothing layering system that the Eastmans had reviewed in the last EHJ magazine. I agree that it seems that high quality hunting clothing and gear has become only affordable for the wealthy and not for the working class like myself. I know that Eastmans is only reviewing the highest quality gear available but I'd appreciate it if they would review affordable gear. I just feel that $150 is a little ridiculous for a stove. But I sincerely apologize for my comment above.
-Dane

[dhershberger]

I'm with you on the stove price dhershberger. The Jetboils are a bit up there in price. MSR makes some awesome stoves. The MSR Pocket Rocket you have is a good stove and gets great reviews. At $40 the MSR Pocket Rocket is a good price. I've upgraded from two MSR Whisperlite stove versions in my time, and they still get Backpacker Editor choice awards in 2012. MSR has never failed me.

When I was up for a stove upgrade, the last one being 10 years ago, I looked at the fuel cost savings I'd have over time, stove weight and fuel weight savings. A 12 pack of 100 g fuel is hitting $54 of the isobutane propane blend now out my way. These gas prices both for my vehicle and now for stoves seem to be going through the roof. I typically hold on to a stove for 10 years on average so I'll probably save some money in gas over that time was my thought or perhaps was it just the added incentive to entice me to hit the buy button. I do also get some fuel weight savings on my trips into the backcountry burning more efficient now on the Jetboil though.

Over the years I've upgraded a few stoves that I still have going back to the 70's and 80's when I had white gas stoves. I had propane in the 90's to 2000's to the isobutane propane blend of the Jetboil today. If I look at all the stoves I have upgraded over the years, I'm surely not saving a lot of money buying new stoves every ten years. Each time I've upgraded, either for ease of use or for weight for me it has been worth the money though.

If I can get another 10 years out of my Jetboil, I'll be on target for the next upgrade which seems to be my going trend in stove upgrades. Who knows, in 10 years some brilliant inventor will invent some kind of lightweight solar stove that's lighter than what I have today. It will have $0 in fuel cost, zero fuel weight and boil water faster than my Jetboil. If and when that day comes they will probably entice me to upgrade again. What can I say. I'm also a sucker for the technology innovation rages.

I hope so too, that would be awesome!!!!!!!

[Bitterroot Bulls]

Now you are making me feel like Mr. Moneybags, dhershberger. I assure you none of my hunting shirts have white collars.

I hardly think you got out of hand. I was just chuckling at all those !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are spot on. This western hunting stuff is expensive. I am a gear horsetrader, and rarely pay retail for anything. I do priortize my budget towards hunting, and sacrifice dearly elsewhere. I certainly would recommend to someone still putting their kit together to first invest elsewhere (like optics), and consider a titanium cannister stove system towards the end.

Of course, the OP was asking about Jetboil systems, though.

[Drhorsepower]

Now you are making me feel like Mr. Moneybags, dhershberger. I assure you none of my hunting shirts have white collars.

I hardly think you got out of hand. I was just chuckling at all those !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are spot on. This western hunting stuff is expensive. I am a gear horsetrader, and rarely pay retail for anything. I do priortize my budget towards hunting, and sacrifice dearly elsewhere. I certainly would recommend to someone still putting their kit together to first invest elsewhere (like optics), and consider a titanium cannister stove system towards the end.

Of course, the OP was asking about Jetboil systems, though.

I thought you were money bags! You have all the nicest stuff, what do you do for a living anyways? Are they hiring?

I don own a jetboil, only in my dreams. I bought myself a soto od1r on black Friday from rei. Like bb, I'm a bargain shopper, if I buy something full price, it means I need it now or craigslist isn't producing. My wife is worse. She should be on that coupon show, that's all that lady does is look for coupons.

[Bitterroot Bulls]

DrH.,

I think I will start a new thread on the "how to afford nice stuff", and we will let this thread get back to the OP.

To the OP,

Both of the Jetboil systems I have used have worked very well for me at a number of elevations from 1500 to 10000 feet and temps from -25 to 70.

[Whisky]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to purchase the Jet Boil Sol Ti. I also need to order a sleeping pad along with it, probably from REI. What else do you guys recommend for cooking/eating needs when out in the backcountry. I'm sure I need a fork or something for eating out of a Mt House bag. What else?

Thanks