Learn more about the products in my cooking system for fastpacking: • MSR Pocket Rocket 2: geni.us/axrc • Toaks 750ml Pot: geni.us/Lqw5i7 • GoCup 4oz Collapsible Cup: geni.us/svCPO
I just returned from a 3 week bikepacking adventure and I’m currently planning to go for a 3 week trekking/backpacking/fastpacking trip. This video was really helpful! On the bikepacking trip I had no cooking system and relied on either cold wraps or restaurants. For the next trip I first thought of buying a Jetboil Zip but I had the concern that it is quite bulky to fit in my 35L bag, especially since I’ll carry a one person tent instead of a bivvy. After this video I now think of getting the MSR Pocketrocket 2 mini stove kit. It’s also more affordable than the Jetboil Zip.
my new overnighter cook system is a toaks siphon (easy to smother with your cup and keep excess fuel), 20g, and 3 panels of their 4 panel windscreen which gives protection to the flame and more stability for 31g, small bottle for fuel 25, 100ml of fuel for 3-4 boils, 15g spoon and a toaks 750, 103g. ~300g total.
Great video, Jeff! Super informative as always. I've recently picked up the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 after seeing your 'Fastpacking' gear video (and the Salomon XA 25) and I'm really pleased with it. I've got some fastpacking adventures on the horizon in the next month or so. Can't wait. Your videos are always a big inspiration, so thank you.
Great video, but people do "cook" on solid fuel and alcohol stoves all the time. I've eaten literally hundreds of real meals cooked on a Tragia stove. They don't have as many limitations as you think. They have simmer ring control and a cap that snuffs out the flame. However, you are right that they are restricted in many areas.
I use exactly the one you use, MSR pocket stove and 750 ml pot. It's very reliable and safe as you said. I usually used to make tea while hiking one day or camping for couple days.
Excellent video! I like how you emphasize different stoves for different uses. I think that's lost on a lot of reviewers. The only thing I would have preferred if you had a quick shot showing your favorite lightweight canister stove (MSR Pocketrocket 2) and integrated canister stove (MSR Reactor) side-by-side like you did at 7:15 basically to give a visual quantifiable comparison for people juggling efficiency vs. weight priorities. The mental struggle with all of this is I've had the OG Jetboil for over 4 years and I've never once yearned for something _more_ when *using it in the backcountry* but I do yearn for more whenever I see a video like this.
That would be a been a good idea to do a more direct comparison, you’re right. A Jetboil is still great for times when weight isn’t as much of an issue - like car camping, for example, when you just need a quick boil. But for the relatively small investment, you can’t go wrong with having something lighter like the PocketRocket as an option.
A very informative stove video. Love this i actually didn’t know how many different stoves there are!! Thank you for this! Sending a like, love and sub from Ireland 🇮🇪
Great video :) having done fastpacking and UL hiking for almost 20 years, i have to say i almost never bring a stove for fastpacking trips - i either cold soak, or just eat food that doesnt require rehydration/cooking - for me its faster, lighter, less fuss - and a cook system takes up space - if i bring a cook system - its a titanium bottle and alcohol stove - i can use the bottle for water during the day (thus saving weight/space with multiuse) and alcohol for 2-3 days just takes up much less space and wieght - than a 100ml gas canister - so the entire system, including fuel, weighs 150ish grams (and you save 25-50g on a water bottle) compared to the lightest gas/cook pot system, which is around 300-350g
Thanks Kaare. Alcohol stoves definitely seem like a good option for short trips as you say. I’m still not sure about cold soaking myself, but I’ll have to try it for longer trips. What kind of cold food do you eat?
@@JeffPelletier i tend to use bars/musli/trail mix for breakfast - usually eat while walking - for lunch, torteilla wraps with filling (if close to towns, usually vegetables), if remote, cheese, dried meat, sausage, mayo, pesto, - and i tend to use the same base ingredients for dinner, just with cold soaked couscous or similar - you can use local cheeses (i live in europe, so we have quite different food cultures depending where you go) so its always nice to taste local cheese, meats, dried vegetables and fruit and so on. Cold soaking is definitely for the warmer months - for below 5c i usually bring a stove (i dont drink coffee or other hot drinks, which makes the lack of a stove a bit easier)
Home made beercan stoves are indeed often very dangerous, but you might want to give a Trangia with a Clickstand support another look. I've used a lot of stoves since the 70'ish, including the Nova and Pocket rocket you showed. Contrary to what you said, Trangia's are easy to properly cook on and weight wise more fuel efficient (run some simple kitchen scale test at home, you'll be amazed.). They make a lightweight and very reliable setup. The only place in recent years where I opted for a Lindal screw-on gas setup was a trip in central Asia as burning alcohol is not a common household item there. But in hindsight medical grade alcohol was for sale. For longer trip a wide base pot is more suitable for cooking with real ingredients, the concentrated flame of most gas stoves often burns the centre of the pot, this is less of a problem with the Trangia. I never bring the simmer ring, never needed it. I know of several people who have done trips of multiple years with a Trangia. If someone suggests a screw on gas stove is safe, imagine what happens if you have a leaking O-ring at the valve that catches fire, what would you do? (don't ask me why I ask).. Imo any fuel under pressure is inherently less safe..
Thanks! Sounds like I need to give alcohol stoves a real try. We managed to light a patch of grass on fire after trying to prime a homemade alcohol stove while filming this video, but perhaps the Triangia’s are much safer by design.
@@JeffPelletier Hi Jeff. I’m really enjoying your video’s, they are very entertaining & you have a great way of narrating and also covering the practical sides. I own a dozen or so alcohol stoves, the Trangia is in a league of its own (i.e. you have alcohol stoves and then you have Trangia, there’s a difference.). Even the really similarly looking Chinees OEM knock-offs aren't touching it, the hole diameters aren’t quite right and the flame uneven... It was originally designed as a system as base/windshield and pots that would fit inside each other. As with any stove a solid base, lowdown to the ground with a windshield is always better. Consider that the Trangia design has been nearly unchanged since 1951 and was used in the Swedish army for decades. Even after all this time, it still has a very strong real world following (not just a cult status). At first glans a Trangia might appear less safe then a multi fuel stove or a gas stove, but all camping stoves are pretty unsafe in their own ways. It comes down to knowing how to use them & that I think is the main problem.. Once you start venturing outside of the western world, (bar automotive fuels, which is a whole different can of worms) alcohol becomes by far the easiest and most reliable source of fuel. If your serious about giving the Trangia another go, consider a “VARGO Alcohol Fuel Bottle”, they are pretty good lightweight option. A good bottle is important as to not to spill or over fill (max 1/3 from the top, but I normal aim for half full..) Also a cheap lightweight long’ish nosed lighter, works well in most scenario’s (advanced option: a firesteel, for wet weather or high altitude). Also You’d need to consider a support and windscreen. I’m a big fan of: clikstand.com. Once you subtract the metal of that Lindal can you’d be carrying in stead the Clickstand+Trangia works out about the same. There are lighter stands out there like the regular "Trangia Mini Wind Protection", with an extra aluminum role up windshield. They make horses for courses. extiguishing the Trangia is quick and easy, just place the lid over the top and its out, let it cool, scew lid on further and preserve any leftover fuel in the stove for the next brew. Things that I appreciate the most about the Trangia are is it's simplicity/reliability, silent operation and no (half) empty cans (waste) to dispose of.. Hope these pointers are of use.
Love my pocket rocket 2. Although it comes with a plastic "cup" that fits onto the bottom of the metal pot for storage and I forgot to remove it once (deep in Manning Park) and melted plastic all over my pocket rocket... that was hard to clean. And I also learned the hard way about using too large a pot when I spilled the Mac n' Cheese for our group of 4 in Magnesia Meadows... we salvaged as much as we could. Everyone who witnessed that one winced when the pot went over... we were soooo hungry.....
Thanks for the video! I haven't been using the stove since I found the flameless heating. For a fastpacking trip from 3 to 4 days, I usually have 10 heating pads/20 grams. Of course, I also need water, but there is plenty of it in the region I run in.
@@JeffPelletier No, they're about 1$ apiece. But there are two disadvantages: When you run in a remote area, you have to carry the used pads until you get to a trash can. And they are a bit heavier because, during heating, they soak in the water. And second, it's not suitable for preparing coffee, so even though I like coffee, I sacrifice it in exchange for weight.
Great video! - grounded on experience and providing recommendations according to different use cases. As I typically use stoves for mountaineering expeditions, I am a big fan of Jetboil , but it's true that if you plan to do fastpack adventures getting back to basics (lightweight canister stoves) should be the best. Further comment: in my experience liquid fuel stoves can be more dangerous due to fuel leak. Thanks and keep up with your great videos.
great video, i have a similar set up except im using the msr microrocket,same pot. years ago ive been using the msr dragonfly stove with a 1 person cookset.smallpot and a pan.
Great video again. I have a similar setup to what you ended up on, except I use the BRS-3000T 25g titanium burner with pot/canister. I also have a titanium wind screen that's useful for wind but weighs nothing. I much prefer a modular setup, although I can't say I've used a Jetboil. From what I've read, a modular setup can be nearly as efficient, but takes less space and weight. Not sure I'd want to run with either though. Cheers
Thanks Jeremy! I think the main reason for the increase in efficiency with integrated stoves is the heatsink. I probably could have talked more about that. But agreed, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze in most situations.
What are you joking about alcohol stoves and wood gas stove?🤣😂I sucessfuly cooked on both of them. And ofcourse on my stormcooker. You know litle about alcohol or wood gas stoves
Thanks, I probably should have been more specific and said that you can’t cook on it unless you have a model with a simmer ring, in which case you have two setting - full blast or simmer. Is that more accurate?
Learn more about the products in my cooking system for fastpacking:
• MSR Pocket Rocket 2: geni.us/axrc
• Toaks 750ml Pot: geni.us/Lqw5i7
• GoCup 4oz Collapsible Cup: geni.us/svCPO
That shirt is perfect lol
😂😂😂😂
I just returned from a 3 week bikepacking adventure and I’m currently planning to go for a 3 week trekking/backpacking/fastpacking trip. This video was really helpful! On the bikepacking trip I had no cooking system and relied on either cold wraps or restaurants. For the next trip I first thought of buying a Jetboil Zip but I had the concern that it is quite bulky to fit in my 35L bag, especially since I’ll carry a one person tent instead of a bivvy. After this video I now think of getting the MSR Pocketrocket 2 mini stove kit. It’s also more affordable than the Jetboil Zip.
You should make a video with tips for flying with all your gear. Packing. Money saving tips. Etc.
Thanks for the suggestion Anthony, I’ve got one planned on that topic!
my new overnighter cook system is a toaks siphon (easy to smother with your cup and keep excess fuel), 20g, and 3 panels of their 4 panel windscreen which gives protection to the flame and more stability for 31g, small bottle for fuel 25, 100ml of fuel for 3-4 boils, 15g spoon and a toaks 750, 103g. ~300g total.
Great video, Jeff! Super informative as always. I've recently picked up the MSR Pocket Rocket 2 after seeing your 'Fastpacking' gear video (and the Salomon XA 25) and I'm really pleased with it. I've got some fastpacking adventures on the horizon in the next month or so. Can't wait. Your videos are always a big inspiration, so thank you.
Thanks Mathew! Can’t go wrong with the Pocket Rocket 2, it’s sure to last you years.
Great video, but people do "cook" on solid fuel and alcohol stoves all the time. I've eaten literally hundreds of real meals cooked on a Tragia stove. They don't have as many limitations as you think. They have simmer ring control and a cap that snuffs out the flame. However, you are right that they are restricted in many areas.
I use exactly the one you use, MSR pocket stove and 750 ml pot. It's very reliable and safe as you said. I usually used to make tea while hiking one day or camping for couple days.
Excellent video! I like how you emphasize different stoves for different uses. I think that's lost on a lot of reviewers. The only thing I would have preferred if you had a quick shot showing your favorite lightweight canister stove (MSR Pocketrocket 2) and integrated canister stove (MSR Reactor) side-by-side like you did at 7:15 basically to give a visual quantifiable comparison for people juggling efficiency vs. weight priorities.
The mental struggle with all of this is I've had the OG Jetboil for over 4 years and I've never once yearned for something _more_ when *using it in the backcountry* but I do yearn for more whenever I see a video like this.
That would be a been a good idea to do a more direct comparison, you’re right. A Jetboil is still great for times when weight isn’t as much of an issue - like car camping, for example, when you just need a quick boil. But for the relatively small investment, you can’t go wrong with having something lighter like the PocketRocket as an option.
Ahhh that is my setup minus the cup! Well it was, I just ordered the cup from the link! Thanks for the share 👍🏻
Awesome! And thanks for supporting the channel with my affiliate links 💪.
A very informative stove video. Love this i actually didn’t know how many different stoves there are!! Thank you for this! Sending a like, love and sub from Ireland 🇮🇪
Great video :) having done fastpacking and UL hiking for almost 20 years, i have to say i almost never bring a stove for fastpacking trips - i either cold soak, or just eat food that doesnt require rehydration/cooking - for me its faster, lighter, less fuss - and a cook system takes up space - if i bring a cook system - its a titanium bottle and alcohol stove - i can use the bottle for water during the day (thus saving weight/space with multiuse) and alcohol for 2-3 days just takes up much less space and wieght - than a 100ml gas canister - so the entire system, including fuel, weighs 150ish grams (and you save 25-50g on a water bottle) compared to the lightest gas/cook pot system, which is around 300-350g
Thanks Kaare. Alcohol stoves definitely seem like a good option for short trips as you say. I’m still not sure about cold soaking myself, but I’ll have to try it for longer trips. What kind of cold food do you eat?
@@JeffPelletier i tend to use bars/musli/trail mix for breakfast - usually eat while walking - for lunch, torteilla wraps with filling (if close to towns, usually vegetables), if remote, cheese, dried meat, sausage, mayo, pesto, - and i tend to use the same base ingredients for dinner, just with cold soaked couscous or similar - you can use local cheeses (i live in europe, so we have quite different food cultures depending where you go) so its always nice to taste local cheese, meats, dried vegetables and fruit and so on. Cold soaking is definitely for the warmer months - for below 5c i usually bring a stove (i dont drink coffee or other hot drinks, which makes the lack of a stove a bit easier)
Home made beercan stoves are indeed often very dangerous, but you might want to give a Trangia with a Clickstand support another look. I've used a lot of stoves since the 70'ish, including the Nova and Pocket rocket you showed. Contrary to what you said, Trangia's are easy to properly cook on and weight wise more fuel efficient (run some simple kitchen scale test at home, you'll be amazed.). They make a lightweight and very reliable setup. The only place in recent years where I opted for a Lindal screw-on gas setup was a trip in central Asia as burning alcohol is not a common household item there. But in hindsight medical grade alcohol was for sale. For longer trip a wide base pot is more suitable for cooking with real ingredients, the concentrated flame of most gas stoves often burns the centre of the pot, this is less of a problem with the Trangia. I never bring the simmer ring, never needed it. I know of several people who have done trips of multiple years with a Trangia. If someone suggests a screw on gas stove is safe, imagine what happens if you have a leaking O-ring at the valve that catches fire, what would you do? (don't ask me why I ask).. Imo any fuel under pressure is inherently less safe..
Thanks! Sounds like I need to give alcohol stoves a real try. We managed to light a patch of grass on fire after trying to prime a homemade alcohol stove while filming this video, but perhaps the Triangia’s are much safer by design.
@@JeffPelletier Hi Jeff. I’m really enjoying your video’s, they are very entertaining & you have a great way of narrating and also covering the practical sides. I own a dozen or so alcohol stoves, the Trangia is in a league of its own (i.e. you have alcohol stoves and then you have Trangia, there’s a difference.). Even the really similarly looking Chinees OEM knock-offs aren't touching it, the hole diameters aren’t quite right and the flame uneven... It was originally designed as a system as base/windshield and pots that would fit inside each other. As with any stove a solid base, lowdown to the ground with a windshield is always better. Consider that the Trangia design has been nearly unchanged since 1951 and was used in the Swedish army for decades. Even after all this time, it still has a very strong real world following (not just a cult status). At first glans a Trangia might appear less safe then a multi fuel stove or a gas stove, but all camping stoves are pretty unsafe in their own ways. It comes down to knowing how to use them & that I think is the main problem.. Once you start venturing outside of the western world, (bar automotive fuels, which is a whole different can of worms) alcohol becomes by far the easiest and most reliable source of fuel. If your serious about giving the Trangia another go, consider a “VARGO Alcohol Fuel Bottle”, they are pretty good lightweight option. A good bottle is important as to not to spill or over fill (max 1/3 from the top, but I normal aim for half full..) Also a cheap lightweight long’ish nosed lighter, works well in most scenario’s (advanced option: a firesteel, for wet weather or high altitude). Also You’d need to consider a support and windscreen. I’m a big fan of: clikstand.com. Once you subtract the metal of that Lindal can you’d be carrying in stead the Clickstand+Trangia works out about the same. There are lighter stands out there like the regular "Trangia Mini Wind Protection", with an extra aluminum role up windshield. They make horses for courses. extiguishing the Trangia is quick and easy, just place the lid over the top and its out, let it cool, scew lid on further and preserve any leftover fuel in the stove for the next brew. Things that I appreciate the most about the Trangia are is it's simplicity/reliability, silent operation and no (half) empty cans (waste) to dispose of.. Hope these pointers are of use.
Love my pocket rocket 2. Although it comes with a plastic "cup" that fits onto the bottom of the metal pot for storage and I forgot to remove it once (deep in Manning Park) and melted plastic all over my pocket rocket... that was hard to clean. And I also learned the hard way about using too large a pot when I spilled the Mac n' Cheese for our group of 4 in Magnesia Meadows... we salvaged as much as we could. Everyone who witnessed that one winced when the pot went over... we were soooo hungry.....
I’m not sure the 5 second rule applies to Mac n’ Cheese laying in the dirt 🥺
Thanks for the video! I haven't been using the stove since I found the flameless heating. For a fastpacking trip from 3 to 4 days, I usually have 10 heating pads/20 grams. Of course, I also need water, but there is plenty of it in the region I run in.
Ah interesting. Are those expensive?
@@JeffPelletier No, they're about 1$ apiece. But there are two disadvantages: When you run in a remote area, you have to carry the used pads until you get to a trash can. And they are a bit heavier because, during heating, they soak in the water. And second, it's not suitable for preparing coffee, so even though I like coffee, I sacrifice it in exchange for weight.
Great video! - grounded on experience and providing recommendations according to different use cases. As I typically use stoves for mountaineering expeditions, I am a big fan of Jetboil , but it's true that if you plan to do fastpack adventures getting back to basics (lightweight canister stoves) should be the best. Further comment: in my experience liquid fuel stoves can be more dangerous due to fuel leak. Thanks and keep up with your great videos.
Thanks Pablo! Great tip on the safety of the liquid fuel stoves as well.
I use the kraku stove from Alpkit, it's I guess very similar to the MSR PR.
Thank you :-)
great video, i have a similar set up except im using the msr microrocket,same pot. years ago ive been using the msr dragonfly stove with a 1 person cookset.smallpot and a pan.
Thanks! The Microrocket is basically the same stove as the Pocket Rocket 2. Seems to be mostly a rebrand 😉
@@JeffPelletier i see, tnx for the reply! 😁 Looking forward to your next adventure 👌💪
Love the shirt! LOL! Great video too with perfect feedback!
Great video again. I have a similar setup to what you ended up on, except I use the BRS-3000T 25g titanium burner with pot/canister. I also have a titanium wind screen that's useful for wind but weighs nothing. I much prefer a modular setup, although I can't say I've used a Jetboil. From what I've read, a modular setup can be nearly as efficient, but takes less space and weight. Not sure I'd want to run with either though. Cheers
Thanks Jeremy! I think the main reason for the increase in efficiency with integrated stoves is the heatsink. I probably could have talked more about that. But agreed, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze in most situations.
@@JeffPelletier ha, yeah good point!
@@JeffPelletier if you like pots with hint sinks, but don't like how much they weigh, you should check out the one I've been working on ;)
I've had a pocket rocket for years. They are well worth the investment.
I have an important question: how do you make your coffee?!
NZ crew checking in
Quality video.!!!
Thanks Dean!
Jetboil when I don’t mind a few extra ounces of weight. BRS stove & that same Toaks pot otherwise
The BRS seems to be a popular choice 👍
Send me link
No stove. Cold soak.
What are you joking about alcohol stoves and wood gas stove?🤣😂I sucessfuly cooked on both of them. And ofcourse on my stormcooker. You know litle about alcohol or wood gas stoves
Thanks, I probably should have been more specific and said that you can’t cook on it unless you have a model with a simmer ring, in which case you have two setting - full blast or simmer. Is that more accurate?
no stove. it is not that hard.