Why I'm Ditching the Jetboil - And What I'm Using Instead

In this Video:

My favorite gear for backpacking:

The Jetboil is a classic backpacker stove because it boils water incredibly fast and is highly efficient. But that doesn't tell the full story. So move over Jetboil, I'm ditching you for another stove. Here's why.

[JetboilStoves]

Hey Eric, thanks for taking the time to share this! Didn't hurt, your honest feedback is appreciated and you were very respectable. The Flash is great for boiling and freeze dried meals but I get that this may get boring for the longer trips. Have you tried the MiniMo, MicroMo, MightyMo or Sumo? The "Mo" burner to these units have precise simmer control and the cooking possibilities are endless. The burner can also be purchased separately and is compatible with the Flash cup. Happy Backpacking! - Brenda

[kaitym]

When my mom and dad started my sister and I into back country foot travel, he used an ancient Primus (still have it) and he insisted that we NEVER eat a freeze dried meal. He used to cook some awesome meals based on food my mom would dehydrate and we became spoiled (did not realize it until I started backpacking on my own). He eventually bought an MSR Whisperlite and when it came time to start to set up my own cook kit, he passed to me the Whisperlite. It served me well, but I started to seek a lighter cooking stove and chose a Pocket Rocket (the original one) and I still use it a few decades later. Jet boil came out and I started to see them on trails, but just as you point out...all they seem to be used for is boiling water and reconstituting freeze dried food. I would be eating fresh caught trout and dehydrated veggie and everyone wanted to share my food because..."OMG, that smells delicious!"

Thank you for sharing your experience, I was starting to wonder if I was like the only one! :) Many miles of adventure and harmony!

[TimothyShaw]

I have two main reasons I'll likely stick to boil water meals. 1) I hate clean up. So I'm not likely to do complicated meals. 2) I'm just a weekend a month backpacker so freeze dried meals aren't going to kill me.
Now I'll also note, I have become a fan of the alcohol stove. I love how quiet it is. I like that it is super cheap to make or replace. It is slower but I'm usually not in a hurry.
As I'm learning about backpacking in general, everyone hikes their own hike.

[postandghost]

Got the Jetboil while I was in the military. And boy, let me tell you, being able to actually cook my MREs is way more better than using that god forsaken chemical heat packet. The low weight, compact storage and rugged build was perfect for a 2 week field op.
Currently working in construction and its still worth it. No more basic sandwich and peanuts, I can actually bring in leftovers and reheat it using an additional Ozark backpack cooking set I got from walmart. Eggs, burritos, tacos, soup, spaghetti, coffee. And with heat resistant baggies, I can even heat up microwaveable food too.

[alistairhva]

Hi Eric. I see your point and would like to ask you if you would make a follow-up to this video showing some of your favorite meals and discussing which ingredients are best for hiking trips. There are other integrated systems (even from jetboil) and a comparison video with cooking as a theme would be helpful. I have used my jetboil loads but have also cooked. It's more what I feel like for a particular trip, not that obe is better overall than the other.

[henrirt]

As a 65 year old lifelong backpacking enthusiast I agree with you.
It's not about cost or high tech or saving a few seconds boiling something. It's all about the experience and quality of the food.
It's one thing if your climbing Mt Everest and every gram matters.
Average backpackers carry lots of things they don't "need" but because we're all different we fill our packs with them because of the comfort and quality they bring to our overall experience.

[jfrosty]

I've never used a bag meal before. I stick to oatmeal with dried fruit, ramen, chicken packets, pasta packets, and mashed potatoes for my hot meals. And I've pretty much always used a Jetboil to boil water and measured out freezer bags of food because of the convenience. Just so much easier to only boil water. Nothing gets messy - I like to keep it simple on the trail. However, I have been considering a small stove and small pot to save space and weight.

[TheyllNeverGetMe]

Jetboil makes a very nice folding pot stand that nests inside the cup. I have used it countless times with my titanium pan to cook trail meals such as omelettes, meat and potatoes, and many fresh caught fish. It works wonderfully and is more stable with the canister legs on ground that is not perfectly flat. I am trying the pocket rocket thing now but am not sure it can beat the capabilities of my jetboil.

[chado_outdoors]

Recently I have been collecting different mess kits/pots/cups etc, and I'm totally with you. I ended up loving a complete nesting kit with a twig stove. Not only can I cook great, but I can also use it for extra heat instead of starting a campfire.

[stevensad]

A very nice balanced video Eric. I have never been tempted to buy a Jetboil but have had gasoline stoves then butane like the MSR Pocket Rocket. Yes, they are fast and efficient but some time ago I was with some Swedish hikers and they introduced me to Trangia alcohol stove systems. They are slower, very, very quiet which I just love and most of all the fuel is environmentally sustainable, cheap, and available worldwide. Now I solo hike with a Speedster alcohol stove which weighs less than 1 oz and will burn with the simmer ring for about 30 minutes. In my 750 ml pot, I can cook quite adventurous meals. I am older, slower, and like to stop and enjoy the trail so fast food or drinks are not so important. There is just so much to recommend alcohol stove systems for one or two-person cooking however for groups Butane rules the roost.

[elderhiker]

Exactly. Spot on. Being an “elder hiker’” I was a Boy Scout many years ago and I earned my cooking merit badge cooking real food…because that’s all that was available. To this day, I have never eaten a freeze-dried meal. They are convenient, no doubt, and combined with a very fast boiling stove like Jet Boil, they make clean-up very easy, but they remind me of emergency rations on a life raft and only meant to keep a human alive. Nothing beats a camp sight in the woods alive with the smells of cooking bacon, pancakes, and fresh coffee. Many parks today prohibit hikers and campers from using an open fire for warmth, cooking, and s’mores. So I bring a large Firebox stove, a Firebox Nano, and a Windmaster stove. In the morning I start off with the stove to make coffee to energize the stiff bones from sleeping in a hammock. Then I use the stove to cook some fresh biscuits. Then I fire up the Firebox stoves and cook the bacon on one and the hash browns. Of course, you don’t need all 3 fire sources and could cook everything sequentially on the stove, but by using all 3, you can have all the food ready at the same time as you would on an open fire. If I am going to have oatmeal with chopped walnuts, raisins/cranberries, and brown sugar, I use the stove for that. Now what c-rations can compete with that? Sitting outside in the forest and watching the flora and fauna come alive while you eat a breakfast like that is pure, unadulterated heaven. Nope, no jet boiled, emergency rations for me.

[Russ]

Great points! I do agree that the JetBoil Flash is geared towards freeze dried meals. I use MiniMo and prefer it over Flash or the Pocket Rocket. As an average backpacker I try to balance lightweight backpack and comfort so the 14.6oz that the stove weighs is not a deal breaker for me. I'd rather cut weight on quality tent and sleeping bag. With MiniMo I can boil water just as quick and it has an attachment so you can use a skillet or a pan. On top of that it has simmer control which is important if you're trying to cook something instead of making a charcoal out of it.

[peterkelly]

Proud of you! I have been backpacking and cooking real food on trips since the 70’s when I was a Boy Scout. Did mre’s as a grunt in the USMC. Life’s too short for freeze dried food, especially when you are absorbing the beauty of Mother Nature!

[caroltrueblood]

Liked your comments, enjoyed the comparisons! However, having Cooked “ creatively “ my kitchen for 60years, I LOVE the dehydrated easy peasy, easy clean up meals when I’m backpacking!!

[bernie]

Jetboil minimo+summit skillet. I've never once had a freeze dried meal, I always cook my meals fresh. I don't have to deal with heat loss or bring extra accessories to light my stove or wind screens to keep the fire on. A nice plus is adding the coffee accessory and now I can also enjoy my morning french press coffee in the wild. Yes there are other options out there that may work well for others, but owning a jetboil doesn't mean freeze dried meals are your only option.

[planesandbikes]

You are so right about the 'char' on the bottom of the Jetboil cup when cooking. I've had my Jetboil for over 10 years, my main cooker when hiking and kayaking. We usually do about 60-40 cooking vs dehydrated meals. Lots of mac n cheese, mashed potatoes and ramen in the thing. The cup now has a permanent odour and that taste gets into the boiled water too, making some things like tea unpalatable. Jetboil wants $70 for a replacement cup, which is steep price. Well last trip we used a BRS 1-ounce stove and Ti cup. That works ok but it makes me nervous not having the cup affixed to the burner like the Jetboil.

[gmoy]

For those newer to this gear, Jetboil doesn't exclusively make the Flash system (only boiling water) being shown here. They have multiple options with simmer control. This isn't a dig towards MSR, but he's using the term Jetboil as if it's their only product rather than notating the specific model which is best for boiling water.

[j.markdutton]

Don't know if it was out when you made this but Jetboil also has a "Mo" series that allows great heat control to allow simmering. Lots of options depending on what you are wanting. Another thing to consider is because the system you recommended isn't as efficient as a jetboil, you will need more canisters for multi day trips and a wind screen protector so the weight argument may actually be moot.

[WilliamKapes]

I have avoided doing just dehydrated meals especially for weekend trips. You can bring tons of fresh delicious food and open up a bunch of options. For just boiling water trips I bring a 550ml titanium cup and a BRS stove. Tiny and light. But for most trips I've been bringing a 900ml Evernew nonstick titanium pot. Its the wide style vs the tall "cup" style pot so you have a lot of options on cooking. I use a Kovea Spider which is a lightweight remote cannister stove with a windscreen. Everything fits well inside the pot and I can simmer as well as sear steaks and veggies. If I know I'll be frying, say if I'm planning on catching fish or something, I also bring a MSR Quick Skillet.

[laurentepervier]

Thank you Eric for this video.
I never bought the Jetboil, firstly because I hate the stoves screwed on the gas cartridge, far too unstable!
I much prefer light tripod stoves (some are less than 8 oz!) where the gas flow is near the cartridge, and not under the burner,
which allows a finer adjustment of the flame, and to avoid the risk of overturning the container.
I always have a small kettle in which I store the folded stove (yes, it fits without problem!), a 230gr cartridge of gas, my cutlery, a lighter, salt, sugar, a small sponge, a flask of dishwashing liquid, and the titanium sheet windshield that rolls up.
And I place the kettle thus filled in a saucepan with its lid.
This set is less than 10 inches in diameter and 6 in height.
The kettle is only for hot water, so it always stays clean, and the saucepan for cooking.
Laurent, Bordeaux, France