For using canisters, I really like my MSR Superfly. Wide burner head for actual cooking, simmers very well, takes any canister, and the piezzo lighter still works after 15+ years. The only other one I have is the Trangia gas burner, which works very well. Chances are slim I will use a canister with my new Universal. Brad
It makes the best sense that one's hiking and camping needs would drive one's choice of stoves. By that sensible criterion, cartridge stoves, including specialized ones like the Jetboil, etc., have a prominent place for a lot of folks. For me, it's just the opposite-- my camping and hiking, especially in recent years, are driven by my interest in classic stoves. For car camping, which I've done my whole life, it's been Coleman suitcases from childhood unto today. As to backpacking, though, I had done none from my Boy Scout days to 2006. I car camped with my kids all over the place, and did a whole lot of day hikes, but didn't backpack at all for decades. It was my experience at CCS and my corresponding interest in brass classics that got me out on the trail again about 14 years ago. I am deeply grateful that happened, because it has led to many great outdoors experiences over these years that I would never have otherwise had. And it explains why I only bring classic liquid fuel stoves on backpack trips; in my case, in addition, pre-separate tank (bottle) stoves as well. But for the brassies, I wouldn't have gotten on the trail again.
They have become absolutely ubiquitous in the British Army. I think every squaddie's first post phase one training purchase is a JetBoil. It's astounding just how total this is.
In the photos the back burners are the personal cooking system on the left and the flash on the right. Up front left is minimoe and right is sol/ sumo 1st 2nd 4th 3rd Generations 2nd gen changed to stronger burner 3rd gen added a regulator & improved burner 4th gen improved the regulator
The Jetboil is a cultural phenominum. Backpackers love the compactness of all fitting together inside the pot. That tall narrow profile has influenced cook pot design to the point many pots are too narrow to sit securely on a canister top stove! So I see it as fashion pushing design now. And experience has taught us that fashion does not have to make sense to be "smart".
Their design innovation was the integrated heat exchanger under the pot. Their personal cooking system was a mediocre isopro stove on a high tech pot. This was the first stove to boil water faster than the MSR 9 thru XGK in 30 years.
Good morning from Java y'all! (Picture: I sip a cup of instant cappuccino in a rest area while waiting for the sunrise before I head back home) For a personal non-remote compact stove with integrated pot and pressure regulator, my only choice goes to: MSR Windburner. Why not MSR Reactor? Or SOTO Windmaster? MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe? Optimus SVEA 123R / Max Sievert SVEA 123? Because the pot is not 'lock' in place. And also still significantly impacted against gale, just like Jetboils does. To add more protection from wind, these kind of stoves still need an additional windshield, but I don't prefer this due to the risk of accumulating too many heat to the fuel tank/canister. Or have to rely on existing/natural protection (e.g. large stones, wall, logs. An integrated windshield like MSR Windburner's is more convenient. The only drawback I can think about of MSR Windburner beside its high price, is, the absent of internal lighter. Cascade Designs stated that piezo igniter doesn't produce enough energy to lit MSR Windburner or MSR Reactor especially in more harsh weather Cascade Designs Customer Support Maybe there's some way some how in the future to integrate a ferro igniter with the burner, so it can be lit in 'locked-pot' position. Out of topic, I imagined the future camping trend would be stoveless, or all about heat pack (just pour water into the heat pack and it will boils). By that time, today's camping stoves would be 'classic'. Just my little thoughts.
“...tried to sell...” Having Danish instructions on the side might have helped. My Flash model was made in China and has something in Chinese on the label stitched on the fabric handle. If it says what is in English immediately above it then Chinese is a very economical language, space wise.
