Jetboil Zip Camping Stove Cooking System, Carbon

Easy to use and everything nests well for easy storage in your bag. Boils your water FAST!You can even fit a standard lighter in there for your next use.

I love my Jetboil. It has its detractors who have justified reasons for their dislike, but i think its strengths greatly outweigh its weaknesses. I am primarily a "boil water only" kind of backpacker. I am a freezer-bag cook, a Mountain House aficionado. The most complex thing i make while hiking is coffee. So, a stove and pot combination is perfect for someone like me. The Jetboil Zip is perfect for trips that are 4-6 days. The Zip is smaller than its predecessors and is a fuel miser. I can get 13-15 full pot boils on one 110g Fuel Canister. For me, the peace of mind that come comes from not having to worry about running out of fuel while out is worth the the weight of the system. With a can of full 110g canister, the stove unit, the pot (with coozie), the lid, and fuel can stabilizer (which i like and use) - the whole thing comes in just under a pound in my pack. Bear in mind, that as you use fuel, it will become slightly lighter day by day. I typically use the stove to make breakfast/coffee in the morning and to make dinner/tea at night. I don't usually boil water for lunches, preferring instead to eat things like protein bars/candy bars for that meal. I use the pot with the included sip lid for my coffee cup/drinking vessel. If i am planning more cooking than usual, i will bring a larger can of iso-butane. I do not use the included pot support converter (which makes it possible to use pots that don't have the flux ring), but i am pleased that it is included. It would be ideal for sharing the stove with a hiking partner who has a normal cook pot, or for bringing along if you are the kind of hiker that actually uses stuff like frying pans and extra pots. The whole unit packs tightly and neatly into itself and takes up a small amount of space in my pack. It is sturdy. I do not worry about damaging it while it's in my pack, and i don't go out of my way to be extra careful with it around the campsite. It works best for three season camping. I use it in the winter, too - but it can get fussy and lose output in temps below 20F. (But this is a problem with canister stoves in general, not just the Jetboil) I remedy this by sleeping with my fuel canister in my hammock so it stays warm, and putting the fuel in a pocket near my body while hiking or setting up camp about an hour before i plan to use it. I LOVE the fact that i never need a windscreen with the jetboil. The construction is such that you do not need one. In very windy conditions, i will position my body to block the wind while i cook. i have never had the stove not work in the wind.Sure, there are lighter options out there. There is no denying that. In fact, i use a small titanium pot/alcohol stove for fast and light overnighters. But, for trips lasting more than four days, i almost always go with my jetboil. The fuel efficiency and ease of use make it so that it's hard to go wrong.

If you haven’t tried a butane/propane stove over white gas try this. The stove itself with fuel weighs less than the Coleman’s camp fuel would for a week long trip. The thing boils the perfect amount of water for a 2-4 person dehydrated meal. It’s boiling in about 90-120 seconds depending on altitude. I brought a traditional stove the last time I went backpacking and it was a waste I was using my mothers jet boil after a few days of pointless waiting. It does lack a low setting for lower temperature cooking. However bring an alcohol stove and you’ll have that all covered for more complex cooking.Still the weight savings of this plus an alcohol stove is still huge beyond what I had in Boy Scouts!!!

If you are looking for something compact and tough to quickly boil water when camping or backpacking then this will do the trick. This model is on the lower end of the price scale as they go up with the more options available. I bought this for it's simplicity and size and it does exactly what I needed.We took a family camping trip to Yellowstone for a week. We went exploring every day and would eat breakfast at the camp.... sometimes it was instant oatmeal and we used the Jetboil to heat the water. We would not come back to camp until night so every day we took freeze dried food with us (Backpackers Pantry and Mountain House). I used this thing pretty much every day for the week and we would make 2 bags of food for the four of us so I had to boil 2 containers at each meal. With the small gas canister it finally ran out of gas the last day.- It boils water very, very quickly.- Stores up completely within itself (gas can too)- Stays cool to touch on the outside (from the neoprene sleeve) even though the contents inside are boiling.- Put together or taken apart in under a minute.True story- It comes with little plastic stabilizer legs that attach to the bottom of the fuel can for extra stability. I was using it at a picnic table and forgot to use them as the unit was balanced very well and actually left them inside the cup. I realized it when I was pouring the boiling water out and I heard it hit the lid. There was zero damage to the legs. Took them out, let them cool a couple minutes, then used them as usual.The only downside to the base model is no auto igniter so you need a lighter or matches to light it. However on a plus side that is one less component to worry about failing at the wrong time, and less weight. I see it as a non needed option so still rate it at 5 stars.

Love the jet boiling system and used to month straight while hunting. I would warn anyone that these system in particular you'll need a match or lighter.