There are a lot of options out there in the ultralight “canister stove” space but, for my money, the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove ($114.95) is one of the best choices. I have relied on an older, MSR stove for nearly 20 years and it has never let me down. Now they have released one that has improved on what I believed to be an almost bulletproof design.
Compromise is a concept all too familiar to backpackers, climbers, hikers, sea kayakers, etc. When you self-support grams matter and quality and reliability become paramount. There are few things I dislike more than hiking in a piece of gear that turns out to be dead weight. However, when that means my ability to cook food is compromised, an annoying situation can quickly turn into a very negative experience. So you had best believe that I do not mess around with my camp stove.
MSR (Mountain Safety Research) is a storied company with almost 50 years of providing top-quality gear for some of the most extreme environments on the planet. They design, engineer, and test 100% of their products in Seattle, WA. and the pride they take in that process shows. (This stove happens to be manufactured in Korea.) In my personal experience, MSR products have always been excellent. There are companies that are happy to trade their good name to turn a buck, but the folks at MSR seem to have stayed true to their roots.
What I Liked
Ka-Freaking-Boom!
The piezo-igniter is a bigger-than-expected convenience and worked smashingly for me regardless of the temperature, wind, or rain on a recent sea-kayak trip to the Apostle Island National Lakeshore. I have heard that some folks have had problems with it, but it worked flawlessly for me. Though I will always have a backup source of ignition, I did not need it even once this trip. That was a treat. The igniter is the only major difference I can discern between the PocketRocket Deluxe, and the PocketRocket 2.
Well Equipped
The MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove comes with the “Trail Mini Duo” cook set. It includes a 1.2 liter anodized aluminum pot, a 28 oz cold/heat safe bowl with a strainer lid (BPA free), and a handy “Mini LiteLifter” tool for gripping the pot when heated (it does not have its own handle). It is everything I need to prepare food for 1-2 people. Even better, the kit nests together neatly into a compact 5 x 5.25 inch space.
Materials
All the parts of the burner are manufactured with excellent and durable materials (ie. no plastic junk). The fit and finish are simply lovely. There are few ways I could imagine to build these stoves better. Improving upon this design would require exotic materials (titanium, carbon, gold, diamonds, meteors, etc.) that would only shave a few grams, make the stove cost substantially more, and possibly make it less durable. It is really a delight to find such a well designed and built piece of gear. MSR is confident enough in this kit that they back it with a 3-year limited warranty.
Output
With 11000 BTUs / 3200 Watts of fire at your command, you can boil water in a hurry. In my testing, I averaged 3:18 to boil one liter of water (in the included container) in a windless environment. In windy conditions (gusts of approx 10 MPH) that time increased substantially. However, I was quite surprised that it even managed to boil at all. Not only did the design of the burner keep the heat blasting, it focused it with enough efficiency that the wind could not tame this dragon.
That was not at all what I expected out of a canister stove. The performance in this class almost universally suffers even in a light breeze. MSR claims that an 8 oz. canister will last for 60 minutes – that seems about right to me, though I use it for simmering too confirm that metric. They have a handy guide for determining how much fuel to bring along here, but I estimate about 2 liters of water boiled per ounce of fuel and always add a good amount of cushion.
Control
This is where the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove excels in my book. For most back-country types, meals are a utilitarian affair, at best. Most of us tend to subsist on dehydrated fare that is…well, food. It has calories, but it is faaaaaar from gourmet. Being kind of a foodie, one of my personal treats after a few days away from civilization is frying up some Spam along with some eggs. (Yes, I keep my eggs at room temp. No, it has not killed or even made me slightly ill. No, neither has the Spam). To do that requires a burner capable of modulating the flame.
The integrated regulator on the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe adjusts from full-on flamethrower all the way down to the lightest trickle with a lot of options in between. While this may seem unimportant to the dehydrated-food crowd, these burners actually tend to be a bit more fuel-efficient when they are not run full open. With a little patience, you may actually stretch a fuel canister a bit further.
What Could Be Better
Stability
The weakness in every last canister stove I have used, seen, or even read about is that they are notoriously easy to tip over. Balance a liter of boiling water on them, and you have the potential for a life-changing burn. MSR sells a Universal Canister Stand for $14.95 and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.
For the life of me, I honestly cannot understand why they are not included with every kit. (Yes, you need to be responsible for your own safety, but really?) That said, even with the stand installed it is still a top-heavy affair that must be treated with respect. That means no kids should be allowed anywhere near this. No tipsy adults either.
Packability
I love that the kit comes with everything necessary for preparing a meal for two in a reasonably compact package. The only gripe I have is that, while I can easily fit a 4 oz. canister into the pot along with the burner and tool, an 8 oz. canister must be inverted to fit – and even then it does not pack down very well. Then, if the shipping cap on the canister has been removed, it scratches the heck out of the bottom of the pot. If there were just slightly more room (½” max) it could fit perfectly. Unfortunately, I rarely buy the 4 oz. canister – it is too small for most of my trips and I never leave home without verifying that it works, so I have put some scars in the pot. Minor, but annoying still.
Recyclability
Unlike other (reusable) canisters, once an iso-butane canister is spent it cannot be easily and safely refilled. MSR provides instructions for responsible disposal, but sadly many curbside recycling programs do not allow “mixed metal.” Even if you do manage to get the canisters (once emptied and punctured) taken away they, more often than not, will go straight to the dump. If you are lucky enough to live in or near Seattle, MSR is happy to take the spent canisters. Otherwise, it’s pretty much a crap shoot. The canisters have a relatively small footprint, but that little voice in the back of my head just will not shut up. It is hard to beat the convenience, but there is always a price.
Final Thoughts
MSR stoves have proven their worth to me many times over decades of use and I am an unabashed fan. The original stove I have been using continues to work day in and day out and I see no reason that would not be the case with the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove. Aside from a minor annoyance of not quite being able to squeeze in the 8 oz fuel canister, my only other complaints are unavoidable with this category of stove. When I am asked by someone looking for a stove in this class, I recommend it unconditionally.
