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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Stoves > Jetboil Personal Cooking System > Owner Review by Jeremy R. Laporte
JETBOIL PERSONAL COOKING SYSTEM
TESTER INFORMATION
I grew up in France by the sea, camping and backpacking for as long as I can remember. Three years ago I moved to Idaho U.S.A. discovering new environments: wilderness, arid lands, forest, mountain, and snow. I also started to learn rock climbing, ice climbing and mountaineering. Because of many contacts I had with the military I thought they had the best gear available but I recently befriended some hikers and became aware of lightweight backpacking. I'm slowly migrating to that style and learning more about the various environments surrounding me. PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: JetBoil PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Manufacturer description: Burner Base: The burner itself which is attached to a proprietary isobutane/propane gas can. It has a piezo igniter to start the stove without matches or a lighter and a button to regulate the flow of gas and the cooking. Cooking cup: Aluminum 1 liter (1 US quart) cup with 2 cups (500 ml) level graduation inside. Interior dimensions are 3.75 in diameter x 9 in (9.5 x 22.9 cm), exterior dimensions are 4.1 in diameter x 7.1 in (10.4 x 18 cm). Neoprene (black) cozy sleeve for insulation, 1/8 in (3 mm) thick. FluxRing™ which is a heat exchanger. Please note that even though the cooking cup has a capacity of 1 liter or about 4 cups, the manufacturer recommends not to fill it up over the 2 cup (500 ml, 0.5 liter) line to avoid boiling over. Lid: made of plastic, has a hole to let the steam get out and a sipper hole. Cup: This item has two uses. During storage it goes at the bottom of the cooking cup to protect the FluxRing™. During cooking it can be use as a drinking / measuring cup with a 1 cup level graduation inside (250 ml). The burner base goes on the gas canister, the cooking cup slides on the burner base and the lid goes on the cooking cup once the liquid is in it.
For storage the burner base and the gas canister go inside the cooking cup while the lid closes the top of the cooking cup and the cup goes at the bottom of the cooking cup to protect it.
FIELD USE
Location: Mountains of Eastern Idaho I got to use the stove in high altitude and in cold conditions and haven't had much problem with it. Sometime the stove is noisy with a loud roar. The only issue I had with it was the last time I used it, a few weeks ago. I was snowshoeing at about 6,000 ft (1900 m) in a snow storm, it was extremely windy and cold. I stopped for lunch and prepared everything to boil my water. I tried to protect the stove by putting it close to some boulders and putting backpacks around it to cut the wind. I could start the stove without any problems but one or two seconds later the flame would die while the gas kept flowing out. At first, I thought my canister was almost empty but it was not the case. I ended up having to hold the whole PCS by the sleeve and surprisingly by holding the stove in the wind without protection from the elements I was able to boil a total of 6 cups of water in a short amount of time. Also I used a spork to eat inside the cup once and it scratches the aluminum. Finally the bottom of the gas canister rusted a little bit because of humidity inside the cup while the PCS was stored and left a rust circle at the bottom of the cup. SUMMARY
I'm very happy with the stove, it doesn't take too much room in my backpack, is not too heavy (even if some other models are lighter) and is great to prepare quickly water for a hot drink or freeze-dried food. The Cozy sleeve allows me to hold my cup even with boiling water inside without burning my hands and the lid helps keeping the liquid hot and I'm able to drink it without making a mess. THINGS I LIKE
Ease of use THINGS I DON'T LIKE
Difficult to know when a gas canister is running low (this is a problem with most canister gas stoves though) Read more reviews of Jetboil gear Read more gear reviews by Jeremy R. Laporte Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Stoves > Jetboil Personal Cooking System > Owner Review by Jeremy R. Laporte |