| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Jetboil Group Cooking System (GCS)
Initial Report – May 31, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 18 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the Boy Scouts of America and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and spend most of my time hiking and backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but I can be found exploring the other wild areas of Washington!
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Jetboil
Model: Group Cooking System (GCS)
Components: Stove/Burner, 1.5 L pot, Pot Supports, Base Stabilizers, Neoprene Pot Cozy
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: www.jetboil.com
| Listed weight: |
Total 19 oz (540 g) |
| Pot Support: |
1.2 oz (35 g) |
| Stabilizer (canister feet): |
.9 oz (27 g) |
| 1.5 L cooking pot: |
7.5 oz min/12 oz max (213 g to 369 g) includes lid, cozy, handles, cover |
| Measured weight: |
Total: 19.7 oz (558 g) not including fuel |
| Pot Support: |
1.2 oz (34 g) |
| Stabilizer (canister feet): |
.95 oz (27 g) |
| Lid: |
1.8 oz (51 g) |
| Cover (bottom): |
1.6 oz (45 g) |
| 1.5 L pot: |
8.2 oz (232 g) includes pot, cozy, and handles |
| Jetboil Burner: |
5.95 oz (169 oz) |
| New Jetpower Canister: |
6.75 oz (191 g) |
**Disclaimer: my scale is accurate to +/- .05 oz (1 g)**
| Listed Dimensions: |
7” x 4.5” (17.5 cm x 11 cm) |
| Measured Dimensions: |
6.5” x 3.25” (16.5 cm x 8 cm) interior pot dimensions |
|
7” x 4.5” (17.5 cm x 11 cm) entire kit including lids |
MSRP: $109.95 US
Country of Manufacture: Made in the USA
Product Description:
From the Jetboil Website:
Simmer, fry, or sauté for groups with this flexible 1.5 liter system. Ideal for gourmet cooking, scouts, family camping, snow melting.
The Jetboil CGS is marketed as a fuel efficient stove for group use. It consists of the following parts:
Jetboil Burner:
This is the main part of the entire unit. The burner unit consists of a plastic and metal shroud, piezo electric lighter, flame control knob and flame unit. |
 |
1.5 L pot:
Anodized Aluminum pot, with their trademark FluxRing coil (heat exchanger). It comes with a pot cozy, fold out handles; lid and bottom cover to protect the Flux Ring coil.
Pot Support/Stabilizer:
Since the GCS uses the same burner as the Jetboil Personal Cooking System a pot support is needed to securely hold the larger pot. It will also hold other pots/pans. The stabilizer attaches to the small Jetpower canisters (or any other 100, 110 or 220 g canister) to make the entire cooking system more stable. Small canisters attach to the ring via the inner clip area and larger canisters attach to the outer clip area.
Initial Impressions/Use:
 |
Wow, what a cool system! The Jetboil GCS comes in a glossy box that holds all of the parts of the system. Instructions for use were included in multiple languages, but the English section worked just fine for me. The Jetboil GCS that I received is exactly what I was expecting based on the information provided on their website. One of the things that makes this system neat is that all of the pieces including the Jetpower fuel canister fit inside of the 1.5 L pot. However, the pieces do fit rather loosely inside of the pot and clang around making quite a racket. I am also concerned that the loose fit may allow some of the pieces to be damaged. I will keep any eye on this during the test period. The system is easy to assemble. The burner screws onto any Lindal valve type of canister and takes less than 30 seconds. Once the canister is twisted securely into place, open the flame control valve and push the piezoelectric lighter button and poof! there is flame and the stove is ready to go. The Jetboil GCS comes with a 1 year limited warranty. Paraphrased by me: If the product does not function properly within a year it can be returned to a dealer or Jetboil. They will determine the problem and decide whether it is covered by the warranty. If it is covered under the warranty; Jetboil will cover the cost of the repair or send you a new unit. Of course, the warranty does not cover any damage from misuse, improper maintenance, negligence, normal wear & tear and so forth. The warranty only applies to the original purchaser and proof of purchase is required.
|
Improvements:
None at the moment
Expected Field Conditions:
Average temperatures range from highs in the 60’s F to 70’s F and lows in the 30’s F to 40’s F (16 C – 21 C highs and -1 C to 4 C lows). The average precipitation in May, June, July and August for the Seattle area is around 3 inches per month (8 cm) and will take all forms, rain, snow, and sleet. Most of my trips during this time frame will be in the Mount Baker and Snoqualmie National Forest. Specifically in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, 20 minutes from my house. Elevation may vary from sea level to 10,000 ft (3048 m). My normal outdoor routine consists of at least two day hikes a month, and no less than 2 nights of backpacking a month. Current trips on the calendar include a 2 day Mt Hood, Oregon summit attempt in June, and in August I will be leading an eight day trip in Yosemite National Park for Big City Mountaineers.
Testing Plan:
I will look for the following characteristics in the Jetboil GCS over the test period:
Durability:
- How durable are the metal components of the stove; to include the pot, pot handles, pot supports, canister feet, heat exchanger ring, and the metal railing on the burner itself?
- How durable is the neoprene cozy?
- Is it easily torn while being stuffed into my pack or sitting on the ground around camp?
- Will anything be damaged by the loose fit of the components inside of the 1.5L pot?
Usefulness:
- The Jetboil GCS claims to be an integrated system; is it all that I will need to bring on group led trips or will I need to carry additional pots/pans to meet my group cooking needs?
- Will I be so blown away by its usefulness that I am I willing to take the extra weight of the 1.5L pot on solo trips?
- I am not a gourmet cook by any means but I do like to do more than boil water. One of the things I like to do while camping is to make pancakes. I use all types of mixes when doing this, muffin mixes, cornbread, and biscuits. All of these require flipping and an even temperature. Will the Jetboil GCS allow me to easily flip pancakes and will it provide me a nice even temperature throughout the bottom of the pot?
- Many of the bean dishes that I make like Zataran's Black Beans and Rice call for simmering. Can the stove create a nice simmer without burning my beans and rice to the bottom of the pot?
- Another camp favorite is Quesadillas, which require even heat or else they burn. The reason I keep bringing up even heat is because of the concentrated burner. I wonder if the flux ring will actually distribute the heat for a consistent temperature on the pot bottom?
- How quickly does the stove boil water for those times when I need water for coffee, tea or dehydrated meals?
- One of my favorite things to do, especially on day hikes is to carry my stove and make some tea at my destination. Is this set up light enough and convenient enough for me to carry on day hikes to make tea?
- Is it really more fuel efficient than other stoves? (Nothing scientific here; will base it on my previous experiences with stoves in general)
- Can I really boil 50 cups of water with 1 small canister?
- Will it really boil a liter of water in 4 minutes?
- How useful are the fold out pot holders? From the pictures on the website they look flimsy especially if the pot is full of water.
- How well does the piezoelectric lighter work?
- Is it affected by altitude?
- Will the system work with other canisters?
- Is there a noticeable difference if another canister fuel is used?
Thanks to Jetboil and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Jetboil gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
|
