Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Jetboil Personal Cooking System 2005 > Jodi Cornelius > Field Report

My Background: I have been backpacking for 3 years now and before that I car camped quite a bit. I consider myself somewhat new to backpacking and am on my way towards becoming a lightweight packer. I tend to use a Hennessey Hammock since my only tent is a bivy tent. I prefer the hammock to a tent as the hammock leaves me swinging gently in the breeze with no hard spot from rocks on the ground. Nor do I need to dig troughs for my hips and shoulders (side sleeper) so I can practice LNT (Leave No Trace) much better.

Product Information:

For the initial impressions please see my Initial Report.

Field Experience: This stove has been used for 5 trips so far and all I can say is "wow". I'm in love with its compact, store-all, design. It is very nice to be able to reach into my pack, grab the cup, and have EVERYTHING I need to make a meal (well, except for my water and food of course) right there.

One of the things I commented on in my Initial Report was the fact that the weight of the fuel canister seemed inconsistent with what the website says. After checking into this, I discovered that the weight listed on the website is the net weight of the fuel. The difference noted in weight is due to weighing the canister, not the fuel.

This is so nice. I have made chicken and dumplings with it using Bisquick and it simmers REALLY well. One thing I noticed while using the PCS is the base of the Cup has been designed to act as a windscreen. This is definitely a plus in my book. I hadn't really thought about it too much until I had the opportunity to use the stove in winds with gusts up to 25 mph/41 kph. When the wind first kicked up my first thought was "Oh no!! I don't have a windscreen with me!" I knew there wasn't anything I could use as a windscreen other than finding a rock to hide the stove behind. I decided this would be a good chance to see it in action, in the open, with wind blowing. I was pleasantly surprised when it cooked with only a couple of flames blowing out the side. It wasn't anything like what I would have gotten from any of my other stoves. I like how this stove is set up.

So far, when using the PCS, when the time comes to remove the cup from the stove, I find that the stove base cools rather rapidly, allowing me to remove the cup without being burned. If I'm too impatient (like I was with the chicken and dumplings) I just grab my bandana and with a quick twist, off comes the Cup and in goes my spoon!

For those of you who would like an easy recipe for Chicken and Dumplings I have included my recipe below.

Trail Chicken and Dumplings

One Foil Package Sweet Sue Chicken Chunks (you can use freeze dried too)
2 cubes or packets of Chicken Buillon
2 Cups water
1/2 to 1 Cup Bisquick biscuit mix
Water

Place all ingredients except for Bisquick into PCS and bring to a boil. If using freeze dried chicken, make sure chicken is fairly close to being rehydrated. While waiting for chicken to come to a boil, take Bisquick and add water until you have a sticky dough. Once chicken has boiled, reduce heat, tear off chunks of the Bisquick and drop into the water. Cover and allow to simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until dumplings are done. The longest I have had to wait was 10 minutes.
For added goodness, you can mix some garlic and parsley in the Bisquick, or add a little shredded cheese for an added treat.

Cleanup has been real easy. There is some staining "ring around the collar" where the coffee line has been but that hasn't detracted from the use. I am also pleased to note there is no aftertaste of the coffee in any meals I have made. I will be looking into that more as the test goes on. I love my coffee but I don't want my meals tasting of coffee!

Another thing is the inside appears to be really durable. I have used my Lexan spoon and my Titanium Spork and nothing has scratched the interior. Even with the stacking of fuel canister and stove on the inside of the cup, it has withstood the "abuse". This is a plus as when scratches develop, it's sometimes difficult to clean food stuff out.

Weather conditions: In the tests thus far, the temperatures have been in the 40s F/5 C to a high of 64 F/18 C. Winds have ranged from calm to 25 mph/41 kph with the occasional gust of 50 mph/81 kph. I haven't been able to test in the rain yet.

Things I like so far: I love the way it all fits inside the Jetboil cup. Although it is heavier than my alcohol stove system, I like how the fuel fits right inside the cup which makes it much easier to pack.

Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Jetboil Personal Cooking System 2005 > Jodi Cornelius > Field Report