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The Jetboil Personal
Cooking System (PCS) is a backcountry cooking system designed to integrate
the main cooking components into a sturdy, efficient, and lightweight
package. The basic components of the system are as follows: a
gas canister, the stove, a hybrid cup/cook pot with integrated heat
exchanger, a lid, and a neoprene cozy. The system nests for packing
(with the canister and stove packed inside the cup), and stands sturdily
as seemingly one piece when assembled.
The total weight of the basic Jetboil PCS is 15 oz/425 gm,
both listed and measured. The breakdown of the weights as I measured
them is as follows:
Stove: 6 oz/170 gm
Cup (w/lid and bottom
cover): 9 oz/255 gm
Lid only: 1 oz/28
gm
Cup only (with cozy): 7
oz/198 gm
Bottom cover: 1
oz/28 gm
Components in
Detail (from the bottom up)
The Fuel canister.
A fuel canister does not come with the standard Jetboil PCS
packaging. For testing purposes, one canister of Jetboil
propane/isobutane fuel was sent to me, but I will be providing my own fuel
after the first canister is used. Jetboil recommends " Use Jetboil
Jetpower fuel canisters only. Jetboil cannot recommend the use of
other manufacturers' fuel canisters because full compatibility with our
product is not guaranteed." Part of my test plan includes testing
different fuels, mostly because I don't know how easy it will be for me to
find Jetboil Jetpower fuel and I may have to use alternate fuels out
of availability.
The Stove (pictured
to the left). The Stove screws onto the fuel canister. A
half turn of the fuel valve counterclockwise and a click of the piezo
ignitor light the stove.
A black plastic 'shroud'
protects the burner tube from wind and more importantly, the user.
Shortly after using the stove it is cool to the touch on the plastic,
meaning I can unscrew it an move it easily without touching the still warm
metal. The fuel valve pokes out from this plastic area, and the
piezo igniter button is also in this area, meaning the stove can be
operated with little chance of burns.
The burner head and
igniter tip are shown in the second photo. When the piezo igniter
button is clicked a spark jumps between the mesh burner head and the
igniter tip. If the gas is on, this lights the stove. Of
course, if the igniter fails another lighting mechanism, such as a lighter
or match, can be used.
The fuel valve can be
turned to adjust the flame strength (off to simmer to boil).
 The Heat Exchanger. The bottom of the
cooking cup houses the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger
focuses the heat into the cooking cup and prevents heat loss to the
outside. This leads to a fast and fuel efficient heating time for
the contents of the cooking cup.
Surrounding the heat
exchanger is a metal ring which locks into the stove component.
Refer to the first stove photograph - there are dimples on either side of
the stove. The cooking cup has grooves that slide into these dimples
and with a slight turn, the cup is locked onto the stove. The
advantage, of course, is that the long narrow cup has 'help' balancing on
top of the stove by being locked into place. The disadvantage,
however, is that if the setup is knocked accidentally the whole thing can
go toppling! I believe it is much sturdier than any other stove
setup I've used or seen.
The Cooking
Cup. The one liter capacity cooking cup is the main body of the
system, and is wrapped in a neoprene cozy for insulative and protective
purposes. The neoprene cozy has a webbing handle that allows me to
pick up, pour, and use the cup when it is full of hot liquid.
Although the cooking cup has a one liter capacity, there is a mark in the
cup at 2 cups. The instructions warn that if the Jetboil is filled beyond
this mark there is risk of boil over.
The Lid.
Seemingly a minor piece, the lid is actually an important component of the
system. It snaps on very tightly but has a hole at the top for
drinking and pouring. This means I can boil water and pour it while
keeping a lid on the whole time, preserving the heat in the system and
minimizing heat loss, especially in cold weather. Unfortunately the
lid is very tight and I don't think I will be able to remove it safely
when I have the Jetboil full of hot or boiling liquid.
As a tester I was
fortunate enough to receive three 'bonus' pieces with the Jetboil
PCS. The first bonus item is what they call the companion cup.
This is simply the cup part of the PCS, complete with neoprene cozy, lid,
and heat exchanger cover. Since my husband and I hike together
and often enjoy different hot beverages and meals in camp, I have handed
the companion cup over to him to carry on the trail. We will now
both be able to enjoy the Jetboil without having to share a cup or wait
for the other person to finish their drink or meal!
The second bonus was the
Jetboil maintenance kit. This small kit contains an extra
piezo igniter, an extra 'O' ring in each of the two sizes
used by the Jetboil, and an extra jet. These will go
into my pack repair kit and it is comforting to know I will have
some help if the stove fails in the backcountry.
The third item is the French Press, which is discussed in
its own test series.
Jetboil Retail
Packaging
The Jetboil comes in a
busy but attractive box. The box contains quite a bit of information
about the Jetboil PCS so that a casual browser in a store will be able to
get quite a bit of information about the Jetboil without having to go to
great efforts. The information is presented in four languages
as well, making the text on the packaging quite packed and
busy.
Inside the box is the
Jetboil. At first I was left wondering where the stove was - all I
saw was the cup. But, the stove was packed inside the cooking
cup. The system has been designed to nest - the fuel canister and
stove pack inside the companion cup perfectly for storage while
hiking. The cup protects the stove from any outside dangers.
The Jetboil comes with a
two-sided sheet of information about use, troubleshooting, and
descriptions of the components.
Jetboil
Website
I am very impressed with
the Jetboil website. It gives me the information I need, and better
yet, the information is easy to find and access. It's simple yet
attractive interface makes it easy to navigate and access
information. So often companies make a website flashy and attractive
but lacking in content. Jetboil.com has a very healthy balance
of these two components of a good website. The first time I accessed
the site to get information about the Jetboil PCS, I was hungry
and immediately distracted by the "Recipes" link - and that's a good
thing! It's fun to see these yummy and practical uses
for the Jetboil in the backcountry. I quickly found several
recipes I'll be trying in the name of testing!
The website clearly
describes the motivations behind the Jetboil's design, it's features and
specifications, and instructions for use. I knew exactly what to
expect when I got the Jetboil and the product was received exactly as
described on the site. I have already gone to the site to access the
FAQ that comes with the instructions since it was simpler (at the time)
than pulling out the paper version included with the Jetboil PCS.
Test Plan and
Field Conditions
Because of the time of
year the Jetboil will see a large range of conditions during its testing
period. The snow is still falling in the mountains and I'm planning
on getting out on a few more overnights in it before it all melts away for
summer. Most snow overnighters in California are warmer than a lot
of places - especially in the spring. Daytime temperatures can
reach into the 70s sometimes on the snow, and nighttime temperatures often
only get down to around freezing. This doesn't mean we don't see
cold temperatures or stormy conditions - I just usually stay
home on those weekends! The summer backpacking season will bring
many many overnighters in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Temperatures
are often similar to the winter, only there isn't snow left on the
ground. Afternoon thunder showers, high altitude, and windy
mountain slopes can provide interesting challenges to cooking in these
locations.
I often hike with my
husband, who, as I mentioned above, has been given the companion
cup. I will carry the Jetboil on all of our trips and we will use it
to cook for both of us. My husband also has plenty of stoves and on
some occasions I may be using the Jetboil as a solo stove, so I will be
able to address the Jetboil use from both perspectives.
During the testing period
I will be observing the following things, among others, about the
Jetboil:
- How easy is it to cook
with the Jetboil? Do I have to alter my typical cooking
methods?
- What kinds of recipes
and cooking techniques work best with the Jetboil?
- Can the heat exchanger
cover double as a small cup?
- Will the heat effect
the neoprene of the cozy negatively?
- Is the piezo igniter
reliable?
- How easy is it to clean
the Jetboil cooking cup?
- Does it really matter
which type of fuel I use, or does the Jetboil Jetpower fuel make a big
difference?
- How easily can I remove
the cooking cup from the stove after heating liquid (meaning the stove and
cooking cup are still hot/warm).
- How easily can I remove
the lid from the cooking cup after heating liquid?
- How sturdy is the
handle on the neoprene cozy? Do I have enough control to pour
safely?
- If I need to use
the maintenance kit, how easy is it to replace the different
components?
I've had my eye on the
Jetboil Personal Cooking System for a while now and am really looking
forward to trying it out in the field. Thanks to Jetboil for
providing me with this opportunity!
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