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Vargo Titanium "Jet-Ti" Stove
Field Report
Tester Bio
Name: Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age: 30 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10” (1.78 m)
Weight: 155 lbs (73 kg)
Email address: tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country: Pensacola, Florida USA
Date: August 23, 2005
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping for a little over
5 years now, mostly car camping. I have recently begun backpacking, and I am
constantly adding new gear to my “collection” in an effort to get
my gear list tailored more towards backpacking, specifically lightweight backpacking.
Most of my backpacking trips are short duration, not more than one or two nights.
However, I am planning some longer trips in the near future.
Product Information
Year of Manufacture – 2005
Manufacturer URL – www.vargooutdoors.com
MSRP - $64.95 USD
Stated Weight – 2.7 oz (76 g)
Stated Size - 2.75 in (7 cm) high, 3.5 in (8.9 cm) top diameter
Weight as Delivered – Stove 2.9 oz (82 g) Pouch 0.75 oz (22 g) Total Pack
Weight 3.65 oz (104 g)
Size as Delivered – Stove 3 in (7.6 cm) high, 4 in (10.2 cm) top diameter,
Pouch 3.75x3x1.5 inches (9.5x7.6x3.8 cm)
Initial Information/Observations
Please see my Initial
Report for more information.
Testing
Date: June 17-18, 2005
Location: Calloway Swamp, Munson, FL
Weather Conditions: Temperature range 94 F (34 C) to 79 F (26 C). Sunny throughout
the day, some light rain in the late evening. I did not experience any wind
stronger than a very slight breeze during this trip.
I was able to use the Vargo Jet-Ti on this trip to boil water for both dinner
and breakfast. In comparison to the alcohol stove I'm used to using, the Jet-Ti
was surprisingly fast at bringing a pot of water to a full boil. I was able
to boil both 1 C (.23 L) and 2 C (.46 L) of water, seemingly faster than I could
get my meal ready for the water. The stove was also very stable on sandy ground
with a 7.5 oz (220 g) Coleman® butane canister, when cooking with a MSR
Titanium Kettle cook pot. I placed the stove directly on the ground, and did
not feel like it was going to tip over at any point. I also placed the stove
on the relatively flat side of a fallen log, and the stove along with the pot
appeared stable on this surface as well. The Jet-Ti is very easy to light, with
no problems in operation.
Date: July 27, 2005
Location: Juniper Creek Trail, Harold, FL
Weather: Temperature 96 F (35 C), sunny, humidity 70%, wind was less than 1
MPH (1.6 KPH).
This trip was a combination trail maintenance/day hike conducted in very uncomfortable
(for my likes) weather conditions. Lunch consisted of a just-add-water freeze-dried
meal. The stove again impressed me with the rapid time for boiling 1 C (.23
L) of water. Once again, even placed directly on the ground, the stove/pot combination
proved very stable.
During tests at home, I found the Jet-Ti to consistently boil 1 C (.23 L) of
water in less than 2.5 minutes, and would bring 2 C (.46 L) of water to a full
boil in less than 3.5 minutes. This was in both the controlled environment of
my workshop as well as in tests in the backyard.
Overall Impressions
I found the Jet-Ti very easy to use, right out of the package. The stove screws
straight onto the threads of the fuel canister, using the canister for the base
of the assembly. The "wing" pot supports rotate around the center of the stove
from the stored, folded position. Turning on the gas flow is accomplished by a
small valve on the side of the stove. I found the valve very easy to turn throughout
my testing during this phase. This makes it very easy for me to adjust the stove to a simmer level, which I have not needed at this point. The stove so far has exceeded my expectations in
boil times, which is my primary stove use while hiking/backpacking. The stove has lit very easily every time I have used the stove, with either a simple lighter or matches.
I have used two pots with this stove, both the MSR Titanium Kettle and a Walmart Grease Pot. Both of these fit the stove well, and are very stable on a variety of surfaces. The Grease Pot tends to boil the water faster, but that is due to the larger surface area on the bottom of the pot. This is consistent with other stoves I have used in the past.
One problem I have run into with this stove is difficulty in finding fuel for
the stove. In a city of just over 100,000 people, I have only been able to locate
one store, which carries two sizes of one brand of iso-butane fuel (MSR). I have
trail partners who are looking in the areas they live to see if they can find
fuel for me, but currently I am limited in what I can test with. I was able to
locate a canister of Coleman brand fuel during a trip out of town, which I am
using as well for the testing.
So far the field experience I have had with the Jet-Ti has been limited to warm
to fairly hot temperature ranges, with minimal moisture during the actual tests.
The stove has performed well under these conditions. I would like to get more
testing done in a wider range of environmental conditions before offering my opinions
on this topic.
The stove appears very well made, and I anticipate very few field repairs to be
necessary. Anticipated problems I can see with the stove are the actual handle
for the fuel adjustment possibly coming loose (it is just basically a piece of
wire), the wing assembly, and the gasket on the bottom of the stove for seating
against the fuel bottle. This is a relatively simple operating stove, with very
few moving parts to cause problems.
Continued Test Plan
I intend to continue utilizing the Jet-Ti on a variety of day and overnight
backpacking trips. Expected conditions during the remaining testing period should
range from a high in the 90s F (32 C) down to lows around freezing, 32 F (0
C). I anticipate a wide variety of precipitation, but I still do not expect
to use the stove in snow. I also anticipate a variety of wind conditions during
the rest of the testing period.
The following are a list of issues I will continue to explore:
How well does the Jet-Ti function for a variety of cooking scenarios? I know
it works well for boiling water, but how about simmering and slow cooking of
meals? As I have not used up an entire can of fuel yet, how long does the stove
last with one can of fuel for my average use? Can I continue using just one
8 oz (225 g) can of fuel for the various trips I take? Or would the 4 oz (113
g) canister of fuel that I have located be more appropriate?
How easy are any needed field repairs to perform? Do I need special tools to
perform any repairs and maintenance, or will a basic multi-tool serve this purpose?
How easy is the stove to ignite and use under a variety of environmental conditions?
Is the stove more difficult to light at different temperatures and humidity
levels? What effect does wind have on the stove, as the stove is not for use
with a windscreen?
How stable is the stove on a variety of surfaces? I use a couple different types of pots for cooking depending on how many are in my group. Is the Jet-Ti flexible enough to use with a variety of different size pots, or am I limited as to my pot selection? Does the stove, fuel, and the carrying case fit inside the various pots I carry or will it take up more space in my pack?
I also intend to report on any other issues that may arise during my continued
testing of this stove.
My thanks to Vargo and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to test this item.
Read more reviews of Vargo Outdoors gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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