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Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Vargo Titanium Jet-ti stove > John R. Waters > Field Report
Vargo Outdoors 22 August 2005 Contents: Tester's Biographical Information Name: John R. Waters Backpacking Background My backpacking experience is limited to the last couple of years, hiking primarily in Michigan and Colorado. In Michigan, I do hikes of 6-8 miles (10 km-13 km) 2-3 times a week in Pontiac Lake Recreation area with weekend hikes in various other southeast Michigan locales. Our twice-a-year vacations are usually in Colorado where we hike the mountains in the summer and snowshoe in the winter. I tend towards the lightest pack possible - under 12 lb (5 kg), but of course, that is day hiking. I am starting overnight hiking this summer and am aiming for a light to ultralight weight pack. Product Information (from Manufacturer website) Manufacturer: Vargo Outdoors Features: THE JET-TI STOVE IS COMPATIBLE WITH BRUNTON, MSR, SNOW PEAK AND OTHER MANUFACTURER FUEL CANISTERS. Product Information (from tester) Weight of Stove: 3 oz (85 g) Field Conditions/Completed Test Results I had planned for a week's worth of testing on a July trip to Colorado in the Pike's Peak area. Unfortunately a very large wildfire just to the south, dry conditions, unreasonably hot temperatures and the resulting prohibition on any open flame put the kibosh on that. So my testing was more limited than I'd hoped. However, I still was able to put the Vargo Jet-ti Stove through several workouts here in southeast Michigan. I found that lighting the stove has to be done with the valve barely open (1/16 turn or less) otherwise the flame might possibly scorch my hand if I'm using a short lighting device like a regular match or short piezo lighter. It's a potent blowtorch, so I've learned to keep my fingers at a distance. One-quarter of a turn will boil water quickly, so 1/16 of a turn is still a good flame. I do not want to open the valve 1/4 turn, fumble around for a lighter and then try to light the stove. The results would not be pleasant. One of the challenges when cooking with this unit is that it is so darn efficient. When cooking with gas on a kitchen cooktop, I can see the blue flame and I can adjust the width of the flame to be under the pot, to the edge of the pot, for simmering, etc. With the Vargo Jet-ti stove, I can't see the flame at all. I can see the turbulence from the heat, but I can't pinpoint where the flame is hitting the pot. So I find it difficult to adjust to get just the right setting. It is especially interesting that the valve itself can be turned out about 4 revolutions, but all the heat needed to cook with is within the first 1/4 turn to 1/2 turn. I would prefer that the manufacturer used a valve with more fine adjustment so it would be easier to control the temperature within the operating range. I found that the ideal flame for my GSI hard-anodized cookware is 1/4 turn plus a hair to get the flame completely covering the bottom of the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) diameter pot. This particular pot is 4.38 in (11.13 cm) high and holds 36 oz. (1.06 l); easily testing the standard 33.81 oz (1 l). Without using any lid on the pot, water boiled in 4 minutes and 42 seconds. Nice! This example test, which pretty much defined the norm for me, took place at Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in 78 F (25.6 C), 76% humidity and no wind. The elevation was 984 ft (300 m). I used a Snowpeak GigaPower 7.76 oz (220 g) isobutane/propane mixture fuel canister.
First I put the veggies in the pot and simmered them until browned slightly and then added some pre-cooked bacon. I had cooked the bacon before leaving on the hike, but left it slightly undercooked just enough so that some grease still would melt into the pan. This took 9 minutes at 1/8 turn of the valve. Pot temperature went up to 139 F (59 C). After the veggies and bacon were ready, I added 6 eggs and the pan temperature dropped right down to 100 F (37.78 C). I had to increase the flame, but when I did turn the valve another 1/8 turn, things started cooking way too fast. I went back to the 1/8 turn position and then increased the output by a nudge. I mean a NUDGE. I don't think it was more than 1/64 of a turn and the pan temp went right up to 160 F (71 C). In another 8 minutes, breakfast was ready. The wind was blowing at 22 mph (35 km) pretty constantly and the flame sputtered from time to time but it never blew out. I did not use a windscreen or shield. The entire 17 minutes of cooking consumed .75 oz (21.26 g) of fuel from the Snow Peak Giga Power 7.76 oz (220 g) canister. Boiling 33.81 oz (1 l) of water consumed about .3 oz (8.50 g). That means this size canister would permit one to cook about 10 such meals. More than enough for a weekend trip of 2 breakfasts and 3 dinners, plus boiling water for each meal. I used a larger canister for testing, but in normal conditions, a smaller 3.88 oz (110 g) canister should be able to support a weekend trip with 2 breakfasts and 2 dinners. This is assuming all the meals took 17 minutes each under similar conditions. I will be planning my subsequent trip based on the above calculation. Summary to date The Vargo Jet-ti Stove is excellent for boiling water, which is what I've used it for the most. It heats the water up quickly; I pour the water into a food pouch with a pre-mixed meal and go on my merry way. By the time the meal is "cooked" the stove is ready to pack away in the handy carrying case. After each test, the Vargo Jet-ti Stove has cooled down within 4 minutes or so of removing the pot. Like all stoves of this type, there is always the concern of stability. The legs move and the unit feels very top-heavy, especially with the pots I've been using. I am constantly checking to make sure the pot is centered on the legs, and after stirring the food, I have to make adjustments. Since I can't see the flame and since my outdoor cookware has short handles, there are moments when I am wondering if the potholder I am using to grab the pot's handle is going to burst into flame as it touches the pot. Nothing like that has happened so far, and I'm sure I will get use to adjusting the flame coverage in time.
Continuing Test Plan Testing the Vargo Jet-ti stove thus far has been fun! I look forward to putting it through its paces more rigorously on a scheduled one-week trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado in September and Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore in Michigan in October as well as some 2-3 trips in lower Michigan after that. I will be checking to see how easy it is to find/buy fuel for the Vargo Jet-ti stove. I have not used up my initial canister. Can I find/buy it in a small camping retail locations as well as the big city chain stores. What are comparable costs versus other stove fuels such as alcohol? What is the cost of making a cup of tea? How much fuel will I need on a weekend trip with "normal" usage? A weeklong trip? During the continued testing of the Vargo Jet-ti stove, I will be looking at the stove to see how well it holds up to normal use. I will continue to check to see if any parts become loose, broken, bent or damaged. I will also report any other issues that arise during the testing period. Thank you for the opportunity to test this product! John R. Waters Read more reviews of Vargo Outdoors gear Read more gear reviews by John Waters Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Vargo Titanium Jet-ti stove > John R. Waters > Field Report | ||||||
