Jetboil

Vince

Handloader
May 26, 2012
4,330
725
Anybody use a Jetboil for their hunting trips?

I'm thinking of throwing one in my pack to boil water for those dehydrated meals that I have to add boiling water to. What's the skinny? Good, bad, must have?

Thanks all. I figure it's sort of expensive but looking for something to heat water for thos aforementioned meals.

Vince
 
G'Day Fella's,

Vince I don't have any personal experience with them but they do have a very good reputation down here in Australia and New Zealand!
Just remember, extreme cold down here means -20 degrees C, which is a long way short of what you blokes can experience up there!!!

Hope that helps

Doh!
Homer
 
Vince":3guf977c said:
Anybody use a Jetboil for their hunting trips?

I'm thinking of throwing one in my pack to boil water for those dehydrated meals that I have to add boiling water to. What's the skinny? Good, bad, must have?

Thanks all. I figure it's sort of expensive but looking for something to heat water for thos aforementioned meals.

Vince

Vince, I LOVE the Jetboil! It is an awesome piece of gear and does exactly what it is supposed to, super heats water, fast.

I have one Jet Boil and an MSR stove and love them both, but the Jet Boil is one awesome piece of gear when you are trying to save weight.
 
I don't have a Jetboil but do have a Brunton Raptor which is very nice. Mine has worked well in typical cold fall weather and done well still in the alpine at 5000-6000 ft above sea level. The built in ingniter melted off but I always have several lighters with me. For backpack hunting I would never go back to the white gas stoves, for car camping I really like the small disposable propane canisters with the screw on burner.
 
I don't own a jetboil, but I've been packing with guys who do, on daytrips and overnights. In fact, my first serious pack hike was a long daytrip, and for lunch, one of the guys broke out ramen noodles and a jetboil. He was thoughtful enough to bring ramen for everyone, and we all had a nice warm lunch on a cool day. That little jetboil heated enough water for 11 people in just a few minutes time.

I own an isobutane canister stove, but it's not the unified setup of the jetboil. Mine is an el cheapo, no-name version similar to this:

http://store.primuscamping.com/backpack ... -trade-ef/

So far, it's worked wonderfully, and it's very light (a few ounces, plus the fuel canister. I use a lightweight cookset, as well, and I have about $50 in the whole setup. I'll probably get a Jetboil or clone at some point. If you have the money, the MSR Reactor is supposed to be the most efficient, but I'm not sure it's efficient enough to warrant the extra cost. MSR is not cheap gear. Of course, from a usability standpoint, it's not cheap gear, either. Everyone I know who has a Jetboil or MSR loves theirs, if that helps any.
 
SJB, Gerry, Homer, and Dubyam,

Thank you.

I got one on my short list now. If I'm packing in it's dehydrated food so all I need to do is add water. Got a Coleman stove and Dutch Ovens for basecamp if I really want to cook.
 
You won't regret it, just make sure you test out how many meals you can get from one cannister before heading out into the bush :) We have really enjoyed the Mountain House meals for suppers out in the alpine, best freeze dried for I have had to date.
 
gerry":2tsw5s4g said:
You won't regret it, just make sure you test out how many meals you can get from one cannister before heading out into the bush :) We have really enjoyed the Mountain House meals for suppers out in the alpine, best freeze dried for I have had to date.

Will do, the test that is.

I tend to buy whatever I can get cheap. The problem with that is I usually retain the food longer than I should. :grin: Can you say, constipated?

On the bright side I save weight by not packing toilet paper. :lol:
 
Vince":2zcohwvv said:
gerry":2zcohwvv said:
You won't regret it, just make sure you test out how many meals you can get from one cannister before heading out into the bush :) We have really enjoyed the Mountain House meals for suppers out in the alpine, best freeze dried for I have had to date.

Will do, the test that is.

I tend to buy whatever I can get cheap. The problem with that is I usually retain the food longer than I should. :grin: Can you say, constipated?

On the bright side I save weight by not packing toilet paper. :lol:

:lol: We only use our stoves for supper and pack Rye bread meat and cheese (stored in a trusty snowbank to keep it fresh) and lots of trail mix and dried fruit. Believe me that stuff keeps you regular :shock:
 
gerry":3asfs5sg said:
Vince":3asfs5sg said:
gerry":3asfs5sg said:
You won't regret it, just make sure you test out how many meals you can get from one cannister before heading out into the bush :) We have really enjoyed the Mountain House meals for suppers out in the alpine, best freeze dried for I have had to date.

Will do, the test that is.

I tend to buy whatever I can get cheap. The problem with that is I usually retain the food longer than I should. :grin: Can you say, constipated?

On the bright side I save weight by not packing toilet paper. :lol:

:lol: We only use our stoves for supper and pack Rye bread meat and cheese (stored in a trusty snowbank to keep it fresh) and lots of trail mix and dried fruit. Believe me that stuff keeps you regular :shock:

I'll have to give it a go.
 
A quick tip on tracking the amount of fuel left in your canister is to keep a sharpie marker in your pack. Every time you boil a pot of water, make a mark on the canister. After a couple of canisters, you'll know how many boils you get out of a canister, and can plan accordingly.

Trail mix, beef jerky, and granola bars are staple food when I'm hiking or backpacking. I'm not sure which is the most helpful, but all three seem to keep me moving right along, so to speak.

Oh, and if you carry Mountain House lasagna, carry a plastic disposable fork with which to eat it. Otherwise you'll spend countless time getting the sticky cheese off your spork and then out of whatever pot or packable sink you used to wash it. So much easier to accept the extra 2oz for a plastic fork to just drop in the MH meal bag after you eat and not worry about cleaning that one.
 
Dubyam - great tip on marking the canister.

I bought a Jetboil and took it on a week long hiking trip on Isle Royale that I took with my son 4 years ago. It worked great! Especially if it's just 2 of you for a meal I would use one with no problem.

They do make larger pans for larger meals, but I didn't need that.

Of note, don't try and heat water for washing up and expect a canister to last too many days and still heat your meals. Don't ask how I know. :shock:

Patrick
 
Ordered the Jetboil today from Cabela's.

I can't wait to give it a go. Thanks all.
 
Make sure you let us know how you like it after you use it a bit. They sure look good.
 
Still haven't broke out the Jetboil.
I'm planning to head out scouting in a couple of weeks and will crack it out for it's virgin use then. I'll be sure to report back too.
 
I'm sure you know this, Vince, but I'd sure take that stove around the block on a pot or two of water before I left the house. I'd likely do so with enough time onhand to replace it with one that is suitable, in case this JB isn't. I doubt you'll have any problems, but every now and then, something brand new doesn't work right out of the box.
 
OK, broke out the Jetboil so I could figure out how it all goes together.
Fired it up and then packed it away. I'll take it scouting with me on Monday for a trial run.
 
Look forward to your report Vince, I am thinking about one for Ice fishing this coming winter I could heat up some soup real quick with one of those gizmos 8).

Blessings,
Dan
 
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