Gear Review: Jetboil Zip Cooking System
Value Rating: 8
Durability Rating: 8
Overall Rating: 8
Location of Test: Olallie Lake Wilderness
Duration: 3 days 3 nights
Product Name: Jetboil Zip Cooking System
Product Brand: JetBoil
Best Use: Backpacking and trailside cooking
Sizes: Regular JetBoil Zip Cooking System with 0.8 Liter Pot
The Full Review:
This is, hands down, an absolutely essential item to bring on any backpacking trip. I’ve been using JetBoil stoves for a while now but have become even more grateful for mine after my recent trip to the Olallie Lake Wilderness.
I was backpacking with a group of 10 people for 3 nights, so there were plenty of other stoves being used, yet my JetBoil was always the first to light and the quickest to boil water. With temperatures dropping below freezing as we were setting up camp, the quick stove set up and boil time was great. I had a steaming cup of hot chocolate and boiling water for my dehydrated meal in 5 minutes.
This is relatively lightweight also, coming in at just under a pound. The cargo cozy material around the pot as well as the handle, allowed me to pour boiling water without needing a pot mitt and to eat out of it as my bowl. The burner held up well against the winds with its built-in windscreen.
The only thing lacking from this stove is overall capacity. If you are wanting to cook meals for 2 or more people (other than dehydrated "just add water" meals) I suggest looking at an MSR Dragonfly. But for one person or just Mountain House meals this is all you need and the absolute best option. If you were backpacking with a larger group and had a higher capacity stove I would still strongly suggest having a JetBoil for your hot drinks and dehydrated meals because it is just so fast and convenient.
This is a great backpacking stove and I would surely recommend it to anyone.
The Full Review:
This is, hands down, an absolutely essential item to bring on any backpacking trip. I’ve been using JetBoil stoves for a while now but have become even more grateful for mine after my recent trip to the Olallie Lake Wilderness.
I was backpacking with a group of 10 people for 3 nights, so there were plenty of other stoves being used, yet my JetBoil was always the first to light and the quickest to boil water. With temperatures dropping below freezing as we were setting up camp, the quick stove set up and boil time was great. I had a steaming cup of hot chocolate and boiling water for my dehydrated meal in 5 minutes.
This is relatively lightweight also, coming in at just under a pound. The cargo cozy material around the pot as well as the handle, allowed me to pour boiling water without needing a pot mitt and to eat out of it as my bowl. The burner held up well against the winds with its built-in windscreen.
The only thing lacking from this stove is overall capacity. If you are wanting to cook meals for 2 or more people (other than dehydrated "just add water" meals) I suggest looking at an MSR Dragonfly. But for one person or just Mountain House meals this is all you need and the absolute best option. If you were backpacking with a larger group and had a higher capacity stove I would still strongly suggest having a JetBoil for your hot drinks and dehydrated meals because it is just so fast and convenient.
This is a great backpacking stove and I would surely recommend it to anyone.