Stoves - Everywhere I read I see the MSR pocket rocket ( http://www.msrgear.com/stoves/pocketrocket.asp ) as the pinnacle of the lightweight food heating implement and the fuel canisters are readily available along the trail. The running man owns a Pocket Rocket and we used it in the ‘Dacks. It is an impressive piece of equipment - small, lightweight and very effective. The MSR Superfly also looks like an option albeit heavier and more expensive because it will accept a variety of fuel canisters reducign the chance of being caught without fuel. Plus it`s called the SUPERFLY!
It’s only real competition in my mind is this: http://www.zzstove.com/sierra.html . I’ve never seen one of these things so it would be a bit of a gamble but it sounds super cool. It’s more economical in ther long run as it only requires an occasional battery and on a forest trail I would not have to be concerned about fuel usage. Sustained damp weather might present a problem as the fuel is scrounged off the ground.
Weight: Cooking time: Price:
MSR Pocket rocket with fuel: 7 oz. 3.5 mins $38.00
Spare fuel canister: 4 oz. 36 mins $4.75
ZZstove with battery: 16 oz. 4 mins $57.00
Spare battery (D-cell): 1 oz. 2100 mins! $2.00
The SUPERFLY is $44.00 and weight 4.6 oz. One real drawback (for me) to the MSR stoves is that the fuel canisters are not refillable and I don`t want to be lugging around empty fuel canisters until I find a place that will recycle them...
The way I see it the MSR stoves are easier lighter and in the long run more expensive for me and mother earth. The ZZ stove is heavy and I can envision fuel issues. There is a titanium version of the ZZ stove that weights only 10 oz. but then costs $129.00.
I’d be interested to hear from the peanut gallery.
2 comments:
The fan is the only thing that would scare me about the zzstove - well that and the fact that you plan to leave in February - remember Bill Bryson got driven off the Trail in March for snow - twigs and leaves, etc could be hard to come by that time of year..... The fan is that one moving part that is critical to the stove and subject to malfunction - especially considering the "twigs, etc" Fuel wise it would be much better for the environment but maybe that should be your summer plan for the end of the hike not for the start....
2100 mins / 36 mins per 4 oz container = 58 containers to match the 1 oz battery! thats 14.5 lbs and $275 overall!! and a lot of non-biodegradable fuel cannisters!! The zz stove might pay for itself in the better weather!
Of course all this comes from somebody with an $11 Canadian Tire folding stove that takes 20 mins to boil water - hahahaha
It appears I am "the Peanut Gallery"....... hahaha
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