after 10 years I switched my backpacking stove to a MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe- Wow!

[Trial153]

I agree, great little stove. I love mine

 

[Wrench]

If you think about it, let's see the copper pic. I'm curious how little copper we can get away with.

 

[Mike Islander]

Snowpeak and Jetboil MightMo are excellent 3 Oz stoves for those who like to carry their own cup/pot. Igniter and regulation are game changers.

The stoves that include integrated boiling pots are another 30-40% faster because of including heat ducting in the mounting systems. That means 22 boils per 4 oz can instead of 16, but there is a small weight penalty and you can't generally heat those integrated pots in a campfire if you are out of fuel.

 

[mtwarden]

I fixed up the copper strip and will be heading into the backcountry tomorrow for a three day trip, will report on who it works when I get back

 

[mtwarden]

from my reading, folks with experience using these copper strips (some successfully to -20F!) have mostly settled on 1" wide strips in 20-25 gauge thickness- length is dependent on the stove (height above the canister) and what canister, larger ones need longer strips vs smaller ones

 

[Mike Islander]

After reading again through this thread I pulled the trigger on the MSR PR Deluxe. Even with a camp pot and cup I save a ton of weight. And just as important to me, I can cook in a standard pot over a campfire.

 

[mtwarden]

well it didn't get anywhere near 20 below this past weekend (thankfully!), but the copper strips seems to be working well, both mornings were about 10 degrees

 

[Wrench]

I've played some tricks on guys by having them hold a copper bus bar and heating the other end. Its incredible how fast heat travels in copper. Great idea.

 

[mtwarden]

the strip I'm using is all of 0.8 oz, definitely worth hauling if temps are going to be much below freezing imo

 

[Mike Islander]

Ran the Pocket Rocket Deluxe last night. Just under 2:20 to boil 1/2 liter to a rolling boil. I didn't turn it up all the way, because I was using the Toaks 1100 cc pot. Didn't want the flames moving up the sides, so turned it down until they were right at the edge. Very pleased.

8 oz canister plus stove fits in my 1100 pot + pan combo. Weight is 8.6 oz, saving an even 7 oz over my Jetboil MiniMo, and I can use the Toaks pot over a campfire.

 

[mtwarden]

^ Nice!

 

[KevinDTX]

if you use your stove in colder weather, then definitely worth the upgrade- the "regular" PR is non-regulated, the Deluxe is regulated- that's the main difference between the two

from MSR



WHY PRESSURE-REGULATED STOVES ARE BETTER IN COLD TEMPS
MAY 9, 2019 BY MSR TEAM

TECHNOLOGY
You unzip your tent on a cool fall morning. As you step out, you have one thought: Coffee. You light up your canister stove and crank it up to full blast, but for some reason, it seems to be taking a lot longer to boil water than last evening. Is it the lack of caffeine, or is the stove really slower this morning? What’s going on?
Seasoned backpackers will recognize that the pressure has dropped in their fuel canister now that it’s cooler outside. A stove’s output relies heavily on its fuel pressure, so when that pressure drops in cooler temperatures, your stove’s output naturally declines.
But it’s not just cooler temps that cause this pressure drop. The mere act of running your stove causes its canister to lose pressure. (This is because as fuel vaporizes, it cools, and cools the canister down.) This means that each back-to-back pot of water you heat with that same canister will take longer to boil.
But certain canister stoves—such as MSR’s Reactor and WindBurner Stove Systems, and our ultralight PocketRocket Deluxe—are not nearly as affected by this pressure drop. They consistently deliver fast boil times across a range of conditions: from warm afternoons to cool mornings and cold alpine evenings.
What allows them to do that?
These stoves feature a tiny component called a pressure regulator—and it makes a huge difference.
oto by Paul Bride
What is a pressure regulator?
This tiny component lives inside the stove’s valve. It controls how much fuel pressure is fed to the stove. Regardless of what’s happening externally that might be affecting the canister’s pressure, the regulator ensures the stove is getting the correct pressure it needs to operate optimally.
The trick is, MSR engineers designed these three stoves to operate optimally at a very low pressure level. This means the canister pressure can drop substantially before the stove starts to lose its power. The regulator makes sure the stove is always receiving that precise (and low) pressure. The stove will run at full output as long as it does.
How pressure regulators improve boil times
Most backpacking stoves aren’t pressure-regulated. So as their canister pressure drops, their output also declines. A stove with a regulator, in contrast, isn’t hindered by that drop in canister pressure (remember it’s designed to operate optimally at a very low pressure and the regulator maintains that pressure). Because of this, you enjoy fast boil times regardless of what’s happening to the canister.
In other words, the regulator keeps your stove cranking at full output across a wider range of conditions and scenarios—hot days, colder days, full canister, low canister and everything in between.
It also means that when your canister is low, the stove isn’t struggling. This saves you fuel. Therefore, a pressure regulator also boosts the efficiency of your stove, which means you can carry less fuel.
When the temp drops to 50°F, canister pressure drops to 30 psi. As you run your stove, your canister cools further, easily dropping to 22 psi. And on that cool fall morning (40°F) your stove may actually only be putting out less than 60% of its power.

In contrast, MSR’s pressure-regulated stoves are designed to run at full output at just 15 psi (Reactor) and 16.5 psi (WindBurner and PR Deluxe). The regulator ensures the stove only receives that precise pressure regardless of the real pressure inside the canister.

It’s only when your canister is nearly empty or the conditions are extremely cold that the pressure will finally drop below the limit of the pressure regulator and you’ll notice it a performance drop.
All this means that with a well-regulated stove, you’ll enjoy high stove performance through a far greater range of conditions. And your fourth pot of water will boil just as fast as your first.

thanks for the great info! I have been running a PR looking for a second stove. Def interested In the deluxe and the copper wire.

 

[NW307]

That copper strip is much more elegant than the hammered flat copper pipe I used, I like the silicone band idea too. I'm not sure if you've mentioned it but where did you find a copper strip like that? I might revisit this set up. I'm digging the bibler tents too!

 

[mtwarden]

I got mine on Ebay here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COPPER-STR...var=431493363210&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

if you have a shorter stove or use the smallest canisters, should give you enough for two strips

I use the mid size canisters in the winter and my stove is a little taller than some, so I ended up w/ 4" leftover- not enough to use the same stove w/ the smaller canister

 

[mtnwrunner]

The copper strip is a great idea...gonna have to give it a try.

Randy

 

[snowcamoman]

Any of you guys have the SOTO Windmaster and the PR Deluxe? Curious on how you think the two compare and which you'd choose? I have a couple WIndmaster's and they've been 100% solid. The Copper strip looks interesting, but the Windmaster is a pretty tall stove, so I'd be interested in how well it works. I'll order some copper up and give it a whirl though. Sorry to get off track...