Backpack Stove Review - MSR vs Jetboil ***Updated 2/3/20***

[Jordan Budd]

Hey all, I just got 3 backpacking stoves in from Black Ovis for a review. The MSR WindBurner, the Jetboil Flash and the MSR Reactor. The WindBurner and Flash are more “apples to apples” but I wanted the Reactor in the review as well. With the 225$ price tag, I wanted to know what you were getting with the price difference versus the other 2 stoves.

I also run the MSR Pocket Rocket and the Soto Windmaster small stoves as a “build your own” system which I’ll also cover in the review. This could be a good one!

***Update 2/3/20*** Review is complete! MSR vs Jetboil Showdown

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[5 shot group]

If you shop around and time it right, you can get a reactor for under $150

 

[Idaho CTD]

I almost bought a Jetboil until my buddy told me they were anti hunting. I bought a MSR Reactor and my buddy bought the Windburner. We used both on Kodiak last week. The Reactor definately heats water faster with it's larger burner but you can get a frying pan for the Windburner and not the Reactor. I didn't think about that at the time but if I did it again I would buy the Windburner for that reason alone since I have IBS and have a very strict diet.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Jordan, this will be a good one! I've tried the MSR Reactor, the Pocket Rocket, MSR Whisperlight, and a few Jetboils.

The Jetboil SOL ti has been my go to for the past few years with great results.

 

[realunlucky]

Subscribed Jordan

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[shooterrdy]

Bought MSR thanks for the heads up on jetboil

 

[RosinBag]

I haven’t compared any of those for fuel burn, but I know what I can get out of my Jetboil.

I run the Sol Ti and with the 110g Snow Peak fuel bottle I can get 19, 16 ounce boils of water out of it at sea level.

That number could drop a couple at higher elevations, but overall it is very efficient.

 

[Northwinds308]

Subscribed. I've got my stove systems figured out pretty well but always nice to hear other experiences.

 

[ed2brute]

I have both a Flash and a Windburner. They really are apples to apples, but I do like one slightly more than the other.

 

[Mike Islander]

I almost bought a Jetboil until my buddy told me they were anti hunting.

Are they actually anti-hunting? They financially support organizations that fight for hunting rights (like OFAH). Are they just not stressing hunting on the website, knowing it could cause them to lose some customers? I searched and could not find any articles or links to show they are anti-hunting.

 

[Idaho CTD]

I guess if it was a concern a call to Jetboil would be in order. I bought my MSR stove already and don't need another. I went off a friends advise that I trust. If they aren't yet hide from it to customers it's one and the same to me. Why hide who you are for sales? Kind of dishonest if you ask me.

 

[Mike Islander]

My philosophy is there is no faster way to turn a company against hunters/hunting than to boycott it. If they are merely not "pro-hunting", I personally am not going to boycott them. I think a lot of companies that initially bent to the threat of SJWs a year or two ago now realize that very loud minority is nothing to fear. So I am going to give several of these companies time to make amends before I write them off.

 

[welpro222]

I had a Windburner and loved it. I end up switching to a jetboil only because I found a now rare titanium model that is super lightweight. Lightweight= pocket stoves and jetboil, Durable= MSR/Primus

Also, I would never factor the igniter into the decision as they almost never work outdoors with wind blowing.

 

[Jordan Budd]

An update on this comparison:

Jetboil Flash - I really like the coozie material on the outside and it doesn't burn your hands no matter how long you boil for. I do like the internal igniter, I haven't had any issues with it yet but have only really used it consistently for a week. It's nice having the option so you don't have to find your lighter. Doesn't seem like a big deal until its dark your cold, wet, tired and you can't find one. Largest con for me so far is just the feel of it... the components feel light and kinda cheap. The burner is also kind of loud and hasn't done as well in the wind.

MSR Windburner - Out of all, this was the one I thought I'd least like. Turning out it's the one I really like. Components feel tough. I'm however not a fan of the material they use on the outside of the cup to keep your hands from burning. After you've boiled water a while or boiled a lot of water, the material is hot and you can't hold onto it long at all. The burner isn't very loud on the Windburner, the least of the 3 actually. The largest downfall of this system is the weight. It's a bit heavier than the other 2, but does better in the wind than the Flash.

MSR Reactor - We used this stove a lot the first week of September. As you can tell just looking at them, it does very well in the wind. I do like how it sits fairly lower than the Windburner. Often times we're cooking on uneven ground and a stove that sticks way up gets top heavy. The burner is fairly loud on the Reactor as well.

If the Windburner had an internal igniter and a cup like the Jetboil, it'd be my perfect combination for their price point. The Reactor like I stated before is a bit more expensive than the other two but if mostly using it in the later seasons with cold and wind, the Reactor will be tough to beat.

 

[North61]

I keep a mini bic in the MSR Windburner or Reactor pot. I have never spent time "looking for it", so it doesn't need to be much of a point. After one experience with jetboils "warranty" service you couldn't pay me to use one.

 

[Jordan Budd]

I keep a mini bic in the MSR Windburner or Reactor pot. I have never spent time "looking for it", so it doesn't need to be much of a point. After one experience with jetboils "warranty" service you couldn't pay me to use one.

To each their own. It's a point I'm going to make because that is a difference between them. I would personally prefer the Windburner had an internal igniter. I never said the Jetboil was better because it had one.

 

[North61]

Sorry, I came across harsher than I meant to.

 

[Ottercreek]

The reactor melts snow really well if you do anything late season or winter without water around. I've heard the jetboils can over heat melting snow. Ive never tried it with the jetboil though so it might be different now

 

[mvrk28]

I have a jetboil flash and a BRS-3000t with a Toaks 550 ml pot.

I like the jetboil for the speed but when trying to keep weight down I opt for the BRS setup. I can fit a 110g fuel can in the pot, throw the lid on and keep the stove and a standard size bic on top. When adding the weight of my Toaks long ti spoon my entire cook system is 13.5 oz. I believe the flash weighs that much on it's own.

 

[maverick351]

Have you had any issues cooking in your toaks? Not boiling water but actually cooking and simmering