Jetboil in Cold & at Altitude

[treillw]

Zap,

These were the fuel brands I was using.

Funny, I had the exact same two canisters with me and they crapped the bed. It was zero and 10 below when I was using them though.

 

[*zap*]

I notice a performance drop off @1000' and below 35° with coleman fuel and iso pro goes a little colder but I still see a drop in performance.

 

[justinspicher]

I kept them in my puffy jacket when carrying them in my pack.

 

[SonnyDay]

Have definitely had the same issue with my Jetboil and 4-season fuel at middling temps (25 F) and middling elevation ~10K. Learned my lesson and will bust out the old Whisperlite International (and white gas) for next time.

 

[justinspicher]

I think the smart route is to use white gas and an MSR whiperlite stove, but I don’t have one and I am pretty stubborn so I will go with what I have.

 

[*zap*]

MSR Dragonfly has simmer control......just like a canister stove.

 

[treillw]

I think I will be getting a MSR XGK black friday.

I just need a nuclear reactor to boil water and melt snow. What do you guys use simmer for? The last thing I want to do is mess around cleaning pots when I'm in the backcountry.
Everything is already three times as complicated as normal life - example: you can't even easily brush your teeth without attracting the griz.

What have you found to be the best fuel to put in them and what size gas container? Does the 11 oz last for a few days?

Thanks!

 

[*zap*]

I cooked 2# of pasta a few days ago on the dragonfly, 2x 1/2 gallon water to boil and then 12 minutes x2 for cooking and used 6-7 ounces from my 11 ounce bottle which I filled to the full line before cooking. Full throttle to boil and turned it down a bit for cooking the pasta. I am thinking 60-75 minutes @ full throttle for the 11 ounce bottle to empty. 22 ounce bottle gives a little cushion. XGK is built tough and will do what you want easily. That's my next stove purchase. Its a bit loud.

I like to have the simmer option....

 

[Crowmangler]

FWIW, I used a Minimo for a 10 day tent camp for CO 2nd rifle & it got as low as 12 below one night with snow. We were at 9800 elevation. It worked flawlessly with the Jetboil small fuel canister. Some in my group had issues with the Coleman large fuel canisters not working properly.

 

[Grant K]

coming from the alpine climbing world the trick (totally off the record, don't hurt yourself...) is to make a heat exchanger from some wire, preferably something with a high melting point and good conduction properties, one end goes above the flame, the bottom wraps around the fuel canister, works well for a hanging stove situation, lots of potential to burn yourself or melt things... otherwise setting the canister in a dish of water works well, keep some extra water in your bag so it's ready to use.

liquid fuel is great in a base camp setting but in the backcountry it's not ideal, more stuff to pack, and more maintenance for the liquid stoves.

 

[SLDMTN]

We ski hunt the Brooks Range in the winter. Only way to get water in 99% of campsites is to melt snow. Two stoves have made the cut for us, the Dragonfly and XGK. The only thing that can happen is the o-rings inside the fuel pump occasionally shrink from the cold but that's typically only when it's colder than -20*F. When that happens put the pump in your pocket and motor along during the day. At night put the pump in your sleeping bag. Using the aluminum ground reflector helps a lot too when you're cooking on snow. Acts in two ways, keeps the snow under the stove from melting and it reflects heat.

Crossed paths this spring with a hardcore Harry that has ski traversed Antartica and he swears by the Whisperlite. Said the reason being is that he's tired of hearing the Dragonfly/XGK roaring along after a day of battling the roaring wind.

For canister stove use and tips, this guy is as hardcore as they come.

Fast and Light Winter Travel: Insights from the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Ski Classic

This article is reprinted with permission from BackpackingLight.com, March 2011. It is a little outdated. If you have questions, feel free to contact me. Each spring, as greens are reborn and Alask…

thingstolucat.com

 

[dla]

It’s not a stove flaw it’s a fuel flaw. Cold canisters usually mean poor performance. One of the many reasons I have a white gas stove in my arsenal.

I used alcohol stoves when I backpacked - always worked in the cold but terrible for snow melting.
My primary truck stove is a cheapo Chinese MSR knockoff canister-type that is great in mild weather.
My ice fishing stove is a SVEA 123 - because it isn't affected by the cold and it is cute. I'm not fond of any stove requiring pumping - personal bias.

There are tricks to extend the temp range of canisters, but in general, 20*f is about the limit for a jetboil. I loved the jetboil Sol I used.

If you must use canisters for some reason, look at the inverted-canister stoves.

 

[*zap*]

I was planning to get an xgk but after researching I went with an Optimus Polaris, just ordered one. My Dragonfly has been great but wanted something a bit smaller and one jet for all fuels..plus the option to use inverted canister fuel.

 

[CoffeeGoat]

I've always wanted to try this trick with the canister stoves - https://www.rokslide.com/forums/thr...-pocket-rocket-deluxe-wow.162893/post-1560685

 

[*zap*]

Optimus Polaris burning propane, making pasta. I did not time it but 1/2 gallon to boil very quickly.. It is a beast....
.

 

[treillw]

Looking to get an MSR XGK for when my canister stove is too cold to work properly. I see that they have an artic fuel pump for it. This seems to be the way to go, since I plan in using the stove below zero. But then they have a statement that you shouldn't use it at temps above freezing. It could be 20 below for a couple days and then warm up to 45 degrees by the end of the week on the same trip. What do you do then?

Does it hurt to use it above freezing?
Am I better off going with the standard model that people have been using in all conditions for years?

It's intended to be a cold weather stove, but I can't control if it warms up!

Thanks!

 

[treillw]

Why Does My Canister Stove Fail in Cold Weather? | Appalachian Mountain Club

His canister stove is so reliable the rest of the year, AMC's gear guru got to wondering why it's such a dud in winter. Here's what he found out.

www.outdoors.org

I use an msr dragonfly or international in cold weather.

Thoughts on the Arctic fuel pump?

 

[*zap*]

I have never used an arctic fuel pump. The problem with very cold is it effecting the 0 rings and I carry a service kit with 0 rings plus the arctic fuel pump will not work on my Dragonfly. I do carry two pumps for my stove and the service kit.

 

[406]

I have never used an arctic fuel pump. The problem with very cold is it effecting the 0 rings and I carry a service kit with 0 rings plus the arctic fuel pump will not work on my Dragonfly. I do carry two pumps for my stove and the service kit.

When I was a guide we'd use a little olive oil on the o rings, it seemed to bring them back to life.
Of course, with my old whisper light the #1 maintenance is to just bang it on a rock. 50% of the time it always works.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[treillw]

recently took the jetboil with on a trip which I thought was going to be mild - it was only 28 degrees and about 3000' elevation. Figured the Jetboil will work fine, but it didn't. Flame was pitiful. I took my gloves off and put my hands around it the canister and in a couple minutes, it was roaring. I couldn't believe it. Not sure if I would want my hands on that cold thing when it's zero though!