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Msr micro rocket stove8/13/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() I tested this stove mainly for making water from snow using 1.5 oz water at the base of the pot to start and keeping it consistent. I found this stove at a REI gear sale and decide to take it with me on a snow camping trip to Lassen Nat'l Park a few weeks ago as a backup. In turn, I won't have canisters sitting around with small amounts of gas remaining in them. Upshot: I will be spending less time sitting around waiting for boils over weak flames when the gas gets low. I'd expect other stoves will want to add regulator technology in future iterations of their stoves, for similar benefits. CA trip, in the windier camps.Īll in all the regulator seems to be a nice new innovation. Note: the windscreen-less Soto did hold its own with the more wind-proof Jetboil on the No. (2) would like the option of inserting a wind screen for use in certain conditions (e.g, like is available for the Snowpeak Gigapower). (1) I would prefer four pot supports for a bit more stability (with heavy/large pots), and full output longer up to the end, at which the light (or in this case - flame/heat) drops to zero very quickly, rather than gradually.įor me, two rather minor downsides keep me from rating the Soto 5 stars: The relative effect seems like lithium batteries compared to traditional batteries. Canisters that were essentially spent on the Jetboil, had sufficient fuel to burn at full flame for several minutes with the Soto. This is a major advantage over the Jetboil, or other canister stoves I've used. Most importantly, as advertised, the Soto maintained full heat/flame output as canisters became low on fuel. Both stoves seemed to boil similar amounts of water equally fast. I just returned from a week-long trip in the Trinity Alps in Northern California during which I was able to directly compare the performance of the Soto to a friend's Jetboil. It's three fold-out pot supports are thin but adequate and lock into place easily. It's very light and easy to operate, at low and full throttle. I haven't had the opportunity to test it in cold yet, but have used it several times this summer. Got the new Soto micro regulator this summer to try its stated ability to maintain output in cold/hot, and especially to maintain better heat output as canisters become low on fuel. The peizo-igniter is still working, but even if it quits, this stove is still superior. So far I like this stove WAY better than the PocketRocket. I've had this stove for only a few months, but I've taken it on several multi-day trips here in the Canadian Rockies. So there's no tapering off of performance as the canister loses pressure. It uses up ALL of the fuel with a FULL FLAME. The Soto, with its micro regulator eliminates this. With most canister stoves the flame will get very weak and not boil very well, but when you shake the cansiter, it still seems like there's a little liquid sloshing around in there. It makes for better flame in cooler temps, at higher altitudes, and when your canister is almost empty and is losing pressure, it still gives a full flame. The Micro Regulator does what it is advertised to do. This makes for lower boil times in the real world, and if you're simmering, it eliminates the burnt hot spot in the middle. The flame of the Soto is much fuller, and more fully encompases the base of the pot to allow for a more even heating of the pot. With the windscreen attached, the wind blocking is far better than the PocketRocket's little "wind clip", and it doubles its usefulness by reflecting heat upwards to the pot as well. In my opinion it is a much better stove for real world usage. I recently bought the Soto Micro Regulator Stove with the Windscreen. I have several other stoves as well, but when I go lightweight I would always use my PocketRocket. I've been using the PocketRocket for over 10 years now. I've used other canister stoves (PocketRockets, JetBoils) and all are "you get what you pay for." The MicroRegulator is an investment that keeps on giving. This stove has been one of the rare finds that has no equal. "If I were to improve the product -" maybe sell it with a cookpot option. The piezo igniter never lets me down and I have only singed my fingers once while turning it on. The adjustable flame makes it a snap to boil water or cook, and at higher elevations the ability to simmer a pot has come in handy. I purchased it as a returned product at an REI garage sale over 10 years ago but it sat unused for a couple years because I wasn't getting out for any overnights. It has worked well in the mid-teens (North Rim of the Grand Canyon, 8000ft+) and under every other condition I've hiked and camped in for the past 8 years. ![]() I am still amazed that more backpackers and outdoors folks haven't heard of it or seen it. The MicroRegulator was a well-reviewed product when it was released. ![]()
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