UKC

Hi there

My old faithful pocket-rocket style stove died on me a couple of weeks ago, a month before my planned trip to the Alps!

So I'm looking for a new stove. The MSR Reactor looks amazing - but can you only boil water in it? Is that the way to go? Because I quite like cooking a sauce or something, especially when down at basecamp.

Also, do you only get the one container to cook in? Is it enough? I know alpine meals are not supposed to be amazing, but at camp I quite like to have a good meal (I happen to be a chef!).

In a nutshell, am I best of getting one of these, or a pocket-rocket thing again?

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
Chris
I was loaned one recently to try. I used it for 3 nights.
Great bit of kit for boiling water. Really quick. I was using dehydrated food for this trip so found it really useful.

I'm reluctant to buy one because
1. For a single night I would rather have a pocket rocket as it's lighter and use a smaller pan.
2. If you lose/ damage the pan you have to buy an expensive one.
3 For longer trips I would rather have a stove I could cook one. Any of the ones with a tripod base is much more stable and you can use any pans.

hope this helps
Paul

In reply to Chris Ellyatt: Maybe check out the Jetboil Sol Titanium for a smaller capacity but lighter alternative?

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
There was a notice from the Alpine Club [i think] mentioning the possible increased production of carbon monoxide with 'exchange' stoves.

From what i remember, it just said to be aware of it, rather than saying 'don't use them'.

*Please* someone more knowledgeable, chip in!

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
I've got one, and love it.

you do need to be a fair bit more careful when cooking proper food, it involves quite alot of taking the pan off and hovering it over the burner...
but I'm happy to put up with that to have the boil time.

also once you've got it set up i think its myuch more stable than the pocket rocket system, i hated my pan sliding around, and having to balance it on the stove, whereas the reactor kindof slots on.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

the reactor has an odd place in stove-world.

as a snow-melter/water boiler its the best - but thats about it. cant be beat for high bivvys where all you do is melt snow and boil it for a few days at a time.

you could do a sauce in it but it wouldnt be fun. the jetboil helio would do that better.

for long trips id rethink it. BC needs a dedicated BC stove if you want to really cook, and really wants a fuel stove for more efficient resources.

In reply to ice.solo: Slightly different tack but has anybody tried those primus eta power heat exchanger pans that you can use with any stove. In principle they sound versatile and a good idea.

Like these

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product380.asp

In reply to Siward:

yeah, with a pocket rocket too as it happens.

works well and the PR slots in to the flux ring quite well, tho not as stable.
not as efficient, but a decent compromise unless its really cold. maybe lighter too.

sadly the pot i was using was swiped after only 2 or 3 uses >

In reply to ice.solo:

So perhaps a multifuel thing for BC and a reactor for actual excursions? This is getting expensive! Thing is, the whole reactor lot is about 550g as I remember - a pocket rocket is only about 200andsomethingg! If we're on a trip where we're going to use less than one small can of gas (Dufourspitze for example), surely we'd be better off saving the weight?

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

all depends on the trip. if its a long and cold one then id want something good in BC and something bomber up high.
if its just a few days in BC and 1 or 2 nights bivvying then a pocket rocket would be good.

no one stove does everything well. the way it goes.

maybe one of the spiders or another stove with a canister thats extended to the burner would be better.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:
I did a MSc project on a molten salt reactor (aka MSR) last year and thought I was going to get the chance to be a geek :oS


I like my pocket rocket.