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Jetboil makes compact camping stoves of different types and are popular choices for those requiring minimal gear while on the go. Their compact stoves provide a convenient way to boil water and they take up very little space in your backpack or camper. It’s a quick and convenient system whether you are in the campground or out on the trail in the middle of the wilderness.
Jetboil Flash is a great choice for those who have small requirements for cooking and need to pack lightly. It’s an all-in-one solution that does a great job of boiling water while maintaining a small footprint. It’s fairly lightweight for carrying over long distances.
It’s an ideal cooking system for those who want to remain light during hiking or a camping trip. They are great for small campers where space is limited. You’ll be able to stuff it into any little cubby hole to keep it out of your way. For such a small system, it packs a punch as far as its heating abilities are concerned.
I have used the Jetboil Flash for about 4 years now. Even before I traveled in my van, I used it on day hikes and overnight backpacking trips. It isn’t my go-to stove at all times when traveling in my van but for certain times when I just need something quick, the Jetboil always comes in handy.
It’s the perfect stove for warming up water for coffee or tea, soups, oatmeal, dehydrated meals, or anything else that needs boiling water.
Best Uses For The Jetboil
- Hiking. For those who go on long-distance hikes and want to take along a small stove that will be lightweight, take up little room and allow them to cook a nice dinner once they reach their destination, it’s perfect. It is one of the preferred stoves for long-distance hikers who spend days, weeks, or even months out on the trail.
- Camping. If you are a single camper and are looking for something to cook your meals on, the Jetboil could be the perfect solution. Van campers, car campers, and other small space campers will appreciate how little room it takes up.
- Boiling water for use with simple meals or drinks. If you eat dehydrated meals or other types of foods that require boiling water, the Jetboil Flash may be the perfect solution for you. You can even purchase a coffee press designed to fit perfectly. It won’t be as useful for those who cook more substantials meals.
Using the Jetboil Flash
The Jetboil Flash is an all-in-one solution that contains the burner, stand, aluminum heating container, gas canister, and the plastic cup that can be used to eat out of. This makes it super handy for those who need to carry all their gear with them or store their gear in a small space like a van or other small RV.
If you are traveling, hiking, or camping alone, it’s perfect for those times when you just want to warm one item up. It takes no time to get it out and set it up. It has a push-button igniter so it’s easy to get started.
Once you have finished using it, it cools off quickly, and then you can easily put it back up in your backpack, or cupboard.
The cool thing about the Jetboil Flash system is that it has a heating indicator on the side of it that turns solid orange when the water is boiling. This makes an easy reference if you are just watching it from the side. You can easily see the color change without having to hover over the unit to watch the water. Once the color has changed, you know you have water that is almost ready. It’s such a handy feature to have.
I use it often for cooking morning oatmeal when I just want to make quick work of it. Rather than setting up the larger camping stove that I use, the Jetboil is simpler to work with. I can boil plenty of water in about 2 minutes that will satisfy my requirement for a cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal.
I simply boil my water. Combine the boiled water with a packet of instant oatmeal. Add in fruits, nuts, etc. Then enjoy!
Can You Use a Jetboil Inside?
Any type of camping stove or gas-burning stove should always be used in a vented area. These types of stoves are built for those on the go and are made to be used outdoors. I would not recommend using it indoors unless it’s in a well-ventilated area.
I often break it out in my camper van for use. However, I only use it when I have my side door, windows, and roof vent running. Air is being pulled through the van with all of these open so there is no chance of any poisonous gasses building up inside.
It’s the same way when I use my camping stove inside my van. I only use it when well-vented. Besides that, my carbon monoxide detector is always on when in use.
Jetboil Pros & Cons
Pros
It’s Small and Easy To Carry
It’s basically a big cup that has all the equipment you need inside of it. If you are going on a backpacking trip or day hike, you can easily toss it into your backpack. It has everything you need in one self-contained unit. The only additional thing you’ll need is silverware. I prefer the Snow Peak Titanium Spork as this utensil gives me a combination of spoon and fork in one. It’s lightweight and can easily be stored in the side pocket of the Jetboil Flash.
Lightweight
Besides being small and self-contained, all of these combined create a lightweight stove that won’t be much of a weight addition to a backpack.
My Jetboil Flash weighs 22 ounces (1.38 pounds or 626 grams). This includes everything you need including a full gas canister. This is where most of the weight is coming from. Without the gas canister, you are looking at less than one pound (mine is 15 oz to be exact).
The gas canister weighs the most of any one part but it gets lighter and lighter as the gas gets expended.
Simple to Set Up and Use
As mentioned earlier, setting up the Jetboil is as easy as screwing the burner onto the gas canister, attaching the large cup, and then filling it with liquid. If you are on an uneven area, you can add the stand which will help to provide more stability.
This is one of the things that makes it so attractive. I often prefer it over my camping stove since it is easy to break out, set up, cook my food, and then store it away.
Easy to Store Away
After you are done, everything stores away in one convenient little package. With the top snapped onto it, everything is secure inside. This makes for a neat way to store all of your cooking supplies in your backpack.
Ready Indicator
If you have the Flash system, you will have a handy heat indicator on the side of the cozy. This heat indicator changes color to let you know when the water is at boiling temperature. This is one of my favorite features because it allows me to step away and still keep the color change indicator within view. As I see the heat rising up the side, I can make my way back to the unit and get ready to turn it off.
Cons
It’s Only One Burner
If you are hiking and only need one burner to boil water for meals, it’s great. However, for a van or RV setup, you won’t be able to cook a full-fledged meal with it. My typical use for it is to boil enough water in a very short time for my coffee and oatmeal in the mornings. Beyond that, I generally use my larger camping stove for more substantial meals.
Easy To Burn Yourself
Call me clumsy or just plain stupid but I can’t count the times I’ve accidentally burned myself with this system. It does have a neoprene protective cozy around it but it gets pretty hot when it has boiling water in the container. I seem to always touch it in a super hot area that burns me.
Of course, this is my fault for not being as careful as I should but it just goes to show how careful you have to be, even with a simple system like this.
Besides the risk of touching a hot area, if you try to unscrew it from the base when it has boiling water in it, it can slosh out onto your hand. You’ll learn to keep everything attached until you have used all the hot water or it has cooled down to a safe temperature.
Tip: Don’t fill it up past the max fill line. There is a reason it has this fill line and water will boil over the sides if you ignore it.
Be Careful How You Store It
I learned the hard way that storing the gas canister on the bottom in direct contact with the container is a no-no! If there is any moisture in the container, the gas canister will rust and create a rusty ring in the bottom of the container. As you can see from the picture, my gas canister has rusted from a slight amount of moisture in the container. This was a new canister that I had purchased only a few days before.
When storing all the parts together, make sure everything is completely dry. Furthermore, don’t allow the metal gas canister to touch the metal of the heating container. A good way to prevent this is to make sure the plastic stand sits on the bottom in contact with the metal, then pile everything else in on top of that.
Summary
The Jetboil products are made for mobility and are awesome stoves for backpackers who want an easy way to cook meals or simply boil water. However, beyond only using it for backpacking, it comes in handy in many other situations as well. Whether you are a hiker or a camper who wants a small stove, you can’t go wrong with the Jetboil.
Overall, I really like the Jetboil Flash system that I use. It comes in handy in many situations and is about as easy of a stove to use that you will find in terms of making a simple, fast meal.
