Anyone used a JetBoil stove above 10,000 ft?

[jstreet]

I'm wondering how a JetBoil stove preforms at higher elevations. Say 10,000 ft plus. Anyone have any experience with this?

[Couloir]

I have used mine to boil water on/near the summit of Hood, Adams, and Shasta. Performed perfectly each time.

[chesterboo]

I used mine at Muir and it took much longer to melt snow than a white gas stove or than it would have at lower elevation. I can't give you exact times but seemed like it took forever.

[tthirloway]

Ditto what chesterboo said.

[chris]

I use one all summer between 10'000 and 14'000 feet in the Sierra.

[dbconlin]

Word has it (and I can't give any reference, unfortunately), that canister stoves work poorly at cold temps, but perform better at high altitudes. I am not sure why that would be.

 

Steve House uses one in the Himalaya, for what that is worth.

[marcus]

 

IMHO JetBoils are just too meek to generate sufficient melting power in real mountain conditions(cold, windy,O2-starved). Word is that the new MSR Reactor will remedy the dearth of effective alpine canister stoves - if it ever gets released, that is.

 

Oh, and put a sock with a hand warmer around one canister. Keep another in your pocket and switch 'em out as they peter out...

[einzelgaenger80]

MSR Reactor - http://www.rei.com/product/736977

 

... I got a hold of a demo version. Used it in some unforgiving conditions -- and it worked better than any I have used in the past. Worth the wait, if you can wait.

[Reid]

The real problem is the canisters just get too cold and there isn't enough pressure to get the stove really roaring. I had pretty good results just warming the canister up with another stove that was being used at the time or using a lighter. Not manufacturer recommended no doubt, but if you aren't stupid about it, it should be okay. If the jetboil is the only stove you are bringing I wouldn't trust it in cold and high altitude places.

[i_like_sun]

I'm wondering how a JetBoil stove preforms at higher elevations. Say 10,000 ft plus. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

 

Yes. It works - really fucking well. I'd take an extra lighter however. Mine occasionally seems to crap out with its "self ignition" mechanism........

[cdurf]

Camp Muir last weekend. Found that it starts off OK but when the canister is used then melting snow times increase by quite a bit. Frost was building up on the canister which slows everything down. I was using a qt and a half pot. This time I didn't do tricks to get more power (sit canister in pot of warm water or butane lighter, or second stove or warm the unattached can first inside your coat.

 

I noticed that if I want to start the stove with the self ignition it wouldn't light unless I had the pot on the stove first. It would trap more fuel then the spark could ignite it.

[TREETOAD]

Jetboils seems a bit heavy to me compared to others.

[sirwoofalot]

Jetboils seems a bit heavy to me compared to others.

 

Treetoad, please do tell, what do you use? I love my jetboil!

[Bill_Simpkins]

I haven't had any issues with mine over 10k. Yeah, there is lighter, but I can whip that thing out and boil my water before other people set their stoves up. It is just simple and easy.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Bill_Simpkins

[dbconlin]

Some tips if you have trouble with your stove in harsh conditions:

 

1. insulate the canister. don't place it on the snow.

2. cook inside the tent. yeah, really. no wind, much warmer.

3. haven't tried this, but house recommends the msr stove with the flexible hose that attaches to the canister; when the fuel is low, turn the can upside down to increase effeciency (?)

[TREETOAD]

Jetboils seems a bit heavy to me compared to others.

 

Treetoad, please do tell, what do you use? I love my jetboil!

 

I use an MSR superfly and a snowpeak cup usually. The stove fits inside the cup. Works well very light which is of most importance to me. If weight and space was not so much of and issue I would look at this

 

http://www.msrcorp.com/rock_ice_reactor.pdf or the Jetboil

 

 

 

 

 

 

[builder206]

I was on Baker a few weeks ago. Buddy said he had a stove so I left my XGK home. His was a Jetboil. It sucked the holy immense suck like nothing has ever sucked before. What a piece of crap. His one cannister ran out long before we had melted enough snow for the water bottles and we barely got enough boiling water for supper. I would never think of getting one.

 

Of course, that was only at 7,000'. I'm sure they work 'WAY better 3,001' higher.

Edited June 5, 2007 by builder206

[rob]

good thing someone let you borrow their whisperlite

[builder206]

*ahem* I omitted to say that nearby was a kind fellow and well-rounded outstanding alpinist who took pity on us and allowed us to use his superior MSR stove. In this way ONLY did we manage to get our water & grub.

 

Also maybe we were more at like 5,000’ feet, not 7,000’.

 

But the rest of the story is true, I swear!

[Marko]

Not super impressed with the JetBoil. Attached is the results of some backyard testing I did a while ago.

 

Also cooked in the tent up at Muir a couple times and was seriously jonesin' for the Pocket Rocket. I think maybe if the JetBoil pan was short and wide instead of tall and narrow it'd work better.

 

It's very convenient for converting into a hanging stove though.

 

-M

3740-Stovecomparisons.xls

[skykilo]

I can imagine that canister stoves might work well at altitude because they use the gas pressure of the cartridge; the external pressure is lower at altitude, so there is more of a differential to keep that gas flowing.

 

But if it's really cold at altitude, nevermind...

 

They don't work well in the cold because it's an ideal gas (PV=NRT): constant V of cartridge, smaller T -> smaller P.

 

Lovin' the spreadsheet, Marko. Cold, hard data, not from a manufacturer.

[TREETOAD]

If you get a canister stove that has a remote canister mount you can turn the canister upside down feeding liquid fuel to the hose. It then vapourizes at the nozzle and works better in the cold.

It is hard to beat a whisperlite though.

[builder206]

OK, I am open to learning new things. It appears that the Pocket Rocket may be a better stove than my XGK. It sure is lighter and I am in a lightening-up phase just now, big time. But how do you use one of those little things in the field? They seem so unsteady (small base area), plus a 2 liter pot of water makes them ‘way topheavy. How do stabilize them in practical use? My buddy knocked over the Jetboil at one point but the nudge he gave it would not have caused any harm if we had been using an XGK.

 

thanks

[skykilo]

No man, XGKs are the shit. They're heavy, but they always work. I use an XGK most of the time that I actually take a stove.

[MCash]

Great info Marko, thanks. Why does the Jetboil canister in the Pocket Rocket work faster? Higher pressure in those?