We tested the Jetboil Stash backpacking stove and this is what we found.
Jetboil Stash stove system: $149.99
Stash 0.8-liter aluminum pot with FluxRing 131 grams
Stash plastic pot lid 16 grams
Jetboil Stash titanium stove 59 grams
Stash stove carrying case 6 grams
Fuel canister stabilizer 26 grams
Total Weight 238 grams
Total Weight, without stabilizer and stove case 206 grams (7.3 ounces)
**We purchased all items and were not solicited to review any item in this blog post.
Jetboil Stash Stove
The Jetboil Stash stove system is compact and relatively lightweight (238 grams / 8.4 ounces). Jetboil accomplished this by reducing the weight of the stove, lid, and pot. By addressing all three of these areas Jetboil effectively reduced the weight without compromising performance.
The three prong stove weighs just 59 grams because the burner cup is made from lightweight titanium. To save weight Jetboil did not include a push start ignitor or a fuel regulator. Simmer control is not as good as other backpacking stoves but still functions. The stove puts out a maximum flow rate of about 1.9 grams of fuel a minute which is about half the flow rate of the average lightweight backpacking stove. The low fuel flow rate increases boil time but optimizes fuel efficiency.
Cooking Pot System
The plastic pot lid is only 16 grams which is about half the weight of a similar titanium lid. The plastic lid also has a nice pour spout which makes it easy to pour water. The lid is also designed to securely hold a 100 gram fuel canister and a BIC Mini lighter.
The 0.8-liter pot (actually measured closer to 0.9-liters) is formed from thin hard anodized aluminum and weighs just 131 grams. About 30% of the pot weight comes from the FluxRing (estimated 40 grams) permanently attached to the bottom. The pot is marked with 0.25 liter and 1 cup increments making measuring water easy. The pot should always be used with liquid inside the pot so the pot doesn’t overheat and damage the FluxRing. You should make sure the pot securely fits into place on the specific grooves on the three prong stove support. However, the pot does not lock on the stove support. The silicone covered handle keeps the handle cool and also folds over the lid securing everything in place.
The Jetboil Stash system which includes stove and aluminum pot retails for $149.99.
3.6 grams of fuel to boil 2-cups of water
The new Jetboil Stash stove boils water like a champ without using much fuel. Jetboil made this possible by optimizing the low stove fuel flow rate of around 1.9 grams per minute with the specially designed FluxRing aluminum pot. The low fuel flow rate on the Stash stove keeps the flame centered under the pot and more contained by the FluxRing. A larger flame would escape the FluxRing and reduce the overall fuel efficiency.
Our tests showed you can boil 2-cups of 72°F water at 5,280 feet in 1:55 with just 3.6 grams of fuel. This is about half the fuel consumption used in most lightweight backpacking stoves. This means a 100-gram fuel canister could yield about 27 two cup boils under the most ideal cooking conditions. Which closely agrees with Jetboil estimate of 24 two cup boils from a 100-gram canister.
Stash stove fuel efficiency comes from the Jetboil FluxRing and low fuel flow rate
The Stash 0.8-liter FluxRing aluminum pot weighs in at 147 grams with lid. The pot weight is 41 grams heavier than the same sized titanium pot and lid. The heavier Jetboil Stash pot is due to the weight of the FluxRing located on the bottom of the pot. The Stash stove makes it easy to switch from using the Stash aluminum FluxRing pot to any other standard cooking pot.
Efficiency Plummets with Other Pots
If you don’t use the Stash aluminum FluxRing pot the fuel efficiency plummets. The time to boil 2-cups of water with the same sized titanium pot was 3:08 and used 6.0 grams of fuel. Switching to the titanium pot increased cooking time and fuel consumption by about 63%. When using a generic aluminum pot with a similar FluxRing the boil time was 2:18 and used 4.4 grams of fuel. Switching from the Stash aluminum pot with FluxRing to a generic copy reduced fuel efficiency and increased boil times by 20%. The Stash low fuel flowing stove is optimized for use with the included Stash aluminum pot with FluxRing.
The Jetboil Stash system performed well in the wind
The Jetboil Stash system was tested in 0, 1, 2 and 4 mph simulated wind speeds. It performed remarkably well when used with included FluxRing aluminum pot. Even in a simulated wind speed of 4 mph the stove boiled water in 3:32 and only used only 6.7 grams of fuel. The Jetboil FluxRing on the aluminum pot provided better than expected wind protection. The Jetboil Stash system burned on average less than half the fuel in the wind than other popular backpacking stoves.
Other backpacking stove systems are lighter
The Jetboil Stash system is heavier than other lightweight backpacking stove systems. This is because the Jetboil Stash system includes a FluxRing that adds about 40 grams of weight to the bottom of the cooking pot. This extra weight makes it heavier than all the other ultralight stoves tested. Because of this fact it is often overlooked as a stove of choice for long-distance backpacking. If you are hiking where it is easy to resupply every few days and don’t plan on running out of fuel when using a 100 gram fuel canister, then the lighter and less fuel-efficient stoves might be the better choice.
Below is a weight comparison of the Jetboil Stash stove system with five popular lightweight stoves using a titanium pot. All stoves were compared using a 100-gram fuel canister.
Under some conditions the Jetboil Stash stove system is the lightest choice
The utility of the Jetboil Stash system becomes clear if you must carry a larger 230-gram fuel canister with your lightweight stove. The graph below illustrates how the Jetboil Stash with a 100-gram fuel canister is significantly lighter than other lightweight stoves with a 230-gram canister. Under these conditions it makes sense to consider the fuel efficient and lighter Jetboil Stash system.
Summary
Pros
- Extremely fuel efficient when boiling water
- Better performance in the wind compared to other stoves
- Compact design and very little rattle
Cons
- Designed to boil just water
- Higher cost than other stoves
- Slightly heavier than other backpacking stoves systems
Jetboil is known for their fuel efficient stove systems using the FluxRing technology. They are also know for being heavy cooking systems when compared to other backpacking stoves.
The new Jetboil Stash stove system addresses this earlier weight problem and now provides a lighter alternative without making big compromises on performance. The value in the fuel efficient Jetboil Stash stove system becomes apparent when you plan on boiling a lot of water between resupplies. This is because most ultralight stoves are limited to a maximum of fifteen 2-cup boils on a small 100-gram fuel canister. The Jetboil Stash can boil almost twice as much water or around twenty seven 2-cup boils using a 100-gram fuel canister. So if you need to boil a lot of water between resupplies and want to avoid carrying the heavier 230-gram fuel canister then the Jetboil Stash stove system can be a better lightweight option.
Special Note
I tested the Jetboil Stash stove system on my 210+ mile John Muir Trail. The stove performed well I didn’t notice any performance issues at elevation. For example boiling water at Guitar Lake (elevation 11,500 feet) was not an issue at all. I used only one JetBoil canister (100 grams of fuel) for the entire hike. But I only boiled water about 1 time a day when hiking. When I reached places I could buy food I didn’t cook for the day. For example when I went into Reds Meadow and Tuolumne I didn’t cook. I skipped Vermillion Valley Resort to save a day. So in summary I boiled about 2 cups of water around 14 times and used less than 100 grams of fuel. I didn’t notice any elevation problems with using the stove. I also felt there was plenty of fuel for at least 4 more boils.
Check out our blog on 5 other popular backpacking stoves.
**We purchased all items and were not solicited to review any item in this blog post.
