Page 15 - 2015 AMA Autumn

Jetboil Titanium
Weight: 245g
Dimensions: 16.5 x 10.4 cm
Average half litre boil time: 2 min 30 sec
The Jetboil Titanium is virtually identical in design to the Sol except that it has a Titanium pot. This accounts for the extra cost and reduced weight. Therefore most of the points mentioned in the
Sol report are also extant for the Titanium.
The interesting point about the Titanium is that
it cannot be used to melt snow or cook food.
It is only supposed to be used to heat water.
This may be a fairly limiting factor for many
users, which may or may not justify the extra
cost to save only 55g. At a cost difference of
£30, this means that you are paying approx 50
pence per gram saved. If saving weight is paramount and you are only heating water, the Titanium is possibly the system you should go for. However if you carrying slightly more weight doesn’t bother you, I would recommend the Sol every time.
Primus ETA Lite
Weight: 400g
Dimensions: 15 x 10 cm
Average half litre boil time: 2 min 36 sec
The ETA Lite is yet another example of a Jetboil like design. The immediate noticeable difference is that the stabilizing tripod does not fit inside the cup, which means it will likely end up getting lost. This seems to be a design flaw as there is no discernable reason why the tripod was designed to be the size it is.
The other noticeable difference with this system is that it comes complete with a stove hanging kit so that it can be used above ground, suspended of a tree, or used where the ground isn’t flat enough to be ground mounted. This is something that some may find useful, I personally didn’t.
The ETA also comes with 3 pins that are
screwed into the top of the burner so that any
pot can be used. This system is a particularly poor design and ultimately they will end up getting lost as they are small and fiddly.
Performance wise, the ETA was the slowest in the field and the second heaviest, so not a lot going for it! The plus point is that it is the cheapest in the test.
Overall
Weight #####
Cooking time #####
Robustness #####
Usability ##### Cost #####
Overall
Weight ###
##
#
#
#
Cooking time #####
Robustness #####
Usability ##### Cost #####
Summary
There is a wide range of cooking options available to the outdoor enthusiast. The gas personal cooking system has earned its place as the most popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts. The Jetboil design which was first introduced in 2001 has flat- teringly been used as design template by most other manufacturers.
The MSR Windboiler performs well in windy environments but is heavy. The Jetboil Titanium is the lightest but is let down by its water only use. The Jetboil Sol is the all-round winner as it is lighter than the MSR but more useful than the Titanium.
The AMA would like to thank Cotswold Outdoor who kindly provided the stoves that enabled this trial to take place.
ARMY MOUNTAINEER 13