Jetboil

[Roadkillphil]

I bought my wife a jetboil for her birthday. She is a proper coffee monster, and enjoys simplicity. For her the jetboil is perfect. Its light, its easy to use, its quick and she loves it. For her the only thing missing was coffee and a spoon.

As for me, I've used various gas burners and a trangia in my youth, then I got myself an MSR Dragonfly multifuel stove. I've used the dragonfly exclusively for the past 12 years of camping and It is the nackers! Its light, quick, maybe a little fiddly at first, but its fuel diversity and efficiency outweighs this and with the field service kit I've repaired all ills over the years myself ( O rings and jets).....
However....
These past few months the dragonfly has been put to bed and I'm really enjoying cooking and brewing on my pop can stove or on a fire/hobo. Mainly because I made them myself, popcan, hobo and of course we all make our own fire.

So to get back on topic, a jetboil is not my thing at the mo, but it works for some folks and what they need from a stove.

ATB

Phil

[JEEP]

I got my long awaited Jetboil Sol Advanced Cooking System (the aluminium version) today. I had been looking forward to getting it - as my cheap Jetboil Zip - which I bought a few months ago to keep me happy untill the Sol arrived - had actually proved itself very useful and quickly earned itself a place in my lightweight short-hike gear.

The Zip is cheap, for a Jetboil, (D.Kr. 599), weighs 345 g and holds 0,8 liters. The design is as simple as possible with a small (slighly annoying) adjustment knob for the burner and no auto ignition. The Zip is kept in discreet black colours. It is evident that this model is made with military personnel in mind - as a replacement for the PCS.

The Sol Alu is more expensive (D.Kr. 999), weighs 300 g and also holds 0,8 L. The design is more advanced, with a larger foldable adjustment knob, auto ignition and an advanced burner which should be better in strong winds and at temperatures below zero. The neoprene cover for the pot is fitted with a heat indicator whic turns yellow at around 90 degrees C. The Sol is kept in a very nice gray/orange colour scheme.

Both burners come with a lid with a drink-through spout and a strainer, a cover for the flux ring which doubles as a measuring cup, both pots have scales in OZ and ML on the inside, both burners come with an adaptor with legs for using normal pots and pans on the burner and both burners come with a set og legs for the gas canister to make the system more stable on uneven surfaces.

Well, there is none of the information above, that cannot be found on the Jetboil website. Let me tell you about some of the things the website does not tell you about:

1. The materials and general construction of the Sol's burner seems quite fragile when compared to the Zip's burner. Only further testing will tell whether there is an actual diffrence. But, for sturdyness, my bets are on the "old" Zip burner (which is also featured on the Flash and PCS). The old burner may not be as effective in bad/cold weather as the new one, but so far it is yet to fail me. On top of this the Sol's burner gives of a very unsatisfying rattle when you shake it - I am not a fan of ratteling gear, it usally means that something is broken or is keen to break.

2. The controls on the Sol's burner are way better than those on the Zip, no doubt about it. The auto ignition on the Sol has so far worked every single time and the adjustment knob is a lot more comfortable to use. Having said that; you can get the exact same controls on the Flash for D.Kr. 799.

3. The neoprene cover that comes with the Zip is well made, thick, fitted with a sturdy handle, made from nylon webbing, which works great as a handle. The cover does a great job as an insulator; it is possible to grab the pot or the nylon handle, even when the water inside is boiling. The neoprene cover that comes with the Sol is not nearly as well made; it is cut and stitched together in a very uneven manner, it is way too thin (almost half of the thickness of the Zip's cover) to provide the necessary insulation (being used to the Zip I burnt my fingers quite bad the first time I used the Sol). The worst part though is the handle, which is made from a very thin rubber-like material, which gets extremely hot(!) for a long time after the water has boiled, making it impossible to grip - on top of that the handle is very thin and doesn't feel like it will hold up to much (ab)use. The heat indicator is cool though, but you get the same indicator on the Flash.

4. The lid on the Zip is solid black plastic, which gave up a rather unpleasant smell and taste the fist 3-5 times I used the Zip (both are gone now). The lid for the Sol is transparent orange - and has given up no apparent smell or taste. Having used the Zip a great number of times, I have never experienced that the lid fell off while pouring hot water through the spout or strainer - the lid on the Sol has fallen off every time I have tested it with boiling water so far. I really hope that this is due to mine being fitted with a somehow faulty lid - bacause this could cause you to get seriously burned when using the Sol in the field!

5. Both the Zip and the Sol share the same problem; when new the threading, which joins the pot to the burner, is so tight (especially when hot), that it is necassary to apply a great deal of force to disassamble the system, often causing boiling water to spill onto you hands. This problem, however, goes away with time and use.

Conclusion; A fancy ignition system (which will fail over time, auto ignition always does) and 45 g less is not a fair compensation for the fact that the Sol, in many ways, is lacking i quality when compared to the Zip - aswell as the fact that the Sol costs almost twice as much as the Zip!

My advice; the Jetboil system is a great system for anyone needing a lightweight, fast and efficient cooking system for boiling water for a quick brew or a boil in bag meal - but go for the cheaper Zip, Flash or PCS. The Sol systems are simply not worth the extra money!

[Adam Savage]

Great write up Jakob. very informative.

[JEEP]

Thanks.

I will ask for an exhange (due to the faulty lid and badly sewn neoprene cover). I am rather undecided whether to ask for a new Sol or go for a Flash though.

[Adam Savage]

Only you can decide my friend. I'm sure your choice will be a well educated and well thought out one though.

[jbrown14]

Wow, Jakob; I haven't read a review as thorough and well-written as that since I cancelled my "Backpacker Magazine" subscription a few years ago.

I agree with you about the rattling, it usually means pooly fitting pieces which will wear out faster than they should. It's even more annoying to me if the item rattles the entire time you are hiking with it in your pack. Drives me nuts...

Thanks for the write-up, I enjoyed reading it!

Josh

[JEEP]

Thank you gentlemen. You give me way too much credit though

[JEEP]

I had a chat with our supplier of Jetboil products the other day, quite an interesting one actually:

1. The problem with the lid on the Sol is a general one(!) I am really having a hard time understanding how a succesful company like Jetboil can market a product with such an apparent design flaw. Especially when this product is supposed to be an updated high-end version of af product that doesn't have the same flaw. It really beats me. The 2012 version Sol should come with a redesigned lid.

2. They also agree that the neoprene cover on the Sol actually seems to be of a lower quality, both when it comes to materials, workmanship and insulation - though Jetboil claims that the materials and workmanship are the same for the neoprene covers on all their models, which they clearly are not. The 2012 version Sol should come with a nylon handle like the one on the Flash, Zip and PCS.

I will be getting a Flash instead of the Sol - and my advice to everyone who considers getting a Sol is; go for a Flash or wait for the 2012 version.

[comanighttrain]

Joining the conversation a bit late but it seems to me that this is a very specialized piece of kit aimed at mountaineer/hiking types... Can one actually take the neoprene off the cup and use a regular fire?

[JEEP]

That would most likely cause the flux ring to detach itself from the pot. I have seen that happen to the flux rings on Primus ETA pots used on fire or kept on the burner for too long.

The Jetboil is meant for heating water for hot beverages and boil in bag meals. It is very convenient, but also quite limited in it's use. I carry mine on day hikes for heating water for my tea - and on longer solo hikes for heating boil in bag meals or tinned meals.
I was sceptic when I first got the system, but now I am quite fond of it. The Jetboil will never replace my gasoline burners or cooking over fire for group hikes - but when going solo it is a very convenient and "clean" way of cooking your meals.