Hiking stoves: X-Boil, Trangia & MSR Pocket Rocket 2

Hi! A quick introduction to my 3 cook sets. Does one beat the others?
Useful Links:
Trangia: trangia.se/en/
Bushcraft Essentials Stove: www.bushcraft-essentials.com/...
X-Boil: www.x-boil.de
MSR Pocket Rocket 2: www.msrgear.com/ie/stoves/can...
Optimus Windshield: www.optimusstoves.com/en/de/9...
Toaks Pot: www.toaksoutdoor.com/products...
GSI Outdoors Pot Grip: gsioutdoors.com/products/micr...
Sea to Summit Mug: seatosummit.com/products/x-tu...
Erik Normark: / @erik_normark
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:50 Welcome!
02:40 Cook pots
03:08 X-Boil
06:10 Trangia
09:10 Bushcraft Essentials Wind Shield
12:50 MSR Pocket Rocket
16:50 Price and Weight comparisons
21:45 The best?
24:32 X-Boil Boil test
27:25 Erik Normark
27:40 Trangia Boil test
30:38 Pocket Rocket Boil test
32:28 Sunset

[@jerrycollins4893]

I personally do not give a darn how long it takes to boil water. When I’m camping I am there to relax. Cooking is part of the fun and not a race..

[@Penguin428]

Totally agree @jerrycollins4893! Just to be there, that's the point. If I want stress and rush I'll go to work 👍

[@damright]

I agree if you start timing your stove you need a jetboil or similar... alcohol stoves are slow ! but your out to enjoy the atmos so whats the rush,

[@Penguin428]

Dam right! 👍 @@damright

[@christinamauritzon3448]

Thank you for the video. I've always used the gas stove. It's quick but very noisy. I've never used the alcoholburner but you got me inspired. The downside is the soot outside the pot.

[@Penguin428]

Hi! Promise me you’ll try an alcohol stove, so therapeutic. And soot isn’t really an issue; the alcohol is so pure it burns really cleanly, virtually no soot. Your pot may discolor slightly from the heat, but it’s not soot. I used that Bushcraft Essentials today as a wood stove and dear me, terrible soot! I’ll stick to alcohol or gas in future, wood for emergency only. Nice to hear from you, happy hiking 😊

[@bradrupp5589]

This was a very enjoyable video by the lake! Thanks for turning me onto the x-boil. I'll be checking that out. I prefer alcohol burners unless I'm on a thru hike when after a high milage day I just want to eat quick and get to sleep. I use the pocket rocket on those hikes. The pocket rocket is also great for getting wet firewood going too, but I don't like not knowing exactly how much fuel I have left. I carry two canisters and replace an empty as soon as I can.

[@Penguin428]

Finland is a hidden jewel, beautiful in the summer - though it can be a bit cruel in the winter. Terribly cold. Thanks for the comment!

[@danielsingh9415]

There's a lil valve u can get to screw 2 canisters together, so u can be sure to always bring a full can, just stick the bottom can in the freezer for a few mins, and warm the top can with warm water, screw together, open the valve & the top can fills the bottom 👍

[@browsman2328]

Very good, three good systems. Sometimes alcohol stoves are prohibited here in Northern California supposedly due to the perceived fire danger. When they are not prohibited I use a Caldera Cone Evernew 600 pot system with Sidewinder cone and Kojin burner which is similar to the X Boil burner. The Cadera Cone system fits inside the Evernew pot. I also use a Toaks 750 pot with the Soto Windmaster stove. when alcohol stoves are prohibited. The Windmaster is quiet for a gas stove, miuch quieter than the Pocket Rocket which sounds like an F-35 taking off on full afterburner, and fits sideways inside the Toaks 750 pot although it’s a tight fit.

[@Penguin428]

I've read a lot about the Windmaster and I've been tempted - it also has a built in igniter? Maybe one day when I find a little extra money in my account... Thanks for sharing.

[@aaronwilcox6417]

In warm regions butane gas is fine. In winter its alcohol burner all day long.

[@Penguin428]

It gets pretty cold here in winter, average -10 centigrade, occasionally down to -30 or more. I think Butane can freeze at -15C or lower? I should test both alcohol and gas in such cold temperatures...

[@viewsandreviews180]

Good presentation. I’ve a collection of stoves and prefer the ones that are multi-fuel (trangia or wood) or wood gasification.

[@Penguin428]

Wood gasification, that's an interesting one. Wood burning (no need to carry gas), but with less smoke and soot - is that right? Thanks for sharing.

[@Funkteon]

@@Penguin428 The Bushbuddy Mini is a great start on a lightweight wood gasification stove...

[@danielsingh9415]

I picked up the Goshawk Outdoors titanium multi-fuel wood gasifier EDDY-200 Pioneer from Australia, works with the Lixada alcohol siphon burner, can burn twigs, but I love it with wood pellets! 1 cup burns for 90 mins, 35 mins active flame 🔥 then 55 mins of useable heat, nothing left but ashes. With KZbinr Mark Young's mods, a simmer ring & snuffer, for the alcohol siphon burner, it's my go-to setup, at least until the campfire 🔥 ban that starts on Friday😢 I suppose, I could fill the center with carbon felt & increase efficiency & safety, but we'll see, I like that I can snuff & recover unused fuel instead of burning it off. I picked up a little measuring cup from Japanese store Oomomo, that helps alot

[@richardhenry1969]

I’m very interested in the x boil. I don’t understand why so many feel they are in a race to boil water? I love alcohol stoves the weight and ease of use for boiling water. My go to is a wood stove. I don’t know why so many chose to carry a gas stove. I was always a hobo stove guy. When I was a Boy Scout we did a 3week adventure course. It was 3 older scouts and 2 adults. I carried the stove an part of the tent. We used a old white gas stove. You don’t see them anymore. Anyway it fell over an burned a large circle before we could put it out. It’s amazing how fast things go sideways. Even in the army hobo stoves were the hit. It’s really crazy how many people can’t light a fire. I watched a video a guy ran out of gas . He then tapped out hit the sos button. Because he didn’t know how to melt snow without a gas stove. It’s amazing how people believe they are survival experts because they hike trails. How do you know when your gas can is empty? How long do they last, I’ve never used the new pocket rocket models? Just can’t reason why carry can fuel. When my other two do the same an weigh less? Have you ever tried a small twig stove?

[@Penguin428]

Hi! I love that X-Boil, so simple, so nice to have a real flame, and what's the hurry? If I want to be in a hurry I'll go to the office. It's safe too. I also have that Bushcraft Essentials Bushbox Ultralight - essentially a Trangia alcohol stove holder & windshield, but also a twig stove. I haven't used it as a twig stove yet though... Don't know why? But you have inspired me and I will!

[@richardhenry1969]

@@Penguin428 I wish you luck I really enjoyed your video

[@Sirrehpotsirch]

I agree with you. A more useful metric would be "amount of fuel used" to "a given amount of boiling water." I'm never in such a rush that a few moments extra to cook matter in the field. I care far more about having a sufficient amount of fuel that will last the trip. Gas canisters require too much careful monitoring because you can't see what remains in the can, plus the fact that they are bulky even when empty, and are expensive. I end up using a small combo twig/alcohol stove when it's warm and a white gas MSR Whisper-Lite when it is snowing. Canisters are my fall back only when there are camp stove restrictions for high fire season.

[@ianbusby2845]

I think the Trangia would benefit from a better windshield

[@Penguin428]

Good point - help to concentrate the flame on the pot, like the X-boil...

[@Sirrehpotsirch]

Really? The entire design of the 27 and 25 is a windscreen. It's literally called a "Storm Cooker" because of how it performs in windy conditions. Seriously, what specific changes would you recommend?

[@ianbusby2845]

He used the burner without the rest of the Trangia kit@@Sirrehpotsirch

[@jessesioux4431]

You can make your own xboil with carbon felt

[@markl2815]

You can manufacture a simmer ring for the x boil or use an alternate flame retarder (speedster stoves do one) or, for some x boils you can just a Trangia regulator for that. The Issue you have with the Optimus screen is it isn’t safe to use with a larger pan like a frying pan. The x boil you just put a frying pan on top of the outer shield and it works fine The other I guess would be fine too Personally boil tests tell me not much in terms of time, I’m never so pushed it matters I found in ideal conditions that the xboil will do 2 cups of water in about 10 minutes using around 15 ml of fuel for Info if it helps anyone. Add a margin to that if planning fuel though. Personally I’d use an xboil and take a firebox stove nano as another option. Still weights nothing and the nano will run either wood or anything pretty much

[@Penguin428]

Many thanks! Happy hiking 👍

[@taber247]

From your own link to the Optimus windshield. Lightweight, hard anodized aluminium clip-on windshield for use with canister mounted stoves. Thanks for sharing.

[@Penguin428]

Thanks for that - great product!

[@danielsingh9415]

I use the Ocelot windscreen from Flat Cat Gear, specific to my tall 900ml pot & BRS-3000t gas stove. Jon from FCG recommends turning down the power to 1/3rd to conserve fuel & reduce noise, and it's quite quiet, not as silent as alcohol, but manageable with the inevitable campfire 🔥 ban & no alcohol stoves allowed.

[@hypo345]

I actually find the sound of a gas stove quite reassuring and as with your set up it only lasts about 1.30 seconds for 2 cups of water to boil. (I use a SOTO Windmaster or SOTO Amicus with the Optimus windshield and a Widesea heat exchanger pot. My Alcohol set up of choice is the titanium Clikstand stove and windshield with an Evernew titanium alcohol burner ,very efficient, light and compact. The X-Boil is an interesting product, I have dabbled with safety alcohol burners but this looks to be very effective.

[@Penguin428]

Thanks for sharing! Try the X-boil, I really like it! Super simple and safe 👍

[@railwaystationmaster]

Only recently discovered graphite carbon felt , it is more expensive than the regular stuff however I get a boil enough for a cup of water from 8ml which is amazing .

[@Penguin428]

A lot safer too!

[@chrissmith6650]

Great video, very informative and a beautiful location. Can I give you a pointer please. It's regarding the Trangia. I've been using the Trangia for some time now. It's excellent. But, I've found that unless you prime the stove and fuel it burns cooler and longer. I usually pocket the fuel to warm it before use. The stove itself I put maybe 10ml of fuel and just burn it off. This helps reduce time taken to boil water 🙂. Hope this helps Subbed too 👍👍

[@Penguin428]

Many thanks Chris! I've never done that, I'll give it a go 👍 It's been terribly cold here for the past few weeks, down to -31 degrees Celsius. Finnish winter, life-threateningly cold 🙁I can't do anything in that so haven't been out with my gear for a while now. Interesting to see how the gas and alcohol manage in these kinds of temperatures though...?

[@Penguin428]

...and thanks a million for the sub!

[@ericj.w.ruijssenaars3421]

The Optimus windshield is made of anodised alumium, but otherwise, good comparison between those cook systems.

[@Penguin428]

Thanks Eric, and happy hiking 👍

[@iwalker3809]

Whoo... 20 ml of alcohol to boil 200ml of water ?? Let me know if just 10ml will be sufficient on the X boil. Seems wasteful if you're just letting it burn out. How about moving the X boil's windshield out of the way then using the pot bottom to snuff out the flame.

[@Penguin428]

You're right. On my balcony on a warm day I boiled 500ml with 15ml alcohol. It took 8'30" and the flame went out at 9', so yes, 10ml alcohol should be plenty for 200ml water 👍And yes, you can use the lid to snuff the flame and save fuel; there's no o-ring on the lid so nothing to damage, and nothing will leak out from that felt. Nice to test these things...

[@Funkteon]

The issue with these carbon felt alcohol stoves is that the lids aren't a perfect seal, as such, the alcohol evaporates away even with the lid on. Another issue you will run into when attempting to conserve unused alcohol in these burners is that the lid becomes absolutely impossible to unscrew as the remaining alcohol has evaporated every bit of ambient water moisture around the thread of the lid which would have otherwise given it some lubrication to turn. The flame pattern of a carbon felt burner such as from X-Boil is also not the most efficient and there is a lot of lost BTU's in the burning process... Overall, I like them as they fit into tight spaces and into lower-profile pot stands, but they have their drawbacks...

[@Penguin428]

@@Funkteon Very good points.

[@questions6746]

200millileters in 4.5 minutes? That's less than one cup. More than twice as long as average alcohol systems. What's your point?

[@questions6746]

... it's extremely cold to start where you are. Or your fudging the numbers.