Sol Aluminum Advanced Cooking System

Comments about Sol Aluminum Advanced Cooking System:

I have taken this little stove on many backpacking trips now, and so far it hasn't failed me yet! I find it best to test out most of my gear during Alaska's winters, because if it holds up in the worst then it will work great in better conditions. My most recent trip was up in the Chugach Mountains, and despite it being February, temperatures still managed to drop down to -9ºF.

One problem some people have with Jetboils is that the built in starter stops working after the first few uses. While I can definitely see why people have trouble (the mechanism is a little fragile), I have found that the igniter is much more of an asset when comparing trying to use matches and lighters on a windy mountainside. That aside, buying the right kind of fuel for your stove is also important in how quickly you can light it. Jetboil makes their own fuel canisters too, which are four season-friendly white gas (they work just fine in the cold). I can boil water in under five minutes and I don't have to worry about my setup falling over due to Jetboil's innovative pot stabilizer.

The Jetboil Sol is also one of the lightest (and durable for its lightness) stoves I've ever had. At 10.5 ounces (fuel canister not included), I hardly notice the Sol in my pack. From all the water I've boiled in it the Sol has never warped or dented from handling mishaps either. One thing I will warn future buyers though: THIS STOVE IS FOR BOILING WATER. Do not try and cook food in the cup itself because the flame is so concentrated it will sear food onto the bottom of the cup and it will take hours to clean it out. A big plus, Jetboil includes a stove holder with the stove system so you can use the actual stove to cook food in different pots and pans that are fully equipped with nonstick technology.

The Sol has a nice little cozy with a temperature gauge and a lid that doubles as a strainer too. It's got lots of little things like that that are not strictly necessary but definitely make the going easier. The plastic protector on the bottom of the Sol doubles as a measuring cup that works well for tea and coffee if every ounce is what counts. Overall, I am very impressed with my compact Jetboil Sol as of thus far, and I look forward to taking it on many more backcountry adventures with me.

Comments about Sol Aluminum Advanced Cooking System:

Works well, boils water fast. Probably would simmer well, but a low flame goes out easily in the wind. Can't beat it for fast boil and compact size.

Comments about Sol Aluminum Advanced Cooking System:

Let's start with what this stove struggles with:

1. The flame is hard to control, more specifically, its hard to get a good consistent simmer flame.

2. The system is light but it's not near as light as an alcohol stove set up.

....and that's about it for the negatives. On to the positives:

1. Pure and simple the stove is a rocket. 2 cups of water will be at a rolling boil in about a minute and a half.

2. The stove is light weight for what it is. I don't believe there is another canister stove this light. Well that's not entirely true there is a titanium version of this stove...but the extra $40 is not worth it to save one ounce.

3. The stove is great in cold weather. Most canister stoves are not very good in cold. With the new regulator on the sol stoves the cold problem is resolved.

In all if you are looking to just purely boil water and eat dehydrated meals...you can't beat this setup. The speed at which this stove burns is kind of unreal. I love mine!