Jetboil Stash Long Term Review; The Jetboil Stash is a lightweight and compact gas canister stove which is perfect for backpacking, wild camping and Mountain Leader expeditions.
I’ve been using the Jetboil Stash for over a year now on all my mountain camps while working as a trainer and assessor on the Beyond the Edge Mountain Leader courses. I’m fairly fussy about stoves. They are a crucial item of equipment. They enable us to rehydrate and feed ourselves after long and strenuous days on the hills and mountains. They need to be lightweight and compact, boil water quickly and most importantly they need to be reliable.
The Jetboil Stash is certainly lightweight and compact. Without a gas canister Jetboil say the titanium burner and the pot weigh 7.1oz. The compact-ability is due to a clever design that enables the burner, the gas canister stabiliser stand and a 100g canister to fit neatly inside the pan. A great feature is the ability to clip the gas canister onto the lid before packing everything away. The burner comes in a soft fabric bag that helps prevent rattling. There is room for a small lighter between the lid and the canister.
When unpacked the burner unit screws onto the top of the canister, you can attach the stabiliser stand to the bottom of the canister and fire it up (the Jetboil Stash doesn’t come with a pizo sparker but that’s fine with me and I always carry a lighter and a lightweight ferro rod). Pop some water in the pot, put on the lid and nice and quickly you will have boiling water. Jetboil suggest a 2.5 boil time. I haven’t timed it but in practice the boil time is very speedy. The fast boil time is in part due to the flux ring heat exchanger on the bottom of the pot, this design directs the flames heat more efficiently into the bottom of the pot. Unlike more traditional Jetboil designs the pot doesn’t attach to the burner unit but sits on raised lugs on the burners support arms. This is quite stable and prevents the pan sliding off which can be a problem with some stove set ups.
Personally I think it is the pot design that makes this stove so usable. The 0.8L size is great for solo use but also manageable for boiling water for two. The attached handle folds over the lid when the stove is packed and is very secure in use and has a nice orange grippy silicon covering.
The burner is made of titanium and works well in most conditions. There is a fierce roaring flame and this directed efficiently on the bottom of the pot with the flux ring adding to the stoves efficiency. In the wind some form of wind shield is advisable as a breeze can affect boil times. The lid has a pour hole, but I prefer to use this hole to lift the lid the lid off with the handle of my spoon, and then pour directly out of the pot.
Over the year of use I’ve found the Jetboil Stash to be ideal for working on Mountain Leader expeditions and wild camps. It’s light and compact in my pack. Having pitched my tent I can quickly assemble the stove in the porch. Boil some water quickly and have a brew made in three or four minutes. It’s stable and with the attached handle easy to lift the pot off and pour. The efficiency of the burner and pot combo means a 100g gas canister will be enough for the three day expedition.
Conclusion
The Jetboil Stash is an excellent ultralight stove system. A lightweight and compact gas canister stove which is ideal for backpacking, wild camping and Mountain Leader expeditions. Easy to use and very efficient.
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Alex
Beyond the Edge Ltd is based in the Peak District, easily reached by train from London and within easy travelling distance from Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and other Northern towns and cities.
We are one of the UKs most experienced providers of climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation training courses.
Most of our courses are run in the Peak District National Park which has some of the finest rock climbing, bouldering, walking and hiking in the world.