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Jetboil Stash Ultralight Backpacking Stove Review
On the JMT, I had the pleasure of meeting a hiker who was eating cold-soaked ramen with M&Ms mixed in. Though I admired his dedication to the ultralight ethos, I vowed to never let that happen to me. On the trail, hot coffee and dinner are non-negotiable for me. I will be that friend at camp who lets you use her stove in exchange for a couple of Sour Patch kids.
Though I never considered my Jetboil Flash to be wasted weight, I hated trying to find a place in my pack for it. When I heard Jetboil was coming out with a brand-new ultralight stove, I had a visceral reaction. Even though there are lighter products than my older Flash cooking system, I never made the switch because of the durability of Jetboil’s products. My hiking partner’s Jetboil cooking system is going on 3+ years old, with copious use around the country. With my new Jetboil Stash cooking system, I’ll still be the friend who boils you coffee, but I may be creeping dangerously close to your base weight.
Jetboil Stash At a Glance
The all-new Jetboil Stash cooking system.
- MSRP: $129.95
- Weight: 7.1 oz
- Boil time: 2.5 minutes
- Capacity: 0.8 L
Circumstances of Review
Pre-skiing oatmeal hits different. Here, it was roughly 20 degrees and 8,000 feet elevation. The water boiled in less than two minutes.
For the sake of transparency, I had a very short window of time to test this product. Because I’ve used Jetboil products for years, I knew exactly how I had to test its reliability and durability. I took it straight into the cold, high-elevation Wasatch Mountains for a quick backcountry trip and a few ski day treats.
Despite below-freezing temperatures and high elevation, the Stash boiled water for oatmeal in under two minutes. The cook pot also keeps food warm, so I don’t have to worry about shoveling food into my mouth before the freezing air gets to it. I am extremely pleased with how quickly this stove heats my water and food, and found it very straightforward to use. The entire cooking system packs together, and I love how little space it takes up in my pack. Out of the few times I’ve used it, the only issue I had was with the reliability of my lighter. Apparently, lighters don’t like cold weather and high elevations either. Other than that, the Stash cook system exceeded my expectations in the dead of Utah winter.
Notable Features
Clearly paying close attention to my boiling water.
- Lid with drink/pour spout. The lid has a hole for steam, so you can boil water faster and also see when it’s almost done.
- Lid with spot to snap in fuel can. A four-ounce isobutane can snaps in place to fit firmly inside the cooking system.
- Stove with titanium burner. Titanium stoves are notoriously lightweight and durable. This one definitely impresses.
- Fuel stabilizer included. Not all cooking surfaces are created equally. On uneven or rocky ground, the stabilizer simply hooks onto the fuel can for increased safety. As a reminder, always cook on solid ground away from your tent.
- Pot handle design. The cook pot handle is coated with a protective layer, so you can handle it with boiling water. Also, it’s specifically designed to flip back over for packing.
- Compatible with all isobutane fuels*. Although Jetboil has a proprietary fuel, any isobutane product will do. These include MSR and Snow Peak fuels, to name a couple. Bear in mind these products can’t be shipped, so I always make a point to have a few fuel cans stashed in my gear box in case my local REI runs out.
- Temperature-regulating pot. I don’t know the official term for this, but basically, you can hold the pot in your hands even when there’s boiling water inside. Major key.
*Jetboil recommends using their fuel as often as possible.
What I Love (Pros)
Fuel for the Jetboil Stash can be snapped into place, it all fits together.
- Eating out of a pot. It’s the simple luxuries we crave on the trail. Scraping mashed potatoes out of the bottom of the bigger Flash cooking system was a bit of a pain. Eating ramen out of a pot is 1000% more dignified.
- Packability. The design of this product is extremely smart. There’s a spot for a small (four-ounce) isobutane fuel container to fit directly in the pot, with the stove.
- Weight: This is nearly half the weight of my other Jetboil cooking system. I will never sacrifice my morning coffee.
- Reliability. Though I haven’t the product long enough to thoroughly test the durability, the Stash is already just as reliable as any other Jetboil product.
- Versatility. Though the Stash system includes a 0.8-liter pot, you could bring along something larger or smaller, depending on who you were cooking for. This size is perfect for one hungry backpacker.
- Easy packing + use instructions. In case you’re hesitant, the Stash comes with all the information you’ll need. Additionally, there are basic packing instructions right on the outside of the pot. It all fits together, I promise.
If We Lived in a Perfect World… (Cons)
Scraping oatmeal out of bowls is not my *favorite* thing to do.
- I can’t forget my lighter. I know, I know, I can’t complain about the weight of my cooking system and also not want to rely on a lighter. But, with Jetboil’s other products there is a built-in ignitor. I love that. I recommend carrying an extra lighter at all times. In my use of this stove so far, that was the only piece that gave me grief.
- On the pricier side. This is undoubtedly on the higher end for ultralight stove kits. However, I do love how it’s all built to fit and pack together, as opposed to buying a stove, pot, and fuel all separately.
- Cleaning out the bowl. Dishes in the backcountry are not my fav. You’ll definitely want to bring extra wipes or a tiny scrubber to make sure all the food bits are able to be wiped clean out of the bowl after each use. I don’t have a better solution here, other than a magical self-cleaning cook system that is probably still many years ahead of us.
What the Jetboil Stash is Best For
Here she is, all packed up and ready for the backcountry.
I recommend this for overnight trips, long thru-hikes, and every in between. The only reason I would bring my Flash cook system instead of the Stash is if I was cooking for multiple people. Even then, I could cajole whoever I’m with the bring a bigger pot along for themselves. Otherwise, there’s no difference in quality and reliability between the two products.
If you’re a budding gear nerd like me, you know that many thru-hikers build their “kitchens” from individual lightweight products. What I love most about this product is it does that work for you – packaging a stove system in one compact, lightweight pot.
Overall Value
I highly recommend this product for anyone getting into backpacking, especially those focused on keeping weight low. Even though I had a short timeline to test the Stash, this new product is fueling my excitement for next backpacking season. I was honestly considering whether I would make the switch to a lighter cooking system hammer or stick with my older Jetboil system this coming summer. Again, coffee is a personal essential and I could not risk bringing a less reliable stove on some of my upcoming backpacking goals.
This cooking system works as well as I had hoped in cold weather and high elevations. I recently met someone who had had his Jetboil system for over 10 years, and similarly swears by the brand. I’m hoping this new product is with me for many years of mediocre instant coffee and delicious Mac n Cheese.
Comparable Items
MSR Pocket Rocket Two Mini Stove Kit
- MSRP: $84.95
- Weight: 9.8 oz
- Boil Time: 3.5 minutes
- Capacity: 0.75 L
Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0 Stove + TOAKS Titanium 900 ml D115mm Pot
*specs of combined products*
- MSRP: $94.95
- Weight: 7.2 0z
- Boil Time: 4 min 48 sec
- Capacity: 0.9 L
- MSRP: $84.95
- Weight: 11.75 oz
- Boil Time: 5 min
- Capacity: 0.8 L
This item was donated for purpose of review.
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Comments 33
I’m ready to put my preorder in but I was curious if you had the opportunity to try squeezing a 250g fuel can in there to see if it might fit in (without the burner of course). For those long hikes where I don’t want to go into town for more… I looks like it’s wide enough but height???
Hi Ryan – it would fit but without the stove / extras! I’m so glad you ordered it; you’re going to LOVE IT!
Try putting the canister in the pot upside down. The concave bottom on the canister usually leaves enough room for the stove and lighter. At least it does with my Evernew 900 mug pot which looks shorter than this. With a 220g. canister, you don’t need the stabilizer stand. Let us know if it works.
Katie,
Thanks for the review. You know, I just purchased the Flash system and it works great. I used one of the cheap stoves available on Amazon for less than $10. I purchased it years ago and it worked great. The Flash system is quick, stable and fairly compact.
I wish the Stash had been available when I shopped for the Flash!! Is it wrong to have both? 🙂
Need to have that coffee!!
Hi Dennis! If it’s wrong to have both…. then I’m definitely wrong! Backup gear is never a bad thing to have. I think they are great for different things, the stash is going to be perfect for long solo trips but it’s still nice to have the flash when you will be boiling water for lots of people!
Coffee on the trail, do you use instant or have another way? Inquiring coffee minds want to know.
Inquiring coffee minds are my kind of people. I use instant – Trader Joe’s has some good instant latte mixes that I mix with a little bit of extra grounds for more caffeine. I’m contemplating splurging on an aeropress for more luxurious trips this summer…. stay tuned. Also, I have heard wonderful things about Cusa Tea instant coffee and tea! I’m going to be trying them out ASAP.
I’ll recommend HiCaf Tea from Republic of Tea. As much or more caffeine than coffee, and they taste great. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I do drink tea. This is what I take on the trail.
Thank you, Katie! My wife and I love your posts and gear reviews…please keep them coming!
Thank you for the kind words Todd! I love writing, so there’s no shortage of posts in my future 🙂 cheers!
Do you have to throw away empty fuel cannisters?
There’s no canister stove option where you won’t have to properly vent and dispose of empty isobutane canisters.
I appreciate that Jetboil is trying to update its products for the backpacking community, but they still aren’t there for me. The one thing that has always been a turnoff for me on the Jetboil design is the flux ring. I know it’s part of the speed race folks get into when trying to boil water faster than the laws of physics, but I’m not in a hurry on the trail. I like the option of being able to incorporate other fuel/cooking options as needed. If you exhaust your fuel or have a stove failure with a Jetboil system, you don’t have many options. You can’t use it on a campfire. I tend to prefer the titanium billy pot (750ml or 900ml), an alcohol stove or wood stove, and time to relax without the sound of a canister fuel stove. Jetboil is getting better … but still not there for me yet. And at $130, not a chance. My entire cook kit weighs 9 ounces (750ml pot, 450ml nested cup with a DIY cozy, alcohol stove, lighter, 1oz fuel in a squirt bottle, shammy, scrubber, and titanium long handle spoon), and has more to it than a pot, fuel can, and stove. I’m curious to see this concept develop, buy have no interest in that kind of pricetag for just a stove and pot. My whole setup as it is cost me less than $80 to assemble. If you don’t want to invest the effort, there’s a price to pay, and Jetboil and MSR set it.
Aha! You can get a jetboil pot to still sit on another stove, you just have to take a hacksaw to it… that’s what I did on the trail- my old Jetboil flash pot from 2010, with an MSR rocket stashed inside, fit just right. (I’m a bit of a purist with that pot, and only ever boil water in it- I’ve got a super thin aluminium mug for all the eating and drinking- makes it much easier to share hot water with other people.)
I’ll admit, with certain gear I prefer a higher price tag than doing copious amounts of research to fit together individual products ? for me the convenience of having the full cooking system together is definitely worth it! I know there’s so many budget options for trail cooking though, hats off to all those who make it work 🙂
Actually you can use a Jetboil pot on a fire; just remove the cozy and pile coals around the base boils in under a minute just don’t put the pot in or over flames. A borrowed pot grip is a huge help. Obviously don’t put the plastic pot lid in a fire, a scrap of tin foil fixes that.
Charcoal from an existing fire pit can be piled up like BBQ charcoal and ignited with a handful of tinder. Will be good to go in 10-15 minutes and boil multiple pints of water.
GroundHog
Surprised you didn’t have trouble with the canister stove in freezing temps…thought they were ineffective and “freeze” up in cold temps?
Exactly! Propane and Isobutane in small bottles likes to stay liquid in cold weather. Those stoves sputter out after awhile if the fuel gets too cold. If you store your canister in your jacket or try something risky like heat it up with handwarmers or surrounding it with a windscreen while its burning, then it’ll flow more normally but not without its limits. I like canister stoves for warmer weather but for winter time, white gas is king.
I haven’t had a problem with it, and it’s quite cold in Utah!! I always bring a back up lighter, because that’s the only thing that gives me trouble sometimes.
I love everything about this but I always wanted to do some cold weather camping and conscidered the micromo. Did you have to warm the canister in your coat before cooking?? I don’t mind that at all, as long as it works.
You can find some folks on the Interwebs who’ve jury rigged a simple, heat feedback system to capture some heat from the flame and shunt it down to the canister (essentially a metal strip silicon banded to the canister with it’s top tip in the flame). Reportedly works well. I’ve just ordered some copper sheeting to make my own and test it out.
Still, i dislike canisters and prefer liquid fuel, even for warmer weather, but it’s nice to have options.
After my Jetboil valve broke with light usage and left me f*cked, I’ll never buy another Jetboil product. My Pocket Rocket II FTW every single time.
Im so sorry to hear that! Broken gear is tje absolute worst. I screamed quite a hefty profanity when my chest strap broke in the middle of the JMT
The stash looks dreamy! Is it a stretch to make it work for 2 people if we are just boiling water to rehydrate food in a separate bag? I so want to make this work for us!
Hi Allison! I’ve used it many times for two, my sister and I shared boils for an entire weekend of camping in Bryce Canyon 🙂 it’s perfect for two if you’re boiling water for coffee or rehydrated meals, the only drag is that there’s obviously only one pot if you’re *actually* cooking food in the pot. But that goes for any other stove. I hope this was helpful!
Hi Katie,
It looks like there is no protective draw string bag for the Jetboil Stash set. How do you protect the rest of your gear from rubbing holes in packs/bikepacking gear?
Thanks,
Ants
Wish they would sell the pot separately. I already have other stoves I like.