15 Comments
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Sonbol A.'s avatar

I love this series even though I've never been on a long distance hike but I'm obsessed about all the details of everything you list.

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Nic Antoinette's avatar

COOKPOT TATTOO! I am obsessed.

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Sonbol A.'s avatar

Me too! I just showed it to my husband yelling "This must be a really good stove"!!! 😂

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Meghan Cason's avatar

There are some JetBoils you can cook in - it depends on the model. You can cook in the Minimo, for example. The main difference is the simmer function. W/O the ability to adjust the temp, you're likely to burn whatever you're cooking. And the tall pot design isn't conducive to cooking either.

My preferred stove is the soto windmaster. Very light with fuel efficiency comparable to a Jetboil.

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hiking like a 🐌's avatar

Great advice! Thanks so much for sharing! I also love my Soto Windmaster. It's highly fuel efficient in wind and cold. It's true to it's name. So if you hike in Alpine regions this is a big recommendation. Might be overpowered and too expensive for the US thrus where fuel is ubiquitous now. Also want to add that the WM Versatile sits quite tight on fatter people or people with wide hips. I know this from my own experience as a fat hiker. WM has wider sleeping bags too, their descriptions are fairly accurate and also look at the data tables. They make wonderful sleeping bags. My go to is an Enlightened equipment enigma down quilt. They offer different widths not only lengths. It is the bees knees to have a sleeping bag or quilt that fits your body!

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Tina's avatar

Currently reading “The Secret Knowledge of Water” by Craig Childs which has lots about finding water in the desert.

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Emily Howe's avatar

I have definitely boiled eggs (on a ferry stop in SE Alaska...) in a jet boil before. But it will glue beans to the pot *instantly.*

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Heather R's avatar

I wrote an ode to my titanium pot back in...2019, and it's still going strong! Tattoo in it's honor is next level!

https://freeyourinnermaude.com/the-story-of-a-pot/

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Alli's avatar

I don’t cook in my jetboil or even let food soak in it once the water is hot because I dont like to eat out of it. I’m not sure what the jet boil pot is made of but using metal utensils in it I think is not recommended. I don’t entirely remember because I’ve had my jetboil for something like 15 years at this point. I don’t camp a lot so I just look for freeze dried meals that are designed to soak in their own packaging and pour the hot water in.

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Scott Sederholm's avatar

In my experience, the reason you can't cook in a Jetboil is because you can't adjust the temperature . All it does is get hotter than the AZT in July and it doesn't simmer. At all. I tried cooking in it and stuff just stuck to the bottom. It was a pain to clean!

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thank you Carrot! I'm looking forward to the food discussion. I would like to make my own dehydrated meals and so far have come up with combos of dried ground beef, lentils, and quinoa. Id love to read about other options, how much variety is needed, estimating how much to bring, etc. Loving these articles!

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Holden Lewis's avatar

There are ultralight stoves. I like my Soto Windmaster. Weighs next to nothing, stable, you can simmer with it, and it has a push-button sparker.

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Carrot Quinn's avatar

Just looked that one up- it's 2.1 oz, compared to the 2.6 oz pocket rocket, so yes a bit lighter. For a while I used a 1 oz titanium cannister stove that was $15 on amazon that was having a moment but it died a slow death for some reason. I always go back to the pocket rocket bc it seems like nothing can kill it.

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jsquared's avatar

it's so satisfying to find another long distance hiker who is confused by the jetboil. I will take my pocket rocket and msr pot to the grave (metaphorically, because I don't actually want to be buried in a grave).

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Donna Pezzullo's avatar

I really enjoy reading your books, but these gear recs are fantastic - love your perspective and humor. I can’t wait for your next book. I hope you find a publisher!

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