Jetboil...not a bad idea...

As someone who has tipped over a few too many pots, precariously balanced on the top of a ultralight stove (I'm so careful! I don't know how it happens...), I took a second look at the jetboil cooking system.

The jetboil system has been around for about 9 years, and I'd always overlooked it as a too expensive and heavy stove ($100 from REI, 15 oz), but considering the amount of gear you're getting in this package, it's actually not too expensive, nor incredibly heavy.

No doubt you could get stove, pot, and mug for cheaper and lighter, but you're paying for a beautifully designed all-in-one product. The entire unit screws onto a standard mixed-fuel canister. The stove is part of the 1L stainless steel pot, which becomes your bowl/mug with a sip through lid and insulated outside (perfect for those people who burn themselves on the often too short or non-existent handles on light cook pots). There's also a bunch of optional accessories available, such as a hanging kit, coffee press (for those lavish backpackers out there), and a canister stabilizer (three pronged tripod-type piece).

My current snow peak stove and stainless cup/pot configuration works pretty well and weighs in at a nice 8.7 ounces. I won't be picking up a jetboil anytime soon, but it's definitely a cook system to ponder if you like to keep your cookkits simple, compact and all-in-one.

Cool, cheap finds at the surplus store

A recent visit to the local army surplus store yielded two great, cheap finds:

Ecco Socks



Listed at $12 online, available for $4 at the surplus store. Always nice to have an extra pair of wool socks for sleeping.

Stansport Aluminum Canteen Cup


Cost: probably around $5 (didn't have a price tag, but that's the going rate). I really like these because of their shape, they pack down more conservatively than round mugs/pots, they're superlight, and the tops are easier to cover up from the wind. Probably not the greatest for flame usage though.