2012 Jetboil Update

Last year a Jetboil Stove graced the cover of the Backpacker Gear Guide and Jetboil received a nice review of their Sumo Cookpot.  This year Jetboil--without all the fanfare--combined the 1.8L Sumo pot with the all-weather Jetboil Sol burner to form the Jetboil Sumo Group Cooking System Camp Stove (what a mouthful).  I haven't tried out the Sumo Stove set-up yet but I'm guessing it will edge out the Jetboil Flash for those who usually share their camp stove.  And the Sumo will definitely have an edge over the Helios Group Cooking System for  its cold weather performance.   But as a fan of the Helios, its wide base and low center of gravity I have to wonder if the Sumo is going to feel too tippy to relax while cooking on uneven surfaces.  Shouldn't be too long before I find out; we'll get our first shipment within the next few weeks. 

Amazing Jetboil Stoves

Over the last week, our Jetboil stoves proved themselves again. Everyone in our customer service department field tested Jetboil's Flash PCS while out backpacking. Here are some of the comments I overheard: "It really does boil water in just 2 minutes!"..."I like how much safer it is around my kids...there aren't spills or matches."..."It's amazing."

For those lightweight backpacking purists, the new Jetboil SoL has improved on the Flash PCS system by creating a smaller and lighter version that sets a new standard for cold weather performance. At 8.5 oz, the Titanium SoL ($149.95)--aka. the SoL Ti--weighs in at a mere 8.5 oz for the stove, .8L cooking cup, and tripod stabilizing base. The Aluminum SoL ($119.95)is only 2 oz. heavier at 10.5 oz. If you like winter camping, you'll be thrilled that this stove maintains consistent heat down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. And like the Flash PCS, you can still stow the stove and a 230 gram fuel canister in the cup. You'll hardly notice these in your pack!

For family campers and group leaders Jetboil also created the new 1.8L Sumo Companion cup which weighs 6.5 oz. and is big enough to stow a 230 or 450 gram fuel canister. Boil time is 4 minutes 5 seconds for a liter of water. Isn't it great having all these options?