Jetboil Stash Lightweight Hiking Stove First Look

Jetboil have just released their lightest and most efficient camping stove ever, the Jetboil Stash. As one of the first people in Australia to play with one, here’s Henry’s first impressions from a recent camping mission with his 3 year old (conveniently also named Jet).

Jetboil stoves are widely regarded by gram-conscious hikers as very good, very easy (and very fast) additions to the kit list. This month they announced their latest creation – the Jetboil Stash. Weighing in a 200g (yes, you read that correctly) it’s 40% lighter than anything else they’ve ever created and just as powerful; it can boil half a litre of water in 2.5 minutes.

Memory Lane

I vividly remember the first time I saw a Jetboil in action and it still brings a grin to my face. 

Perched on the Western Faces of Snowy Mountain’s Main Range my fellow campers were boiling water during a nippy August blizzard. Utterly buggered from a big day in the backcountry, all I wanted to do was bang some hot calories down the biscuit shoot and hit the hay, but my dodgy camping stove had other ideas. 

As snow dribbled to the bottom of my pot, I saw my mate swagger from his tent and fire up an orange and black cooking contraption. Within a few minutes, the bastard had curry dripping down his chin whilst I continued swearing at my pot of snow.

So what’s included with the Jetboil Stash?

Inside the box you’ll find:

• Foldable titanium burner (in a small protective soft sack)
• Aluminium pot with a plastic lid
• Foldable three-legged gas stand

These all neatly ‘stash’ away inside the pot, including an additional 100g gas can, appealing to hikers trying to conserve as much precious space as possible in their packs. Of course, for longer trips you might need more gas, but with 100g boiling 12 litres of water, it might last longer than you’d think.

Check out the product page

One of the ways Jetboil have saved grams is by removing the piezo ignition to light the gas and the fuel regulator that allows for simmering – make no mistake, this thing’s for boiling water fast. You’ll need to pack a lighter at the bottom of your stove to avoid any embarrassment and subsequent hunger pains.

Performance

The Jetboil Stash is incredibly straightforward to operate, and I’d argue, foolproof. My 3 year old worked it out, and he’s very stupid. The first steps are to flip out the control arm for the burner, screw into the gas can, and then wind the three arms out to allow the pot to sit snugly in its grooves. Turn the regulator, give it some flame and hey presto.

The reason these machines are so impressively fast is the FluxRing design on the pot’s base. Essentially the pot’s bottom has a ring of folded metal that increases the surface area for the transfer of heat, and also acts as wind protection when you’re trying to boil water during a winter blizzard in the Snowy Mountains.

Jet and I boiled our three-quarter full pot of water for our dinner in 2 mins and 10 seconds, so we can attest to the efficiency the Jetboil Stash is promising! Later on in the evening we heated up some milk and plopped in a few marshmallows. Unsurprisingly the night-time sugar hit sent Jet into orbit and that night shared my tent with a psychotic hyena. (Who’s the stupid one now hey?).

Note: The Jetboil Stash uses gas fuel canisters which aren’t suitable for very cold or high altitude environments. If you take one out in the Aussie snow keep your gas warm in the bottom of your sleeping bag!

Who is the Jetboil Stash for?

Worth noting here is who this stove has been designed for. The Jetboil Stash essentially has two settings – off and on, full-blast, with nothing really in between. If you’re planning on impressing your campmates with a slow-cooked pulled pork stew then this obviously isn’t the cooking contraption for you. 

This stove is all about speed and efficiency, so primarily it’s best for boiling water for hot drinks and dehydrated meals. It’s therefore best suited to hikers prepared to fill their Insta feed with sunrise peak shots instead of food porn.

How much does it cost?

The Jetboil Stash will retail for $250 which is more than the $170 Jetboil Zip, but less than the $300 Jetboil MiniMo. This price reflects the powerful new burner and lightweight titanium construction.

Final Thoughts

I’ve only used the Jetboil Stash a couple of times but so far I’m very impressed. It does exactly what it promises; it’s super-fast, ultra-light and compact. As someone more accustomed to MSR-style liquid fuel stoves which by comparison are a lot more fiddly, the Stash is remarkably easy to use and makes preparing dinner when you’re ravenous much more manageable.

Few too many hot choccos aye mate?

Where can I buy one?

You’re going to have to hold your horses for a few weeks I’m afraid – the Jetboil Stash will be available to buy from select Aussie stores from February 27th 2021. Pssst…word on the trail is there’s only 450 up for grabs, so you better get in quick!

Or you could win one from us!

Keen to get your hands on a Jetboil Stash? Enter our comp and you could win one for yourself!

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