I was repacking my gear to lighten my load and was wondering…
For those oif you who follow the JetBoil system of eating, do you carry a cook-set (pot, pans, etc) and an eating kit (plate, bowl, etc) or do you just cook & eat out of the pot?
Do you cook IN the pot or just use it to boil the water and transfer that to your pot for cooking?
Do you eat out of the pot or transfer to your plate/bowl?
Are you of the ‘add water to camp-foods and eat’ or do you actually try to follow recipies and really cook witht he JetBoil.
I am ssuming that you only take the basic system and leave the extra group-kits they sell at home.
As for me, I have always had a dual system.
Add boiling water to my meals in my bowl for breakfast (avoid cleaning the thing) then add boilingwater to my meal-bags for lunch and dinner (avoid cleaning the thing). But then, I also eat MREs on the water too.
Experiences?
Jetboil
Jetboil = HOT water
your call as to the logistics in getting the meal to your belly. If you want to ‘cook’ meals don’t use a JB.
steve
boil water only
I never put food in the jet boil pot, only water. You can “cook” with the pot stand and a separate pot, but it’s like cooking with a blow torch… it doesn’t simmer very well. And you’re defeating the purpose of saving weight and pack space. Use instant rice, dehydrated foods and backpacker meals. My backpacking pantry includes: Fantastic Brand instant refried beans and black beans; couscous; minute rice; lipton cup-a-soup packets; Knorr’s rosa and McCormick’s pesto sauce mix packets; cappelini (angel hair, which will cook by soaking a couple minutes in boiling water); foil and/or plastic packets of tomato sauce; shelf-stable Indian meals “Tasty Bite” brand (immerse the packet in the pot), etc. You’d be surprised what you can do with just boiling water.
Boil and Bag
The Jetboil works best for boiling water to rehydrate dried meals. You can cook meals in it, but it’s not as easy as cooking meals in a larger pot. Eating out of the pot is doable, but can be messy. There’s a bowl attached to the bottom of the system that you can eat out of.
I think there’s two ways to look at the Jetboil. The first is as a minimal cook system that is somewhat lightweight (next year’s models will be lighter). The second is as an efficient cook system that has connectible accessories, like a larger pot, java press, etc. If you’re trying to go lightweight with the Jetboil, you either have to deal with the quirks of cooking meals in it or switch to dehydrated food. If you don’t care about weight, want to cook meals in a pot, and want to use a Jetboil, then buy the Jetboil 1.5 liter pot.
I have about 70+ days of use on a Jetboil now and reviewed it back in March on my website. If you’re interested my website is listed in my profile.
Jetboil Flash
’add water to camp-foods and eat’ = me
Love my Jetboil
I cook in it, although mostly soups/stew or easy pasta or rice-based dishes. True, it’s a blowtorch and it’s challenging to cook on low heat. The only other cookware I’ll carry is a small fry pan and that’s only if I’m intending to fry fish. And I carry a frisbee - it’s a plate, it’s a bowl, it’s a cutting board, and it’s even a frisbee. For more luxurious cooking, out comes the white gas stove and regular cookset.
2nd that
I sometimes do soups
if I am in the mood to stir. And stir.
Jim
jetboil use
I use the JetBoil only to boil water. Works great for that. I have used the adapter ring with it to use my ‘regular’ pots and cooked meals in them. Works ok, not great.
I keep going back to my SnowPeak or the MSR Simmerlite.
Jetboil, bowl and spoon
Is what I carry. As for cooking, the Jetboil works fine if you adapt your methods. I use a lot of the Knor Sides. Bring the water to a boil. Add the noodles. Return to a boil. Turn off stove, cover pot and place the cup on the base. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes longer than recommended cooking time. Stir in meat, cheese or vegetables as desired. Eat and enjoy. Works for oatmeal and other similar one pot, grain noodle or rice dishes. The bring to a boil and allow to stand part saves fuel too. This system works great for my Spartan approach and it got me around Vancouver Island on my 35 day solo circumnavigation.
after all
we’re 60% water anyway
similar method
I use a similar method with the Lipton/knorr sides. I heat the measured water to a boil then pour into a zip top bag containing the Lipton/knorr side and a can(or pouch)of protein. Chicken, tuna or ham. removing as much of the air as possible, I place that into an cozy envelope made from a car sun screen. The one that look like they are made from bubble wrap and mylar.
I eat right out of the bag. If you use canned all the trash will fit into the can, If you use pouch meat the trash per meal is easily compacted and is even easer to pack put your trash
I also fry
I love my jetboil. I boil water in it and then add it to a separate bowl or cup rather than cooking in it. I also have the pot top conversion system and bring a collapsable frying pan and sticks of crisco for frying fish fillets. We used it this way on a 4 day trip in the everglades cooking snook and redfish and it worked great.