msr Pocketrocket deluxe stove
a camping stove that brings the heat
A camp stove is an essential piece of gear when your outing will be anything more than a day hike. And when your outing involves covering many miles and/or many vertical feet, a stove that’s lightweight is a must. At just under three ounces, the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove counts as light in our book — are there smaller, lighter camping stoves out there? Absolutely.
But are there any that can boil a cup of water in just over a minute or an entire liter of water in just over three? And that can support full-sized pots or pans while cranking out all that heat? And that are durable enough to last for years, feature a built-in igniter, work well even in blustery wind, and that folds down small enough to fit into your pocket? Not that we know of! And we know of a lot of camping stoves.
To put the PocketRocket Deluxe to the test, we put exactly one cup of water into a titanium pot, perched it on the stove, and fired things up. We started a timer at the exact moment the flame caught, then stood back to watch the proverbial pot boil. And in so doing, we proved the proverb wrong, for not only did this water boil, but it did so in just under one minute, eight seconds.
Needless to say, we were impressed. Which is why we took things up a notch, trying to blow out the flame. Which wasn’t happening from any distance at which we were willing to put our faces near this mighty little beast.
If you’re looking for the best camp stove that balances value, weight, ease-of-use, and efficacy, then you’re looking in the right place with this one from MSR. So go ahead and plan your next outing, then get cookin’.