Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

This is a great little stove that reliable provided hot meals for two during a two-month paddle from Seattle to Ketchikan. Every morning we had oatmeal and hot drinks, and every evening we had some type of soup/noodles/potatoes/rice/other. I even brought along a small frypan which we used to cook items like fish and pancakes (without the windscreen - you'll toast the igniter otherwise). The igniter worked reliably for several weeks, but became a bit flakey - not surprising since it was often packed away wet. Matches or a small butane lighter took care of that problem; once dry the igniter still worked like a champ. Fantastic little stove.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

I really love this stove. I use it primarily for wilderness kayak trips, where weight is not a prime concern but space is still tight. I bought this over a jetboil for 1 reason- temperature control. I like to bring real food instead of dehydrated meals since I'm not carrying it on my back, and this was the only all-in-one system that had good reviews on temperature control. I can make sauce from "scratch", simmer rice, and saute vegetables with this burner, and since its so efficient I never need more than 1 8 oz (larger) butane canister for a whole trip. In the morning, it only takes me a couple of minutes to have water boiled for coffee and oatmeal, and the whole system packs up nicely. On a backpacking trip with a small canister I was able to use it just like my buddy's jetboil and I don't have to own 2 stoves! For me minimalism isn't just taking minimal gear with me, but owning minimal amounts of gear in the first place.

I do think the liners are terrible. I lent mine to my brother and he forgot to take the inside liner out and destroyed it and the pot. I think they would be better off making the burner non-scratching so that they don't have to protect the inside of the pot from it, or use a piece of brightly colored plastic so that we can see them in the twilight. I also was never able to get the windscreen to fit nicely into the pot and I tend to just wrap it around the whole thing and put it in the stuff sack, which is not a great way to do it from a space point of view. The handle is also a big flimsy, but I've never had trouble with it as long as it's locked in place.

This is the ideal stove if you want an efficient cook system for the backcountry and like to cook real food. If you just want to boil water, go with something else.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

I received this stove as a gift. It was not the stove was hoping for, I thought the 1.2l pot would be too small. I have now used it for a year, and I could not be more pleased. I used it on two recent trips where I was impressed to no end. On a 5 day trip with my wife, I brought a single 8oz cannister, and hoped beyond hope it would be enough. No problem, it was still likely helf full when we returned. 8 meals cooked and cleaned for two, and plenty of fuel to spare.

The second trip was an eight day trip where I cooked 14 meals for 4 people. In the middle of the 13th meal, my 16oz canister finally gave up. If you can't tell, I am very impressed with the cook system's efficiency. Which is nice, as the fuel is rather expensive compared to white gas. But it is SO convenient to light and use it makes the fuel cost worthwhile.

Also, at least for our menu of primarily freeze dried dinners, a single 1.2l pot for four people was more than adequate. The inside pot liner was used frequently for things like hydrating mashed potatoes or preparing desserts.

At least for me with a smaller group, this stove system is all I will ever need.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

We own maybe a dozen stoves for use in the backcountry and this one is a definite favorite. As other reviewers have noted, this stove is extremely well designed, lightweight, easy to use, boils water almost instantly, has good temperature control to help prevent burning your food, and packs up tight to take up little space in your pack. We have used ours on several backpacking trips over the last couple of years or so, ever since the EtaPack Lite was first released.

Another cool other thing we have discovered is the pot is just about the perfect size for cooking a decent size meal for two people. It might be small if cooking for three (unless you have other food to eat or don't mind preparing two pots of food). Also, I think it is too much (size, weight) if you are cooking for just yourself, but you might feel differently if you eat a lot more than we do. When cooking for just myself, I prefer to use my Jetboil and keep it simple.

We own Primus' bigger brother, the EtaPower stove system with 2.1 liter pot and skillet and this is just like it, but doesn't come with an integrated skillet (we have, and use, a nice 8" skillet from MSR that works well with this). The EtaPack Lite is much more compact and is ideal for long treks than the EtaPack Lite's bigger siblings.

Regarding the plastic parts that protect the non-stick finish in the pot and heat exchanger when packed, these parts do double duty as eating dishes--it's not that much fun dipping two spoons into a steaming pot when you are both starving and these double-duty components have served us well. We usually use the dish as a clean place to set a spatula, spoons, spices, and other small items and the bowl to divide the freshly cooked meal between us quickly. No big deal to clean-- just scrape everything out with a "Light My Fire" spork or one of those jiffy spatulas from GSI and let your dog finish the small pieces before you put it away (after wiping with hand sanitizer, of course :-). We have never had any issues with any component of this system.

Possible downsides: I wish it had an integrated skillet (one could be designed to slide over the plastic plate/heat exchanger protector). I also wish the EtaPack Lite could store the larger isubutane canisters inside. Still, the smaller canisters last us for many meals due to how efficient this system is for heating water and cooking food, so maybe that's a nitpick.

We like it. Definitely recommended.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

i have purchased many stoves in the past few years, MSR whisperlite, MSR pocket rocket, Jetboil, Brunton all fuel, and the good ol' esbit folder. this has become my "go to" stove.

this SYSTEM is complete. when you look at buying a stove and a pot, the price is on point. the size of the pot is almost perfect. i do wish it were a little bigger, which would allow for a better fit if one wanted to put their fuel canister inside (this is what prevents me from giving it a 5 star rating).

the efficiency of the fuel line is unbelievable. boiling water is super fast (i can do half liters in 1.5 minutes). plus it affords the ability to actually cook/simmer a home prepared meal.

i would echo the warnings of the handle... make sure you slide the latch all the way forward before carrying a load of water. additionally, i found that keeping the handle on the outside while stored was more of a pain, so i remove it and keep it stored inside when not in use.

good stuff Primus!

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

I bought this stove for winter/low temperature use because it has a couple important features that allow it to function down to -40 degrees F if used properly. For other seasons, I use the Primus Eta Express, which has similar heat output and efficiency in a much smaller and lighter package, but can't operate reliably at very cold (mid teens F and below) temperatures.

The two key features allowing this stove to work at lower temperatures are a flexible fuel line that allows the fuel canister to be inverted, and a design that routes the fuel line through the flame to preheat it before burning. At very cold temperatures, butane fuel won't vaporize, so these features allow the stove to work effectively with liquid butane. In my view, these features are the raison d'être for this stove. If you don't need cold-weather operation, you can save weight and money by buying the equally powerful and efficient, and less complex, Eta Express. Both stoves share the high output and efficiency of the Primus Eta line, and their burners look pretty similar in design and function to me.

The Eta PackLite has a few bells and whistles like the included pot, strainer lid, and the plastic pot protector that doubles as a serving dish. These are nice extras but not reasons to buy this stove. It also has a 360-degree windscreen that will allow operation in pretty much any amount of wind, although it's too small to function properly with Primus' largest pots (e.g. the 2.9L one) because there is no room for the exhaust gases to escape. Some vents, indentations, or bevels along the upper edge of the windscreen would alleviate this problem.

The piezo igniter has a long and fragile ceramic insulator that is prone to cracking. Once it cracks, the igniter probably won't work, and unfortunately the way you disassemble the stove makes it likely that you'll accidentally crack this important insulator. I carry a backup lighter for contingencies. You could save a little weight by just unscrewing the igniter altogether and just relying on another ignition source.

When using an inverted gas canister, the stove basically has two settings: "rocket engine" and "off". This is great if you want to boil water quickly, but problematic if you want to simmer or cook with finesse. Also with an inverted canister, the stove will continue burning for about 15 seconds after you shut off the gas. Both of these problems arise because the stove lacks a 2nd fuel control at the burner, forcing you to rely on the one at the fuel canister's mouth. However, in all but the lowest temperature situations, you can just use the gas canister right-side-up and avoid both these limitations.

As a backpacker who strives to keep pack weight to a minimum, I find some of the stove's components to be needlessly heavy. The feed line, burner base, and gas canister attachment are all milled from a rather ostentatious amount of solid brass that I'm sure could be reduced with careful design. The circular base is nice and robust, but could probably be redesigned with half the metal without sacrificing strength. That said, the stove feels nice and solid, and has had no trouble supporting large pots filled with liquid.

Like the other Primus Eta stoves, power and efficiency are very high, especially when coupled with Primus's excellent heat-exchanger cookpots. I am a big fan of the Eta line in general, but this model may not be the right choice if you don't need its cold-weather capabilities.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

First off I love this stove. I have had many stoves including MSR, other Primus stoves, and Jetboil. I primarily use my Jetboil for backpacking and I am tempted to leave it at home now. The EtaPackLite is faster, more stable, and more versatile. I can not only heat water, but instant rice, and even cook eggs if I choose to.

There are a few key things to note and to address from other reviewers. First, as almost all said, the pot, windscreen, and stove are extremely stable. Major plus. The fuel hose has a brass section that runs across the burner. HUGE plus. This is a feature most commonly seen on liquid fuel stoves to heat the fuel and increase pressure but this means that at very cold temperatures and high altitudes the EtaPackLite doesn't lose pressure like other stoves and cooks fast and hot.

To address complainers read the following. First of all the pot liner and pot base cover are NOT plate and bowl set. They are liners pure and simple, they are there to protect the pot from damage. I suppose you could use them to eat from but that is not their intention. I carry collapsible silicon bowl and a cup, that is adequate and requires almost no sacrifice in space or weight in my bag. The lighter: common complaint. There is a trick. Turn the fuel on low and then light. If the fuel is turned on high, or even medium it will blow out the spark. This is common on nearly every piezo lighter I have ever used. Plus, if the spark is weak bend the lighter toward the burner, that will help. If that still fails it is probably very very cold out and just use a match.

I highly recommend this stove to anyone who wants a fast boiling stove with a pot that is more usable than a Jetboil. Pack light, travel far, and eat well.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

The Primus Etapack lite boils water in a hurry. I've used it many times in Colorado at or sometimes above timberline and it's great. The system fits together pretty nicely with a little practice. It could be a little more stable, but then again it only takes a minute to smooth out a piece of ground. The piezo ignitor does not work after about the first 25 times, but that is nothing new. All in all it's a fast cooker, and a light system.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

I complained above about not being able to get a replacement pot liner, but then e-mailed Primus in Sweden and found myself in touch with a product mgr in the US, who sent me a new one at no cost. Clearly Primus is interested in good customer PR, though they may still have a prob supplying parts. I did suggest they mold the plastic parts in green instead of black to maximize visibility.

Responding to the other comments: I unhooked the pot handle and bent it slightly to tighten, so with the use of the sliding lock I doubt I will have any prob with the handle slipping, which did happen once when used by a buddy who hadn't slid the lock (before I bent the handle). So I like the pot myself. I've had no problem fitting a 100 gr canister inside with the stove, though I acknowledge damage to the lighter could be a concern; I'll have to check again how a canister goes in there. I mostly use the large canisters, which won't fit. I've had no problem with the lighter.

Some people might want a simpler lighter stove, but then won't get the fuel efficiency and stability that come with the windscreen, heat exchanger and wide low base.

Comments about Primus EtaPack Lite Stove System:

This stove works well but I can't get a replacement pot liner/bowl. PrimusCamping.com is the manufacturer and that is now owned by North American Gear, who say they cannot sell me this part. REI suggested A and H Enterprises [...] I question if REI should be selling stoves for which replacement parts are not available.