MSR Reactor Stove System

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

I originally purchased the Jetboil Personal Cooking System and later added on a Jetboil 1.5L pot to carry along with it. After much debate, I decided to purchase the MSR Reactor and now will never look back. There are already many reviews on this product, so I'll focus on comparing/contrasting it with the Jetboil because that seems to be the next best product.

Things that concerned me most: weight, boil time, resistance to wind, compactness.

Weight: This whole setup (less fuel) weighs in at 18.2 oz. The Jetboil Personal Cooking System (PCS) is 15 oz. At first, it seems like the Jetboil wins in this, but not for me.

Consider these facts: The PCS can only boil 1/2 liter of water at a time, about half of the cup (that's the recommended amount based on the markings on the inside of the PCS). The MSR can boil 1 liter at a time, which is 2/3 of the canister (again, based on the max fill line inside the canister).

To boil as much water as you can with the MSR, you need the Jetboil 1.5L pot as well. This is an added 12 oz. You also need the extra stand and whatnot to go with the 1.5L pot, which is another 2.1 oz.

Thus, you can either go out on the trail with an 18.2 oz. MSR system that will cook either enough for you or for a group of a few people or you have to decide whether to bring just the Jetboil PCS or the entire Jetboil system with larger 1.5L pot (29.1 oz. total for everything, over 33% heavier!).

Boil Time: The PCS boils 1/2 liter of water in 2 minutes. That's 4 minutes per liter! The MSR can boil 1 liter in under 3 and without having to dump out the water and start again halfway through to get a full liter. Even if you use the Jetboil 1.5L pot to boil a liter of water, it still comes in at about 3.5 minutes.

Wind resistance: The MSR is golden here. While cooking, the flames never see the wind whatsoever. With the PCS, there is a lot of space for the wind to get through and I've had trouble keeping it lit in windy conditions. With the MSR, I have never had trouble for a second. It is completely isolated from the wind.

Compactness: Both systems allow all the pieces to fit into the pot. The MSR is a little bigger than the PCS because it holds more water, however. Technically the PCS wins because it's a little smaller, but if you're carrying around the PCS and the 1.5L pot, the Jetboil system takes up WAY more space.

Other Considerations: Jetboil has the neoprene cozy, which is nice as you can hold it in your hands and use it as a handwarmer when there is hot water in the Jetboil. It also lights with a built in igniter, but that is prone to breaking and you should carry around a spare regardless. The MSR requires a separate lighter (but who doesn't carry around a spare anyways?) and it has a built in handle.

I don't like the Jetboil's rubber-type top. It warped on my PCS and on the 1.5L pot, so now the tops are very hard to get on the Jetboil products and they don't sit evenly on the table. The MSR has a clear, hard plastic top that doesn't warp and doesn't require the same type of seal that Jetboil requires. This is very much in favor of the MSR.

One thing I really liked about the PCS is that the burner attaches to the bottom, so you can actually hold the Jetboil up in the air while it is cooking. If you knock it over, it all falls over as one piece and can be righted again with no issues. It can also hang if you buy the separate hanging kit. This doesn't apply to the 1.5L pot. I really wish the MSR had this feature. Also, given the design of the MSR, you can't really use separate cooking pots on it but, with the additional kit, you can set up the Jetboil to allow it to be used like a regular burner to use regular pots and pans on it.

Basically I ended up trading in my Jetboil PCS + 1.5L pot + necessary accessories for the cheaper (total price), smaller, and more compact MSR system. For me, I'll take the MSR every time unless I have an absolute need to use third party pots and pans to cook on it, and even in that case I just whip out my backup 1.9 oz. Snow Peak LiteMax Stove.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

Well this thing was a real surprise. I have two other MSR products and I've been impressed by both but I wasn't expecting this stove to be as good as it is.

It boils FAST and boils a lot (a full litre). The thing that surprised me the most is how quickly it can be prepared. The instructions say you shouldn't use it until the burner is red hot and that should take 5 - 30 seconds. I've never had it take more than 5 and it always lights very easily.

I hear people saying it's unstable and while the footing of the stove is the users' responsibility the connection between the burner and water container could be better. I was hiking with three others and each of them replaced the top part incorrectly as it's very easy to do. It actually takes a few seconds to place and ensure it's on correctly or even a stiff breeze would be able to blow the jug part off.
Talk of poor temperature control is lost on me as this thing is designed to boil water quickly. If you want temperature control buy a proper stove.

My next comment is about a mixed blessing. The stove looks and feels bomb-proof which is great but it makes it heavy (all up with a large gas canister and lighter it's 2lb 1oz). It's great to be strong but a little lighter would be nice. Of course a lot of that weight is lost as you use the gas but it's still quite heavy to hit the trail with. The handle also seems to twist ever so slightly which makes me more than a little nervous when pouring a full litre of boiling water.

All up, it's an excellent unit which will be used a great deal. Worth every cent.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

I waited for this unit to become available and held off on buying a Jetboil. It was worth it. I think it's hard to satisfy every single desire in one product, so know what you are trying to do rather than expecting unreasonable results. That being said, this thing kicks serious butt. You will save time boiling water but then you'll spend that time gawking over it, really. The other reviews say most of the pros 'n cons but one thing I didn't see anyone say was this: Use it in conjunction with a vacume bottle or thermos, don't let that extra heated water just get cold, save it. Often, there is extra hot water, such as when your friend decides they didn't want tea after all. Have the vacume bottle ready when you start to cook. I bring one on almost any trip because there is no replacement for water thats already heated, no matter how fast your stove is. A nissan bottle or something like it keeps things hot for many, many hours. Sometimes we use the pouches of food that are pre-hydrated, save the hot water used to heat them and do it again at the next meal with very little fuel use, or something along that line of thinking. This unit shows it's true colors when the user uses their brain. A methodical approach really helps in this case.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

If other similar products use the word JET the MSR Reactor could appropriately be called the ROCKET. It doesn't just boil water quickly it smokes it!!! I was looking for a windproof lightweight replacement to my other MSR stoves both liquid and gas fueled primarily for sea kayak weekend island hoping on Casco Bay. The reactor was absolutely the best choice I could have made. When I first set it up I had my doubts because it looked to me to be a mini catalytic tent/cabin heater but within seconds of putting the pot on the flame smoke (steam) started spewing out of the see thru lid. Several seconds, not minutes, later I had a steaming pot of hot water. As with backpacking space, weight and size are all primary consideration for a weekend camping trip in a relatively small kayak with a skeg box. Since virtually all of my trips end up on relatively windy beaches another primary consideration is the ability to set up fast and not be bothered with wind screens and fuel hassles. Since everything you need including a stable platform, even in the sand, is included in the package this stove really fits the bill. Since I use almost entirely dehydrated food boiling water quickly is what it's all about. The only down side I saw was the inability to use my occasional fry pan with the burner. I'm assuming that MSR is working on an adapter to allow the stove to be used with conventional cook gear as we speak and look forward to review it when it becomes available. For now I am one happy kayak camper...thank you MSR.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

Yes the stove is bulkier than my primus or whisperlight, although it does include the pot. But the quick lighting, and absolutely stunning boil times (one liter 37F creek water at 7,000 ft, less than 2.5 minutes!!) blows other styles away. This shows me a highly efficient heat transfer, with minimal loss. This means less fuel used. And, I used this in 15-35 mph wind, it never blew out.

So, while it is bulkier than other models, and I only will use it for boiling water, it has passed my alpine ridge test and will become my climbing/backpacking stove.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

The MSR Reactor stove is well worth the price. There are several reasons for this. First, I admire the fact that the piezo igniter has been left off of the stove. Someone at MSR must have realized that these gadgets are problematic. I’ll give MSR points for honesty. I had bought a Jetboil and returned the Jetboil the same day because of the fact that the piezo igniter on it failed after only two uses. I went home with the MSR Reactor and have no regrets. Another reason I am pleased with the MSR Reactor is that is has a larger pot than the Jetboil (and no, you don’t have to remove the warning sticker on the side of the pot). The larger pot allows me to actually cook something rather than just boil water. Another impressive attribute is the speed in which it’ll boil a liter of water: 3 minutes flat at 70 degrees Fahrenheit – 800 feet above sea level. The construction of the stove is impressive and solid. It sips fuel very conservatively. If you’re not going to need to hang it from your tent ceiling to melt snow and you can afford to haul a couple more ounces of weight, go for it. I own a lot of gear and this is one of those items that rates.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

We used this stove for three nights at 9000ft. just to boil water for meals. The air temp. ranged from about 30 to 35 degrees fahrenheit and the wind was 5-10 mph. We used the stove without building any kind of wind break and it took exactly 3 minutes to bring the water to a boil. We did have the water above the "fill max." line though. All in all the stove worked great!!

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

I'm not one who normally writes reviews on products, having said that, I felt compelled to write a review on this exceptionally designed stove. From start to finish I can have a hot meal, i.e. Mountain House DEHY, in less than 10 minutes!!! Thats from initial lighting to fork in mouth.. I have consistently seen the stove boil 16 ounces in 1.5 minutes!!!! The design, materials, and construction of this stove are superb.. It's rare when a product performs as advertised, over & over & over & over, this product does just that.. It's packabilty and simplicity make it easy to use store. Two thumbs up!!!!

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

Amazing product from MSR. It simply does what it was designed to do, boil water fast. We've even begun to take it with us on day trips in the car; it's nice to be able to have a cup of coffee or an instant meal instead of stopping at a chain restaurant.
I returned a JetBoil that just couldn't perform in a breeze, the Reactor works regardless of the weather.

Comments about MSR Reactor Stove System:

Just completed Sections 15,16 and 17 of the Colorado Trail. The stove worked great the first day out at 9000 feet but as we climbed to 11,000 feet and camped it seemed to loose power. Pot heating times increased from 3 minutes to 6 and 7 minutes. One 4 oz. canister heated 12 pots of water.

So if you are going high or cold just remember your good ole Whisperlite. Compressed gas canisters just won't get the job done.