JetBoil Personal Cooking System

It’s lightweight, it’s small, it’s fast… It’s the JetBoil PCS! jetboil

Simple and easy to use, JetBoil’s “Personal Cooking System” is Kyle’s go-to backcountry meal maker and hydration machine. In 2004, JetBoil blew people away with its revolutionary combination of both the stove and pot components of most backcountry cooking systems, and eliminated the demand for a number of heavier, and often more finicky stoves on the market. It’s been a few years since JetBoil revolutionized the world of backcountry cooking with this compact little scheme, but nonetheless it remains a backcountry staple.

Free of superfluous parts, this streamlined device is great for splitboarding tours. It’s simple to use (you just push a button to get the fire started), fast (you can convert snow to a rolling boil in 2 minutes), and the flame is well-protected from the elements. Kyle won’t leave home without it because it’s bomber for use on the trail, in the snow, in a tent, or in a windy downpour.

For really fancy-schmancy travel, JetBoil offers you a couple of options. First, check out their website for a schmorgasbord of one-pot recipes, or if you want to step your cooking up a notch (careful, this will mean added ounces), you can purchase larger pots and pans like the one in the picture. Also of note for all you Seattle coffee snobs: JetBoil makes a frenchpress kit for backcountry brews to die for. Bon A Petit!

  • Best for: Tours where weight matters and you’ll need to boil water.
  • Specs: Weight: 15 oz., Boil Rate: 2 cups in 2 min., Pot Capacity: 1 Liter, Packs to: About the size of a Nalgene bottle.
  • More Reviews: User Reviews on Backcountry.com, User Reviews and Purchasing Info from CampSaver.com, TGR Thread on how much these rock
  • Awards: 2004 Gear Award from Outside Magazine, Backpacker Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award
  • How To Use: Though it’s “stupid easy,” Epinions.com has some stuff on how to use here, and there’s a biker forum that’s got the basics spelled out in more detail than you could ever want.