The New MSR MicroRocket -- Completed Review

If you've been following my blog at all, you know I've been evaluating the new MicroRocket stove from MSR.

The new MSR MicroRocket

As a part of that evaluation, I've put up a series of posts on the MicroRocket:

• The New MSR MicroRocket -- First Look
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Cooking Report 
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #2

The new MSR MicroRocket comes with a separate piezoelectric ignition 

Well, I'm done with the evaluation, and my completed review is now available on Seattle Backpackers Magazine.  Hikin' Jim says "check it out."  :)

The new MSR MicroRocket in the field

Thanks for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving,

HJ

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The New MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2

This is an installment in my series on the new MicroRocket stove from MSR.  Other installments in the series include:

• The New MSR MicroRocket -- First Look
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Cooking Report 
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #2
• The New MSR MicroRocket -- Completed Review

Well, it's a beautiful morning.  Looks like it's time to hit the trail.

The trail to Waterman Mountain on 2 Jan 2012

It's also time to do some more testing on the new MSR MicroRocket.

Testing the new MSR MicroRocket

It's remarkably clear here in Southern California today.  I can see all the way to the coast.

Looking out onto the coastal plain from the mountains of Southern California

Today's destination?  Waterman Mountain (8038'/2450m).

Approaching the summit of Waterman Mountain

Naturally, I brought along a few stoves.

Rear row, left to right:  MSR MicroRocket, Optimus Crux, Soto MicroRegulator, MSR PocketRocket, Snow Peak GigaPower (GST-100)

One of the things I wanted to do today was to get a sense of the stability of the new MicroRocket.  There aren't really any objective measures of pot stability, so I brought along a few other stoves for comparative purposes.  I'll describe what I did to try to get a sense of pot stability.  Every test I conducted was admittedly subjective.  The pot used for these tests was a 1000ml Snow Peak titanium pot.

First Test:  The "Dump the Dinner" test.  I put a 1000ml pot full of snow on top of the various stoves tested.  I then moved the stove around while the pot was on the stove.  I tried to get a sense of how stable a pot is on the stove.

A "dumped dinner" (a pot that has fallen off the stove)

Second test:  The "bump and drag" test.  I put the same pot of snow on each of the stoves.  I would drag the pot around on top of the stove or bump the pot trying to get a sense of  how easy it was to knock a pot off of the particular stove.  The canister and stove were not themselves moved during this type of testing.

One thing I noticed during the "bump and drag" test was that the comparatively thin pot supports of the MSR PocketRocket "chattered" as I dragged a pot across the top of the burner.  In other words, the thin pot supports would vibrate as a result of the movement of the pot.  The MSR MicroRocket on the other hand was rock solid.

Based on these two highly subjective tests, I would rate the MSR MicroRocket's pot stability as "very good" whereas I can only rate the PocketRocket as "good."

This review is for the MSR MicroRocket, but while I'm at it I suppose it wouldn't hurt to mention how all of the stoves fared with respect to pot stability.  My rating system for pot stability is as follows (from best to worst):  Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Bad.  Stoves are shown in alphabetical order.  All ratings are my opinion.  YMMV.

   Stove               Rating

MSR MicroRocket       Very good

MSR PocketRocket      Good

Optimus Crux          Fair

Snow Peak GST-100     Excellent

Soto MicroRegulator   Fair to Poor

In this category, pot stability, the GST-100 was the clear winner, but the MSR MicroRocket did very well and was clearly an improvement over the older PocketRocket. 

Speaking of pot stability, let's look at the pot supports themselves.  First, the PocketRocket.

A close up of the pot supports of a PocketRocket

Do you see the piece of the pot support just below the rivet?  There is a portion that is flat to the base of the stove and then the remainder bends upward at a 90 degree angle towards the rivet.  It is here that I have seen the pot supports of a PocketRocket bend.  Note that the pot support that bent was damaged as a result of the stove being knocked over, not normal use of the stove.

Now, by contrast, let's look at the MicroRocket.  Can you say "beefy?"

A close up of the pot supports of an MSR MicroRocket

The whole assembly has "solid" written all over it.  The supports themselves are a little thicker, the point where the supports join the body is really strong, the tolerances are tighter, and the general build quality is noticeably superior.  These supports are a definite improvement.

Today, I just tested using a 1000ml Snow Peak pot.  In the testing done in my previous Trail Report, I used a BPL Firelite 550 mug pot (550ml) and an MSR Titan Kettle (850ml).  In all cases, I would rate the MicroRocket's pot stability as "very good."

OK, so that's it on pot stability.  Now, on to simmering.  Remember that pot of snow in previous photos?  Let's melt that snow.

Melting snow on the summit of Waterman Mountain.  The windscreen is a homemade one constructed of household aluminum foil.

There.  Snow's melted.  Now, notice something.  There are three distinct discolorations of the blue sort that are typical of titanium pots.  Remember what the bottom of the pot looks like.  We'll refer back to this.

Melted snow.  Note the tripartite heat discolorations.

OK, so let's bring the water to a boil, which the MicroRocket does with no problem.

Boiling water atop an MSR MicroRocket

Now, let's turn the flame down and add noodles.

Simmering noodles in atop an MSR MicroRocket

Now, of course it would make more sense to shut off the flame entirely and put the pot into a cozy and just let things steep, but we're here to test the simmering capabilities of the stove, so we'll leave the stove on and just adjust the flame.  Let's have a look.

A fairly low flame on an MSR MicroRocket

We'll that's not bad certainly, but nothing to write home about.  Note how red the color of the little wind deflector is.  Can we go lower?

A very low flame on an MSR MicroRocket

Indeed we can.  Now, that is what I call a low flame.  It's barely there.  I was able to hold the water below a boil.  Take a look at the little wind deflector.  It is no longer red hot.  I had to put my finger in there just to make sure it was still on. It was on, and better still, it was stable.  Note that I did use a windscreen.

Simmering noodles atop an MSR MicroRocket.  Note that the water is not boiling.

OK, now let's do something stupid.  Let's cover the pot.  Sure, maybe the stove can stay below a boil if you don't have the lid on, but what about if you put the lid on?  And, just to compound the stupidity, let's walk away and do some photography.

Wait a minute.  You're going to leave the pot on the stove with the flame still going with the pot covered, and you're using titanium cookware?  What are you, nuts or something?  You're going to have charcoal for lunch.

Maybe.  Let's see.  But about those photos.  I've lived in the Los Angeles area for the majority of my life.  Rarely have I seen a day so clear.  Here's the view from my lunch spot.  Remember, I'm at 8,038 feet/2450m above sea level.

Greater Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, and some islands off the coast.

Not only can I see ships at sea, I can see the wake from the ships.  I can see the arms of the dockside cranes.  It would take me at least two hours to drive there, yet I can see things with startling clarity.  The large island that you see is Santa Catalina Island.  Now look over to the far left of the frame.  There's another island there.  Can you see it?

San Clemente Island (far distance), Santa Catalina Island (middle distance), and Long Beach Harbor

That is San Clemente Island.  I cannot remember any time that I have ever seen San Clemente Island so clearly.  San Clemente Island is closer to San Diego, California, than it is to Los Angeles.  It's a fabulous day; no doubt about it.

Well, look at the time.  Now, all the while, our noodles have been on the stove.  Probably nothing left but some charred remains.  Sure hope I brought some extra food.  But let's have a look anyway.

Noodles after simmering for a considerable length of time

Not only not charred, but perfect and still not boiling.  And the bottom of the pot?

The bottom of my Snow Peak 1000ml pot after extended simmering.

The typical blue titanium discolorations that we saw in the photo above are still there, but there are no burnt remains in the bottom of the pot.  I did give it the traditional mountaineer's "snow scrub" -- but just to get the spices and stuff out of the way.  Nothing burned. 

I cannot adequately describe how pleased I am with the controllable nature of the flame of the MicroRocket.  I rate the MSR MicroRocket stove as Excellent in the simmering category.

Um, Jim, that's all very nice, but did you really have to climb a mountain just to not burn noodles?

Oh, yes, that. Well, there is a method to my madness.  I wanted to go to a relatively high elevation in order to test the piezoelectric ignition system.  I've had hand held piezoelectric butane lighters fail atop Waterman Mountain before.  Just for reference, my Soto Pocket Torch butane lighter with piezoelectric ignition is meant to be used at or below 5000 feet/1500m according to the REI website.  Waterman Mountain is 8038'/2450m.  A test here should give us some idea of how the MicroRocket's ignition will do at elevation.

And how did the MicroRocket's ignition system do?  The ignition system of the MicroRocket passed with flying colors.  I did notice that I had to turn up the gas a little more than I did when I tested at 3,000 feet/915m, but it was no big deal.

Just for fun, I also tested the MicroRocket's ignition on all of the other stoves I brought.  No reason why you can't use that ignition on every stove you own including your car camping stove, right?  Here are my results:

   Stove              Ease of Ignition

MSR MicroRocket       Very easy

MSR PocketRocket      Very easy

Optimus Crux          Difficult

Snow Peak GST-100     Moderately Tricky

Soto MicroRegulator   Difficult

I believe the wide, distributed head made the Crux and the Microregulator difficult to ignite.  I did notice that if I tilted the stove's burner down on one side and applied the piezoelectric ignition to the lower side, I could get the stove to ignite.

One last thing I tested:  Thermal Conductivity.  Now why might I want to know whether or not the MSR MicroRocket conducts heat?  Cold weather.  If a stove conducts heat, it will warm the canister.  In cold weather, a warm canister means your stove works.  A cold canister means your stove doesn't work.  In order to test the how much heat the stove conducts, I'm going to run the stove on high for an extended period.

Now, a word of warning.  If you overheat a canister, you could blow yourself sky high.  I did this test without a windscreen (although I did use the windscreen as a partial windblock as you will see in the below photo), and I used a remote stove stand so that the canister was kept far away from the heat source.  Guys, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing.  If you're going to experiment with thermal conduction with your stove, be really careful.  If you screw up, you might wind up cooking a lot more than your dinner -- if you know what I mean.  A canister explosion really could ruin your entire life.  Just be careful; fair enough?  OK, warnings out of the way, let's have a look.

Testing how hot a MicroRocket is after an extended burn.

After running the stove for an extended period, the stove was not hot to the touch.  If any appreciable thermal conduction had occurred, I should have jerked my hand away with burnt finger tips.  The stove wasn't even warm.  If you're looking for a stove that conducts a bit of heat back to the canister for improved cold weather performance, this would not be the stove.

OK, that's it for me.  That was a lot to pack into a single post.  Thanks for bearing with me.

I hope you've enjoyed this Adventure in Stoving.

HJ

Technical Appendix


Selected Gas Stoves, order by weight
Stove Name          Weight   Pot Support Radius
Monatauk Gnat         48g     3x54mm
Soto MicroRegulator   70g     3x57mm
MSR MicroRocket       73g     3x64mm
MSR PocketRocket      87g     3x60mm
Snow Peak GS-100      87g     4x51mm
Optimus Crux          89g     3x54mm
MSR SuperFly         132g     4x60mm


All weights were measured in grams on my Chefmate scale.  All lengths were measured with a hand held steel ruler.  All measurements are approximate.  Manufacturer's specifications may vary.

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The New MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #1

I took the new MSR MicroRocket out on the trail for the first time yesterday.

This is an installment in my series on the new MicroRocket stove from MSR.  Other installments in the series include:

• The New MSR MicroRocket -- First Look
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Cooking Report 
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #2
• The New MSR MicroRocket -- Completed Review

The new MSR MicroRocket stove

I took with me both the new MicroRocket as well as the older PocketRocket.  Here are my test set ups:

An MSR 850ml Titan kettle (left) and a 550ml BPL Firelite 550 (right)

Inside each set up is a stove and a 110g canister of gas.  The PocketRocket is inside the Titan kettle, and the MicroRocket is in the Firelite 550.  The PocketRocket won't even come close to fitting inside the Firelite 550.

Each set up contains a stove and a 110g canister of gas, much as one would use for a trip out on the trail.

Now, notice something from the above photo.  The canister in the kettle on the left is canted over.  The pot supports of the PocketRocket have a high profile and cant the canister over.  The PocketRocket's design means that you have to have a larger pot if you want to store the stove in your pot.  On the other hand, the canister in the pot on the right is relatively flat.  The MicroRocket has a much nicer profile and takes up far less room in your pot.

A MicroRocket makes much more efficient use of the space inside a pot.

The MicroRocket is a very space efficient stove.  You don't need to carry nearly as much pot with the MicroRocket.

Now, here's an interesting thing.  Let's pull those canisters out of there.  Look inside.  The newfangled lighter that comes with the MicroRocket fits right inside without needing a larger pot.

The new piezoelectric lighter that comes with the MicroRocket fits right inside.

Speaking of the lighter, at first I was really skeptical.  Why on earth would anyone bother with it?  I mean the real advantage to a piezoelectric ignition is convenience.  It's built in to the stove, you press a button, and "whoosh," you're cooking with gas.  And MSR did what?  They separated the ignition system?  Hunh?

The separate piezoelectric ignition of an MSR MicroRocket

Well, of course the problem a built in piezoelectric ignition system is that it's about as reliable as a screen door on a submarine.  I mean the danged things just fail.  So, MSR separated it.

A trail ready cooking set up:  BPL Firelite 550 mug/pot, 110g gas canister, an an MSR MicroRocket stove with separate piezoelectric ignition.

OK, so why not just carry a regular lighter?  Well, good question, and that was my first thought.  A regular lighter can ignite pretty much anything whereas a piezoelectric lighter only works on gas.  However, let's not discount convenience.  I tried out the lighter yesterday, and you know what?  It's pretty slick.  It works; it works well; it is really convenient.  I was pleased that it worked the first time almost every time I tried it.  Beats the heck out of some piezoelectric ignitions I've tried.  And, since it's separate and not constantly getting incinerated, it should continue to work whereas a lot of piezoelectric ignitions are just so much junk a month after getting the stove.

For those who are really concerned with weight, I doubt such a lighter will be worth it to them.  Still, I bet there are a lot of people for whom the convenience will justify bringing it along.

Now, here's another consideration:  How do you light your stove?  With my gas stoves, I usually work the valve with one hand and light the stove with the other while the pot sits off to the side.  In other words, the flame runs a bit into empty air before I put the pot on.  With the MicroRocket's piezo ignition, I put the pot in place, turn on the gas, and, almost in the same breath, press the button on the ignition.  Whoosh.  No waste.  Does it save a huge amount of gas?  Probably not, but even if it saved only 1g per cooking session, on a week long trip, the piezo ignition would pay for itself in terms of weight.  I'm still not convinced that a separate ignition will catch on, but I don't think it's quite as dumb of an idea as before I tried it.

With the MicroRocket's long piezoelectric ignition, one can light the stove with the pot in place.  The ignition usually works on the first try.

When one compares the burners when folded for travel, it's quite clear that the MicroRocket is far more compact than the old PocketRocket.

The MSR MicroRocket (left) and the MSR PocketRocket (right)

When unfolded, the stoves are very close in size.  One thing I noted is that the valve control wire is a little bigger on the MicroRocket.  If you're pot is boiling over, it might be nice to have a slightly bigger, longer valve control wire.

The MSR PocketRocket (left) and the MSR MicroRocket (right)

The MSR PocketRocket (left) and the MSR MicroRocket (right)

I do notice what may be a very important difference:  The MicroRocket has far greater pot to burner clearance.  Notice in the photo above just how little clearance there is with a PocketRocket.  Why might this matter?  Carbon monoxide.  Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be quite deadly.  If a burner is too close to the bottom of a pot, the burner's flame is "quenched" when it hits the bottom of the pot.  Quenching results in incomplete combustion, and incomplete combustion results in carbon monoxide emissions.

Every stove manufacturer has big warnings about how you should never operate your stove in a tent or other enclosed space.  And sooner or later, most of us are faced with a situation where not operating the stove in an enclosed space might actually be more dangerous.  Let's see.  There's a freezing rain falling outside.  Gee, I think I'll go cook my dinner outside.  Yeah, that'll be safe.  Hypothermia will never happen to me.

Ha!  I don't think so.  Having the option to be able to cook inside when you really have to could be really important.  The PocketRocket has received a some criticism (see Appendix "B," below) because of its relatively high level of carbon monoxide emissions.  If MSR has reduced the carbon monoxide emissions (and I believe that they have done just that), then the MicroRocket really is a step forward and not just a slicker, more compact PocketRocket II.

A look at the difference in burner clearance between the MicroRocket (left) and the PocketRocket (right)

I don't have the means to measure carbon monoxide, but I can see the clear and obvious difference between the amount of burner clearance.  So, while I can't give you a specific ppm carbon monoxide number, I can tell there's going to be an improvement.  Reduction in carbon monoxide emissions alone might justify an upgrade to the new MicroRocket.

In terms of burner stability, the MicroRocket is more stable than the PocketRocket.  How much more stable is hard to quantify, but my subjective sense was that the shorter pot supports are less springy and are more stable.

A PocketRocket (left) with a Titan kettle.  A MicroRocket (right) with a BPL Firelite 550

I tried the MicroRocket with a small BPL 550 pot/mug and a slightly larger MSR Titan kettle (850ml).  Both were quite stable.  I had no sense that a "lose your lunch" spill was going to happen at any minute.  I have not yet tried the MicroRocket with anything larger than the 850ml Titan kettle.

Testing a MicroRocket with an MSR Titan kettle

OK, OK, Jim, all this stuff is great, but can the darned thing cook?

Ah, well, I suppose we ought to tackle that one, now shouldn't we?  lol.

Boiling water on a MicroRocket

OK, fair enough.  So, test one:  boiling two cups of water.  With the two pots I used, it took about three and a half minutes to boil two cups of water with a moderate flame. I didn't see any pronounced speed difference between the two, but then I really am not a nanosecond ninny when it comes to boil times.  Let me get this straight:  You got up before dawn, got on the trail at first light, have hiked all day and have gained a vertical mile of elevation, and you're worried about which stove boils water twenty seconds faster?  Are you out of your mind?  Look, boil contests are the equivalent of two drunk males having a "mine's bigger" argument in a bar.  Nobody in their right mind cares.  So put the stop watch away.  The relevant thing to note here that the boil times are normal and you'll be fine with this stove.

Now, test two:  Simmering.  This is a task which the PocketRocket has received a bit of criticism over.  Let's try it out on the MicroRocket.  First, let's turn it down a bit.

A moderate boil on an MSR MicroRocket

OK, no problem so far.  I can get less than a raging boil that's trying to climb over the sides of the pot.  But that's not exactly simmering, now is it?  Let's see what else we can do.

A fairly low boil on a MicroRocket.

Now, that's actually pretty good.  I didn't have too much trouble at all bringing it to a pretty low boil.  This boil meets the technical definition of simmering which is the ability to hold water at or just below a low boil.  But can we go even lower?

A particularly low boil on a MicroRocket

Now, you'll have to trust me on this one, but the stove is in fact on.  If you look closely, you'll see one, maybe two bubbles coming up off the bottom of the pot.

A close up look at a very low simmer on a MicroRocket

Now that is a pretty darned good simmer.  I found it a little tricky, particularly in daylight, to adjust the flame down this low.  I did kill the flame once, but it really wasn't that bad.

OK, so, test three:  The sticky, gooey, I want to burn oatmeal test.

Simmering oatmeal on a MicroRocket

I simmered oatmeal for several minutes over a low flame.  So, how did it do?

The bottom of my pot after an oatmeal simmering test.

Zero, count 'em, zero burned spots.  The MicroRocket did pretty well, particularly when considering that I was using a titanium pot.  If it can do this well with a titanium pot, it'll do even better on aluminum.  Now, full disclosure, I stirred while simmering.  Hey, I'm a stovie not a magician, OK?  I mean, c'mon, let's be serious, you're going to have to stir some with titanium cookware if you want to avoid burnt spots, even on a low flame.  But while I did stir, I took no unusual or extraordinary measures.  I didn't stir frantically.  I didn't stir every blessed second.  In fact, I took a couple of breaks to take photos and such.  In other words, I just did normal things that any sensible person would do when simmering with titanium cookware.  The MSR MicroRocket was able to handle it.

A word of warning:  Every stove will have individual variations, stove to stove.  I doubt it, but there's always the possibility that I could have picked up the one MicroRocket stove with an unusually smooth valve or something like that. However, my sense is that this stove simmered well not because of a fluke but because of a good design.  I think MSR has put together a nice little stove here.

Well, there you have it, Trail Report #1 on the new MicroRocket.  Thanks for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving.

HJ

Appendix A:  Test Conditions
All tests described herein were conducted on a clear sunny day with temperatures of approximately 72F/22C at an elevation of approximately 3000ft/915m.  Winds were light, generally less than 3mph/5kph.  Water from a naturally occurring stream was used for all tests.  All stoves were run with butane gas carried in Snow Peak 110g canisters.

Appendix B:  References
Stoves, Tents and Carbon Monoxide - Deadly or Not? Part 3: Laboratory Measurements for Canister Stoves, by Roger Caffin, PhD.  Published on Backpackinglight.com, dated 2007-05-30
Note:  A subscription may be required to view this article.

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The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #1

This is an installment in my series on the new MicroRocket stove from MSR.  Other installments in the series include:

• The New MSR MicroRocket -- First Look
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Trail Report #2
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Cooking Report 
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #1
• The MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #2
• The New MSR MicroRocket -- Completed Review

If you're interested in traveling light, there's more to it than just the weight of a stove. You have to consider your cooking set up as a whole. And of course, it's really sweet when everything nests together inside a small lightweight mug-type pot. So, for the new MicroRocket, the inevitable question is: Just how small is it? And will it fit in my particular set up?

Well, obviously I can't test the MicroRocket with every pot and mug known to man, but I thought I'd test it with a few hopefully representative mugs/small pots.  Hopefully my tests will give you an idea if the new MicroRocket will fit in your set up.

Well, let's meet today's "contestants:" A BPL Firelite 550 mug/pot (550ml), a Snow Peak 780ml pot, and an MSR Titan kettle (850ml).  We'll be seeing how a MicroRocket does or does not fit and how the older PocketRocket compares.  So, fasten your seat belts, and let's head out on another Adventure in Stoving.

Front:  MSR PocketRocket (left), MSR MicroRocket (right). 

Rear (left to right):  BPL Firelite 550 mug pot (550ml), Snow Peak 780ml pot, MSR Titan kettle 850ml

Well, let's start with the Firelite 550 mug pot.  We'll try the PocketRocket first and see how that flies.

A PocketRocket in a BPL Firelite 550 mug pot

Uh, well, the word "FAIL" comes to mind.  Twist and turn, try as I might, I could not fit a PocketRocket into a BPL Firelite 550 mug pot.

But what about the MicroRocket?

A MicroRocket inside a BPL Firelite 550 mug pot

Whoa!  How cool is that?  Not only does it fit, it lays down flat.  Nice.  And, yes, that's the same pot as in the prior photo.  The MicroRocket really is that much smaller.  Sweet!

Well, shoot, if we've got that much room, why don't we pop in a canister of gas?

A BPL Firelite 550 mug pot with a MicroRocket and a 110g gas canister inside

Well, it sort of fits, but not exactly.  Even if I take the cap off of the canister, I can't quite get the mug's lid on.

A BPL Firelite 550 mug pot with a MicroRocket and a 110g gas canister inside

A tad disappointing, but still that's pretty darned good that I can fit all that into a little 550ml mug.  And, if you use your favorite ultralight stuff sack, maybe it will work for you.

A "stuff sack" for the BPL Firelite 550 mug pot.  Inside are a canister of gas and a MicroRocket stove.

OK, next, let's look at the Snow Peak 780ml pot.

A PocketRocket inside a Snow Peak 780ml pot

This time, the PocketRocket does fit, but try to fit in a gas canister, and you've got a bit of a problem.

A PocketRocket and a 110g gas canister inside a Snow Peak 780ml pot

I tried differing combinations, but to no avail.  A PocketRocket and a gas canister just cannot be made to fit in this small of a pot.

A PocketRocket and a 110g gas canister inside a Snow Peak 780ml pot

But with a MicroRocket, now, that's a different matter.  They both fit without too much trouble.

A MicroRocket and a 110g gas canister both fit inside a Snow Peak 780ml pot

A Snow Peak 780ml pot without the MicroRocket will fit a larger 220g canister, but with precious little room for anything else.

A Snow Peak 780ml pot with a 220g gas canister

OK, so there's our look at a Snow Peak 780ml pot.  Now, how about the MSR Titan kettle which is 850ml?

An MSR Titan kettle with a PocketRocket and a 110g gas canister inside.  You can't close the lid.

Well, with a Titan kettle, you can get both a PocketRocket and a 110g canister of gas inside.  Kind of.  But you can't close the lid.

On the other hand, with a MicroRocket, you've got oodles of room.  Go ahead, throw in a lighter, a little washcloth, or what have you.

An MSR Titan kettle with a MicroRocket and a 110g gas canister inside.  Plenty of room.

With the MicroRocket and a 110g canister, I can fully seal the lid.  Nice.

An MSR Titan kettle with a MicroRocket and a 110g gas canister inside.  The lid seals fully.

A 220g canister however doesn't quite work even with a MicroRocket.

A 220g canister doesn't quite fit into a Titan kettle with a MicroRocket.

Just for fun, I thought I'd try another gas stove with a reputation for being compact, the Optimus Crux, in the same configuration.

An Optimus Crux inside an MSR Titan kettle

There was no material difference between the fit with an Optimus Crux and the fit with a MicroRocket.

The fit with an Optimus Crux is not materially different than that of a MicroRocket

In fact, I tried the Optimus Crux with all of the above pots.  The Crux is a bit more compact than the MicroRocket, but it made no material difference with any of the pot and canister combinations.  I do find that the new MicroRocket's pot supports are a little less fiddly than the supports on a Crux, but more on that in a future post.

Well, this isn't one of our original three contestants, but I was curious.  If a 220g gas canister won't fit in any of the above, what will it fit in?  Let's try a 1000ml Snow Peak pot.  I wouldn't exactly call a 1000ml pot small, but let's try it.

A 1000ml Snow Peak pot with a 220g gas canister and an MSR MicroRocket inside.

Fits reasonably well, and the lid closes fully.  Do note that my pot has a "fry pan" type lid with some depth.  I wouldn't say that a 220g canister and a MicroRocket will fit in all 1000ml pots, but it's worth checking.

A 1000ml Snow Peak pot with a 220g gas canister and an MSR MicroRocket inside. The lid closes fully.

Well, there you have it, a look at the fit of the MSR MicroRocket in three small, ultralight backpacking type pots -- with a special guest appearance by our friend the 1000ml Snow Peak pot.  I hope this gives you a sense of the size of the MSR MicroRocket and whether or not it might work with your particular set up.

Thanks for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving,

HJ

P.S.  A preview of coming attractions:

An MSR MicroRocket

I fired up the stove using the piezoelectric lighter.  It's actually very effortless and slick.  I found it easier than using a conventional lighter.  Now, is it worth it to carry the extra 13g and to have to keep track of yet another piece of gear?  I mean, I am going to have to carry a regular lighter anyway, so is it worth it to carry the little piezoelectric lighter?  Dunno, but now that I've used it and seen how well it works, I'm not quite so dead set against it.  It's actually pretty nice.  I now think that some people will elect to carry it.  One nice thing about it is that unlike a Bic, the piezoelectric ignition will not run out of gas.

It also looks like MSR has taken some steps to reduce the carbon monoxide output of the MicroRocket.  More on that in a future post.  Stay tuned.  :)

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