MSR MicroRocket -- Packability Report #2

People have asked, just how packable is the new MicroRocket?

A 110g canister, a MicroRocket, and a piezo ignition will all fit into a 550ml mug type pot -- but the lid won't fully close.

In order to answer that question, I thought I'd compare five reasonably well known upright canister stoves:

1. MSR MicroRocket
2. MSR PocketRocket
3. Optimus Crux
4. Snow Peak GigaPower (GS-100)
5. Soto MicroRegulator (OD-1R) 

Hopefully, once you've seen the photos, you'll have a better sense of just how packable the MicroRocket is.

The MicroRocket folds down smaller than most. Is it significant? That depends on exactly which pot you're using. With some, it will make a difference.

Here's a photo of a GS-100 in a BPL Firelite 550 pot with a 110g Snow Peak canister.  Note the position of the lid.

A Snow Peak GS-100 stove and a 110g Snow Peak canister in a 550ml mug type pot

Now contrast that to this photo with a MicroRocket.

An MSR MicroRocket stove and a 110g Snow Peak canister in a 550ml mug type pot

Neither closes fully, but the MicroRocket is a better fit. If this was a 575ml or 600ml pot, you might be able to fully close the pot with a MicroRocket whereas you might not with a GS-100.

UPDATE, 27 Jan 2012 2256 Hrs:

I just took my GS-100 stove out. I thought I'd try one more thing, and... I'm going to have to amend my report (above) just a bit.  

The reason that the GS-100 doesn't fit quite as well as a MicroRocket in a 550ml mug type pot is that the valve adjustment wire on the GS-100 is very springy.  The wire forces the GS-100 over to one side which causes it to fit poorly.

If one undoes the wire and flips the wire out of the way, the GS-100 fits ever so slightly better than the MicroRocket.  However, there's no material difference between the two in a BPL Firelite 550 pot.   

So, if one doesn't mind a very minor bit of fiddling, the GS-100 is equal to the MicroRocket in terms of its width and how it fits in that particular pot.

The MicroRocket is a few mm shorter overall than the GS-100.  In a BPL Firelite 550, this has no practical impact, but for some applications, perhaps that might matter.

The very best fit was perhaps the Optimus Crux, but I found no practical difference between the compactness of the Crux vs. the MicroRocket. Both are tops when it comes to packability.

An Optimus Crux stove and a 110g Snow Peak canister in a 550ml mug type pot

The Soto MicroRegulator OD-1R takes significantly more space than a GS-100, MicroRocket, or Crux.

A Soto MicroRegulator OD-1R stove and a 110g Snow Peak canister in a 550ml mug type pot 

The big loser here is the PocketRocket which doesn't even begin to fit -- and that's without a canister of any sort.

A PocketRocket doesn't even begin to fit in a 550ml mug type pot

Hopefully you've now got a sense as to the relative packability of the new MSR MicroRocket.

Thanks for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving,

HJ

Other posts on the MSR 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 -- Completed Review

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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 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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The New MSR MicroRocket -- First Look

I'm in the process of writing another review for Seattle Backpackers Magazine, this time of the new MSR MicroRocket.  I've got a ways to go yet on the review, but I thought I'd at least let people have a preliminary look at the stove.  Look for the full review in about a month's time.

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

• 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

UPDATE 29 Dec 2011
Just got a note from MSR:  The official release date is January 3, 2012. We already have them in stock and are shipping to retailers.

OK, first impressions.  Guys, this sucker is compact.  Woo who!  Oh, yes.  Tiny, baby.  What a nice little stove.  Talk about saving some room in the ol' pack.  Sweet!

A new MSR MicroRocket (left) and a PocketRocket (right).

The new MicroRocket comes with a separate piezoelectric ignition.

MSR MicroRocket stove (top) and its separate piezoelectric ignition.

Now, I haven't fired it up yet (I just took it out of the box this evening), but my first impression of the separate  piezoelectric lighter is:  Why?  Sorry, MSR, but wouldn't I be better off just carrying a regular lighter?  What's the advantage of carrying a separate piezoelectric lighter?  A piezoelectric lighter is only going to be able to ignite gas whereas a regular lighter will ignite pretty much anything.  Wouldn't I be better served by a more versatile conventional lighter?  What's the point?

Now, to be fair, I haven't tried it yet.  Maybe I'll really love it.  These are just my first impressions upon taking the stove out of the box.  I will test it out.

Now, back to the stove.

The new (for 2012) MSR MicroRocket

Did I mention it's compact?  Man!  They really mapped this one out.  Everything folds together just so.  It literally fits in the palm of my hand, and I don't have particularly big hands (ring size 9.5).

I'm liking the way the valve control handle folds around the base of the stove.  Compact, baby, yeah!

The valve control handle folds compactly around the base of the stove.

Not too much looks new in terms of the burner head although the wind deflector is a bit more compact.  Like I say, though, I haven't fired it up yet.  Soon!

MSR PocketRocket (left),  MSR MicroRocket (right)

Now, take a look at the below photo.  One of my pet peeves about the older PocketRocket is that the point where the pot supports join the body of the stove is prone to bending.  Don't ask me how I know this.  I've read it elsewhere, so I know it's not just me.  The attach points on the new MicroRocket are way beefier.  When I unfolded everything into "working mode," the supports felt very solid.

MSR PocketRocket (left),  MSR MicroRocket (right)

Now, since this stove is super compact, you probably have to give up on the "surface area" that the pot supports cover, right?  Nope.  There's no sacrifice here.  The span is about the same.

MSR MicroRocket (right), MSR PocketRocket (left).  Note the smaller wind deflector on the MicroRocket

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

Overall first impression:  It's like the top stove designers at MSR did nothing but play with a Pocket Rocket for six months straight, looking for anything they could improve.  And they seem to have succeeded in just that.  They've really improved and beefed up the stove.

Um, Jim, beefed up?  Don't you mean they've turned a perfectly good stove into a fragile little ultralight toy -- a little toy that's useless to the average hiker?

NO!  Counter-intuitive as it may seem, they've managed to beef up the stove while dropping the weight and size.  Sweet!

OK, so that's all for now in this very brief first look.  Watch for more to follow soon.

HJ

Technical Appendix:  Weights
PocketRocket        MicroRocket
Case   25g/0.88oz    36g/1.27oz
Stove  86g/3.03oz    73g/2.57oz
Total 111g/3.92oz   109g/3.84oz
 
I didn't include the weight of the piezoelectric lighter because I wanted a 1:1 comparison.  The MicroRocket's piezo electric ignition weighs a mere 13g/0.46oz.

The above weights were all determined using my Kitchen Chef gram scale.  These weights may differ slightly from the weights listed by the manufacturer.   All weights have been double checked. All weight were measured in grams and then later converted to ounces.  Weights in ounces will not necessarily add up properly due to rounding error.

Interestingly, if the case is included, there is essentially no weight difference between the MicroRocket and the PocketRocket.  I did a double take when I weighed the new case.  I've checked it multiple times.  The new case really does weigh 36g.  I realize that a lot of people leave the case at home, storing the stove in their cookpot, but I still found it odd that MSR would go to so much trouble to lighten the stove and then turn right around and wipe out all the weight savings with a heavier case.  Hunh?

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