Jetboil Backcountry Gourmet Cooking Stove Set: Handy Kit for Camping

No questions, the Jetboil cooking system is one of the fast and easy ways to cook during a backpacking or hiking trip. It is light, efficient, and can cook simple meals really fast. For a solo traveller or at the most party of two, who want to travel light and don't mind eating simple meals this little set is a must. Of course, I don't advice carrying a Jetboil, if you plan to travel at high altitude or in cold weather. After all, the Jetboil is basically a canister stove and all the limitations that canister stoves have applied to the Jetboil too.

However, despite how great the Personal Cooking System is, it has a serious limitation. It is only good for cooking very simple meals that required only a little more than boiling water. So, When I saw this kit I was curious about whether the addition of the frying pan to a proven system worth its while. And decided to do a little research on my own to find out. This Hub is the result of that research.

The kit included:

• Jetboil personal cooking system
• FluxRing Fry Pan
• Pot Support and Stabilizer
• Jetset Utensils: it includes a spatula, a spoon, and a fork. All of them with the right lenght to reach the bottom of the pot. They are collapsible for easy storing.
  

The Jetboil backcountry gourmet set is a well thought product for camping and backpacking. It is compact to carry in your backpack, not too heavy and deliver as advertised. The highlight of the set is the Personal cooking system, that it is great product, one of the best ways to cook during a backpacking or hiking trip. The other additions are nice and work well. maybe better than average, but not as good as the Personal cooking system. However, one good thing of buying the backcountry gourmet set is that it is cheaper than buying each of the pieces separately.

So, Let's Take a Look in More Detail

If you have read my other hubs, you already know that I consider the Jetboil personal cooking system one of the best stoves for backpacking. It is simply great! The design is really cleaver. The canister and the stove can be stored in the cup, which saves space in your backpack. It is not too heavy. It is really easy to use, you don't need priming, only to light the stove and wait a couple of minutes for the water to boil. And it is really efficient at the hour of using fuel, meaning you end carrying less weight because you don't need using large canisters during your trip.

The frying pan is not great, but it is a nice addition to the personal cooking system. It is made of hard-anodized aluminum and it is relatively easy to clean. Be aware that the pan doesn't have a non-stick surface. Some people consider this to be a problem, but for me, it is better that way because the pan can take more abuse during your trip. The FluxRing heat exchanger functions well, better than using a canister stove and frying pan without the FluxRing mechanism. But not as good as the Personal cooking system. So it consumes more fuel. For using the Fry Pan you have to use the pot support and stabilizer. The plastic base is quite effective for stabilizing the system. The pot support, on the other hand is trickier to use correctly, but it does a correct job keeping the pan securely. It is a good idea using the system at home first to figured out how to assemble it securely and to get some heat control. Remember that the Jetboil generates a lot of heat.

The utensils are not the best products made by Jetboil, but they do the job. The best thing is that they have the right length to use with the personal cooking system. That's great, you won't have to stir your meals using only the tip of your fingers anymore with these utensils. Another good thing is that they are collapsible, that is very useful to save space at the hour of storing them. On the downside, The material of the spatula doesn't stand up to high temperatures very well. Yes, it does the job and treating it with care it will last a long time, but I like camping utensils that are a little tougher.

• Cup 1.0L (32 oz)
• Fry pan 1.0L (32 oz)
• 4500 BTU/Hour output
• Boils 1/2 liter (2 cups) in 2 minutes
• Weight: 26.3 oz (741 g)

If you want a Jetboil cooking system and plan to buy the frying pan too, then it makes a lot of sense to buy this set together. Simply because it will save you money. On the other hand, If you don't plan using the fry pan, buy the Jetboil classic personal system instead, because the personal system is what really made Jetboil to stand out.