Jetboil Flash: Your experience...

Preparation, Preparedness & Prevention Fieldcraft & Survival
1

Does anyone here have any experience with the Jetboil Flash? I saw one used once while I was freezing and eating cold MRE’s in MWTC Bridgeport, so I ordered one last night.

Has anyone had problems with the ignitors?

Can it be lit with a match/lighter/firesteel?

How many boils can you get out of 1 small canister?

What temperature does output begin to suffer at?

Can you cook anything other than water/soup based meals?

How long has yours lasted without problems?

Thanks M4C.

2

I don’t have the “JetBoil Flash” but do have their PCS Classic and bought the other accessories which in a way makes it a “Flash” sort of.

Hope that helps some. Enjoy!

3

I haven’t had mine long enough to go through the first gas canister, but it seems to work pretty well. We use ours on family tent camping trips. Like CLHC, I pretty much use it for water based (Mountain House) meals or coffee - It cam with the coffee press, but I also bought some instant.

That being said, I didn’t have any problems with it, mine has always ignited on the first go.

We recently bought a camping stove. Now the JB will probably be relegated to mostly coffee or other hot beverage duty.

4

No problem with the ignition.

Never tried alternate lighting.

Never kept track of actual ## of containers it would eat up.

I tried it out lastnight. It is still putting out a good amount of heat, but had to have the knob cranked up higher than usual.

I have cooked stew and other thicker foods it will do it, but you have to be careful and stir continuously or it will burn to the bottom. Does MUCH better with light soups or drinks.

5

While I don’t have experience with the Flash, I use my Helios a lot (the big bro) and I love it. Freezing cold on the AT in December and it fires right up. Out of curiousity I have ignited it with a match and a flint before.

I use the large canisters. I picked up the Helios kit used and the can filled almost empty but I used it anyways. Well I used it probably 20 or more times before it finally gave out. I tried the Coleman mixed fuel cans but the stove didn’t really like it. Stick with Jetboil replacements.

I’ve cooked in the teens and never noticed an output change.

My personal favorite is apple cobbler. Just clean out the pot really well afterwards and it’ll be fine. You can even fry bacon in it.

Mine was used for 2 or 3 years when I got it and I’ve been using it for 2 or 3 with no issues at all (other than using Coleman mixed fuel).

If the Flash is half as good as the Helios then you will only be pleased with your purchase. Jetboil makes some amazing products.

6

Here’s what it looks like after three (3) years.

Rolling and boiling after 3:22:89 using one (1) cup of 36F water from refrigerator.

Overall, still very satisfied with JetBoil!

7

Wow, looks like we have quite a bit more outdoorsman here than I though haha. Thanks for the reviews guys. Im still worried about the gas gelling in colder temps as I camp in the rockies in Nov to Feb, but I think if I keep the canisters close to me they should stay relatively warm.

8

I’ve looked all over the 'net for the gelling temp of the Jetboil fuel but I can’t find it. You may want to call Jetboil at (888) 611-9905 and see if they have any figures. I stay east of the Mississippi and don’t have to worry about all that cold weather stuff :lol:

9

Here’s from their FAQ site:

10

The guys I know love them. I use an MSR multi-fuel.

They seem to work as advertised, every time.

My only caveat is to check for fuel availability in your area you will be operating in. Check Walmart to see if they carry it. Place like Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, and REI are common enough but they are still specialty stores.

11

Or if you’re a prepper you can buy the 24-pack from Jetboil

12

Mine has worked great for a few years now. For military applications, it is just about as good as it gets. Very popular with the Brit marines and paras.

Only problem is when it runs out of fuel. For camping and bushcraft activities, I prefer the lightweight wood burning stoves and use twigs, leaves, etc. A great choice for long term situations.

The titanium four dog stoves are popular too. A bit bulky but lightweight.

http://www.fourdog.com/index_files/bushcooker.htm

13

Thanks for the reviews guys! I got it today and boiled a cup of tea for myself in a minute or two. I can see how at 11000 feet and 15* the performance would certainly suffer, but I ll be at Joshua Tree this weekend so I wont be experiencing either of those things.

14

Told ya you would be pleased. What’s the pack size of the Flash?

15

I too first saw one in Bridgeport. And after watching a guy eat hot ramen while I was eating a cold mre, decided I needed one. Just got it and haven’t taken it to the field yet. Supposedly it will fit in a nalgene pouch

16

Sometimes mine won’t light from the push-button ignition. Not sure if it’s just a slowly failing ignitor or what, but it doesn’t happen often enough for me to worry about it.

Yes, which is why I’ve never really worried about my barely intermittent ignition.

Never counted, but I have gotten a few weekends worth of 4-5 cups of coffee/day between my girlfriend and I when car camping. I took a full canister on a weekend trip on the Black Forest Trail and didn’t run out. I made four cups of coffee, two breakfasts, two dinners.

Never had an issue. Takes a bit longer to boil when cold, but I never had mine not work.

Cooked mac & cheese with chicken, make ziploc bag omelets, that’s about all the non-soup things I’ve done, and they still are water based (boiled the bagged omelets).

The limiting factor here is the only cooking surface you have is the diameter of the bottom of the cup. Grab a pan for it too, and your abilities jump dramatically.

Mine, with the above mentioned experiences is going on its 3rd year.

17

Has anyone had problems with the ignitors?

I’d buy a spare, mostly because they’re cheap. The ignitor has a “sweet spot”, in regards to distance, to get the right amount of spark for consistent ignition. If ignition becomes inconsistent, shoot for around .25" of distance to the contact surface. Usually this will fix it.

Can it be lit with a match/lighter/firesteel?

Yes.

How many boils can you get out of 1 small canister?

I would say, for my uses, I’ve never had one shit the bed on me, but I usually don’t go out for more than 2-3 days. I’m conservative with the burning, and do a “tactical reload” for my next outing. I always ditch the ones I use, and start out fresh on subsequent trips. I make tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. in addition to Mtn. House chow, boiling drinking water, and making “camp meals”.

What temperature does output begin to suffer at?

I’m in the South, so this hasn’t been an issue for me.

Can you cook anything other than water/soup based meals?

You can cook a skillet over it, but it’s somewhat of a bitch. I’ve used it to make spaghetti on a great many number of occasions. Add water, add pasta, bring to boil, strain pasta with JetBoil lid, and add one of these:

Chili Mac: Small can of chili, and one of these:

I’ve made Thai Curry with it a lot. Canned/bagged chicken, Uncle Bens instant rice bags, Ziploc bag full of peppers, onions, veggies, and one of the REI mini-Nalgene bottles of coconut milk:

Go here for recipes:
http://www.jetboil.com/recipes

How long has yours lasted without problems?

I’ve had mine for two years, and probably have used it 100+ times. Both for camping/hiking, and at work.

18

Took the Jetboil out to the mountains this weekend. Took a few pics to show it off. The elevation was between 1500 and 2000 feet, temp was 55* and it was slightly windy. Still, it boiled 2 cups of water (which is perfect for Mtn House meals) very quickly.

Fits perfectly in my side pocket on my Camelback day pack.



Turns orange to let you know youve reached a boil:



Some more pics from the day:


19

Nice outdoor shots there LS_HD!