MSR PocketRocket Stove Kit Review

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MSR PocketRocket Stove Kit First Thoughts

The MSR PocketRocket Stove Kit is small, compact, efficient, and light. Ideal for a day trip or a serious through-hike. At a mere 732g (25.8 oz.), 6” tall and a cylindrical size of just under 6”, the eating prep component of your backcountry trip seems to be taken care of. What has me simply floored is how simple the design is, and how much bang for your buck you get. I’ve now taken a handful of camping expeditions to really put this critical piece of gear to the test in a variety of conditions.

Enjoying the view while waiting for some chow.

Kit Assembly

The pot and plastic lid with rubber handle are the main components to keep this entire package small and simple. One of the 2 mugs holds the PocketRocket stove, and the other one holds the 2 folded up sporks. There’s a bit of extra room in there possibly for your matches or a lighter. Those mugs than fit right inside the 2 bowls, and again there’s a bit of space to slide in a few extras. I’m thinking a Ziploc baggy of coffee grinds or a packet of pop tarts would be a good fit. The pot handle folds over, and locks things nicely into place.

The foldable lid is what keeps this package together.

The recommended MSR ISOPRO fuel does not fit as part of the unit, but it is under 3.5” round, so I’m sure you’d have space for it in your pack. Do note that this is not a completely waterproof assembly, but with its many layers and few small openings there’s not much water that could get in to jeopardize the stove. Just don’t go swimming with it!

Cooking, Drinking, and Eating With The MSR PocketRocket Stove Kit

A full pot can hold up to 2 liters of food or liquid. A packaged dry meal/soup/chili/ghoulash/pasta would be great. Just add water, and you’d have a meal made for a trail king. As you might possibly know, anything cooked and eaten in the great outdoors tastes at least 2-3 times better than an indoor stove top dinner. Just my thoughts there.

Coffee is always a very vital component of my camping experience. There’s something zen-like about a quiet morning in the wild, so that was first on tap for the MSR PocketRocket Stove Kit. I wanted to test the claim that this is the fastest boiling backcountry stove to boil a liter of water in 3:30. I figured that would be enough for both my wife and I. My boiling time came in at exactly 3:45. Factoring in an altitude of 8500’ which may have been a contributing factor.

I then heated the full the pot with milk for a morning oatmeal breakfast. Add in some Peanut Butter (Nutella for the kids), almonds, and maple syrup, and it was a feast for my entire royal family. Lunch consisted of sandwiches, but dinner was a vegetable, potato, sausage concoction (premade) that we quickly heated up. My little family of four took turns eating from the bowl and spoon just for convenience sake. Do take some care to position your stove on a flat and protected spot. With my knack for clumsiness, and two little ones romping around, dinner can quickly be knocked over.

Many of the components are pretty durable and break proof in my opinion. You obviously have to take care of the PocketRocket stove, but the dishware and pot can stand up to some backcountry abuse. The only piece I will have to take some extra caution with is the lid.

Compact nesting design includes

• Clear Strainer lid
• 2 hot and cold-safe DeepDish Bowls
• 2 Folding sporks
• Ultralight PocketRocket Stove
• 2 Double-Wall Insulated Mugs
• 2.0 L Scratch resistant hard-anodized aluminum pot.

Final Thoughts On The MSR PocketRocket Stove Kit

The PocketRocket Stove itself has a proven track record of being a reliable backcountry companion. I still have a very early version of this stove that works quite well. This all inclusive kit will make your life on the trail so much easier. I think the compact nature of the MSR PocketRocket stove kit is so cool. It’s kind like a Jenga puzzle as all the pieces have a place, and stow away nicely. It’s very lightweight, but with that said, the durability has held up nicely thus far. You have options, but I would highly recommend trying this cookware set out. It’s also at a reasonable price point which is very important for the budget minded adventurer. All MSR Products pretty much rock, so checking this and their other products out will make your backpacking excursions a whole heck of a lot easier. For more info visit www.msrgear.com or www.amazon.com/msr.