Guide 4 min
Backpacking stove: how much does the full system weigh?
From 73 g for a bare burner to 432 g for a system with its pot: 11 gas stoves weighed, then with pot and gas canister, to see what you really carry.
In the WildKit catalogue, a gas stove weighs from 73 g to 432 g. The lightest is a bare burner, the heaviest a system with its own pot: a 359 g gap, but not for the same thing. To compare, weigh what you actually carry: the burner, the pot and the gas canister.
How much does a backpacking gas stove weigh?
From 73 g to 184 g for a bare burner, from 201 g to 432 g for a system with a pot. The catalogue lists 11 gas stoves: 6 bare burners and 5 systems.
| Stove | Type | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| MSR PocketRocket 2 | bare burner | 73 g |
| MSR PocketRocket Deluxe | bare burner | 83 g |
| Soto WindMaster | bare burner | 87 g |
| Primus Essential Trail | bare burner | 114 g |
| Forclaz MT500 | bare burner | 120 g |
| Forclaz MT100 | bare burner | 184 g |
| Jetboil Stash | system, 0.8 L pot | 201 g |
| Jetboil Zip | system, 0.8 L pot | 340 g |
| Jetboil Flash | system, 1 L pot | 371 g |
| Primus Lite+ | system, 0.5 L pot | 402 g |
| MSR WindBurner | system, 1 L pot | 432 g |
Between the lightest and the heaviest bare burner, a 111 g gap. A system carries its pot size in its name, from 0.5 L to 1 L. A bare burner has no pot: you need a cookpot alongside, and that's what makes the difference.
Burner and pot, or integrated system: which weighs less?
It depends on the pot you add to the burner: in titanium, the bare burner wins; in stainless steel, the integrated system comes out ahead against four of the five systems.
| What you carry | Weight |
|---|---|
| MSR PocketRocket 2 and MSR Titan Kettle 0.85 L | 191 g |
| Jetboil Stash (system) | 201 g |
| Jetboil Zip (system) | 340 g |
| Forclaz MT500 and Forclaz MT500 one-person stainless cookpot | 425 g |
The lightest burner with a 118 g titanium kettle weighs 191 g: 149 g less than the Jetboil Zip, for a pot of similar size. Against the Stash, the gap drops to 10 g. The other way round, the Forclaz MT500 burner with the 305 g stainless cookpot weighs 425 g, 85 g more than the Zip.
With the gas canister, what does the full system weigh?
With a 100 g gas canister, the full system weighs from 391 g to 632 g. A 100 g gas canister weighs 200 g full, a 230 g one weighs 394 g: to choose between the two, see 100 or 230 gas canister.
| System | Without gas canister | With a 100 g gas canister | Share of 8 kg (bivouac) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PocketRocket 2 and Titan Kettle | 191 g | 391 g | 4.9 % |
| Jetboil Stash | 201 g | 401 g | 5.0 % |
| Forclaz MT500 and stainless cookpot | 425 g | 625 g | 7.8 % |
| MSR WindBurner | 432 g | 632 g | 7.9 % |
A full 100 g gas canister weighs more than any bare burner in the catalogue: 200 g, against 184 g for the heaviest. Picking the gas canister size matters as much as picking the stove.
What about the alcohol stove?
The catalogue has only one, the Trangia 27-1 UL: 715 g, with its windshield and its pots, for 1 L. It takes no gas canister. Against the heaviest gas system, it weighs 283 g more. One model only: no rule to draw from it.
What to remember
- A gas stove weighs from 73 g to 432 g, but a bare burner has no pot: compare with the pot included.
- Light burner and titanium kettle: 191 g, 149 g less than a Jetboil Zip. With a stainless cookpot, the integrated system wins against four of the five systems.
- With a 100 g gas canister, the full system weighs from 391 g to 632 g, from 4.9 % to 7.9 % of the bivouac target.
On a bivouac, stove, gas and cookpot are three essential items (see the first night checklist). Give your trip to the configurator: it adds all three to your total weight, and you see whether your pack stays on target (see how much your pack should weigh).
Written by Thanaël Fontaine. Published .