Everyone has their preference when it comes to camp cooking. Some are completely kosher with an MRE; freeze dried food or some sort of protein and granola bars. Others take solace in the process of making a good, warm meal on the trail, out in the wild enjoying Mother Nature. There’s something to be said about hiking 12 miles a day and sitting down with your boots off while cooking some fajitas in your camp kitchen kit. Luckily there is someone to help you with that fine meal at the end of a long trek; the MSR Pocket Rocket.
This past week I spent 5 days out in the gorgeous Arizona desert overlooking Roosevelt lake with 3 of my very best friends from the Army. During the day we were off-roading in my buddies jeep till sunset so there was very little time in the morning to cook a proper breakfast. Well I’m not the one to skip breakfast out in the field, so out came the MSR Pocket Rocket and my stove-top kit from Winterial.
Preparing for these types of meals before you head out to the field is crucial to making your life easier. For breakfast I dice up some raw bacon or breakfast sausage with some potatoes, onions, peppers and keep them in a sandwich bag for each day. This way you can just dump the contents inside the small skillet and sauté away. Turning on the MSR Pocket Rocket reminded me of a fighter jets after burners being engaged at an air show. The burner puts out some serious heat that nearly causes you to worry that you’ll melt the pot over the burner. The new addition of the push-start Piezo Igniter worked the first time and every time thereafter. Flawless operating gives you the peace of mind when out in the field and builds the confidence you need in your gear.
MSR boasts’ that the Pocket Rocket can boil 1 liter of water in 3.3 minutes, and they’re not wrong. I think if you have a Titanium cook set it works faster due to the thinner alloy allowing the water to heat drastically faster. Regardless, I was incredibly impressed with how easy making French Press coffee became in the morning. Coming in at just 2.9oz, you can easily stuff this in a pocket or hang it off a belt loop and you would never notice the weight. It’s actually quite impressive to see the immense abilities of this petite device. Crazy to think that 20 years ago Coleman was making the massive propane burners with far less heat capabilities and minimal thought to packability.
Knives are useful tools. Often when you need a knife, one of your hands is already occupied. Auto knives and assisted opening knives are great. When you’re done with the knife, closing it safely, while your hand is still occupied, can be a pain or even a hazard to put away.
