Imagine yourself in a fox hole, it’s been raining for a week and you are all wet. Because of the tactical situation, you need to keep the flames at a minimum. You are cold, miserable and most likely demotivated (true story here …). Then you see a buddy of yours jumping in your hole with you with his MSR Pocket Rocket. You get under your poncho and start this big boy to both warm you up and have a hot coffee. Ain’t that the dream of all combat arms soldiers? Well as a light infantry veteran, it was mine when I fired my MSR Pocket Rocket. Now you say that $40 to keep you warm in any condition is TOTALLY worth it!
Because it’s only 4 inches long and a 8-oz. canister will last your 60 minutes, it doesn’t take a lot of space in your kit and can keep you “less miserable”. This 8-oz. canister can boil up to 16 liters of water, a luxury when you are in the field.
What I love about my MSR Pocket Rocket is not only the size but also the time it takes to boil 1 liter of water. Within 3.5 minutes you will have boiling water for your coffee, hot chocolate, MREs or to shave (yeah I know it sucks shaving in the field, but I guess the brass loves it when we look good). Everytime I go hiking I carry it in one of my general purpose pouches and keep 2-3 MSR Isopro all-season fuel blend.
I took my MSR Pocket Rocket out this morning after not using it for a few months to fire it up and see if it was still burning properly. It was 41F and my canister are store outside in one of my shed (no heat). It started perfectly and boiled 300ml of water within 1 minute with my GSI Outdoor Halulite Minimalist. I can also confirm that it works when it’s -40F outside as I tested it quite a few times during my winter FTX up here in Canada.
All in all, the MSR Pocket Rocket is a very nice piece of gear and I strongly encourage all outdoor enthusiasts and combat arms soldiers to get one. The price is very good, especially to keep warm. This is also a perfect tool for any bug out bag.
Here’s the manufacturer’s description of the MSR Pocket Rocket.
The PocketRocket backpacking stove provides full cooking function in an incredibly efficient form. Barely noticeable in your pack, it delivers impressively in camp. Precision flame control goes from torch to simmer while our Wind Clip™ wind shield boosts efficiency in breezy conditions. The PocketRocket stove’s diminutive size is also the foundation of a solid emergency kit for home or trail.
Purchase the Pocket Rocket here.
