Wether I’m backpacking, kayak camping or truck camping, my first order of business in the morning is making coffee. I have a Black Rifle Coffee t-shirt that reads, “But first, coffee”. And that about sums up my priorities in the morning. At home, my options are easy, Keurig or Espresso Machine. In the woods or on the shores of the Great Lakes, it’s a different story all together. Thank God for those compact cooking systems like Jetboil and MSR. Although I own stoves from both manufacturers, the newly designed 2018 Jetboil Flash is by far the quickest to boil water.
Advertised to boil water in 100 seconds, the new Jetboil Flash has taken food preparation to the next level. To create the new Flash, Jetboil optimized every detail of their existing stove. Modeling the combustion and selecting materials to optimize efficiency, speed and precision. With that, the engineers were able to reduce the boil time of their best performing stove by a full minute. So when my wife hears the Jetboil start up, she has a bout 3-4 minutes to roll out of the Tepui for a fresh cup of French Press coffee.
2018 Jetboil Flash Specs & Features courtesy of jetboil.johnsonoutdoors.com
- Weight: 13.1oz(371g)*
- Power: 9,000BTU/h(2.6kW)
- Volume: 32floz(1Liter)
- BoilTime: 100secper16oz(1/2Liter) (avg. over the life of JetPower can)
- WaterBoiled: 10 Liters per 100g Jet Power Can
- Dimensions: 4.1”x7.1”(104mmx180mm) *System weight excludes fuel stabilizer.
- Pot Support and JetPower fuel sold separately.
- 1 Liter FluxRing cooking cup with insulating cozy
- New and improved easy on and off vessel connection
- Improved lid for better fit and function
- New ergonomic design for easy hold and start
- Thermochromatic, color-change heat indicator
- Convenient, reliable push-button igniter
- Bottom cover doubles as a measuring cup and bowl
- Compatible accessories include Coffee Press, Hanging Kit, Pot Support, FluxRing Fry Pan, FluxRing Cooking Pot and Utensils
- MSRP $99.99
The compact size and performance of the Jetboil cooking systems should be on-board any campers packing list. With several accessories available from Jetboil, users can customize the stove for various adventures. I added the pot support accessory so I can use a small frying pan atop the Flash burner. Obviously the Jetboil coffee press is a must have. As I stated earlier, “but first, coffee” is my morning mantra. Another handy item is the hanging kit. For those that camp in the winter, this accessory allows users to safely hang the entire Flash cooking system from the ceiling of their tent. Another nice feature is the ability to store the pot support and coffee press inside the Flash stove.
At 13.1 ounces and only 4.1″ x 7.1″ in size, the Jetboil Flash will fit in the mesh water bottle pockets on the side of most hiking backpacks. Affording easy access to a warm meal or drink in only a couple of minutes. Tactical Tailor in Lakewood, Washington even makes a Jetboil pouch for attaching to the Molle system. For me, the Jetboil Flash stays just under the top flap of my backpack when hiking. Or the tailgate of my truck when traveling overland.
