If you know me, you know I love gear. I have WAY too much of it and can pretty much join you in anything or any sport on a whim. I bought a bunch of stuff when first moving out to Colorado for backpacking and have used it only a few times. Since I was a newbie I went with ease of use and all-in-one type stuff. That led me to pick up a Jetboil with french press attachment. Exactly the same as a regular Jetboil but for a coffee addict.
Love it but realized it is pretty one-dimensional. It boils, hence the name! Granted it does that one thing VERY well. But unless you're having pre-made freeze dried backpacking meals or ramen every day, all-day it is pretty limited. AND if you are planning to make a cup o' joe with it, DO NOT put the grounds in pre-boil... just trust me. The cup wasn't too strong with the Jetboil but when backpacking I'll take what I can get. The Jetboil has been awesome but realized it's bulky as well compared to other stoves. So you can't control the flame and it's a bit bulky... So I sought out to find something smaller and the ability to simmer and boil with everything in between.
Now to the fun of buying stuff. I got online and started doing some research while making a little pour over coffee and thought, I wonder if I could just bring this backpacking? Well yes I could... but it's porcelain and heavy. Plus the paper filters would just add to un-needed trash. So I looked into plastic pour overs and cotton re-usable filters. BOOM! Solved. I was surprised with the vast options that were out there. I finally came to a decision and went with the Melitta #2 Brewing Cone. Half the weight of the french press attachment of the Jetboil and cheap! Bed Bath has them for 3 bucks and Amazon for 5 with free shipping. Then came across CoffeeSock which are organic cotton re-usable filters. Just read what they are about and you'll buy them as well. I was very pleased with how easy it was to replace this part of the gear! Brews a strong cup and love the ease of use. Now onto the stove situation.
I have quite a few Isobutane canisters that fit my Jetboil so I started looking to stoves that used that type of fuel. I didn't have to look far to find one from MSR and Primus that I really liked. I narrowed it down to the Primus Express Stove. Ignitor, ability to control flame and 3.3 ounces compared to a pound with the Jetboil!Now I needed something to cook IN. The Jetboil came with a 2 cup attachment pot. Hmm... Wanted light weight and not bulky... Enter the Olicamp space saver mug!
3.2 ounces, fits around a Nalgene bottle I am already carrying and can be used as both a mug/pot! Sold.
So I did it and had a lot of fun customizing these things. Less bulky, lighter, ability to control flame and let's not forget the quality of the cup of coffee! Also, if I become a ounce-shaving ultra-light freak then I already made steps towards that! 1 pound/1 ounce was the Jetboil. Under 8 ounces (that's on the high end) for my new set up!
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| New set up on the left, old on the right. |
