Carolina Adventurer

 I have cooked Ramen noodles over an open camp fire, on a large propane burner, and atop the larger dual burner propane stove many times, though often times not with ease and/or comfort.  The larger stoves definitely impede upon one’s comfort when traveling afoot.  Two small and efficient stoves that I own and use regularly in my many jaunts, are the MSR Pocket Rocket and Innovatives New Pocket Cooker. 

      The pocket rocket weighs around 4 ounces and is quite compact in design.  It also has a rather durable feel and lacks many of the parts that bend or break on other stoves.  The fuel canister weighs around 8 ounces and is compact and serves as a solid base.  The stove fires right up and can be adjusted to a fairly hardy flame (useful if being used in windy environments).  This is a great stove if you can’t build a small hot fire, but if you can that is when you use the Pocket Cooker.

       The Pocket Cooker weighs a little more than the pocket rocket. It comes in at 1 lb. 7 ounces.  The Pocket Cooker folds out like a miniture Transformer hobo stove.  It is very compact in its fold, and has a handy carrying pouch.  The obvious cool thing about this stove is that you can burn what materials you have on hand (the woods is filled with wood!;). The stove has a good firm feel to it and has adequate pan setting space. Of course, each stove has it’s own very minor obstacles.

                                                                                                                                                                       The Pocket Rocket can make your pan feel a little “tipsy”, so it requires a little attention and balancing skills.  I always worry about not being able to light the stove in cold temperatures.  Not that I plan on using it in the Arctic, I do imagine at 35 degrees F it should light right up and stay lit.  The Pocket Cooker is best used with a firestarter or ample supply of fine cut kindling.  It’s not difficult to feed it once you’ve got a few coals or a good fire going.  The Pocket Cooker holds up well in the wind and has an adjustable draft. Both stoves are “classics” as far as outdoor equpment concerns me.  They are easy to use,maintain, and both  are affordable.