Using data from the Pacific Crest Trail survey, I’ve come up with a list of the best PCT stoves. That is, if you decide to use a stove at all on the PCT (all the cool kids are stoveless). If you’re planning a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike and you’ve told anyone about your crazy plan to cross the United States with the power of your own two feet, then chances are they’ve asked you some crazy questions. One of the questions commonly asked: “What are you going to do about food?”
You may have already asked yourself this question (albeit a more refined version) and you may be wondering how you are going to cook for yourself out on the trail. Here’s a look at the best stoves available for cooking on the PCT (and beyond).
Soto WindMaster
- Weight: 2.3 oz/ 66 g
- Dimensions (in): 1.34 x 1.8 x 2.5
- Dimensions (cm): 3.4 x 4.62 x 6.37
- Type: Canister
- Integrated Pot: No
- Simmer Control: Yes
- Built-in Igniter: Yes
- MSRP: $70
The Soto WindMaster is one of the favorite stoves among PCT hikers (through not necessarily one of the most common). It is advertised as being able to “boil two cups (~500 ml) of water in under 2.5 minutes in strong winds and gusty weather”. It has a three-arm pot support attachment (despite being pictured with a four-arm support) and a built-in ignitor. You’ll need to buy your pot and gas canister separately (as with most of the stoves here), so remember that when looking at the weight.
PROS: Small, lightweight, great simmer control, performs well in the wind and cold
CONS: More expensive than other options, does not come with hard case (comes with soft pouch)
MSR PocketRocket 2
- Weight: 2.6 oz / 74 g
- Dimensions (in): 3.1 x 1.3 x 1.7
- Dimensions (cm): 7.9 x 3.3 x 4.3
- Type: Canister
- Integrated Pot: No
- Simmer Control: No
- Built-in Igniter: No
- MSRP: $45
The MSR PocketRocket 2 is a small and lightweight stove that packs down to nearly nothing. It is advertised as boiling “1 liter of water in 3.5 minutes”. The MST PocketRocket 2 has simmer control and a three-arm pot support. There is no built-in ignitor (which could be a pro or con depending on your preferences). It comes with a hard case for storage and has MSR’s WindClip windshield, whatever that is.
PROS: Small, lightweight, compact, comes with hard case
CONS: No built-in ignitor, some complaints of problems with the threads that screw into gas cans
Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0
- Weight: 3.2 oz / 91 g
- Dimensions (in): 3.6 x 2 x 1.8
- Dimensions (cm): 9 x 5 x 4.5
- Type: Canister
- Integrated Pot: No
- Simmer Control: Yes
- Built-in Igniter: Yes
- MSRP: $50
The Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0 is a collapsible stove with a built-in Piezo igniter. It has four foldout pot supports and has an advertised boil time of 4 minutes 48 seconds for one liter of water. If you want something that’s a little lighter and just a bit cheaper, there’s a version available for $40 without the built-in igniter that weighs 2.64 oz / 75g. It uses isobutane-propane fuel cans (same as the previous two stoves) and comes with a plastic case.
PROS: Small, lightweight, compact, built-in igniter, comes with plastic case
CONS: Weighs just a little bit more than the others (if you opt for the built-in igniter), boil times slightly slower
Jetboil MiniMo
- Weight: 14 oz / 397 g
- Dimensions (in): 5 x 6
- Dimensions (cm): 13 x 15
- Type: Canister
- Integrated Pot: Yes
- Simmer Control: Yes
- Built-in Igniter: Yes
- MSRP: $145
The Jetboil MiniMo is a complete stove system that includes an integrated pot and weighs a total of 14 oz / 397 g. It has an advertised boil time of 4 minutes 30 seconds for one liter of water. The pot has rubber-coated metal handles and a sleeve to protect your delicate hiker hands from your piping hot hiker slush. There’s also a built-in igniter. The pot can be used to store both the stove and a gas canister up to 230 g. I used this stove on the Continental Divide Trail and loved it (but I might use something lighter in the future).
PROS: Complete cooking system, pot attaches to stove (won’t slip off), packs into itself, built-in igniter
CONS: Heavy, more expensive compared to other options, pot not easy to use with other stoves (if yours breaks)
BRS 3000T
- Weight: 0.88 oz / 25 g
- Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 3.2 x 1
- Dimensions (cm): 14 x 8 x 2.5
- Type: Canister
- Integrated Pot: No
- Simmer Control: Yes
- Built-in Igniter: No
- MSRP: $18
The BRS 3000T is an inexpensive, lightweight, titanium canister stove with three folding arms for pot support. It also goes by the name, “some really light and cheap Chinese stove from Amazon”. It has aluminum threads (opposed to brass – which lasts longer) and works with the same isobutane-propane canisters as all the stoves listed above. It comes with a soft pouch for storage.
PROS: Cheapest and lightest option listed here,
CONS: No built-in igniter, questionable support from manufacturer if something goes wrong
All of the options listed here are canister stoves. In addition to being stoveless (aka being a super cool ultralight hiker), alcohol stoves are also a popular option for Pacific Crest Trail hikers. However, there was not a single alcohol stove that was reported as being either incredibly common or liked on the PCT. If you have a suggestion for an alcohol stove to add to this list, I would be happy to hear it.
Comment below and let me know your thoughts, questions, or even own recommendation if you think there’s something better out there that’s not listed here.
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