User Review: MSR PocketRocket

Summary

It's OK to make a pot of tea, but it's a small cooker for small trips only.

Obviously, if you buy something called a "pocket rocket" you know you're not getting an industrial stove that will feed a dozen mouths on expedition, but still — this is a very fidgety and limited stove.

However, I've owned mine for 5 years and it works as well as it did the first day I used it, so it's consistent and reliable.

The main issue is you can't put a large pot on and leave it unattended — and by unattended I mean you can't chop carrots without holding the handle. It looks like you can just screw the rocket into the canister and voila — cooking time.

But in any kind of adverse conditions — wind, rain, unstable terrain — you need to be with your cooker the whole time.

Another issue is that it's a completely unprotected flame — no cover, no safety measure; so if your stove falls over — you've got a flame thrower. Otherwise the wind can just put out your cooking.

On the plus side, I can fit my flint into the little box, and then fit the whole stove into my pot, so it's compact as hell, which is great for an overnight hike warming up some soup.

Just don't expect to get much else done.