User Review: Soto Micro Regulator Stove

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7 comments

July 18, 2012

imacanuk
75 reviewer rep

Rating:
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $70 + $10 for the windscreen

Summary

Burns hotter with a better flame than the PocketRocket. Burns better in colder temps and at altitude than the PocketRocket. Burns with a full flame until the canister is completely empty... no weak flame for the last little remainder of fuel.

Pros

Very light and compact
Works well in colder temps and at altitude
Uses up the last little bit of fuel in the canister with a FULL FLAME!
Can get a real integrated wind screen

Cons

None noticed yet

I've been using the PocketRocket for over 10 years now. I have several other stoves as well, but when I go lightweight I would always use my PocketRocket.

I recently bought the Soto Micro Regulator Stove with the Windscreen. In my opinion it is a much better stove for real world usage.

With the windscreen attached, the wind blocking is far better than the PocketRocket's little "wind clip", and it doubles its usefulness by reflecting heat upwards to the pot as well.

The flame of the Soto is much fuller, and more fully encompases the base of the pot to allow for a more even heating of the pot. This makes for lower boil times in the real world, and if you're simmering, it eliminates the burnt hot spot in the middle.

The Micro Regulator does what it is advertised to do. It makes for better flame in cooler temps, at higher altitudes, and when your canister is almost empty and is losing pressure, it still gives a full flame. With most canister stoves [including the PocketRocket] the flame will get very weak and not boil very well, but when you shake the cansiter, it still seems like there's a little liquid sloshing around in there.

The Soto, with its micro regulator eliminates this. It uses up ALL of the fuel with a FULL FLAME. So there's no tapering off of performance as the canister loses pressure.

I've had this stove for only a few months, but I've taken it on several multi-day trips here in the Canadian Rockies. So far I like this stove WAY better than the PocketRocket. The peizo-igniter is still working, but even if it quits, this stove is still superior.

Comments

I can only agree on this review.

Burro 10 months ago

I can only agree on this review. End of May/beginning of June, I used this stove, for the first time, on a three day solo hike through the Hoover Wilderness/ North Yosemite. The stove preformed great at higher altitudes, 10,000ft and in chilly mornings, 36F. I didn't have the windscreen but I think it will definitely benefit from it, although it is some extra weight. The peizo is great.

Burro 10 months ago

Last fall I was backpacking in the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness when the temps got down to about 8 degrees F. At that temp this stove ,which I truly do thing is the greatest, would not run even with a warm canister from my coat pocket. It seems that the expansion from liquid to gas cools the fuel to the point that it just won't burn. For these temps I use the Soto liquid fuel stove. Just sayin'

schifferj 10 months ago

What type of gas did you use?

Burro 10 months ago

Butane can not stand cold temps.

Burro 10 months ago

Sorry this is another topic! Isn't it?

Burro 10 months ago

8 degrees F is very cold. I wouldn't expect a canister stove to work at that low of a temp. That's why I have liquid fuel stoves. The microregulator stove will work at a few degrees below freezing. Where my pocket rocket would be barely showing a weak flame the microregulator still works strong. But I'm not surprised it didn't work at 8 degrees F. That's a little too far out of it's design parameters.

imacanuk 10 months ago

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